Some hardsync presets from OP-X PRO-II:
OP-X PRO-II - Hardsync Presets
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Which is best for hard sync leads?
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- KVRian
- 772 posts since 25 May, 2006
- KVRAF
- 2083 posts since 28 Feb, 2011
I use hard sync as one of my main lead sounds - using a pedal to sweep the harmonics, a technique made famous by Jan Hammer (the "guitar" sound in the main theme of Miami Vice). This technique is very adaptable and useful for many different types of expressive sounds, especially if you know how to ride only a small portion of a pedal's travel - Zappa-style - (or have a trim pot on your midi pedal).
Now if the above was what you have in mind, then you would need a smooth-sounding sync. I have never heard a free vst synth that did. And both my Novation and Korg hardware synths have crap-sounding sync. If you're looking for balls-to-the-wall great sound, I can vouch for U-He DIVA (my best "analog" hard-sync synth), U-He ACE (extremely smooth but weaker-sounding and not as useful for distorted "metal guitar" type sounds), and NI Massive (very powerful and smooth sync sound but uses a wavetable approach instead of the traditional hard-sync). Keep in mind that many great synths have lousy-sounding sync when used the way I described above - Omnisphere for example, like most synths, has a very harsh-sounding, aliased sync compared to the U-He synths.
On the other hand, if you just use static presets, don't really care much what it sounds like, and don't intend to play expressive leads with subtle harmonic changes via sync sweep, then any ol' synth will do.
Now if the above was what you have in mind, then you would need a smooth-sounding sync. I have never heard a free vst synth that did. And both my Novation and Korg hardware synths have crap-sounding sync. If you're looking for balls-to-the-wall great sound, I can vouch for U-He DIVA (my best "analog" hard-sync synth), U-He ACE (extremely smooth but weaker-sounding and not as useful for distorted "metal guitar" type sounds), and NI Massive (very powerful and smooth sync sound but uses a wavetable approach instead of the traditional hard-sync). Keep in mind that many great synths have lousy-sounding sync when used the way I described above - Omnisphere for example, like most synths, has a very harsh-sounding, aliased sync compared to the U-He synths.
On the other hand, if you just use static presets, don't really care much what it sounds like, and don't intend to play expressive leads with subtle harmonic changes via sync sweep, then any ol' synth will do.