Hi everyone. I was thinking of getting a synth module for making high quality "realistic" (ie not virtual analogue) sounds. The main sounds that I need are a concert piano, strong aggressive string section, wind chimes, electric guitars, wind, rain, waves, acoustic and electric guitars etc. Before I got an fork out $800 on this machine, can somebody tell me if there are any software equivalents to the high-end real-instrument synth modules?

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Cheap and relatively good : Edirol stuff (basically a software version of Edirol/Roland module) like Supercanvas or Orchestral. Sounds decent for the price, but doesn't compete with the real stuff.

Cheap to expensive (and quality variable) : use a software sampler (Kontakt/Halion/Gigastudio/...) and buy yourself some sample cd's (those softsamplers even accept samplecd's that were originally made for hardware samplers like AKAI...). Quality is variable, and so is the price. All depends how well the instruments were recorded (mic type, recording method, accoustic space etc...)

If you're talking the big bucks samplecds (like Garritan Strings or Vienna Symphonic) you'll even have better quality than the sound modules (I'd say only the real thing is better then), but you won't even come near buying those with 800$.