Software synthesizer
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Software synthesizers
A software synthesizer or virtual instrument is a computer program for digital audio generation. It works like a common synthesizer, but is realized entirely in software. A software synthesizer will typically respond to MIDI calls like a normal synthesizer module.
Types of software synthesizer
Software synthesizers can run as stand-alone applications or as plug-ins within other applications.
There are various audio plug-in formats that allow implementation of software synthesizers including:
- VSTi cross platform
- DirectX Windows only
- DSSI based on LADSPA Linux only
- MESS based on the MusE sequencer but not limited to Linux only
- Audio Units Mac only
- RTAS
- TDM
- MAS
- ReWire
Popular software synthesizers
- Absynth
- Csound (A programming language that allows synthesis of scores)
- FluidSynth - previously known as IIWU Synth
- FM7 (Yamaha DX7 emulator)
- impOSCar (OSC OSCar emulator)
- Kontakt
- Lounge Lizard - Electric Piano (Based on physical modelling)
- Max/MSP (modular synth)
- M-Tron (Mellotron emulator)
- Moog Modular V (Moog modular emulator)
- MusE
- Oddity (ARP Instruments Odyssey emulator)
- Pro-53 (Prophet 5 emulator)
- Pure Data (modular synth, free open source)
- Reaktor
- Reason
- ReBirth (Roland TR-808/TR-909/TB-303 emulator)
- Rosegarden
- Super Collider (programming language for building own synths)
- SynFactory
- Tassman - Sound Synthesis Studio (based on physical modelling)
- Timidity
- z3ta+
- ZynAddSubFX
- Rhino 2 (http://www.bigtick-audio.com)
- AlsaModularSynth (http://alsamodular.sourceforge.net/) (Linux-based software synthsizer)
See also
External links
- Software synthesizer news (http://www.synthtopia.com/Articles/MusicSoftware.html)
- KVR (http://www.kvr-vst.com/) is an excellent resource for keeping track of software version updates.
- Syntheway VST Instruments (http://www.syntheway.cjb.net/)
- Arturia (http://www.arturia.com/) produces software versions of the ARP 2600, MiniMoog, Moog Modular, and Yamaha CS-80v using TAE (true analog emulation.) When compared, the waveforms of both the software and hardware synthesizers are nearly identical.
- GMedia (http://www.gmediamusic.com/) picks up where Arturia left off, offering emulations of the ARP Odyssey and more.