Software-Synthesizer

A software synthesizers or soft synth is a computer program that digitally recreates a hardware synthesizer ( simulated) or can be inspired by them. Mid-1990s, personal computers were powerful enough to make software synthesizer without delay via a MIDI keyboard to play. This caused a lot of popularity of such programs. Replace and supplement since increasingly more expensive and often heavy-weight hardware synthesizer in large recording studios.

Besides the possibility to program completely new instruments, replace more and more software synthesizer their own originals. That's not surprising, but contain modern virtual analog synthesizer today often microprocessors, on which actually only software works. Examples are the Novation V-Station, which simulates the hardware synthesizer K-Station exactly the Access Virus B and the Korg Legacy Collection, the three hardware synthesizers from the house Korg imitates: The Korg Wavestation, Korg Polysix and Korg MS- 20th Here, even the virtual controls are modeled on the screen switches, wheels and knobs of the originals.

Meanwhile, users of such software solutions, however, have complained that in the operation of a software synthesizer the actual game feel completely lost. The intuitive operation melody or sound-shaping control only with mouse and keyboard makes the sound art critical. Therefore get increasingly control devices on the market that look of appearance and controls her like a normal hardware synth, but not have their own sound production. Connected to the computer so they give the musician again a real experience, while the entire sound synthesis and music production eventually runs out completely by software in the computer.

There are several types of software synthesizers:

• Command line -based software synthesizer: One of the first forms of software synthesizers. This emerged in the late 1980s and were initially not real-time capable. Particularly well known is the program Csound.
• Simulations of hardware synthesizers: A common, especially in the early days kind of soft synths. Especially often analog synths such as the famous Roland TB -303 were simulated. Major programs were Rubberduck and ReBirth RB- 338th
• Software drum machines are mostly sample- based and therefore classified in the heading software sampler. Exception of so-called Drumsynths that produce synthetic drum sounds.
• Modular software synthesizer are currently the most common and versatile type. These programs combine different forms of synthesis and relate today often with a sampling. A well-known program of this type is reactor from Native Instruments.
• Plugin synthesizers are firmly embedded in a particular program area ( eg the VST Instrument of Sequenzerprogrammes Cubase ). They are usually kept relatively simple, grab it back often to exotic forms of synthesis.
• In contrast to this unite Synthesizers Workstations different types of sound generators and effects processing with a sequencer to an integral (standalone) system. They can be played not only with a master - keyboard, but with the help of MIDI files also interpret a polyphonic orchestra and thus produce complete pieces of music.