Recommend me some softsynths?

[hazelwould]

I'd like to go cheaper if possible. Not really sure what to look for...?

[Chumley]

What kind of thing do you want to accomplish?

[smallsnd/bigsnd]

What kind of thing do you want to accomplish?

good question.
i haven't gotten any new softsynths in the past few years, but past ones i've been into (many are cheap/free):
u-he: ace, zebra (modular type synths)
gforce: mtron (mellotron emulator)
native instruments: pretty much anything, but mostly reaktor (modular environment)
gmedia: oddity (arp odyssey emulator), impOSCar (oscar emulator)
arturia: arp 2600, minimoog, CS-80V (synth emulators, the arp2600 especially is really great)
alphakanal: automat (subtractive synth)
korg: ms20, polysix (synth emulators)
pluggo: any (max/msp based devices)
sam: chip32 (wavetable synth)
camel audio: CA5000 (sampling/synthesis)
ndc: some interesting stuff so you should just check them out

check out KVR audio for lots of stuff.
can't think of anymore at the moment that i often use(d) but there's a lot here.

[tuffteef]

i like the goldbaby stuff
i have there juno one
sounds awesome i swear you could write hits with that thing

[dorfmeister]

Plogue Bidule is worth a serious look.

http://www.plogue.com/?page_id=56

[eatyourguitar]

What kind of thing do you want to accomplish?

good question.
i haven't gotten any new softsynths in the past few years, but past ones i've been into (many are cheap/free):
u-he: ace, zebra (modular type synths)
gforce: mtron (mellotron emulator)
native instruments: pretty much anything, but mostly reaktor (modular environment)
gmedia: oddity (arp odyssey emulator), impOSCar (oscar emulator)
arturia: arp 2600, minimoog, CS-80V (synth emulators, the arp2600 especially is really great)
alphakanal: automat (subtractive synth)
korg: ms20, polysix (synth emulators)
pluggo: any (max/msp based devices)
sam: chip32 (wavetable synth)
camel audio: CA5000 (sampling/synthesis)
ndc: some interesting stuff so you should just check them out

check out KVR audio for lots of stuff.
can't think of anymore at the moment that i often use(d) but there's a lot here.

these synths are really showin their age. you gotta stay on top. I've used the majority of synth plugins starting with fruity loops 1.7 and reaktor 1.0 in 1995 up to present. FXpansion has one of the best synth plugin collections ever. its called D-CAM Synthsquad. you might want some nice distortion. ohmforce ohmicide gets the job done. if you have protools, you can play with vacuum. if you have logic, there are like 5 synths. the camel audio ca5000 is good but a little old. rob papen predator is a fucking beast. tone2 gladiator is good. EVERYTHING NATIVE INSTRUMENTS MAKES. KVR is like a snake eating its own tail. they always vote for u-he and refx. the refx nexus is good but its really a sampler that they sell as a synth so not much tweakability. ignore KVR even though it is one of the only forums dedicated to VST plugins. if your using protools you should only use digidesign protools plugins so they dont run on inefficient adaptors. if your using logic your all set and dont need to buy anything. if your using reason you cant add plugins so your fucked. if you dont get synthsquad, get NI komplete bundle. you will use kontact as much as reaktor. sometimes you get better synth sounds from kontact even though it is actually a sampler. its one of the most synth like samplers ever.

[kbit]

I've had a lot of fun with Native Instruments Massive in the past.

[eatyourguitar]

ahhhh yes. if you can just buy one massive is a good price.

[smallsnd/bigsnd]

eh. i'm not too interested in staying on top all the time... there's just such a huge proliferation of softsynths and plugins out there.
i'm very much in the mindset of finding something interesting, exploring and understanding it, then keeping it in my vocabulary. people still want to use a korg ms20, despite it's age (etc.) - i feel the same way about softsynths. sure there are probably other interesting/better sounding/etc. ones out there, but once i start giving them my personal sound treatments i can make them sound pretty much the way i want.

don't ignore KVR. if you can sort through the bullshit, you can find some cool stuff on there - especially freeware/shareware...

[hazelwould]

Great info, thanks guys!

[Bassus Sanguinis]

Have You checked Gersic? Lots of fun freeware and shareware stuff over there that I've used.
http://www.gersic.com/plugins/

[tuffteef]

eh. i'm not too interested in staying on top all the time... there's just such a huge proliferation of softsynths and plugins out there.
i'm very much in the mindset of finding something interesting, exploring and understanding it, then keeping it in my vocabulary. people still want to use a korg ms20, despite it's age (etc.) - i feel the same way about softsynths. sure there are probably other interesting/better sounding/etc. ones out there, but once i start giving them my personal sound treatments i can make them sound pretty much the way i want.

don't ignore KVR. if you can sort through the bullshit, you can find some cool stuff on there - especially freeware/shareware...

i wish i had a ms20 god damn

[univalve]

eh. i'm not too interested in staying on top all the time... there's just such a huge proliferation of softsynths and plugins out there.
i'm very much in the mindset of finding something interesting, exploring and understanding it, then keeping it in my vocabulary. people still want to use a korg ms20, despite it's age (etc.) - i feel the same way about softsynths. sure there are probably other interesting/better sounding/etc. ones out there, but once i start giving them my personal sound treatments i can make them sound pretty much the way i want.

don't ignore KVR. if you can sort through the bullshit, you can find some cool stuff on there - especially freeware/shareware...

i wish i had a ms20 god damn

iPad and Korg app

[tuffteef]

eh. i'm not too interested in staying on top all the time... there's just such a huge proliferation of softsynths and plugins out there.
i'm very much in the mindset of finding something interesting, exploring and understanding it, then keeping it in my vocabulary. people still want to use a korg ms20, despite it's age (etc.) - i feel the same way about softsynths. sure there are probably other interesting/better sounding/etc. ones out there, but once i start giving them my personal sound treatments i can make them sound pretty much the way i want.

don't ignore KVR. if you can sort through the bullshit, you can find some cool stuff on there - especially freeware/shareware...

i wish i had a ms20 god damn

iPad and Korg app

you know i want one

[univalve]

eh. i'm not too interested in staying on top all the time... there's just such a huge proliferation of softsynths and plugins out there.
i'm very much in the mindset of finding something interesting, exploring and understanding it, then keeping it in my vocabulary. people still want to use a korg ms20, despite it's age (etc.) - i feel the same way about softsynths. sure there are probably other interesting/better sounding/etc. ones out there, but once i start giving them my personal sound treatments i can make them sound pretty much the way i want.

don't ignore KVR. if you can sort through the bullshit, you can find some cool stuff on there - especially freeware/shareware...

i wish i had a ms20 god damn

iPad and Korg app

you know i want one

i know.
me haz one