Looking for guitar VST that has that "80s synthwave" sound.

[Rothgarr]

Title says it all. If I had to share an example, skip to 0:40 seconds of the type of guitar sound I'm looking for.

Not looking for loops, looking for an instrument that I can play and compose guitar solos with.

I know there are a bunch of guitar VSTs out there, but the ones I've heard are either too heavy or too twangy. I know a lot has to do with effects, but I guess I'm looking for a good place to start.

Thanks!

[jam-s]

That does not sound like a guitar to me but more like a classic 80s synth played with lots of pitchbend and modwheel vibrato, maybe a keytar, but no actual electric guitar.

[MarkTarlton]

this can get you started for a lead guitar/synth patch, I played around with a stock synth and amplitube and got in the ballpark using this recipe below...there are a lot of subtle things to play with, so make sure you tweak the parameters til you hear something you like. the amp sim and fx will be a key factor.

1 - saw wave/monophonic
2 - lp filter with key tracking up
3 - formant filter/vowel shape
4 - amp simulator
5 - reverb/delay
6 - modulate the pitch with lfo (mod wheel)

[Benedict]

If you know how to Play & Amp (and I use Scream4 for most of these (no IRs) then the guitar/s in ID8 will get you there just fine. It is more in the playing.

While not chasing the same sound, most of the "guitars" on this record are synths of one kind or another. Many from Europa (in my Eternal Battle ReFill in the Shop - but this is not an advert)

[challism]

Or maybe a Combi?

Capture.JPG (35.06 KiB) Viewed 1809 times

[guitfnky]

as a guitarist, it makes me sad to hear people trying to make synths sound like guitars. I’ve yet to hear a synth “guitar” that sounds even remotely close. they’re not even pale imitations most of the time. the fact that they’re trying to make it sound like a guitar is very obvious, making the failure to do so even more so.

that said, there’s one guy here on RS who does a really good job of it (Tritoneaddiction, I believe)—still sounds like a synth, but I think it works because it doesn’t seem like there’s an expectation for it to sound precisely like a guitar. the focus is on making it sound great in a song/mix instead of making it sound like a guitar. it doesn’t hurt that the songs themselves are really good.

using a guitar sampled instrument, like the OP is asking for makes more sense, but I can’t imagine the amount of tweaking it would take to make it believable as a focal point of a song.

okay, old guy rant, over.

[huggermugger]

as a guitarist, it makes me sad to hear people trying to make synths sound like guitars. I’ve yet to hear a synth “guitar” that sounds even remotely close. they’re not even pale imitations most of the time. the fact that they’re trying to make it sound like a guitar is very obvious, making the failure to do so even more so.

okay, old guy rant, over.

Jan Hammer did a pretty good job with a MiniMoog in the mid 70's. He understood the inflections, voice leading, and dynamic timbrality of an amplified electric.

[MrFigg]

as a guitarist, it makes me sad to hear people trying to make synths sound like guitars. I’ve yet to hear a synth “guitar” that sounds even remotely close. they’re not even pale imitations most of the time. the fact that they’re trying to make it sound like a guitar is very obvious, making the failure to do so even more so.

okay, old guy rant, over.

Jan Hammer did a pretty good job with a MiniMoog in the mid 70's. He understood the inflections, voice leading, and dynamic timbrality of an amplified electric.

Maaaan. I’ve got two copies of that Mahavishnu Orchestra lp. Had them for about 35 years and didn’t even realize Jan Hammer played with them. Day just got interesting.

[Rothgarr]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Yeah, I realize the example I linked to probably isn't a guitar, or it's at least layered with a guitar... I probably should have picked a different example. But it's still pretty close to the other examples I'm thinking of and those definitely sound like a real guitar.

I know a virtual guitar won't truly sound like a talented guitarist, but I'm just looking for something in the ballpark.

[challism]

okay, old guy rant, over.

Be honest; is the old guy rant ever REALLY over? I contend that it is not.

[crimsonwarlock]

It doesn't get more eighties that this: