Synths/Keyboards for metal?!

[The Crystal King]

Hey guys, I'm looking for decent midi synths for my mix, and was wondering if you have any tips? I'm using Logic Pro, and while it has some excellent synths (strings, choirs and EXS stuff) I'm looking for stuff similar to those used by:
. Sonata Arctica
. Children of Bodom
. Stratovarius
. Power Quest
. DragonForce
etc. I.e. stuff that is good for keyboard leads. A lot of the ESX stuff is more aimed at dance music methinks...

thanks for any help

 

[grywolf627]

Well, there's some COB fans here, and maybe they can give you more insight into that. But off hand, I'd have to recommend reFX Nexus, Vanguard, FM8.

 

[The Crystal King]

Cool, thanks mate...

I'd love to get a Korn Triton, but the budget doesn't allow it! Hoping I can get similar sounds taking the plugin route...

 

[Metaltastic]

I'm really interested in this as well (and thanks for the rec's Mark!) - but I just have to voice my amusement at the fact that there's actually a band (power metal, no doubt) called Power Quest, good god...

 

[lordcthulhu]

For VST synths, look no further than the Korg Legacy Vsti collection. Has a digital versions of the legendary WAVESTATION, MS-20, and PolySix.
Have a looky here:

Power Quest has got NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING on these guys

1. Metalhead
2. Shitbox

These two bands win because:
(a) They have terrible band names
(b) Band photos.

/End

 

[seditz740novaprospect]

mini moog vsti
triton vsti
roland fantom 88
triton 61
prob a ton more those are the ones i remember using the most for metal. i have the triton hooked up as the controller and trigger alot of samples or virtual inst...

Gonna get an Open Labs Niko Timberland edition ...The next purchase i am getting for my studio, besides new monitors. its 4 grand, but with a built in computer up to 8ghz ram,firewire,usb to integrate the apogee, keyboard controller, and the ability to rip every analog synthesizer and keyboard right to the hd. at the push of a button.As well as almost 200 gigs loaded of virtual s from every manf. u can imaging. I am all over this for every genera of music.it and make it a no brain er for me, and well worth it IMO... gonna sell every keyboard i have to get this thing.

i have samples for days of every keyboard and drum machine imaginable now i can only just wait to load them on that thing and let the fun begin.. no more keyboards thank god after this i have like 15 now and still find reasons to buy more...

gear slut at its worse

 

[cobhc]

I can recommend some :-

Nexus - Pads/Any strange FX you need.

Soundfonts - Check out http://www.fox-gieg.com/rkhive and http://www.hammersound.net

Korg Legacy VST - Check out the forums on http://www.progsounds.com for some lead patches for it (they have spot on patches for Children Of Bodom, Stratovarius, and Dream Theater.)

East West Orchestral Silver - For all your string/brass needs, also some percussion.

With these combined I could pretty much cover any song of the bands you mentioned as far as the synths are concerned.

Check out http://www.myspace.com/bloodprotocol for an orchestral Dimmu style intro I made for a project me and The_Shred were going to start. I used Nexus for the marching band drums, and EW Silver for all the rest I believe.

 

[greyskull]

triton

 

[cobhc]

@ seditz740novaprospect: - Do you have a link to any website detailing the Triton VSTi? I would love to have a look at it, I wasn't aware they'd released a VSTi of the Triton.