A complete ideal plugin

[GeorgeAbraham_Kerala]

I am a keyboard player, and is there any plugin that bundles all the sound categories (good piano, EP, strings, pads etc) in one software which can be used in Ableton Live. Confused whether I should buy a hardware store and or go with a DAW setup. My laptop is not powerful as well, just an i3 processor and 4 GB RAM.

 

[Biggles]

You could start by installing the freebie plugins from Native Instruments

Get creative with our free VST plugins – Native Instruments

Komplete Start is packed with free VST plugins to kickstart your creativity, including instruments, audio effects, samples, and more.

www.native-instruments.com

If at some stage you are looking to buy a new laptop then do checkout a MacBook, then with Mainstage which at only c$30 gives 6 Gb of vst’s or go Logic Pro at $199 and get a top quality DAW and the same 6Gb of vst’s.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

If you're looking for "all the sound categories... in one software," you're usually looking for a library (collection of samples or patches) or soft synth that is more or less GM-compatible, or GM2-compatible, or GS-compatible, or XG-compatible. If you search for "GM soundfont," you'll probably find several free ones to choose between, such as Timbres of Heaven.

There are also commercial sound collections which cover all or most of the basics, such as AIR Xpand!2, or AIR Ignite, or Native Instruments Komplete.

 

[GeorgeAbraham_Kerala]

Could you provide links for the same, when you're free? I am introduced to SoundFonts for the first time.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

A soundfont is just a collection of sound samples. There are different file formats used to store libraries of sound samples, such as the SoundFont, GigaSampler, and SFZ formats. Many free soundfont files are available on the web; some are for very specific instrument sounds, like acoustic piano, or electric piano, or drawbar organ, while others are for a broader range of instrument sounds.

Timbres of Heaven is a large soundfont for a broad range of instrument sounds, compatible with the GM, GM2, GS, and XG soundsets or patch lists. What this means is that you can use the GM, GM2, GS, or XG Bank Select and Program Change values to select between the different sounds in the soundfont. It does not mean that Timbres of Heaven contains the actual GS and XG sound samples which are used by Roland (GS) and Yamaha (XG), because those sound samples are proprietary. Nevertheless, you can use the Timbres of Heaven soundfont to play MIDI files which have been programmed to use GM, GM2, GS, or XG voices, because Timbres of Heaven recognizes and responds to the Bank Select and Program Change values used by those soundsets.

Timbres Of Heaven, Don Allen's SoundFonts plus over 40,000 MIDI, KAR and BIAB files and 23 User Styles

Free MIDI SoundFont, Karaoke, Timbres Of Heaven SoundFont plus MIDI, KAR and BIAB files and User Styles

midkar.com