VSTi you bought but never really used

[sfd]

What payware, above $50, VST instrument(s) do you own but never really use?

What's the main reason why you don't use it/them?

[chk071]

Massive and Helix. The reason i don't really use those is simply because i have better options. Largo kind of blows Massive out of the water sound wise, and Spire sort of covers the VA stuff i'd probably do with Helix to a large degree. I definitely should Helix a bit more too though, it sounds nice, and is very versatile. I don't feel pity about Massive catching dust though. One of those "hype", cheap-in-the-market-place impulse buys. Never really digged the sound. I think about everything which came out since 2009 sounds better than it. Even stuff like Sylenth1 from 2007 does IMO.

[UltimateOutsider]

Most of them.

If it's a synth VSTi, I will stop using it if I find it takes longer to program the sound I'm looking for than it would in Element, Massive, DUNE, or Hive. (Examples: Anything Arturia)

If it's a rompler/sampler, I will stop using it if browsing/auditioning sounds takes me any longer than it would in Nexus or HALion Sonic. (Example: Anything Best Service.)

If it's a drum sampler, I will stop using it if building my own kits takes any longer than it would take me in Battery 3. (Examples: Geist, Spark, Battery 4)

If it's a drum sequencer/pattern player, I'll stop using it if it takes me longer to find or build a pattern/groove I want than I could program in Cubase's BeatDesigner. (Examples: EZDrummer, Maschine)

I don't have a lot of time to work on music, so the tools that get me the sound I need the fastest are the ones I reach for.

[chk071]

I don't have a lot of time to work on music, so the tools that get me the sound I need the fastest are the ones I reach for.

A very good point which i agree with. Especially synths which are cumbersome to program usually get sorted out quickly here.

[aMUSEd]

Massive and Helix. The reason i don't really use those is simply because i have better options. Largo kind of blows Massive out of the water sound wise, and Spire sort of covers the VA stuff i'd probably do with Helix to a large degree. I definitely should Helix a bit more too though, it sounds nice, and is very versatile. I don't feel pity about Massive catching dust though. One of those "hype", cheap-in-the-market-place impulse buys. Never really digged the sound. I think about everything which came out since 2009 sounds better than it. Even stuff like Sylenth1 from 2007 does IMO.

Massive can do a lot more than people give it credit for, try it with some of the patches from Leap into the Void, The Unfinished or Nucleus Soundlabs, or even the old Biomechanoid bank, and it really shines. It can be one of the best sounding instruments going and holds its own against anything more recent. It's about the sound design, not just the synth.

Also for me the killer combo is Massive used in Kore so I can also live morph sounds.

[recursive one]

Synthmaster. When I bought it I thought that I'm getting the synth which covers lots of grounds for ridiculously low price, but in fact these different grounds are better covered by other synths. I dislike the GUI and not thrilled by the sound.

Also Z3ta was used only once for two small sounds in one of my tracks. But I think it deserves better fate, it's a good synth in fact.

[chk071]

Synthmaster. When I bought it I thought that I'm getting the synth which covers lots of grounds for ridiculously low price, but in fact these different grounds are better covered by other synths. I dislike the GUI and not thrilled by the sound.

Same here. I never got the hype around it in these parts.

@ aMUSEd: I'm well aware that Massive is quite a versatile synth, and, as a EDM wobble bass machine, it's hugely undersold, but, i'm just not very thrilled by its sound. It sounds very digital, cold to me, and very soft synthy. And artificially bloated, can't desribe it in another way. Sounds somehow "hollow", when there's a lot of bass. But, hey, each to his like. We all view these things differently.

[aMUSEd]

Synthmaster. When I bought it I thought that I'm getting the synth which covers lots of grounds for ridiculously low price, but in fact these different grounds are better covered by other synths. I dislike the GUI and not thrilled by the sound.

Same here. I never got the hype around it in these parts.

@ aMUSEd: I'm well aware that Massive is quite a versatile synth, and, as a EDM wobble bass machine, it's hugely undersold, but, i'm just not very thrilled by its sound. It sounds very digital, cold to me, and very soft synthy. And artificially bloated, can't desribe it in another way. Sounds somehow "hollow", when there's a lot of bass. But, hey, each to his like. We all view these things differently.

