I love those transparent warm pad sounds which widen/deepen soundscape in a very subtle and non-intrusive way. They are in the background and do not get in the way of other instruments; their movement is subtle, but they add a lot of depth. A typical examples of these pads sounds would be on these youtube videos (I didn't post links as I wasn't sure whether this would be allowed on this forum)
- The Pines on Audiotree Live (Full Session) - starts at 00:47
- Bruce Springsteen-The Ghost of Tom Joad.wmv - starts at 01:15
Springsteen often used these types of pads. On the The Ghost of Tom Joad album, I hear them on many songs.
Another kind of pad that I like a lot is on Sting's Field of Gold, and more recently Sting's very recent live performance of the opening song (Shape of my Heart) on this youtube video
- Sting (live) au Panthéon-CMN - 50 ans de FIP - ARTE Concert
My guess is that the same synth would be suitable for all these pads. My problem has been finding something that has these types of presets - I'm a guitar player and far from being versed at making synth patches. I have been looking for these types of pads for quite a while, so if you know of a virtual synths with these types of patches, or if someone would be willing to share this type of presets that would be a great help.
Any insights or comments that would steer me in the right direction would be very helpful and appreciated.
I have CS-80 V3 but would consider getting another virtual synth if needed.
Thanks