Your favorite VSTi's and VST's?

[LMan]

inSIDious \o/

[TNT]

inSIDious \o/

That's what I want since my quadraSID isn't working anymore (I switched to a 64bit system, bridged quadraSID, but now I need a new key for reactivation). Is inSIDious finally working without anything else, or do I need to download and install something else like a player, too? I hesitated buying it because it wasn't running without a player and it would be awesome if this changed now, but I guess it doesn't change, right? I NEED more SID!

My favorites so far are Sylenth1 and Omnisphere, and when it comes to the freebies everything from H.G. Fortune (especially ProtoPlasm), Synth1 and from Ian Webster S3, S3B and S3K. But I'm up for new VSTs, what I need are atmospheric pads and choirs as well as unlimited Presets for Synthwave and Elektro.

[LMan]

Unfortunately it requires the Reaktor player, but at least that one's free.

[LaLa]

Pretty darn good SID emulation in a standalone VST: http://www.hypersynth.com/sidizer.html

[TNT]

Thanks LaLa, this is quite interesting. I've read on KVR that Sidizer is more a mixture of an oldschool SID and modern effects, is that right? What would you guys think is the better choice, inSIDious or Sidizer? Or is it that different that it wouldn't be a mistake buying both? Or is inSIDious really the DEFINITVE SID VST just as stated? If you would only can buy one, which one would it be?

[LaLa]

Thanks LaLa, this is quite interesting. I've read on KVR that Sidizer is more a mixture of an oldschool SID and modern effects, is that right? What would you guys think is the better choice, inSIDious or Sidizer? Or is it that different that it wouldn't be a mistake buying both? Or is inSIDious really the DEFINITVE SID VST just as stated? If you would only can buy one, which one would it be?

It all depends on what you want to do with it. I think both of these plugins produce sounds that are as close to the original analog SID output as possible (including the original SID's imperfections and quirkiness). Yes, SIDizer has its own effect section - but you don't have to use it, you can just turn off the reverb and the delay if you want that pure SID sound coming out of it. On the flipside, you can also easily add effects to the sound coming out of inSIDious in your DAW - the limit is only your imagination. Both can do arpeggios and wavetable sequencing, just like how your favorite SID tunes do it. So, if you want to recreate an original SID in your DAW, then I think either of these plugins would be a fine choice. If you just want to use some SID sounds in your own production, maybe post-processed with effects, again, I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

You can download a free demo version of SIDizer, play around with it and see (hear) what you think. I don't think inSIDious has a demo version, but the YT tutorials should provide you with plenty of material to decide whether you like that better.

Personally, I bought both.

PS: if you want to go oldsk00l and use a real SID chip in your studio:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elektron_SidStation

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HardSID

But good luck finding either of these second-hand (since they both have been out of production for quite a while now).

[TNT]

Those SID sounds can be used in every music style I want to create, it fits for Synthwave as well as for Elektro. And it generally adds some "oldschoolness" to the tracks, which is cool. Yeah, the limit is only my imagination, but I'm also limited by my skills creating own sounds. I'm that type of guy that needs alot of presets. I can change presets like I want them to be, but I can't create own sounds from nothing. Thanks, I think I will start with Sidizer. Seems to be more versatile. At the other hand inSIDious seems to be much more supported, I just have to take a look at the preset section. Chris Hülsbeck, Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, LMan and so on... Not an easy decision.

[LaLa]

I'm that type of guy that needs alot of presets. I can change presets like I want them to be, but I can't create own sounds from nothing. Thanks, I think I will start with Sidizer. Seems to be more versatile. At the other hand inSIDious seems to be much more supported, I just have to take a look at the preset section. Chris Hülsbeck, Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, LMan and so on... Not an easy decision.

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I am also not a sound tinkerer myself. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy doing that, but for me it's mostly about lack of time. SIDizer comes with "only" 100 factory sounds, plus you can buy an additional 170 sounds in two soundbanks. OTOH, InSIDious comes with over 300 presets for the base price...

