Hi!

Was wondering......is there a VSTi that emulates or comes close to the
morphing type sounds that the Korg Wavestation or Waldorf XT or even the Yamaha Sy-22 is famous for? I'm looking for yes, wavetable synthesis and the ability to create endless (well, within reason) morphing pads and soundscapes. I just picked up the new Cronox 2 but haven't had a chance to give it a good try yet. Is the new Zt3 along these lines?

thanks!

Try Crystal 2.1, it can do wavesequencing.

If you don't mind making your own samples LinPlug's CronoX 2 was just released and it can do microwave type sweeps through waves.

Crystal's free but try CronoX 2 as well. It's very straight forward. Both sound great.

Thanks for the reply....

I should've checked out the more recent posts re. Crystal 2.1.....sounds like it's the ticket I'm looking for. Just downloaded it--can't wait!

As far as wavetable VSTis go,there's also the PPG 2.V.I never owned a Wave 2.3,but I've been told the 2.V is REALLY close.
Crystal 2.1 is unbelievably good for freeware.
If you own Reaktor,check out the Dash vector ensembles. If you don't own Reaktor,check that out as well...then you can build your own synth
ew

Orion's Ultran and Wavefusion does Wave sequencing, but they are native to Orion, not VSTi's. rcgaudio's z3ta+ does waveshaping with user defined waves supported.

Plus "Nexus" should eventually be out, and it started out as a Wavestation clone before Korg decided to threaten a lawsuit and change the plan. Now the concept should be the same, it will just no longer be the wavestation clone which would import sysex from the original. Anyone have an update on "Nexus?"

PPG Wave 2v is a good emulation of the synth but....it's sound is limited to it's internal wavetables. Don't get me wrong, if you want the PPG sound it's the plugin to turn to but if you want a Wavestation the only way to get it right now is buy Reaktor and Dash Synthesis' daVector ensemble which btw is incredible.

To get close for free there's Crystal which has a wavesequencing and CronoX 2 which, through it's Schrader sample playback is capable of creating wavetable sweeps much like Ultran but with two oscillators instead of four. OTOH CronoX 2 is very easy to use, has other sample modlues and a good analog waveform that can be used on either or both oscillators. Ditto with the various sampler methods.

That makes it an ideal synth for moderate sample manipulation and synthesis in traditional terms. And I mention this because it's a reasonably priced synth and as one who upgraded from version 1 the cost was unbelievably reasonable.

Don't get me wrong. I love z3ta+, it's one of the most powerful synths available anywhere - hardware or software. You can get just about any synth sound you want but again, the WS was sample based. Vector style synthesis can be done in CronoX 2 with samples, with oscillators or in combination.

I think CronoX 2 is one of the smartest, relatively easy synths to work with. It is what I hoped for in the upgrade plus it's filters are warmer.

From my experience with Wavestations, what gives the instrument its character and wonderful sound is vector synthesis, not wavesequencing.

This is basically a continous blending of the "ocsillators" to create nice floating pads like Vangelis and Enigma can't get enough of.

The closest I have come to this in software is Emagics ES2 which is capable of both wavesequensing and vectoring. Problem is that the presets sound nothing like the Wavestation so you will have a nice job of programming.

Funkybot wrote:

Plus "Nexus" should eventually be out, and it started out as a Wavestation clone before Korg decided to threaten a lawsuit and change the plan. Now the concept should be the same, it will just no longer be the wavestation clone which would import sysex from the original. Anyone have an update on "Nexus?"

I'm curious about this, too. Is Nexus delayed because Steinberg released D'Acota? There hasn't been any info lately...

As a veteran Wavestation user, I, too, am always seeking synths with that same kind of sweeping, evolving sound. There are a handful out there that mange it. One is the previously mentioned Crystal 2.1. Another you might look into is VirSyn Tera, which has some very complex and sophisticated vector capabilities. I have also found that LinPlug's Albino can be forced into duty to create some Wavestation-like timbres, thanks to its looping envelopes. As mentioned, CronoX 2 is a knockout for things of this kind, too. All of these things are capable of creating some similar sounds to the dear old Wavestation, but as of yet, there is only one way that I know of to get the real thing in a softsynth, and that's to use Reaktor with DASH Synthesis' "daVector4AD" ensemble. This is a perfect match for the original. So close, in fact, that I sold my beloved Wavestation once I got daVector4AD...

refx had a wavestation clone called nexus announced last year but then got trouble with korg over the use of the original samples. AFAIK they overhauled the complete thing and are about to release it early this year with steinberg as distributor. Maybe it's gonna be announced officially at NAMM.

Fette Töle

I think the key is Vector synthesis, both Wavestation and yamaha sy-22 have it. If you like the sounds they produce you should look for a vector synthesis capable VSTi. I don't know for sure, but maybe Virsyn Tera has it. I Don't know any others.
But definetely not seen that clever joystick vector programming thing in any VSTi, like both Wavestation and Sy-22 had, where you could "record" the joystick movements to make patch. And even mangle the vector sounds realtime using the joystick. I think it was very clever invention and couldn't imagine programming Vector synthesis without it. I took some time to learn it and what it does couple of years ago, and when I mastered it, it was great and very innovative.

Aaaaaaaah. A great reason to buy a Pulsar sound card...and then buy the Vectron. Lovely 4 oscillator vectron synthesis with modulation options coming out of your wahootzies. Add to that the ability to draw your own waveforms for the four oscillators and you've got sound design heaven.

Crystal 2.1 has ways of sounding a bit like the the morphing through the wavetable I'm guessing using the Wave Density and Modulation Envelopes carefully you could get quite a good approximation. I'm feeling this out a bit at the moment because I've never actually tried to emulate this behaviour. Scot???

Also, of course there is the wavesequencing in Crystal 2.1 as well as a very interesting concept - the program morph. Careful programming could get some interesting sound design happening there.

Now cycling through the wavetable can be done by PPG, Wavefusion and I believe VAZ 2010 and now the CronoX 2 apparently.

Again with the Pulsar - quite a few freebies can apply envelopes and LFOs to the wavetables.

Vector synthesis :- other than the Vectron on Pulsar and that Dash thing that people are talking about in Reaktor, Angelina can kinda do it although with a fairly specific type of sound. Scot was telling me the other day that the Electron from Muon can produce a vector synthesis type feel. And we were also discussing the other day on VirtualSoundStudio.com that Crystal can also be used this way with 3 oscillators through careful programming of modulation envelopes on the volume of the oscillators.

Anyway - enough babbling. I personally think that all the tools are available - go grab Crystal 2.1 and do your worst and then check out some other stuff if you're not done yet.

Scot, daVector4AD trounces the Wavestation - resonant filters, multiple wavesequencers, good control of vectors and able to import user samples?

If you have some time I'd like to talk to you about VirSyn TERA. I'm not using it anywhere to it's capabilities. There's something about it I'm just not comfortable with and I can't figure it out.

Can you imagine what a VSTi like that would cost? Maybe we'll find out when Nexus - or whatever it's called is released.

The reason I like CronoX 2 so much is the ability to set up two controllers in the modulation matrix which in effect gives you morphing like a vector synth. It would take work doing the samples to emulate wavesequencing or at the least that would create a good wavesequencing effect using CronoX 2's controls but besides that users get a good sounding wavetable style synth.

VirSyn TERA is $230 street price
z3ta+ is $150
CronoX is $59