Why do some VSTs get loads of soundbanks, some hardly any?

[basslinemaster]

It's strange how you can almost tell when a new VST is released, whether it is going to have loads of soundbanks made for it, and lots of posts about it in the forum, or just get ignored, even though it's probably a really good synth. I was thinking of Linplug's Spectral, Helix, and many other synths, that come out, get praise from forum members (which I trust a lot more than magazine reviews), but then sort of slip into obscurity.
Then other synths like Spire and Serum come out, and are very often talked about in the forum, and get loads of soundbanks. Admittedly most of them are probably EDM banks, but what marks out certain synths as 'EDM' synths specifically? I would think most synths can do EDM sounds. It's a very interesting phenomenon, and then of course, when a synth has become established with scores of soundbanks, it then becomes even more successful (at least, it presumably sells more than the 'less talked about' synths, to the EDM crowd) and gets even more soundbanks. Witness Sylenth and Massive, they have hundreds of soundbanks available for them.
Is it luck? Is it the interface that appeals to people? Or is it because they are 'better' synths than some of the others I've mentioned, which seem to be ignored?

[wagtunes]

What makes a synth popular? If I had to guess, I'd say these 4 things.

1) Ease of use - People don't like synths that are a PITA to use. That's why very few modular synths are really popular and have tons of banks for. Otherwise we'd be seeing a crap ton of banks for synths like MUX. It's why we'll never see anything for synths like Cycle because it's a nightmare to program.

2) Sound - It simply has to sound great or at least have a sound that appeals to the masses.

3) Price - This doesn't appear to be as big a factor as I'd like to think given all of Tone 2's synths, outside of Saurus, are insanely overpriced. But it can be a factor if the synth sounds good and is dirt cheap.

4) Marketing - A company that goes on a mass marketing campaign is going to make more sales than a company that nobody even knows about. It's why my sound library for Serum, as popular as it is, only sold like 39 copies. When there are people who go on mass marketing sprees and sell thousands of sound sets for the same synth, that all comes down to marketing. And I know there are people who are going to say no it doesn't. It's because their sets are better. Says who? How many people out there, given their reach is greater, DON'T like their sound sets? I bet if we took the closing ratios of a large company and a small guy like me, they'd be very close. But if they're getting 100,000 visitors to their site a month and I'm getting 1,000, well, you do the math. Marketing is SO important in this business. On the plus side, all my sales are pure 100% profit because I don't spend a dime on marketing.

I might be missing something above. Maybe features are important, like lots of mod routings. I don't know. I kind of lump all that together with sound.

And of course there is the trust factor. A large company already has that trust so almost anything they come out with is going to sell whereas a small company has to prove itself.

I am constantly looking for new synths to make sound libraries for. Sometimes I guess right. Sometimes I totally bomb out. It's a crap shoot.

[Raddler1]

What's talked on forums and the reality of things isn't always the same.

[Numanoid]

It's strange how you can almost tell when a new VST is released, whether it is going to have loads of soundbanks made for it, and lots of posts about it in the forum, or just get ignored, even though it's probably a really good synth.

But why do you want more soundbanks when you for the most part think they are too expensive?
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 7&t=438771

[ccDuckett]

One factor- those who sell instruments and soundbanks know that there's much more money to be made from impressionable, impulsive teens/twentysomethings with delusions of EDM grandeur who will buy (or ask for as a present) a Sylenth/Massive/Spire/Serum + current-trendy-flavor-of-EDM-related soundbank, even if they only play with it for a month before moving on to something else. Once the money's in the bank, what concern is it of the developer what's done with the product? Something like Helix or Spectral appeals more to people willing to invest the time and energy in getting the most out of it- and often, those same people aren't the best customers for soundbanks.

On the other end of target marketing, look at the resurgence of companies making analog hardware modular gear- while they might know good and well that a large percentage of their customers have more money than talent, and that for every David Morley there's 100 people who are expressing their mid-life crisis through a bespoke Buchla rather than a Bugatti, the point is profit- therefore encouraging an aura of exclusivity and boutiquery.

tl;dr $$$

[Timfonie]

Apart from sound quality, popularity, availability etc. I feel there's also a paradox going on: the hard to program synths get fewer soundbanks while demand for good soundbanks for them is high, both because of their difficulty.

[Lotuzia]

Success, or hype calls for success. The Soundset niche market is a cannibal market and can only be a subset of the soft synth niche market : You'll only sell soundbanks to people who have purchased a certain synth.

So it might be a good idea for SDs to make soundsets for popular, or hyped synths, who have better sales.

