KVR :: Instruments » Corona - my new synth! [View Original Topic]
There are 60 posts in this topic.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 3:04 pm

---

I'm playing with the demo and am mightily impressed, once I switched to the dark theme anyhow I love the very easy to use arp and especially that it outputs to midi (but would love a groove lock feature like from Omnisphere/Trilian!) and the sound is extremely nice, and CPU so far from my very limited time with it is extremely low.

I need to sell my Consequence license first, but in a short time this may be my go-to workhorse synth. It has a huge number of waveform choices and is really simple in its interface and makes sense to me. No wood panels and such but it sounds great and is very intuitive.

So a question: my understanding is it now has zero feedback filters now, is that in the current demo or do I need to download another version?

Anyhow I'm loving it, it just knocked a couple contenders down a notch or two.

EDIT:

Definitely settling on Corona hoping to get it soon since it is on sale for $102:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4944262#4944262

EDIT: OK, was able to get it this morning! Woohoo!

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 3:07 pm

---

One thing: can the arp only be triggered when keys are pressed? It seems right now to be latched whenever it is on. I'd rather it only voice when I am holding chords.

---

fisherKing - Wed May 30, 2012 3:19 pm

---

i really like this synth (i just reviewed it here on kvr; i'm on a crazed mission to check out lots of plugins, and review some of the ones i actually wind up owning).

the new filter, and the new waveforms (there's an insane amount of them as of yesterday) make this a worthwhile plugin.

now it just needs to have some good soundbank designers create presets for it...

---

vurt - Wed May 30, 2012 3:34 pm

---

stop buying synths!

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 3:36 pm

---

Yeah I found your review helpful, I was meaning to try the demo and finally did after reading your review.

---

fisherKing - Wed May 30, 2012 3:57 pm

---

deleted.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 4:04 pm

---

Soon, I promise. I'm only buying because I have this hole in my pocket. Anyhow I needed a low CPU but HQ synth, so this fits the bill I think. But first I need to sell something.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 4:11 pm

---

I think I just had some stuck notes from something, I'm not sure what happened but I reloaded the plugin and now it behaves as expected, though there is no latch function that I see.

---

vurt - Wed May 30, 2012 4:23 pm

---

i can give you my paypal addy

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 4:25 pm

---

It's not a very big hole I'm afraid

---

vurt - Wed May 30, 2012 4:36 pm

---

any hole's a hole...

---

Aiynzahev - Wed May 30, 2012 4:45 pm

---

I have Corona but I've been too busy to really get into yet. Looks very good though. I got it because I was impressed with just how much control you get, synths like this help me learn more about synthesis by giving me limited options but so many of them.

It's a bit of a programmers wonderland. I can't wait to make some trance presets for this.

---

fisherKing - Wed May 30, 2012 4:48 pm

---

did u download the new waveforms? this is a plugin in need of the 'rob lee' effect...

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 4:52 pm

---

Well I'm not totally sold on it quite yet, but it is very nice. I do wish the arp allowed the modulation parts to function with standard notes played, like a trance gate I guess, but that's not a biggie.

I can also say that I like that George is a KVR member and from what I have seen is always polite to everyone. It makes me want to give him my money but I think I'll need to wait for a sale regardless, so I have plenty of time to decide I guess. First step is actually getting the cash.

---

ENV1 - Wed May 30, 2012 4:54 pm

---

Great synth. Demoed the updated version recently and was quite impressed.

Remember when i once said im not a big fan of synths that sound like Waldorfs and Tone2s, etc.?

Well, this is one i DO like.

IMO definitely one to consider if you dont have anything like it yet...

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 4:57 pm

---

Yeah I'm sort of up in the air to get this or Saurus, I need to reinstall Saurus on my main machine and A/B them a bit. If anyone has any other recommendations I'm happy to consider them. Basically I want a HQ subtractive synth with a good arpaggiator that is relatively easy to program.

---

C.Bennett - Wed May 30, 2012 5:08 pm

---

I really like Corona and I also like Discovery Pro.

They both have a really smooth sound - Discovery Pro can sound seriously silky and lush and Corona has a cool arpeggiator with a lovely tone. Both don't get the attention they deserve at KVR.

