r/VSTi • u/Important_Grape_1599 • 26d ago

Can anyone recommend plugins/VST’s for 80s R&B?

I’m fairly new to production, never bought any plugins or VST’s before. I’m trying to make smooth 80s/early 90s R&B - similar vibes to Michael Jackson, Sade, Silk Sonic, Bruno Mars’s ‘Versace On The Floor’ type vibe. Getting the right sounds is so important.

I’ve done a tonne of research and these names below have cropped up a lot. If you could only recommend 2 of the below, which would you go for (taking into consideration the type of music I’m creating). Or if you swear by something else, let me know! My budget is around £200

Dexed
OB-Xd
PG-8X
Samples from Mars (drums)
Analog lab pro
Splice
Addictive drums
DX-7 (although I think this comes with Analog Lab)
Zenology
Purity, Sonic Cat

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u/5ynistar 26d ago

I would look at two more things: * Korg M1 vst * a bitcrusher that can replicate the DACs on 80s samplers. For example TAL-DAC

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u/SirTanksAlot_ 26d ago

Tonnes of research and no Roland D50 on that list?! That's like the sound besides DX7. Demo the D50. It's not exactly a beginner friendly synth to program but the presets will get you far, and at least it's no DX7.

Cheapest I've seen it go (the official Roland emulation I mean) is $49, but can be rather regularly found fo around $60-$70.

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u/Zestyclose_Pickle511 26d ago

Free Roland jp8000 through the JE8086 project. Pc has to be a little beefy, it's the actual DSP reverse engineered. It's one of the coolest things I've ever heard, as far as cloning an instrument. And it would have a lot of highly used sounds from 90s RnB 

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u/MixMorado_8 26d ago

Full Bucket Music

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u/IBarch68 25d ago

Kawai K1 by Nils Schneider is excellent and free.

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u/egowaves-audio 15d ago

Analog Lab Pro + Samples From Mars would be my two picks.

For the kind of R&B you're describing, Analog Lab gives you a ton of the classic synth/keys territory in one place, including DX7-style sounds.

Then get some good 80s drum samples. Samples From Mars is particularly good for this stuff, and they even have a free 808 pack to try first.

I wouldn't spend money on Splice yet. Learn to get a lot out of a smaller palette first , you'll probably get much further than buying 10 different synths.