THE SH#T FACTOR - Plugs that blew you away the first time you heard them

[Michael L]

This got me thinking about non-synth plugins that I did not think could possibly blow me away.
One stands out: Snail.
It's an analyser so it only visualises sound, but its amazing design instantly gives me the Info I need.

[voidhead23]

I cannot believe no one has mentioned Serum? Massive? I figured those were automatic...

i own both (for now). i'm growing awfully fond of Serum, but it definitely wasn't immediate. It took me a couple of years with the demo off and on before i really appreciated what it was doing. i love the sound by itself but haven't quite learned the trick to get it to work well with non-synthetic instruments, an area where i find Zebra excels.

Massive is another story. i get bored listening to it (though it fits alongside guitars great...gr). That is obviously my defect, though, since it's been used and loved by so many people who obviously know what they're doing. i just really dislike the sound.

[acYm]

definitely LuSH-101, it was a huge step up in quality compared to everything else I had when it came out, and for the first time I had what felt like a living and breathing instrument inside my computer, one for making legit music with. I was blown away, just noodled around for days and days

[Cinebient]

First 3 in mind: Alchemy, P900, Model D app

[Tj Shredder]

Yes. The older ones know what Amiga, Atari ST, and Trackers are. Stuff like Hammerhead paved the way for FL.

I am too old for that, these where kids toys... (the first computer I sat in front was a PDP-11 or something like that, they all talked Fortran back then...)

In hardware: Arp 2600, DX 7.
Software: Metaphysical function in Reaktor, Thorn

[Daru925]

Rave ejay demo on a random tech magazine with cd-rom while on vacation at uncle's house. "Oh really, a teenager can do some techno without complicated and unaffordable gear? Just use the family computer? Amazing!" I'm one of many bedroom producers^^

After that i'd say Fruityloops 2 and then Sytrus.

While massive is amazing and definitely one of my favourite synth, i bought it thinking im gonna get a turbocharged 3x-osc. I already knew what i was going to get.

[hardwired]

Definitely Virsyn Tera (think I jumped on at version 2) It really opened my eyes that everything I need could conceivably be done on a computer. Was the first time I felt that using software.

[imrae]

I guess the big ones for me were:

• Sculpture (my first experience of physical modelling synths when I jumped from Garageband to Logic 8 )
• Space Designer (ditto for convolution reverb)
• ACE (something very impressive about those oscillators)
• West Coast modules in Reaktor Blocks (audio-rate waveshaping is just glorious)

[dark water]

Wind blew me away the first time I heard it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kt_Kcj5X00

[D-Fusion]

Novation V-Station and Z3ta and in the Modern days it is Repro 1 and 5,Legend and Spire

[Iva]

Synth: Spire and Rapid - the only two synth with wow effect for me

Plugins: Soothe, VSR24, Waves DPR 402, ARC System 2
Especially soothe. This plugin is simply mind blowing

[Drew Lake]

Thx God the headline said everything, so I didn't need to read the whole 'bible'.

To me it was Rubberduck, Hammerhead and Generator, accompanied by a early Tracker found on a Shareware-disk (don't ask what it is, younger generation folks).

Eventually the fire got me and it never stopped burning.

Yes. The older ones know what Amiga, Atari ST, and Trackers are. Stuff like Hammerhead paved the way for FL.

OctaMED on the Amiga was what started me on the path of music production. As for the first VST instrument that blew me away it would have been reFX Vanguard.

[stvrsz]

All U-he plugs just have a "sound" to me.

It’s funny, you type all these words, but communicate nothing of value at all.

Enlighten me oh communicator extraordinaire. Please kindly READ the forum topic before commenting. The PREMISE is that it is subjective. I am seeking epiphanies, not criticism for lack of data.

Ignore the u-he fanboy trolls. There are a few u-he fanboys here on KVR that are rational (myself included), but most refuse to allow anyone to dare say a critical word about the company and their products, even if it's legitimate constructive criticism. They'll defend u-he no matter what. I think of them as Trump cultists of the audio production world.

HAHA! Nice analogy. I don't recall saying anything negative about u-he other than they didn't exactly "wow" me, and for that, I'll take my KVR whipping. I actually LOVE u-he synths, especially Zebra, but they do have a "sound" to me anyway.

[stvrsz]

This got me thinking about non-synth plugins that I did not think could possibly blow me away.
One stands out: Snail.
It's an analyser so it only visualises sound, but its amazing design instantly gives me the Info I need.

If we are going this direction, BlueArp and Glitch. Since I posted under instruments originally, I was hoping to keep the KVR beatings to a minimum.

[stvrsz]

I cannot believe no one has mentioned Serum? Massive? I figured those were automatic...

i own both (for now). i'm growing awfully fond of Serum, but it definitely wasn't immediate. It took me a couple of years with the demo off and on before i really appreciated what it was doing. i love the sound by itself but haven't quite learned the trick to get it to work well with non-synthetic instruments, an area where i find Zebra excels.

Massive is another story. i get bored listening to it (though it fits alongside guitars great...gr). That is obviously my defect, though, since it's been used and loved by so many people who obviously know what they're doing. i just really dislike the sound.

I bought Massive when it was on sale and it is Very Fun to program with drop and drag, but does not "WOW" me necessarily. Probably because one hears it EVERYWHERE.