favorite synths?

[wayfinder]

Massive–it's so versatile, and I know it like the back of my hand.

[iBow3]

Massive - nasty growls and dirty wubs, and also short screeches
Serum - also dirty wobbles n such, but mostly for longer ones that have a lot of LFO movement and EQ filter automation
Sylenth- pads, Layered saws, and leads, such a beautiful vst
TAL UNO - analog subtractive synth, great for retro sounds with warmth to it

Learning FM8, absynth, and harmor right now, heard many great things!

[PlainSimple]

Massive , operator and serum
mostly serum, and just started with operator

[Sketch]

Sylenth 1
Spire
Massive
Nexus
Omnisphere
Alchemy
Gladiator
 

[Zehmli]

ZynAddSubFX!!!!
It's better, and more flexible than Massive or Harmor.
It also uses three different types of sound synthesis.
It's INSANE!!
I haven't found anything else like it.
Also, it's absolutely FREE TO DOWNLOAD!!

http://zynaddsubfx.sourceforge.net/

[KickingPlastic]

If I have CPU to spare then Diva, or Reaktor 6 Blocks. Monark too, that sounds amazing - and I have a Little Phatty. Finally Razor for pads that slide into gaps in the mix.

Unless Analog Four via Overbridge AU counts, then it's that most of the time.

[Marrow Machines]

thor from reason. I use it probably 85 percent of the time due to it's versatility. The rest are pretty specific or i use them for their filters.

[Shags]

I really like Sylenth1, Massive, and Serum. 

[Djemps]

The Logic X built-in synths Alchemy (originally made by Camel Audio) and Sculpture are fantastic.

I think you might be the only other person on TPF who gives Sculpture love. What kind of sounds do you make with it?

[JohnnyJ94]

Cliched answer but gotta go with the lovely Sylenth and Spire, the two I'm using the most at the moment. Really want to get into Serum though and learn it, heard nothing but amazing things about it.

[Lokan]

Harmor, Sytrus, 3xosc, Tone2

[oxbloodoxblood]

My go-to synth is one that i've only seen mentioned once in this thread: Tone2 Gladiator.

I started using this synth in 2013 and it quickly became my favorite. Though the learning curve can be a bit steep when coming from some other VST synthesizers the sounds it can generate are out of this world. Very good for evolving bass and pad sounds, excellent for plucks.

My favorite thing about it is the extensive three-part waveform modulation you can add to each oscillator. This can take a standard saw or square wave in completely unique directions. Runner up would be the 5th oscillator which is an impulse/sample generator that can add serious bite to the attack of your leads and plucks, or the "spirit mode" which offers a useful recreation of analogue "drift".

For example, Young Chop used a Gladiator preset to create the beat for "Love Sosa". Listen that rich and complex pad sound. Mike WiLL's "Tupac Back" beat is all Gladiator too.

It's like Frank's RedHot sauce...I put that ____ on everything.

[Midge]

I'm a bit of a synth whore!!  Really love the Korg Plugins, have a little fetish for the monopoly right now.  and the MINIV by arturia is sweet!!  often plugins cause havoc on my FL studio though (need to upgrade to 12)

Other noteable synths for me:
Rob Papen Predator
just bought REV by output....so cool for atmospheric stuff.
DIVA is great but chews CPU.
ACE is good.
Sonic academy's A.N.A is also good but I prefer to use sylenth1.

A great free one is TAL's Noisemaker.

[ZAU]

Omnisphere 2, Zebra 2/HZ, Curve 2

[fxbip]

Other noteable synths for me:
Rob Papen Predator

I never could quite get into Predator,it seems to me to be one of the most boring synth ive come across.I really dont get it.Everytime i try to make something out of it i dont like it.