If you are willing to invest a little more time into it, Hermit's SID-Wizard https://csdb.dk/release/?id=165302 C64 tracker comes with over 300 presets, too. Of course, now you'd have to manually "transcribe" its preset sounds to your VST, but since they both use the SID, the parameters should carry over fairly seamlessly.

[TNT]

It's not that I wouldn't enjoy doing that, but for me it's mostly about lack of time. SIDizer comes with "only" 100 factory sounds, plus you can buy an additional 170 sounds in two soundbanks. OTOH, InSIDious comes with over 300 presets for the base price...

Ok, this makes the decision even harder. Maybe I should start with inSIDious first instead of Sidizer. If inSIDious wouldn't need a player, there wouldn't be any decision to make, I would definitely go with inSIDious. But the preset section is a big plus for inSIDious, even if it needs a player. The lack of time is also a big thing in my life, because I'm self-employed. I even don't have enough time for creating music, I just do it without having that much time I want (and sleep a little less than a "normal guy"). So yes, I know what you mean, same here. I'm not a sound creator, I'm a composer. That's what I can do best, and that's what's the biggest fun part for me.

How does inSIDious work with the player? Do I need to open the player first every single time I want to use inSIDious in my DAW, or does it open automatically when opening the VST? I don't have a clou, because I never needed to use a player for any VST I got.

[LaLa]

How does inSIDious work with the player? Do I need to open the player first every single time I want to use inSIDious in my DAW, or does it open automatically when opening the VST? I don't have a clou, because I never needed to use a player for any VST I got.

I think that depends on your DAW and on the player itself. For example, in my DAW when I open the Kontakt player, it comes up "blank" - with nothing in it to make sound. Then I have to go and select one of the "instrument libraries" and then one of the "instruments" within that before I can start making noise with it.

OTOH, the Reaktor player seems to remember the last instrument I had open in it, so as soon as I open the Reaktor player (that's how it shows up in my VST list: as "Reaktor 6"), it opens with InSIDious already loaded, so in that regard, it's just like any "regular" VST: add "Reaktor" to your track in your DAW, start making SID noises right away. I think the "open player with last used library by default" is a feature of Reaktor, not FL Studio, but YMMV.

[TNT]

the Reaktor player seems to remember the last instrument I had open in it, so as soon as I open the Reaktor player (that's how it shows up in my VST list: as "Reaktor 6"), it opens with InSIDious already loaded, so in that regard, it's just like any "regular" VST: add "Reaktor" to your track in your DAW, start making SID noises right away.

If this is the case, then it's not too bad, even if it still sucks. And inSIDious also remembers the last used soundbank? For sure I won't buy anything else what needs a player, inSIDious would be the one and only exception. Needing a player for getting started simply sucks in any case.

[LaLa]

And inSIDious also remembers the last used soundbank?

Saving the full state of your particular VST plugin in a project file is usually a function of your DAW, but that means saving the entire state of your VST, which includes the particular library/instrument loaded inside a "player" plugin, too. So, yes, if you loaded a particular preset in an InSIDious track, then after you saved your project and re-loaded the same project a day later, it would reload InSIDious inside Reaktor, and that same preset inside InSIDious, too (like with any other VST).

[LMan]

inSIDious has a huge advantage: it doesn't just emulate the chip, but also the environment and typical c64 sound-routine behaviour. From what I can see, you cannot create Hubbard esque drum sounds in SIDizer: while you can program arpeggios, it doesn't feature a wave-program, where you can modify other SID parameters on a per-frame basis.
The Reaktor Player is less hassle than I thought. In my demo tune I had 19 instances of it running; it basically acts like a loader. In my case I set up a Reaktor Player vst in Reason Studio, loaded inSIDious into that. All other instances I just copy+pasted, and it acted like every other instrument. Meaning when you close and open the VST GUI, everything is where you left it.

[LaLa]

From what I can see, you cannot create Hubbard esque drum sounds in SIDizer: while you can program arpeggios, it doesn't feature a wave-program, where you can modify other SID parameters on a per-frame basis.

You can. See "wavetable sequencer" in upper right hand corner:

[LMan]

I stand corrected