Dear Anyone.

I'm disabled AND a noob - so if I'm in the wrong forum/wrong part of this forum, have patience!

I do everything with mouse/notation package so we're talking VSTs here (PC). Think composers like Aeoliah, Mike Rowland, soft keyboard/pad spa music, relaxation music (New Age as opposed to chillout, which is different...) even those Peruvian groups who use panpipes, rhythm - and BEEG fat pad in the middle of the sandwich.... where do they get their pads from? I've downloaded all sorts and they just sound like Skrillex meets Star Wars - no gentle softness. Yet I keep hearing the same (or similar) sounds turning up all the time on tracks, so they've gotta be presets on SOMETHING - but what?

If anyone knows any methods of creating such pads - I'm happy to learn those, too, if the poster has a bit of patience with a dumbass. Yes I've learned how to create some sounds on YouTube - but it's like cooking, one recipe gives you one result and I don't see how to use the 'recipe' to create other sounds...

I've got a good soundfont player Cakewalk SFz+ Legit Freebie.) Got the Korg Legacy Collection. Got Kontakt (which is bad on obeying MIDI commands) Wahsyn Fat Mama, A ton of soundfonts, inc. Gort's Double-Decker and many synthy soundfonts - but they all seem to be optimised towards dance and I can't 'soften' them, they're the right idea but too harsh and I can't de-harshen them. Even got Omnisphere but unless I'm missing something, it's all weirdo 'avante-garde' sounds, nothing really usable (burning piano, African township, guitars sounding like aeroplanes, bicycles played with violin bows, Schoenberg/Harrison Birtwistle, John Cage, maybe. Me, I'm New Age, or wannabe!)

Other composers, Phil Chapman, Ethno Music Project, PaulFromStoke (he's all over YouTube like a rash right now), Med Goodall,Tranquility, OK, even Lift Muzak played on synths.... You know the stuff. I just want to know how to do the sounds, it's up to me if I write good music with 'em afterwards!

VSt's, demo versions of, inexpensive preferred, will splurge out if I'm certain they do the soft sounds I want easily (while I'm learning how to use synths....)

Over to you.

Yours respectfully

Chris.