Using a soft synth in music production is known as synth programming. Software SynthsĪ software synth (also known as a VST, a VSTi for VST instrument, or simply a soft synth) is a program that runs as a synthesizer on your computer.

Some even go as far as calling it a musical instrument. If a hardware synth doesn't have a keyboard it's a synthesizer module and you control it with a MIDI keyboard.Ī hardware synth is, effectively, a self-contained device. Let's go over a few basics for those of you that might be new to this.Ī hardware synth (also known as an analog synth) typically has a keyboard, some kind of control panel with a raft of controllers, perhaps a display, and outputs to connect to an amplification system. You still have to use a raft of soft synths to emulate a hardware synth. In terms of variety, there still isn't a single soft synth that offers a richer array of sounds like a hardware synth. Today soft synths are catching up and they sound better every day. When soft synths first came out, they were far behind hardware synths in sound quality. Do Hardware Synths Really Sound Better than Soft Synths? This article is mainly targeted at newcomers to music production but there will – inevitably – be some ideas that even pro producers haven't thought of before.įirst. What are the pros and cons of a hardware synthesizer compared to a soft synthesizer or a VST and in which situation would you choose one over the other? What I want to do today is go over the great hardware vs software synthesizer debate to answer the questions.

Best computer synthesizer software