The best thing about DiscoDSP synths is that they fit into mixes really well.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 5:34 pm

---

This may not be a feature for a full user, but I do appreciate that the timeout is long with no annoying voiceovers plus good init and starting point patches about, and it has so many good waveforms. RAM and CPU are both low on my old Core2Duo. I was looking at another 'bread and butter' synth that gets really good reviews for its 'desert island' functionality, but it was hard for me to get used to programming as it used less simple controls. So far everything that I have wanted to try has been right there, maybe not in the most flashy way but the GUI is nice and big (maybe a little large for my laptop though). My eyes don't feel strained and I appreciated having a dark option (though I'd love to make my own skin if possible).

---

Aiynzahev - Wed May 30, 2012 5:39 pm

---

Just been noodling around with it. The filters are immense! Maybe the best BP filters I have available to me now. They are so clear and really deep in their tone. They don't sound dirty muffled like vintage emulations. The shapers really give you a lot of different characters.

This really does offer something special. I think the GUI looks unfinished though... but it works.

Its got a really clean signal.

Definitely interested in Discovery. Think he'll put Zero-delay filters into it?

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 5:43 pm

---

Yeah it is simple, if I could just change some colors, mostly the purples to something else and make the blue pitch/mod wheels dark grey I would be happy. I think of how U-he's ZebraCM has that nice mellow zebra pattern, something very subtle like that would be nice but it could easily go so wrong On first glance this looks like freeware honestly, which probably is a big part of why I didn't try it before now, but it sounds fantastic and the GUI while plain (and a tiny bit too un-plain here and there) is clear and more functional than a great many synths. My big request for all developers would be to allow a resizable GUI ala Synth1, I am a bit surprised it is such a rare feature.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 5:44 pm

---

Oh and I really appreciate mouse-wheel support on the knobs and sliders, very helpful for me.

---

Sendy - Wed May 30, 2012 5:49 pm

---

I really like this one. Do you remember that really old synth called AnaMark, that let you combine the oscillators in weird ways to make crazy digital sounds? Well Corona is a bit like that, but instead of the crap filters in AnaMark, Corona's filters are very powerful, even with 0dff turned off. The synth in general has a really unique sound that combines analog and digital traits, which is a nice departure from the analog fever we've been experiencing recently

I'm hoping that square/pulse waves will be supported soon in the sync mode, that's really my only complaint, and there are workarounds (no, this isn't a case of wanting the one thing you haven't got, I really think pulse waves are the best to use with sync )

---

Aiynzahev - Wed May 30, 2012 5:53 pm

---

The GUI really put me off at first. I mean the knobs look like spiders and it is difficult to see where they are, even though you do have handy digits.

BUT, it is fast, simple and uncluttered. Its very functional and I think for how much stuff is going on if it became any more embellished it would start to be fatiguing.

It sounds so good though that my perception changed very quickly. It just proved something I thought all along, the GUI can be anyway, ugly or nice, but its the sound that makes you feel happy to use a synth more than anything else.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 6:11 pm

---

AND NO DONGLE!!!

---

Sendy - Wed May 30, 2012 6:15 pm

---

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 6:21 pm

---

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 6:40 pm

---

I hate to say this but it is probably accurate, but if Corona had a bit more flashy GUI it would probably have gotten my attention sooner. Yes I am shallow and like shiny things but actually I really like the 0df too and that is a big part of why I tried it. It is cool to a/b different sou day with and without and use what sounds best in the setting, which isn't always 0df.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 10:23 pm

---

Maybe someone can help: I'm trying to use 'panning' as a modulation destination with the mod lfo driving it, but I don't hear any effect and don't see anywhere where panning is even a selection I can make. I'd love to get some subtle movement in the stereo field this way, anyone able to help with this? BTW I am loving programming this synth, the GUI gets more appreciation the more i use it. Just I still can't find somethings

---

ariston - Wed May 30, 2012 11:24 pm

---

Same here. But I think it goes beyond mere superficiality. I've found that, if I really like working with a GUI, then my sounds will be more inspired and just better. Maybe I'm fooling myself in that regard, but it feels that way.

I'll give Corona another spin after all this glowing praise; if I end up buying it, it's all your fault, people! I'll send you the bill for it, which you can then split evenly amongst yourselves.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 11:41 pm

---

Yeah I feel similarly, and the funny thing is it is growing on me, not the colors necessarily or the shape of the knobs or lack of wood panelling but the overall user interface and where and how things are laid out. I'm finding generally that I can get what I am wanting to hear to happen which isn't true for a lot of synths.

