Best Free Synths to Learn Synthesizers

[@ragnarroeck]

Very good selection, I use three of those in random appearances. I'd personally add Tripple Cheese from U-He, simple enough, deep enough.

[@AlexReidStudios]

That's true, but the concept of triple cheese is a bit tricky to understand, still is easy to use

[@GillamtheGreatest]

I feel like beginner needs the two steps of first a single page synth but then once you get your head around that vital is the logical next step

[@AlexReidStudios]

yeah, of course I forgot to mention one important thing: don't let marketing and analog warmth fanatics trick you into buying something

[@GillamtheGreatest]

@@AlexReidStudios oh yeah definitly not. like i have some analog stuff, but i can get the same flavor out of a digital synth or a software synth really easy. most soft synths and many digital hardware synths have settings for it. i can make my hydrasynth sound like a nearly broken analog synth by maxing out like 2 or 3 parameters. its just some pitch instability, a slight low end boost, and some saturation for the most part to get "analog" sounds

[@rays7805]

I think Audio Damage Basic, Odin II, and Mika Micro should be on this list.

[@AlexReidStudios]

Gotta make a new list

[@joesweeney6262]

For me, a beginner synth should give all the essentials of sound design on a page, which means the Tal is a terrific learning tool. Blease too. I learned sound design with modular synths. Voltage Modular 2 So I took the long way round. 😊

[@AlexReidStudios]

Modular is the best, but can be very hard to grasp at the start

[@joesweeney6262]

@@AlexReidStudios i learned that!

[@BertrandArne]

2:11 Come on man you can't just play the ps1 startup sound without the "shhing - tooo dooo" follow up I'm dying over here

[@AlexReidStudios]

Lool didn't realized

[@TonyThomas10000]

Also Zebralette and Podolski from u-he.

[@AlexReidStudios]

Podolski is really good too for beginners, really simple

[@nihiqallam5616]

Surge xt is so underrated

[@AlexReidStudios]

It's amazing! but can be intimidating for a begginer

[@pkdude5334]

what's with the mask?

[@AlexReidStudios]

I wonder that too

[@TheTranspoter3]

why dont you reveal your face ?

[@AlexReidStudios]

There are tons of faceless youtubers, I just happened to want to show my body

[@ToastyWaffles4]

What is on your face my man

[@ToastyWaffles4]

And can you use a keyboard with it?

[@AlexReidStudios]

Yeah I can, it's not too hard

[@SebastianSnoeck]

ok ok but it is a little stupid to give some advice for plug in synths you only use as secondary because you have hardware synths .... none of the one you say are very interesting ... i have hardware also but i don't put a mask of a china batman .... just don't make believe they are the best , they are just the robin of batman hardware

[@SebastianSnoeck]

charlaton why not but the others bof

[@AlexReidStudios]

Not everyone has hardware synths, many great composers use software, but the discussion of software vs hardware is something I don't take part of, unless we decide to make a blind test and see if we can 100% identify which one is which.

[@joesweeney6262]

The topic was best synths for beginners that are free. I'd love a few free hardware synths! (A friend did find a working tube-based guitar pedal from the late 70s in the trash and gave it to me, but no free synths alas.) Getting people into electronic music-making and sound design is always a positive. It's a niche community of creative techno-scientific-artist folks. Free software synths, even if not pro-grade are a starting point. I started my journey with sound design impulsively during lockdown with Voltage Modular 2. The free version got me hooked. Next thing I knew I was buying hardware sequencers and a slew of MIDI controllers. While I do not use any of the synths in Alex's video, I appreciate the effort he puts into helping newbies and growing the art. I learned a lot from his live sessions. Not sure how the China reference relates to the topic either.

[@aspirativemusicproduction2135]

Good selection. I never used any of them but I wish I knew them when I was looking for synths in the past. I tried hundreds of free synths back than and found very few I liked.