Looking for a VST Similar to Reason's Subtractor

hydrogen · Post by **hydrogen** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:11 pm

I've recently gave up on reason and moved to live. I'm in the process of moving some of my rns files into live by exporting midi. But I feel like I'm missing out on the subtractor sound. Yeh I know there are probably better synths than the subtractor but its got a unique sound that I've been accustomed to tweaking over the last five years. I really enjoy it, but not enough to use rewire for my track creation process.

So I'm on the search for some VSTs that come close in sound. I mainly use the subtractor for sawtooth waves. Most of the time I'm only using one oscillator + Noise. Then I use the filter/adsr/cutoff stuff.

So far I've been experimenting with these:

synth1 - http://www.geocities.jp/daichi1969/softsynth/

Lots of standard features. Also, the effects are nicley and built right into the box so your patches can always sound wet but its a nord clone. Doesn't really sound like the subtractor.

Alpha 3 - http://www.linplug.com/Instruments/Alpha_3/alpha_3.htm

Probably the closest thing I've come to in finding my Subtractor clone. But something seems a bit off about it, Not sure what it is yet. Maybe its the oscillators.

polyIbit - http://www.bostreammail.net/ers/polyiblit.html

Somebody recommended this to me, but I find the filters to be really weak. The sound also seems to come through extremely thin, very unlike the Subtractor.

Any other suggestions would be helpful...

Thanks,
Hydrogen

plaster · Post by **plaster** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:57 pm

ur lookin for a mono synth in particular or just any synth?

Matt du Jardin · Post by **Matt du Jardin** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:18 pm

'Synth 1' (http://www.kvraudio.com/get/214.html) might be worth checking out. As with most synths though, layer layer layer. Good luck

thom · Post by **thom** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:13 pm

A reaktror ensemble was designed after the subtractor.... same same thing.

*something*1000.ens ...I don't recall it having as many waveshapes however. I only checked it out of curiosity.

Will grab it on the studio comp today and will up it.

Torque · Post by **Torque** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:45 pm

If your looking for a subtractive synth the best sounding one i'v come across is the Arturia CS-80V. It makes the subtractor in reason sound soft. The one problem you'll run into is that it's not set up anything like the Subtractor so it's going to take you a minute to get used to.

Another one that's pretty close is the LinPlug Albino which has always been one of my favorites since it came out. This one sounds more like the subtractor to me than the LinPlug Alpha because the sound of it is a little more rounded.

Neither one of them are super easy to use but they are both capable of that same sound and they are both way more versatile than the Subtractor.

hydrogen · Post by **hydrogen** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:52 am

Thanks Torque. The CS80v seems to have the closest sound. Its quite expensive CPU wise though... but I love all the little tweaks you can make. Its quite a machine.

I think its the length of the saws that were different from synth to synth. The subtractor sawtooths seem to be a little bit longer than the other VST's that i've been trying. At least thats what it seems....

Regardless, now I can make the m-plant sound.

thom · Post by **thom** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:24 pm

sh!t.. sorry it took me so long...

http://www.mediafire.com/?0nmhyqzd3dw

There is two in there... the zs2000 and zs5000.

hydrogen · Post by **hydrogen** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:17 pm

oh sweet reaktor. i finally purchased you and i can finally try these. uses more cpu but i love this sound.

I know this was a while ago and I totally remember this thread... I forgot to say Thanks Thom! Obviously the links were dead... But didn't want to say anything until i tried them. I looked up in the user library and was able to find them.

Looks like the guy made an exact subtractor one too. my second and favorite synth. Reaktor is amazing.