KVR Audio

Yudaidhun · Post by **Yudaidhun** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 7:12 pm

Thanks very much for the update.
It's a special deal since I'm a Reaper/XP user

(SONAR X2a sucks, does not work on XP anymore!!!)

For skins, I would like to upload mine if the author allows.
I think it should be ok as he says

GUI: change color of version text to light gray (for people changing background color)

Sendy · Post by **Sendy** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 7:18 pm

Have to agree about the acid red colour. It was cute and distinctive at first, but in the end it's like staring close-up at a neon light. I'd suggest mixing in a bit of white/grey/black so you have the same colour but toned down a bit. Pure colours like that rarely work well in huge blocks without something to break them down.

Dandruff · Post by **Dandruff** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 8:53 pm

Feature request:

Hiding the mouse cursor when dragging knobs. This way you still can move the knob when hitting screen edges. See Voxengo and Ohm Force plugins or REAPER's fine tuning mode (CTRL+Drag on faders/knobs) for example ...

Thanks!

bailees7irish · Post by **bailees7irish** » Thu Dec 27, 2012 9:35 pm

Honestly,
a customizable GUI color and a preset manager, and this would be my favorite free vst in my collection.

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:25 am

I'm going to assume this entry in the change log is giving a blessing for people to change the background:

GUI: change color of version text to light gray (for people changing background color)

So something like the edit below will be possible:

Thanks a million for changing out the pink version color!

Andywanders · Post by **Andywanders** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:42 am

@midnight wrote:this is a tremendous freebie synth, really it should go down in history as the successor to Synth1, which held the reigns up to this point IMO, but is clearly eclipsed by the superior engine that powers Charlatan.

I can't agree with this I'm afraid, though I respect your opinion.

Maybe the engine is superior from a technical veiwpoint, but I personally find the synth very flat-sounding and one-dimensional. Sure, it's easy to program, but I definetly get better sounds out of Synth 1.

Not to be down on the developer at all - he obvisouly knows his code. But look at what's out there for free; U-he's Podolski for one... Low CPU, Patch management, MIDI learn, arpeggiator, effects, and a fantastic sound.

I feel that Charlatan has potential, but at the moment it's a long way from de-throning Synth 1.

Sorry to be the only naysayer in this thread but for me Charlatan is boring and un-inspiring. Just sharing my point-of-view.

digitalboytn · Post by **digitalboytn** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 2:44 am

Andywanders wrote: Sorry to be the only naysayer in this thread but for me Charlatan is boring and un-inspiring. Just sharing my point-of-view.

I like Charlatan and I programmed some bass sounds that de-throned Diva

So everyone has their point of view I guess...

There's enough candy coated synths out there that are drenched in FX,so it's nice to have a few raw "grunters" in the stable

I like layering Charlatan with other synths to enhance their sonic timbre...

Evan · Post by **Evan** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 8:57 am

Great post digitalboy!

I am usually on the same page as Andywanders. I want my synths to be heavily packed and stand on their own (like Synth1 that he mentions). This is almost 2013, long gone are the "Steinberg Model-E" days with barebones sound generation and, if you were lucky, maybe a chorus unit.

However, I admire people like digitalboy, who obviously know their stuff and can work wonders out of basic raw materials.

I think Charlatan is more for those who want to learn about synthesis, and sound designers/tweakers. Those who can tell their sawtooths from their sines. Those who are willing to put several Charlatans in a chain and layer them to create complex sounds. It's not so much for the instant gratification people who want a collection of modern sounds out of the box.

Having said that, I agree that Charlatan could do with a patch manager and a different color scheme.

fmr · Post by **fmr** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 9:03 am

Teksonik wrote:I'm going to assume this entry in the change log is giving a blessing for people to change the background:
GUI: change color of version text to light gray (for people changing background color)
So something like the edit below will be possible:

Thanks a million for changing out the pink version color!

THIS

Kriminal · Post by **Kriminal** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 9:21 am

Teksonik wrote:I'm going to assume this entry in the change log is giving a blessing for people to change the background:
GUI: change color of version text to light gray (for people changing background color)
So something like the edit below will be possible:

Thanks a million for changing out the pink version color!

MRT · Post by **MRT** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 11:07 am

Charlatan has a lot going for it. It's simple,it sounds great and it's easy on the CPU. It's seems logical that it would be compared to Synth1. They each have their own sound but for me when playing Charlatan it seems sort of flat or static, a lot of patches don't have the mod wheel or bend programmed and velocity and after touch control is lacking.
IMHO: The really great synths feel alive and react to how they are played.
Looking forward to Charlatan's evolution.

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 11:19 am

@midnight wrote:this is a tremendous freebie synth, really it should go down in history as the successor to Synth1, which held the reigns up to this point IMO, but is clearly eclipsed by the superior engine that powers Charlatan.

But can these synhts really be compared? I'm thinking they are quite different, especially for usage, Charlatan for basses/leads, while Synth1 fits for pads/textures

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 12:09 pm

@midnight wrote:this is a tremendous freebie synth, really it should go down in history as the successor to Synth1, which held the reigns up to this point IMO, but is clearly eclipsed by the superior engine that powers Charlatan.

Clearly eclipsed? I have to disagree with that because Synth 1 can do such a wider range of sounds than Charlatan. But what Charlatan does it does very very well so having both synths in your arsenal makes perfect sense. In fact layering the two together makes even more sense.......

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 12:11 pm

Kriminal wrote:
Teksonik wrote:I'm going to assume this entry in the change log is giving a blessing for people to change the background:
GUI: change color of version text to light gray (for people changing background color)
So something like the edit below will be possible:

Thanks a million for changing out the pink version color!

I'm going to do an edit that resembles the screenshot above as time permits. I'll post the bitmap here when finished if there are no objections from karrikuh.

Mutant · Post by **Mutant** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 12:38 pm

Charlatan excels at what it can do, Synth1 excels at what it can do.

2 different beasts, not really comparable.

Charlatan v1.4.1 - free VA synth (Win VSTi 32-/64-bit)