Talk:Software synthesizer

File Formats

file formats? - Omegatron 15:01, May 23, 2005 (UTC)

What about them? Oddity- (talk) 07:52, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

LabVIEW

I think there should be a link to the article on LabVIEW, since the labview refers to its programs as "virtual instruments." I wouldn't know where to put it in the article, however.

• what about how it works? dont you just throw two sine waves together? Spencerk 07:54, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Okay, seriously, does anybody use LabVIEW as a softsynth? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.112.17.99 (talk) 17:59, 18 July 2009 (UTC)

Labview's Virtual Instruments are not musical instruments in the sense that sowftware synthesizer's are. An instrument is some sort of device, musical or not. A thermometer, for example, is an instrument, can be a Virtual Instrument (VI), and obviously has very little to do with software synthesizers. Indeed you can build a VI to act as a musical instrument by adding sine waves together, just as you can build a musical instrument from a stick, a bucket, and a piece of string.Mikeeg555 (talk) 22:02, 5 August 2010 (UTC)

 ???

Could someone please explain (in the article) the difference between this and a music sequencer? Actually, the whole article could be written more clearly. Twilight Realm 23:41, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

The article could certainly use work. I'm not sure where the answer to this question would best fit in the article. But in essence a synthesizer (software or not) is an instrument; it makes sounds in response to commands from a player. The player could be one of several things, including a human playing a keyboard live or a sequencer sending a preprogrammed sequence of commands. --Rick Sidwell 21:33, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Some of the "popular software synthesizers" are sequencers, not synths.

Operating Systems

There is this huge list of software and no one wants to check for every one of them wether or not it will run on their operating system and if they will have to pay for it. (Unsigned)

I would agree that a trimming down on that list would be a good call. If there is an offsite page that lists these programs, we can list a couple of the prominant ones (perhaps an entry level program and then a few different professional ones and delist the rest. 68.219.117.59 18:40, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Horrible

This article is really bad. Not even any mention of the various synthesis methods (FM, PM, subtractive, additive...)? The histoy of synthesizers (Theremin, TB303, Mini Moog, DX7, VL1...)? How popular they are in modern music (Pop, Dance, Rock, Vangelis...)? Or is all this part of the Synthesizer article? And people - Cubase and FL Studio are not synthesizers! Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 08:20, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

Well, it basically needs to be rewritten to (a) tie it in closer to the other synthesis related articles and (b) to have some reliable information about the differences in software synthesis. The current content could be stripped down to about two lines without losing useful information. I'll put a rewrite on my tentative to-do list. Scott.wheeler 21:44, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

The Synthesizer page talks about the various methods, history, etc that you so requested. This page is specifically for the *software* format, and so isn't the place to discuss a lot of the things you mention. More details about softsynths would be great, however. 68.219.117.59 18:40, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Some of these probably aren't software synths

Looking offhand, I see DirectSound and ReWire mentioned in this article. Neither are software synthesizers, but both are audio generation protocols. DirectSound is simply a framework with which a person could write programs using audio and ReWire is a protocol used to streamline the link between audio software and other software or hardware. I removed both from the list, which needs a closer look. Robocracy 15:35, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

I think we should put the plug-ins and the actual synthesizers in seperate sections. --Apocalypse FP 15:14, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

Page Edit

I attempted to expand the article a bit. I tried to clarify the common question on software vs. hardware synthesis, and to explain the types of software programs out there. The page needs a lot of work. The list of softsynths is way too long. Wikipedia does not need to be a catalog of commercial products, does it? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 166.34.148.192 (talk) 15:59, 10 May 2007 (UTC).

From list to category

The offensively huge list here really needs to go. Not only is it inaccurate, it's so huge as to have lost any real purposefulness. There is already a category for software synthsizers, which I'll be adding to the "see also" section. I'll then go through and make sure that some of the more notable synths have been put into that category. Scott.wheeler 19:38, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Text is outdated and useless

Software synthesizers are much more advanced than S-YXG and the Sound Canvas. There are sample based software synthesizers, but also virtual analog synths, exact replicas of legendary synthesizers, outfitted with more capabilities. There are not only plug-ins available of such instruments, but also standalone versions. The aforementioned Yamaha and Roland synths are NOT designed for professional use, but are TOYS. There is not a single professional recording artist who uses either the S-YXG or the Sound Canvas. This text requires serious sweeping, multiplatform synthesizer solutions need to be addressed and also software recreations of legendary hardware synthesizers, such as Moog Modular, Prophet 5, Wavestation etc. need to be mentioned. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sgracanin (talk • contribs) 11:37, 20 August 2009 (UTC)

There are Category lists under 'See Also'. See there, and see also editing history. I totally agree that the S-YXG etc stuff ruins an already weak article. It appears to be a late contribution by someone who misinterpreted the scope of the article. It should really go altogether. 81.216.218.158 (talk) 01:37, 3 October 2009 (UTC)