Hardware

Although the actual generation of sounds is mainly software-based these days, there still wouldn't be any sound without at least a modicum of hardware. So here it is.

Emulated Vintage Synths

You could say that analogue synthesizers and I pretty much grew up together - not in the sense that I could actually afford to buy and play them, but they were always present in the music I listened to, in the music shop windows, in concerts...

It is only natural, then, that the sounds still are an integral part of my own music. Fortunately, these days there are a lot of fabulous software recreations -- or at least, approximations -- of the classic synths of yesteryear. And you can buy pretty much ALL OF THEM for much less than the price of one of the originals, back in the day!

Original Software Synths

Complementing the classic synth replicas are a slew of latter-day, all-software inventions -- Here are some of the most important for me right now.

Physically Modelled Instruments

The latest and perhaps most interesting trend in music synthesis is physical modelling -- Instead of using generalized synthesis methods for producing a host of different sounds, this approach analyzes individual real-world instruments in minute detail, and tries to translate every aspect of their sound generation into mathematical formulas.

Drums!

I got rhythm... thanks to these programs.

Software Effects

Just like software instruments, software effects can try to emulate existing hardware, or strike out in new and all-computerized directions. I tend to stick to the "traditional" stuff more often than not...

Hosts

Hosts are the programs where you can "plug in" one or more software instruments or effects for the purposes of performing or recording.