Another plugin I was considering 'looks' nicer, has a 'virtual analog' feel to it. I used it after spending time with Corona and frankly it was a chore to program, not fun, and I didn't feel like I was 'in control' nearly as much, the sound was nowhere as nice to my particular ears and the sound design possibilities seemed way more limited. The arp was harder to use and not as tuned to what I want in an arp (I like arping fingered chords, not the step-sequencer version that was in that), the matrix was harder, the knobs didn't react to wheel mouse movements, the keyboard didn't show notes played via the piano roll so it was pointless to me. The preset system wasn't as nice either. It was so night and day that that synth is now fully off my radar.

So it seems to me that certainly Corona could be prettied up, but the basics are much better than many 'prettier' synths. I think if George allowed some more skins to be added somehow, just some more color variations, it would be perfect. I think of Synth1 again as an example, it has ugly ugly little knobs and buttons and a very basic GUI, but it is wonderful that you can specify the colors that work best for you and scale the GUI size.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 11:46 pm

---

I really think recent U-he synths show how a GUI should be: they are resizable, skinnable, and well-thought out to start with. And if a skin designer really wants to change or improve on the design, they can totally rework everything. Just see some of the newer Tyrell skins. But then Corona doesn't need it all that much, maybe just a few more options besides light/dark And get rid of the purply, girly-man buttons ok, I'm done complaining. It is no deal-breaker.

---

Sendy - Wed May 30, 2012 11:57 pm

---

I was comparing the new and old filter types last night on headphones and I think they're more of an improvement than I initially realised. It's tricky to A/B then because the resonance amount isn't matched. but almost always the 0df filters produce a more 'living' sound. This is especially apparent if you use Osc 3 as an audio-rate LFO (which you can totally do.).

Still loving the BS filter as well, even though I've no idea what exactly it does. It does sync-substitute effects, lofi distortions and really unique flanging.

I'd LOVE to be able to set the GUI colour, preferably on a per-patch basis. I love associating colours with sounds, and if I get the option, I'll use colour to get me in the right mood for the sound I want to make.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 11:58 pm

---

Also one thing that I'm stokes me about Corona is that the arp has a preset system all of its own, so you can save off your arp patterns independently, and it has midi output so you can 'jam' with the arp recording and later edit the midi in the piano roll. It is very similar to the Trilian arp which I always wish had an output (no groove lock though, but then I can apply a groove in Studio One later). Corona also allows you to set it to only output midi, turning off the synth and saving CPU, so even if I don't want to use Corona on a track its arp is still handy, and any patterns I may have made are there and ready for further use.

---

braj - Wed May 30, 2012 11:59 pm

---

DEFINITELY!

---

pdxindy - Thu May 31, 2012 12:11 am

---

The difference between the regular filter and the 0df filter with all other settings same can be dramatically different.

That the arp outputs midi is a sweet feature... when you output the midi, does it also output control data for M1 and M2? That would be extra sweet! With arp presets and midi out, it might be worth buying for just that use!

---

braj - Thu May 31, 2012 12:16 am

---

I definitely was wondering that, if not I'd suggest that for some future update, a user-assignable cc would be great

It would be great to have the arp updated with more features, great as it is. I'd love a chord hit option when it is in up/down etc modes, so that some beats will have a full chord and some a single note. But I made a nice patch and put Tyrell underneath it and it sounded fantastic all playing together, very nice and really easy to use arp in Corona

---

Nielzie - Thu May 31, 2012 12:39 am

---

The original first release of Corona didn't even have an arp and no 0df filter. George added the arp and many other neat enhancements soon after request. For free!

I think that is the main reason why Corona has been initially overlooked somewhat. The first release was a little less impressive and didn't bring a lot news to the table. Also the factory presets had a kind of "rushed" feeling. The osc's with the waveform mixing was its main selling point then.

---

braj - Thu May 31, 2012 1:28 am

---

I have to say this is really a demo done right! I have plenty of time to try out all the features without it timing out or bothering me, if it had a 10 minute time out I would likely have deleted after restarting a couple of times and never given it a proper chance. I could even make some tracks with it to see how it works in a production and sits in a mix. I very much appreciate this freedom to explore. I'm a future discoDSP customer now definitely, its just a matter of time.

---

Aiynzahev - Thu May 31, 2012 2:39 am

---

Correct!

---

VariKusBrainZ - Thu May 31, 2012 3:14 am

---

It is one fo the ugliest GUIs out there with huge amounts of unused screen estate. I wonder if this is intentional to fit all the planned features.

Love the sound though and the new filter is hardly any more CPU taxing than the old one but waaaaaaaay better sounding

---

oskari - Thu May 31, 2012 6:49 am

---

Yes, it outputs them in CCs 22 and 23.

