Using synths and pads

doc-phil

Lately I've been getting bored with just having guitars and drums in my songs. I want to start using synths and pads to add a bit extra, but I don't relly wanna spend any money ? are there any good free synths out there for creating piano and orchestra sounds as well as general sort of texture sounds etc.

I have tried using synths in the past but came up against a brick wall... I got a whole bunch of free synth things with Computer Music Magazine once, but being the noob I am I dunno how to use them.. They mostly just had millions of dials and switches which I had no idea did what... I've used a demo of fruity loops once where pads could be assigned to the keyboard which is what I want since I don't have a midi keyboard or any means of input besides from my keyboard, mouse and guitar.

Any suggestions as to what good free synths there are out there, and how I can use them?? ?

andrewjbryson

Hmmm there should be a few out there..

I use a program called Hypersonic (by Steinberg) -

I don't think it retails for that much If you wanted to purchase it.

Otherwise perhaps there are a few demo version VST's.

As far as using synth pads with guitar tracks :

I usually start off by programming in the same chords as the bass (or rhythm guitar)
Then you can also add in certain notes (the 4th or the 5th of the root note works well)

Playing around with a synth / pad on top of a guitar is loads of fun ...

Try Googling "free VST synths"

AlanRatcliffe

I can't really talk about the freeware stuff as I don't use any of it, but do a search on http://www.kvraudio.com/ - they have a huge database of all the VST plugs and softsynths, free and commercial (IIRC you can filter for freeware only when you search). There's bound to be stuff out there. There are also a number of soundfonts lurking around, which can be loaded into any soundfont player.

Most recording software will have a built in step sequencer, a staff view, a MIDI Event editor and often even some kind of keyboard view - any of these can be used to enter notes in manually. You could also use something like the Virtual Piano from AnalogX - a software keyboard that can be played from your PC keyboard or even with your mouse, outputting MIDI notes.

doc-phil

Ok thanks I'll have a look at that site. I had already googled free synths but I didn't find anything too exciting. What I have done is I downloaded the demo of absynth, it looks quite cool, I just need to figure out how to use it ? I tapped a few keys on my keyboard and got some cool sounds... pity it only works for 30 min as a demo ☹

AlanRatcliffe

Absynth is my main pad/evolving atmosphere synth. Spectrasonics Atmosphere is another good one for pads (but I don't use it as it's unfortunately not too happy with guitar controllers). The Native Instruments FM8 does both pads and leads well (FM synthesis).