virtual instruments

[stainless]

who's using what?  happy with the sound (as in realistic... )

I've got Komplete 7 and Sampletank 2, plus all the stuff  that comes with Digital Performer (and admittedly i've only used a bit, as I'm lean more towards actual instruments that 'synthesizer), and I have a Yamaha s08 and Korg X3... which have a plethora of strange sounds

Strings-  pretty good, and fairly believable

Keyboards- a little more variations than I have with the Yamaha and the Korg- I do have a Rhodes and a Hammond, so I'd have to say the virtuals are "close", but a Hammonds a Hammond and a Rhodes is a Rhodes and well so it goes

horns... still searching- I got an additional horn package fr for the NI Kontackt, but it's just OK... just ordered the Chris Hein "Compact" which I hope sounds as good as the demos

world instruments... I really don't know what they really sound like....

drums... lots, but as I play with a drummer I like him best

same for bass

being a guitar player... I've never even listened to the guitar patches

How bout you? what's in you tool box?

[kip4]

not the best but i use xg
i have a yamaha cs2x
yamaha mu90r (rackmount synth)
and a controller keyboard midiman
and too many free virtual instruments to mention that i never use
the mu90 gets the most use

[stainless]

I think we all probably have too many free VI's and VST's we never use... and I'll wager even some we've never used beyond opening, putzing arfound and closing...

I know I have patches I've never listened too... and others that are soe ..."unusual" I have no idea where or how you'd use it in a composition

I bet I could free up some disk space?

[gaz7224]

I've got:

Korg M1R
Korg Triton-Rack
Yamaha DX7
Yamaha FB-01
Roland TD6
Roland M-DC1

Cubase comes with a lot of software synths, but I mainly use the hardware Korgs and the TD6.  I use the DX7 as a Midi Controller, but I like the E-Piano in it.  Distorted guitars are generally naff in every synth I've got, but clean guitars are usable for me, and the TD6 has a pretty decent nylon string, but obviously compared to the 'real thing' they sound to processed and too clean.  The FB-01 and DX7 are old synths, but a lot of fun to play with.

I need a decent keyboard for the Live-Room but I'm not sure which one to get, or whether to just get a really decent controller keyboard for the live-room, and just buy a new rack-mount or software synth.  I prefer rack mount synths rather than the keyboard versions, but I guess having all the synths in the control room would make them less accessible to clients, whereas having a keyboard/workstation in the live-room would make it easier for people to flick through sounds on their own.

Not sure how to get midi from live-room to control room.  I was gonna just use midi cables, but they make wireless midi systems now, so might try that.  Wireless always makes me nervous though regarding reliability.

[stainless]

I Wireless always makes me nervous though regarding reliability.

Then I'd stick to hardwired!

[JohnRick]

Being a drummer I have of course a sweet spot for the drum software and VSTi's - but my go-to VSTi's would be as follow:

Drums: Superior Drummer 2.3  (Toontrack)/ Addictive Drums 1.5 (XLN )/ SSD 3.5 (SSD)
Percussion: World Impact Global Percussion (Vir2)
Bass: Trilian (Spectrasonics) and Scarbee MM-Bass / Jay-bass (Native Instruments)
Keys: NI's New York Concert Grand /  Mark I / Vintage Organ (Native Instruments)
Guitar: Electri6ity (Vir2) / RealGuitar (Musiclab) / Acoustic Legends (Vir2)
Strings: LA Scoring Strings (Audiobro)
Horns: Mojo Horns (Vir 2)

[stainless]

JohnRick

welcome to HRS

I  just got Chris Heins Horns which run in a Native (Kontackt) environment ...a nd the software comes with a Kontackt player so you can use, even if you don't have Kontackt.

I also added the NI Sax and Brass and I'd give the Chris Heins collection the edge, although it is a bit more, but very very believable, lots of flexibility and articulation options

I also added the NI Session Strings... so-so, some of the instrument/voicings are great, but others are ...well generic sounding

and I'll second the NI keyboards and mention  the Jazz C3 for a very gutsy/gritty Hammond that's part of the Komplete package