KVR Audio

stimresp · Post by **stimresp** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 2:53 pm

I think I am not alone in wishing that Yamaha would get the finger out and sell us a performance FM synthesizer, with a matrix-style programming interface, a decent filter (FS1r filter is crap), and a chorus/delay unit.

LimboLoves · Post by **LimboLoves** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:06 pm

How about an analog four styles 6 op groove box with analog filter and fx?

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:26 pm

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned, but the KingKORG which is highly marketed as a VA has quite a list of non-analog-modeled oscs including PCM samples from the DW8000. (starting at 4:30) I wasn't interested in these when I bought it, but I found that when used in a layer with other synths on top you can do some very cool stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axSHkrIlr6I

Shame they didn't think to add wavetable synthesis to it or it would rule. It's not like Korg doesn't have a wavetable or two lying around these days.

Anyway, I bought it thinking I could replace all but one of my analog monosynths with it, and instead I found that it was it's own thing all together and I tend to focus on it's non VA side almost exclusively.

cornutt · Post by **cornutt** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 6:24 pm

I'll second the nomination of the Solaris. Although it has VA features (such as models of CEM VCOs and Minimoog VCFs), that is not the main emphasis of the synth. I don't think I've even used any of them yet, and in listening to stuff other people have done with it, I don't hear a lot of VA-type stuff. The internal routing is very flexible, not quite Reaktor-level but almost. And yes, the interface is quite good for such a complex synth -- John took a lot of suggestions from the pre-order customers when he was designing it.

Jace-BeOS · Post by **Jace-BeOS** » Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:08 am

ghettosynth wrote:
Jace-BeOS wrote:Could someone explain kurzweil's VAST? I've never seen a sensible or meaningful explanation.
It's really marketing for a somewhat flexible mostly subtractive, more west coast than east coast, synth architecture with a few tricks, e.g., some ability to do FM. The original K2K has a selection of blocks that you can select to process samples. [...]

There is a LOT of modulation flexibility though, including the ability to apply functions to existing modulation sources. It really is still quite powerful, but not really worth bothering with today for most.

YMMV.

Thanks for trying to explain it to me. Sounds like DSP modules. Their displays have always been tiny and non-graphical, so it sounds like a laborious programming environment. I don't understand why Kurzweil gear still has the smallest displays and are still basically text only. Not a lot of I/O for samples either. They were king for a while, back when SCSI was the i/o standard for data. When everything went analog-modeling with large displays and compact flash/SDcard/USB, Kurzweil seemed to kind of stop making new stuff. What they sell today seems like a throwback and is still quite pricy.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Fri Aug 15, 2014 3:22 pm

Jace-BeOS wrote:Thanks for trying to explain it to me. Sounds like DSP modules. Their displays have always been tiny and non-graphical, so it sounds like a laborious programming environment. I don't understand why Kurzweil gear still has the smallest displays and are still basically text only. Not a lot of I/O for samples either. They were king for a while, back when SCSI was the i/o standard for data. When everything went analog-modeling with large displays and compact flash/SDcard/USB, Kurzweil seemed to kind of stop making new stuff. What they sell today seems like a throwback and is still quite pricy.

You're right. One nice thing, though, is that parameters' modulations and deeper functions can be accessed right from the parameter. For example, once you've adjusted the filter cutoff point, you hit a button and you're taken directly to its modulators. No need to navigate through individual pages. You can quickly get lost down a rabbit hole of modulators, where this parameter affects this parameter affects this parameter, ad infinitum.

SalemBeatsKVR · Post by **SalemBeatsKVR** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:39 pm

Do you mean one of these?

-Ki
Salem Beats

V0RT3X · Post by **V0RT3X** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:40 pm

SalemBeatsKVR wrote:Do you mean one of these?

-Ki
Salem Beats

I saw in that link, it said 1 used for $5000 wtf?!?

I hope nobody gets suckered into believing they can get a Virus Darkstar for that..

aciddose · Post by **aciddose** » Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:13 pm

stimresp wrote:a decent filter (FS1r filter is crap),

So, in other words you want a "virtual analog" filter.

Will there ever be any new hardware digital synths that aren't "virtual analog"?