KVR Audio

BBFG# · Post by **BBFG#** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:20 am

Personally never cared for dealing with Kurzweil as a company anyway. Not as nearly as impressed with their sounds as others are either. If they dongled, I'd simply say, 'figures' and leave it where i do the rest of their products. For someone else to buy.
Rolands latest synths haven't impressed me much either and as far as emulations go, I'd probably buy Diva before Roland's Jupiter/Integra/D-whatnot. I'm pretty positive Yamaha would dongle down and it would be the very thing that kept me from buying into their software (but for the same reason, I'd be more apt to get their hardware just to stay away from the dongle/sw.) At this point, Korg just might increase their KLC soundsets to include the later inceptions of the M1 evolution and continue to do it with the C/R system (which I prefer far over the dongle/sw paranoia.) And I'm not sure I really consider Access as a major player in the historical sense yet.

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:41 am

The main issue I have, is that only either stuff like the Jupiter series is ported over and over, and not one of the main romplers by Roland (XV5080 for example).

Same with Yamaha. We see everything but the bread-and-butter XG synth. Half of the MOTIF stuff is in HALION One anyway.

It also saddens me to see what happened of SQ8L, which was supposed to be an SQ80 clone. It never took off other than the old betas from back in the days.

And Kurzweil... to some this synth/rompler sounds great, to others it's just cheap. To me it's the thing I grew up with. Talked to Kurzweil several times even to consider a port. They are still not jumping on that, but they also haven't released anything else than plain digital pianos in the last couple of years. Which saddens me.

All in all, I'd rather see official ports of really rare and versatile synths, rather than most current synth iterations or the same usual suspects over an over.

My personal picks would be:
Roland SoundCanvas SC-88 (looking at you, subdivision of Roland: Edirol! Bring back the HyperCanvas, but updated!)
Yamaha XG Synths (the MU series, at least MU50, ideally higher numbers - Yamaha, bring back your software XG as official VSTi!)
E-MU Ensoniq reviving the Proteus X in x64 for Win/Mac (stupid move to drop it)
Kurzweil K2x00 (ideally 2000/2500 or 2600)
Ensoniq SQ80 (please Mr Kullmanns, continue the SQ8L project!)

A lot of "main players" are already ported, or even revived (Waldorf, looking at you! Also Wolfgang Palm!). Recently there was even another Yamaha TX16W clone being released - for free (Sonic Charge). It also took a while until AKAI finally realized "whoops - maybe we should make our MPC more accessible to computer users", and created the MPC Element bundle.

There really isn't any reason not to go software IMO. Except for time for R&D, maintenance, etc. But all the mentioned companies so far could clearly benefit from another income boost (no matter which CP was used). And those that want the hardware, either already have it, or will try to get it again.

If the future is ITB, go ITB. But don't focus on frequency/bitrate/portable platform locked systems like iOS!

2c...

BBFG# · Post by **BBFG#** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:04 am

iOS is a joke on the consumer to me. I personally like ITB and HW both for different reasons, The obvious is that although you pay more in HW, you effectively get another dedicated computer box to run it. The thing for me is that some hardware actually plays like a responsive instrument and not just a triggering controller.

Just looking at Diva as an example here... This begs for its own box to run separate from your main box/DAW. So then the question gets reversed. which VSTs would we buy if it was made into hardware?

And as far as the built in sequencers that make many of us laugh and buy a better Computer/DAW? Or the ability to truly run multiple instances of it within itself?
That's where the big guys need to either get serious or give it up.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:28 am

I'm sure a lot of us would buy DIVA if it were hardware and if it were the only way to use it. However, if it were available as both hardware and software, I'd consider it a step backwards to use the hardware.

trusampler · Post by **trusampler** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:48 am

Compyfox,
Great post alot of useful information in it, makes me feel kinda good there's users this passionate as alot of you guys about these romplers n synths.
I want to say that E-mu did finally sell their technology to Creative, a few years ago, so not sure where that leaves their sounds, if in the hands of Creative, I'm not sure they are creative enough to know what to do with them

BBFG#,
For sure Diva hardware,would have a mass following, if U-he chose to make the hardware, I'd buy it in a second, I'm assuming it'd have to have some screens though,as it's all so flexible and interchangeable, it'd be interesting to see how they would map the knobs etc.. as well.

trusampler · Post by **trusampler** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:58 am

Did Tc Electronics completely drop powercore support for virus powercore? I owned it a long while ago, n loved it,eventually got rid of it due to some of powercore's cpu issues n waiting for drivers,but the virus was sort of amazing n sweet for leads, I'd love to see them do an updated version,of some sort.. Maybe the TI ??

