| Download and play a synthesizer |
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The digital revolution that made records and tapes obsolete and provided us with compact disks - CDs, digital versatile disks - DVDs, and most currently the BluRay technology, is also responsible for the computer revolution that invaded our homes and brought not only personal computers but also the internet into our homes. While purchasing a synthesizer in the late sixties and early seventies required an investment of more than ten thousand dollars, a value that would buy you an apartment in the suburbs at that time; the same synthesizer, but in a virtual analog version for your computer, can be downloaded from the internet for free today. Many companies, established ones as well as upstart companies trying to make a name for themselves, provide surprisingly powerful freeware synthesizers for download, besides the shareware versions of truly extraordinary virtual keyboards that are made available as well. A search engine provides thousands of download sites featuring freeware synths, shareware synths and demo versions of big synthesizer releases. The company Arturia, famous for the recreation of famous hardware synthesizers such as Jupiter-8, Prophet V, CS-80 V, ARP 2600, Minimoog V and Moog Modular V, allows interested individuals to download and try either demo
versions with limited functionality or fifteen days trial versions with full functionality. Native Instruments, another hugely successful and important provider of virtual synthesizers, provides the popular Kontakt sample player with a 650MB large sound library as a free download. Hardware synthesizer's Emulator E-mu II complete library had less, and the sampler did cost more than a Ferrari at that time. Steinberg, the producer of hugely successful Cubase and Nuendo music production platforms, offers, from time to time, free VSTi instruments for download and use in their proprietary VST engines. Propellerhead software, the makers of the famous Reason, provide their flagship product in a demo version that works twenty minutes and has no save and export capabilities and a limited sound bank. There is a very interesting web site, kvraudio.com, which offers not only all pertinent information regarding virtual instruments and plug-ins, but offers loads of downloads or links to downloads where such demo versions and promo instruments, as well as fully functional freeware instruments can be found. You can download and play a synthesizer within minutes. Even beta versions of big future releases can be obtained, freely used for a limited time and if you choose to participate in such a beta program, you may wind up with at least the commercial release version of the tested program or instrument. Just browse around and you will find and download a synthesizer, maybe perhaps even create the next great music track. |
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