Kara-Moon Forum

I've put this in the commercail section because it isn't completly free, but $7.50 is realy allmost free

If you want to start a software studio and don't know what you'll need for starters, have a look at the SynthStudio from Benedict Roff-Marsh.
A very nice pack to start with
SynthStudio Pack is a collection of VST Synthesizers, Drum Machines and Effects designed to give you a core set of instruments and effects that are both flexible and easy to use whilst maintaining their integrity as real musical instruments.

Here's what Beat Magazine wrote about it :
The SynthStudio Pack doesn´t only look very pretty, it´s more than that: a very big library of instruments, effects and utilities. The Australian Producer Benedict Roff-Marsh creates these instruments with just one target: he want´s to enable users to have the typical synth sounds of the 1970´s and 80´s on their home pc.
Even if you don’t know names like Gary Numan, Tangerine Dream or Front 242 you´ll still find a very nice library of universally usable synth classics: “Wavesphere” for example is a 4-tone sample-synth (24-/48-db filter), “Janus” a fat analog synth with 3 oscillators, “Castor” is an analog synth with 2 oscillators (12-/24-/36- db filter), “Pollux” a bass/lead synth with 3 oscillators and a filterbank (12-/24-db-LP-HP-BP-filter). Even friends of the old Casio-CZ series will strike gold with the “Cosmo 201”.

You can find it at http://benedict.presetbank.net/SynthStudio%20Pack.html

It could be me. But I think the link is dead.

Hi & Welcome to our forums  8)

Actually the link has changed : http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com/

Yes, that's the correct link . . . and Benedict's just released the Synth Studio Pack II, which has a whole new set of instruments and FX includining a complex MIDI LFO and step sequencer. Still getting me head wrapped around it.

Oh, and both packs are $7.50 Austrailian Dollars.

Now, I've never messed with VST- I hardly understand the concept, and it's driving me mad because quite a few people rave about it, so just a quick question about these packs- are they all stand alone then?

Thanks,
-Servetus

It's important to get the concept right from the start.

VSTs are plugins and by definition need a 'host' software to run. The host software can be any one of a range of programs (check out the hosts listed in http://www.kvraudio.com/ (http://www.kvraudio.com/)) but most commonly it's a sequencer like Cubase. Although VST is used as a shorthand, these plugins actually fall into two categories: VSTi's - which are instruments like synthesizers or samplers - and VST's which are effects - like delay or reverb.

VST is an acronym for 'Virtual Studio Technology' - and this is precisely what it intends to be: a software variant of audio effects and all kinds of instruments.

In a host, you can normally use the VST's like you would use hardware effects, appplying them to the audio on a track. The VSTi's you can actually play like you can a real synthesizer, except that they are pieces of software and (cpu power permitting) can be used simulateneously as much as you want. They also normally store their settings along with a saved song and most can be easily automated meaning that you can dynamically change their settings and store this information in your sequencer. Think of dynamically changing the feedback parameter of a delay, or the filter cutoff on a synth and then being able to later change it without disturbing the notes that were played.

Now, a lot of VSTi's can also be played stand alone - which means that you don't need a host program. In this case they either bring along a seperate standalone version of the plugin - or they contain some kind of mini-host which serves only to contain the plugin and receive midi data from your keyboard and send audio from the plugin to your audio outputs.

i like the synth-packs - booth :D ...i have already appreciated such magnificent spare-time occupation for a long time :P ...cya

tro

Ahhhh, ok, thanks Marc- I just remember that Polac put out a VST plug-in for buzz, so yeah, I'll have to get my hands on those packs and see what VST is all about.

Thanks,
Servetus