Your 3 best soft synths in 2023.

[Jac459]

I know this has been done so many times and it is probably meaningless.
But it is also fun and reason does support vst3 now!

[joeyluck]

Of course there's synths missing on this list Even though there would be synths missing off of any list, polls here can have up to 50 options.

That said, if you update the list of options, the votes reset. Even if you edit the typos you have such as the misspelling of Algoritm, it will reset. To get a good list, probably a good idea to gauge the audience first and browse the forum.

[Jac459]

Of course there's synths missing on this list Even though there would be synths missing off of any list, polls here can have up to 50 options.

That said, if you update the list of options, the votes reset. Even if you edit the typos you have such as the misspelling of Algoritm, it will reset. To get a good list, probably a good idea to gauge the audience first and browse the forum.

Oh OK. Sorry i didn't think it works like that.
Then indeed it shouldn't be a survey.

Then can you please suppress this post?
It doesn't make sense in this format.

[huggermugger]

The RRP isn't a synth. And except for a little bit of Grain, I don't use any of these. Now I'm confused.

[NMHindman]

DS-Thorn
That said, if it were on your list, I'm pretty sure it would only have one vote

[joeyluck]

Of course there's synths missing on this list Even though there would be synths missing off of any list, polls here can have up to 50 options.

That said, if you update the list of options, the votes reset. Even if you edit the typos you have such as the misspelling of Algoritm, it will reset. To get a good list, probably a good idea to gauge the audience first and browse the forum.

Oh OK. Sorry i didn't think it works like that.
Then indeed it shouldn't be a survey.

Then can you please suppress this post?
It doesn't make sense in this format.

Ok I removed the poll for now. Could still be a good discussion thread.

[Loque]

I vote for the one which is not yet released.

[Jac459]

The RRP isn't a synth. And except for a little bit of Grain, I don't use any of these. Now I'm confused.

You got me more confused actually. The RRP is a synth ecosystem that at the end is also constituting definitely a synth. It is an extra modular synth, based on generators that are .... synths on which you can add plenty of fun modulations and advanced effects.

[Jac459]

Ok, I try to answer my own question:

Phase Plant: because it is the most powerful.
Grain: because its take on grain+spectral synthesis is still extra enjoyable in 2023.
Pigments 4: because it is always upgraded and sounds are awesome...

[Jac459]

List so far
DS-Thorn
Grain
Phase Plant
Pigments

[selig]

I vote for the one which is not yet released.

Same.
But besides the one which is not yet released, I still love Pigments.
Though I have hardware synths that are my "instant gratification" instruments and don't always use software synths, Pigments still rules because the interface just makes sense to me. I can come back to it after any amount of time and it's like an old friend. My original attraction was the visual way you assign and adjust modulation paths, which is always a weak spot on synths for me (the visual part, the part soft synths should KILL at IMO). And I love me my modulation, and it certainly colors my instrument choices both with hardware and software!
Beyond Pigments, the eternals Thor and Europa continue to feed my imagination despite their age.

[motuscott]

WBL5515 Dual Triple-Loop Oscillator fills all three spots for me.
This baby will take your song from Zeroville to approximately 1.5 meters outside of Zeroville.

[freshkidblaze]

Phase Plant
Europa
Tal J-8

[Jac459]

List so far

2 votes:
Phase Plant
Pigments

1 vote:
Europa
DS-Thorn
Grain
Tal-J8
WBL5515
Thor.

[miscend]

Not bought anything in 2023.

[Jac459]

Not bought anything in 2023.

The question is more open than that, it is really which ones you still considere the bests, even if it is an older synth and even if you dont own it...

[Popey]

Hard to break it down to just 3 however:

1- Serum. Its my bread and butter synth and I never run out of mod sources due to the high number of envelopes and lfo. The synth I learnt on due to its visual nature.
2 - Diva. Close run thing between Diva or the legend re but Diva wins due to additional flexibility of filters etc.
3 - Novum. I love chucking samples at this thing and creating interesting patches. Very fun device that I do not always know what the end result will turn out like.

Honourable mention goes to phoscyon2 which quite easily could have been my 3rd pick.

[Mataya]

Generate, Bazille, Anything Noise Engineering.

M

[DaveyG]

Omnisphere
Pigments
Something Else

[Jac459]

List so far
3 votes
Pigments

2 votes:
Phase Plant

1 vote:
Europa
DS-Thorn
Grain
Tal-J8
WBL5515
Thor
Serum
Diva
Omnisphere
Generate
Bazille
Noise Engineering
Novum.

[MattLeschuck]

- Dune 3
- DS Thorn
- Parawave Rapid

As much as i like Europa and Algoritm, none of the Reason synths top the VSTs for me.

[moalla]

IVOKS
Complex
Basimilus

Spark 2.5
Mercury4
BX Oberhausen

Free VST´s:
KBrowns MAGGI64
Full Bucket ModulAir
KBrowns Rolend238

If someone is interessted in free new presets for some of the namend synths of this thread
https://coolwav.com/collection/free-downloads

[Jac459]

I reworked the list to take into account the ranking given (1st 2 points, 2nd, 1.5 points, 3rd 1 point).
Unsurprisingly, Pigments and phase plants rules so far.
In case of draw, by points if one synth have more votes, it will be winning over the other.

1st - Pigments. 1 2 1
2nd - Phase Plant. 2 2
3rd - DS-Thorn. 2 1.5
4th - Europa. 1.5 1
5th - Basimilus. 1 1
6th - WBL5515 Dual Triple-Loop Osc. 2
6th - Ivoks 2.
6th - Serum. 2
6th - Dune 3. 2
6th - Generate. 2
7th - Grain. 1.5
7th - Thor. 1.5
7th - Diva. 1.5
7th - Bazille. 1.5
7th - Complex-1. 1.5
7th - Omnisphere. 1.5
8th - Tal J-8. 1
8th - Novum. 1
8th - Rapid. 1

[Arrant]

Pigments, Spire, DUNE 3

[MrFigg]

Softube Juno. That's it.