Top Five Music Producer Plugins

Our Favourite 5 Synthesiser Plugins To Use When Producing

When it comes to making music, I always like to make my own sounds as it’s a really effective way of making your music unique and interesting. In today’s world there are several different softwares being used to make music and as such there is also a multitude of different synthesisers that are being used in the music industry. In this blog I am going to give you an idea of the synths I use (Software synthesisers mind you) and give a brief explanation on why I use them so much. It is also worth mentioning that I use Logic Pro X primarily when producing my tracks.

Before we get started it may be worth pointing out what a synthesiser actually is : a synthesiser is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals that may be converted to sound. Now that we have that covered, here are my favourite 5 synthesisers to use in music production.

Sylenth1 (€139.00)

A virtual analogue VSTi synthesiser, Sylenth1 by Lennar Digital is my go to synthesiser for leads, pads and plucks. The fact that Sylenth1 has 4 alias-free oscillators and each oscillator is able to produce 8 unison voices in full stereo - resulting in a total of 32 voices per note - alongside the 16 notes of polyphony (meaning you can play up to 512 voices simultaneously) makes it great for big sounding synth leads as well as really warm, expansive pads. I also love the analogue feel that this synth produces. As well as the oscillators, the Master FX, filters and modulators are great for helping to sculpt your sound, and I find the interface easy to navigate so it doesn’t disrupt my workflow. Click here to go to Sylenth's website.

Massive (£129.00)

From the analogue Sylenth1 to Native Instrument’s hybrid digital-analogue Massive synthesiser. Being a wavetable software synthesiser, I use Massive for leads but mainly for my bass sounds in my productions. Massive consists of 3 oscillators and several modulation parameters and FX, making it great for making unique and interesting sounds. It also makes great white noise sweeps! Click here to go to Native Instruments website and view more information about Massive.

The Giant (Native Instruments) (£89.00)

Ok, this one isn’t really a synth but is definitely worth a mention. For years I struggled making the perfect piano sound then finally I got my hands on Native Instrument’s The Giant. Nearly, if not all, my pianos are made on this software. The Giant allows you to alter several aspects of the piano you are making, from adjusting the ‘Tone’ to the ‘Anatomy’ and also comes with a Cinematic version as well which allows you to make some really cool effects. For sure, it is hard to put into words how much I love this programme! Click here for more information on Native Instruments synth collection.

Serum ($189.00)

Serum by Xfer Records is a synthesiser I have really enjoyed playing around with. Like Massive, Serum is a wavetable synthesiser and I love using Serum for my leads, especially when producing Future House tracks. My favourite aspect of Serum is the ability to manipulate the wavetable as well as all the inbuilt FX that you can apply to your sounds. Also, the high-quality sound and the interface are big draws as well. Click here for more information on Serum.

ES2 (Comes with Logic Pro X)

The only synthesiser on the list that actually comes with Logic Pro X, the ES2 synthesiser is an incredibly versatile synth and is certainly not to be overlooked especially considering it comes with the DAW. Much like Sylenth1, the ES2 is a virtual analogue synthesiser. It utilises 3 oscillators which all have a range of waveforms to select from and also consists of 2 filters. I enjoy the modulation opportunities that the ES2 allows for making unique leads, and also the Randomiser is a fun addition and can give you great ideas for new sounds. The one negative I have with the ES2 is the complex interface - you would be forgiven for thinking it was some control panel used on the Starship Enterprise instead of being a synthesiser - but once you get used to how the ES2 works, it really is a useful tool to have in your sound designing arsenal. Click here to read more about Logic Pro X.

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Well, these are the 5 synthesisers I use most in my productions. I hope you found this interesting and perhaps this has given you some ideas on what synth you would like to get next for your own productions. If you’re interested in making your own tracks, or want to know about synthesis and how to sculpt your own sounds, then why not check out our Music Production Courses in Oxford and Birmingham and get in touch! Click here to view our music production courses and click here to contact us.

Paul Dempsey

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