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I'm looking to create some ambient synths and pads and want something that simply specialises in creating those sorts of sounds. Currently i just use samples to create ambience but i actually want to be able to make melodies and i want it to sound like an instrument.

I heard Omnisphere was great but its really expensive and i can't find any way to pirate it.

Any suggestions?

What about Absynth?

http://www.greenoak.com/crystal/ - Crystal is a very extensive freeware vst.

Crystal looks really intuitive, i'll give it a download, but the sounds they showcased are sort of cheesey, but i reckon i could make some breathy harmonious pads with it.

Also, i wasn't aware Absynth specialised in ambient pads? Guess thats worth a go too.

Has anyone tried FMB? I never heard of it before but when i was looking at Absynth tutorials just now, a guy was using it for the ambience with Absynth for the bass.

Oh and i remember there was a synth out there, i think by Camel, that was basically a sample manipulation program for creating drones and the like. I can't find it right now, anybody know the name?

Absynth is a synth for soundscapes/extensive sound design.

Opposed to Massive which is a high quality subtractive synth. FM8 is a FM Synthesis synth; which can be good for atmospherics and pads; just like massive too. Its really down to the user.


CamelPhat is probably the synth you're thinking of.

I use Alchemy, its great for that kinda thing AND its free, ya can't get better than that!

Alchemy is not free.... its $249.

Omnisphere, Absynth or Alchemy would be my go to synths for this. However have you tried granular synthesis of samples? That creates the most interesting ambient texturing in my opinion.

There is an AlchemyCM - so all you need is a issue of Computer Music and it is free.

You can make decent ambiences and pads with any synth. Just experiment with different sounds, try layering stuff, changing it slowly over time, maybe have slightly different sounds on the left and right. Add some fx, chorus and reverb can be nice. You don't really need any specific vst to make any particular type of sound.

What daw are you using? It might have some decent synths built in.

Great info people!

Alchemy was what i was thinking of about the sample ting.

Yeah i use granular synthesis, i just really wanted to create pads that were easy to make melodies with. Still love the sounds, i just lack melodies in my tunes that dont coe from straight samples.

I basically wanted to be able to create synths like the ones that come in at 00:56



But now that i have heard it on crap youtube quality, i sort of think they were just granular samples....

You should be able to build pads like that using just a granulizer to be completely honest.

You can still play em like synthesized pads; automation with filtering can be done externally via automation; no one says you can't just bounce it once you have it perfect as a single audio piece.


It'll save you moneys at least .

Anything FM is your best bet. Even better results from FM, bouncing to audio and using some processing tricks such as timestretching, noise removal etc.

All my pads either come from Massive, or stretched samples.

+1 for time stretched samples, more or less all my ambient pads have been stretched audio with a low pass filter, phaser and flanger

I'm 50/50 stretched samples and Absynth...which can be used as a sampler as well. Though Alchemy may make a bet sample based synth. I've not used it and only recently started getting a bit further into using Absynth as a sampler.

Please disabuse yourself of the notion that you can buy, or in your case, steal one device that is going to provide you with your sound. If you put in the time, the sounds you seek will likely be the product of several devices and processes that are at least somewhat, if not totally, unique to you.


Best

You know what, I really need to listen to some of these, I've kind of fallen into the habbit of reaching for massive any time I want to use a synth and while you can get some cool sounds, it is not the one when you want something lush.

that crystal vst just doesnt cut the mustard for me like, i like the way the envelopes work but everything else is just a bit messy. Massive is my go to synth at the moment, im starting to get some real nice pads and basses from it which dont have that generic massive sound by playing with the filter routing and automations. I do want to get deep into a new synth though just for a bit of change

lowpass wrote:You know what, I really need to listen to some of these, I've kind of fallen into the habbit of reaching for massive any time I want to use a synth and while you can get some cool sounds, it is not the one when you want something lush.

You can make some pretty lush sounds in Massive. Try using sine waves oscillating their amps contrary to each other and use some of the FX/Chord oscillators. Play with the modulation oscillator more and use more complex filters thank just low pass and such. Comb filters mixed with screams and notches and band rejects make really cool sounds when you combine them right and mess with their routing. Using feedback and cool noise sounds can really do cool things too if you blend them in right.

You can make great ambience with pretty much any synth but I love doing it with Albino!