SayersWeb · Post by **SayersWeb** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 4:27 am

Emulations for the following synths that can import original preset banks:

Waldorf XT
Waldorf Q
Novation Supernova 2
Roland JP8000
Yamaha AN1X
Alesis Andromeda

Again... They must be able to load and authentically (sound-wise) use the original patch banks.

SayersWeb · Post by **SayersWeb** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 4:30 am

Oh... And add Yamaha CS1X please!

robotmonkey · Post by **robotmonkey** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:07 am

trusampler wrote: I want to say that E-mu did finally sell their technology to Creative, a few years ago, so not sure where that leaves their sounds, if in the hands of Creative, I'm not sure they are creative enough to know what to do with them

EMU-Ensoniq has been as good as dead for years. All they have done is to release couple of toy keyboards and that's it. I'm sure they'll be out of business soon enough. As will be Creative. The consumer soundcard market is obviously shrinking as the integrated components have become so good. So I doubt we'll be seeing any professional EMU-Ensoniq VSTi's soon. At least not from EMU or Creative.

I think Digital Sound Factory has license to distribute all the EMU-Ensoniq soundware so this is the best bet. Unfortunately their stuff is sample based so no deep synthesis possible. Though I must say that DSF stuff is very good one and the best way to get some of the authentic Ensoniq and EMU sounds.

idfpower · Post by **idfpower** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:36 am

If I'd be still buying commercial software, than my answer would be YES - for 2 reasons:
- most expensive software is still a lot cheaper than most cheap hardware units.
- no latency/connectivity issues.

mridlen · Post by **mridlen** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 1:21 pm

I'd pay $400 for a Kurzweil VAST VST.

The Korg Legacy bundle looks really tempting. I'm going to at least get the Wavestation and M1 plugins.

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:27 pm

Uncle E wrote:However, if it were available as both hardware and software, I'd consider it a step backwards to use the hardware.

Actually, I'd consider having both (if I wouldn't have it already). Especially if it'd be possible to exchange presets with it.

Why?
The hardware usually doesn't need any PC CPU power, but the PC can store a load more presets and it's also easier to control (automate, create presets - looking at you, EMU Proteus racks!) or usable for the so called "total recall".

Of course I could have used something like MIDIquest already. But that thing is so overpriced it's not even funny.

robotmonkey wrote:I think Digital Sound Factory has license to distribute all the EMU-Ensoniq soundware so this is the best bet. Unfortunately their stuff is sample based so no deep synthesis possible. Though I must say that DSF stuff is very good one and the best way to get some of the authentic Ensoniq and EMU sounds.

It is currently unknown who has the software licenses. But yes, the sounds are currently at "Digital Sound Factory". I wish that this company would pick up the software, further develop it and rerelase it without the stupid 1x1 MIDI "dongle".

These critters are still great sounding, but the Kontakt presets don't do it justice, neither the one for the Cakewalk synths. The FX engine is just too different.

mridlen wrote:I'd pay $400 for a Kurzweil VAST VST.

if all ROM modules are included, and it's Janis/Calvin sofware v3.x with sample load capability - then this price is reasonable.

Ariel s · Post by **Ariel s** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 6:25 pm

nix808 wrote: The closest thing to a Virus VST(apart from PoCo) is a Reaktor ensemble which has the waveforms from C. I have extracted these and have the single cycles.

Would you mind tell us which ensemble is that?

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 6:34 pm

Melodyshine wrote:The V piano could be interesitng as a vsti.

You mean Pianoteq 4 Pro, which already does much more than what V-Piano can and sounds just as good if not better?

foosnark · Post by **foosnark** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:28 pm

Generally: no.

I don't have any software that uses a dongle (unless you want to count Maschine, and even that *will* run without its hardware, there's just very little point to doing so) and I don't want to start.

My synth needs are pretty well covered, and anything new I acquire has to be very special in terms of sound and/or workflow, and typically about half the $200 price you've set, if not less.

I can't name any piece of hardware that I specifically want an emulation of (*). Any hardware today is primarily interesting because it is hardware and might offer me a different workflow. I judge emulations on their own merits, against software that I already have -- it doesn't matter to me whether it's some rare legendary synth or that the hardware cost $3000.

((*) I have a Korg WaveDrum. I'd like to have its synth models in software, where I can sequence it, trigger it from Maschine, automate parameters, and not have to deal with a two-digit LED display to program the damned thing. This is not even close to being worth $200 and a dongle to me, though.)

KVR Audio

Would you buy a vsti from the big Keyboard Companies?

Would you buy a vsti from the big Keyboard Companies?