As with all too obvious marketing strategies, it has its limits and strike back effects. If there are already 50 *edm* soundbanks for a synthesizer, like Sylenth for example, its unlikely that the 51th will be a terrible success. Because you're late. And because big chances there are that your product will be perceived like an avatar of the 50 first ones.

To ilustrate this, our soundset for IL Morphine is one of our best sellers. Because I'm afraid its the only one available for this synth. Our Soundbank for Sylenth is also a best seller. Because it sounds different from your 'standard edm' soundbank, it has an unique identity.

So that ... after all these years, I'll just suggest to SDs to follow their own way, and to build a style of their own to stand out of the crowd. Creating soundbanks for very popular synths, or less popular synths IS indeed a criteria, but its not the only one by far. In the end, talent, work, chance AND meeting your potential users will make the real difference. At least, that's how I see it.

[chk071]

Interesting thread, and i agree with wagtunes post above. Though i feel like some synths are simply hyped because famous (EDM) artists use them. There's nothing particularly special about Sylenth1 for example, not even the GUI, or workflow is something special. It sounds nice, yes, but you can probably get the same results with other synths too, and most probably you have a lot more features with those as well. It's a bit of a mystery why it became so popular, and probably has to do with the *cough cough* availability as well. That's why i'm a bit sceptical about Hive. I don't think the architecture itself, or the approach of a simple synth is a fast-selling item immediately. There's gotta be more to it. And in the case of Sylenth1 i have a feeling that also the kind of "signature sound" became a huge factor too.

[foosnark]

1) Ease of use
2) Sound
3) Price
4) Marketing

I might be missing something above.

Luck.

[basslinemaster]

It's strange how you can almost tell when a new VST is released, whether it is going to have loads of soundbanks made for it, and lots of posts about it in the forum, or just get ignored, even though it's probably a really good synth.

But why do you want more soundbanks when you for the most part think they are too expensive?
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 7&t=438771

Sorry, when did I say that I WANT new soundbanks? I was discussing the phenomena of some synths having loads of soundbanks made for them, and others not getting hardly any, even though they seem to be just as good synths. But nice try at bait and switch...

[basslinemaster]

One factor- those who sell instruments and soundbanks know that there's much more money to be made from impressionable, impulsive teens/twentysomethings with delusions of EDM grandeur who will buy (or ask for as a present) a Sylenth/Massive/Spire/Serum + current-trendy-flavor-of-EDM-related soundbank, even if they only play with it for a month before moving on to something else. Once the money's in the bank, what concern is it of the developer what's done with the product? Something like Helix or Spectral appeals more to people willing to invest the time and energy in getting the most out of it- and often, those same people aren't the best customers for soundbanks.

Yes, but WHY those specific synths? Why are Helix or Spectral different to Massive, for example, which is just as complex? You didn't explain why one synth versus another gets more soundbanks.

On the other end of target marketing, look at the resurgence of companies making analog hardware modular gear- while they might know good and well that a large percentage of their customers have more money than talent, and that for every David Morley there's 100 people who are expressing their mid-life crisis through a bespoke Buchla rather than a Bugatti, the point is profit- therefore encouraging an aura of exclusivity and boutiquery.

tl;dr $$$

But none of that explains why one synth, which is perfectly good and gets great reviews from users here on KVR, sinks into relative obscurity and never gets many soundbanks made for it...

[basslinemaster]

I'll give you one example - when Serum came out, and after several weeks of reading the experiences of new owners, and listening to demos and watching videos of it, I had a feeling it would become popular and have loads of soundbanks made for it. The same with Spire. This is all easy to say in hindsight, but it's probably extremely relevant to developers here - what is the secret ingredient that some synths have, which others don't, which makes them successful? I know it's not an easy question, but it's a very interesting phenomenon, as I have Dune 2, and that doesn't have many soundbanks, (and doesn't come with a huge number of presets, so I might be interested in soundbanks for it, if they are cheap enough).

[thecontrolcentre]

Surely it's just down to how popular a synth is ... Massive and Sylenth have each sold thousands of copies, so there is a demand for presets. How many people bought Helix?
Why certain synths are more popular could be down to many things, including good marketing.

[fluffy_little_something]

I agree, the right balance between complexity and usability is key, else the synth will appeal to few people. The user interface is also important.

Something like Sylenth simply appeals to a lot of people. The developer is on the same wavelength as many musicians, thus his synth is intuitive, and despite certain deficits it still sells well. It has the right mix of features and limitations. Something like Helix is more powerful, but less appealing and inviting to most people. After all, unlike what one might think on KVR, most musicians are not synth freaks, but want to make music rather than spend hours on complex patches.

[aMUSEd]

To ilustrate this, our soundset for IL Morphine is one of our best sellers. Because I'm afraid its the only one available for this synth.

I can think of at least 3.