I've been asked a few times what soft synths I use on my synth albums, and while I do use some real hardware for them, there are a few great sounding analog synth emulators on the market today. I've used dozens if not hundreds of different soft synths and the following I believe to be the best of the best...
The first one I recommend is OP-X PRO-3 by Sonic Projects. Based on the Oberheim OB-X, this is by far the best-sounding soft synth I've used. I can't recommend this enough (if you can get past the nightmare UI). I use this in 9/10 of my finished tracks... simply unbeatable.
Up next is another favorite of mine, Discovery Pro by DiscoDSP. In fact, everything DiscoDSP makes is top tier, but I find myself always going back to this. Based on the Nord Lead, the low end sounds you can get out of this are unmatched by anything else. It is my go-to for bass and especially sub-bass.
Another synth by DiscoDSP is OB-XD. Another Oberheim OB-X emulator. Compared to the OP-X PRO-3, I think this sounds just a little different. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I tend to use this more for leads because it tends to cut through mixes.
The fourth recommendation I have for you is actually many synths: everything by Full Bucket Audio. These are all free, so I'd recommend just downloading them and seeing what you like best. They all sound great though; personally, I like the FB-02 and the Nabla.
Lastly, check out the OB-E by GForce, based on the Oberheim 8 Voice. I very much like the pad sounds generated by this. Great if you're looking for "analog warmth" (although truthfully the OP-X PRO-3 would probably be better for that). Still, I think having a few different synths to choose from really helps with generating ideas and finding unique sounds.