---

PietW. - Thu May 31, 2012 7:22 am

---

I like this plugin very much. Great sound, many ways to create new sounds and not really expensive.

---

oskari - Thu May 31, 2012 9:04 am

---

Here is an example: http://jeskola.net/panning.txt

You can copy-paste it to Corona.

---

pdxindy - Thu May 31, 2012 9:07 am

---

Okay, gonna give the demo a more serious run... thanks for the info!

---

bailees7irish - Thu May 31, 2012 9:12 am

---

ya know, i like U-he synths very much, and the fact that you can resize the GUIs is great...in theory. honestly, the only useable size for myself was the 'normal' size. 'small' is too small, and the font is unreadable, and 'large'...you guessed it: to big. the damn thing doesn't even completely fit in my screen. so while it's a great idea, i think there needs to be an in-between for the sizes.

---

bailees7irish - Thu May 31, 2012 9:15 am

---

@ "girly-man buttons"

---

pdxindy - Thu May 31, 2012 9:41 am

---

Switch the drive algo from Tahn to Asym3 and the cpu jumps proportionally way up with the 0df... but all the other algos are about the same and only a small amount higher than the standard filters

---

braj - Thu May 31, 2012 11:01 am

---

Well the thing for me is it makes it usable on small and really large resolutions where many other plugins are either too small or too big depending on your screen, it basically takes that into consideration which I find very helpful. Ideally it would be a percentage change like Synth1 but definitely something is better than nothing. For any particular screen one size will likely work best and I personally don't keep resizing it, only sometimes if something I'm found warrants it.

---

braj - Thu May 31, 2012 11:12 am

---

Awesome!

---

braj - Thu May 31, 2012 12:52 pm

---

Oh well, I think it will take me a long while before I can afford Corona now, I decided against selling Consequence at least for now. Luckily George has fairly regular sales so I'll try and pick it up then instead. But Corona is so nice and definitely deserves some KVR love just its hard to buy it with no money and I need to save up for a new computer and stop buying plugins for a while. I am an addict and I need help, I realize that

---

Aiynzahev - Thu May 31, 2012 1:13 pm

---

No don't say that! There is nothing wrong with spending $$$ in a recession on multiple synths that only you and us can really tell the difference between

But seriously though upgrade your computer is a good choice you will find it much easier to work.

---

pdxindy - Thu May 31, 2012 1:21 pm

---

And by then there will be more synths to buy!!

---

braj - Thu May 31, 2012 1:31 pm

---

Well I'm playing with Trilian, making overlapping arpaggiations to comfort me. If I would make use of what I already have I could stay busy for years and years

---

Nielzie - Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:51 am

---

You're not alone

---

braj - Fri Jun 01, 2012 1:07 pm

---

Well I bought PolyKB II Player today because I couldn't afford Corona, and so I got my fix

I keep checking back on the Corona demo, expecting maybe my fancy for it may have worn off, but it keeps wow'ing me so just a matter of time. I am wondering if the demo ever times out, or if I can keep playing with it until I have the cash to buy it. About the only thing you can't do is save presets and arp patterns, that is ok with me and I hope I can keep learning how to get the sounds I want out of Corona.

---

braj - Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:30 am

---

I just wanted to mention discoDSP has a sale going on:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4944262#4944262

So Corona is only $102 right now.

If somebody wants to buy my Consequence license I could happily get it selling Consequence for $108

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=351283

---

braj - Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:46 am

---

Woohoo! I have my Corona license! There is one more on sale if you go quick to the KVR Market!

I wasn't really even aware of the 250MB wave expansion library, so that is another whole new thing to explore. This is such a nice and easy to manage synth, it is my new workhorse and the integrated arp that outputs midi means its going in my template to get loaded in every session Woopie! it's Christmas!

---

bailees7irish - Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:17 am

---

congrats, braj! this one is on my short-list of synths to buy!

~Bren

---

Echoes in the Attic - Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:02 pm

---

I was interested in this largely because of the arp and midi out. I was disappointed only that there is no tie for the arp to get a glide (like in FM8, Zebra etc).

I think the dev said it would be added, but I guess it's still not been added yet? I'll keep my eye on it though.

---

VariKusBrainZ - Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:22 pm

---

This is the synth that keeps giving with every update
I wouldnt be surprised if that appeared in the near future (fingers crossed)
I made a suggestion that was implemented, which has never happened before !!
So I say ask away for new features

---

There are 60 posts in this topic.