It's capable of a wide variety of sounds, I don't think it has any particular sound.

[chk071]

Synthmaster. When I bought it I thought that I'm getting the synth which covers lots of grounds for ridiculously low price, but in fact these different grounds are better covered by other synths. I dislike the GUI and not thrilled by the sound.

Same here. I never got the hype around it in these parts.

@ aMUSEd: I'm well aware that Massive is quite a versatile synth, and, as a EDM wobble bass machine, it's hugely undersold, but, i'm just not very thrilled by its sound. It sounds very digital, cold to me, and very soft synthy. And artificially bloated, can't desribe it in another way. Sounds somehow "hollow", when there's a lot of bass. But, hey, each to his like. We all view these things differently.

It's capable of a wide variety of sounds, I don't think it has any particular sound.

Maybe it's even that. I like synths with "character" (it's gotta be a pleasing one of course). Massive doesn't appear to have much of that.

[sfd]

Most of them.

If it's a synth VSTi, I will stop using it if I find it takes longer to program the sound I'm looking for than it would in Element, Massive, DUNE, or Hive. (Examples: Anything Arturia)

If it's a rompler/sampler, I will stop using it if browsing/auditioning sounds takes me any longer than it would in Nexus or HALion Sonic. (Example: Anything Best Service.)

If it's a drum sampler, I will stop using it if building my own kits takes any longer than it would take me in Battery 3. (Examples: Geist, Spark, Battery 4)

If it's a drum sequencer/pattern player, I'll stop using it if it takes me longer to find or build a pattern/groove I want than I could program in Cubase's BeatDesigner. (Examples: EZDrummer, Maschine)

I don't have a lot of time to work on music, so the tools that get me the sound I need the fastest are the ones I reach for.

Do you own all those VST you say you wouldn't use. Like Arturia. Best Service et cetera?

[recursive one]

I think Massive does have its own sound, this is why I like it. When I need agressive, unnatural, very digital sounds (and I need them quite often cause I'm producing in the style which is mentioned in my sig), I load Massive. It works really well contrasted by more sweet/lush/organic synths. In fact, Massive and Diversion are the synths which I didn't stop using ever since I've got a Virus, while Spire, Sylenth, Discovery, Diva are almost retired now.

[aMUSEd]

Synthmaster. When I bought it I thought that I'm getting the synth which covers lots of grounds for ridiculously low price, but in fact these different grounds are better covered by other synths. I dislike the GUI and not thrilled by the sound.

Same here. I never got the hype around it in these parts.

@ aMUSEd: I'm well aware that Massive is quite a versatile synth, and, as a EDM wobble bass machine, it's hugely undersold, but, i'm just not very thrilled by its sound. It sounds very digital, cold to me, and very soft synthy. And artificially bloated, can't desribe it in another way. Sounds somehow "hollow", when there's a lot of bass. But, hey, each to his like. We all view these things differently.

It's capable of a wide variety of sounds, I don't think it has any particular sound.

Maybe it's even that. I like synths with "character" (it's gotta be a pleasing one of course). Massive doesn't appear to have much of that.

Well obviously I can't agree with that. I wouldn't like it if it didn't have character but clearly there's a matter of subjective opinion.

[Karma_tba]

Synth Squad !!!!! Cured me of the "next big synth syndrome" forever. All synths are basically the same. There are a handful of tones from synths I consider usable. Everything else they produce is noise, harsh, discordant, unmusical, grating noise. Synth lovers enjoy and seek that noise. I prefer pleasant, harmonic, organic, musical tones. The primary use of synths especially uber synths is "sound" design. I'm not interested in sounds(noise) I prefer notes, melodies, harmonies, tones. If your back gets up when you hear this, then we will share no "musical" tastes and probably won't like each other either.

[UltimateOutsider]

Do you own all those VST you say you wouldn't use. Like Arturia. Best Service et cetera?

Yes. I gave specific examples of synths I stopped using when I realized I already had better options.

EDIT: Better options FOR ME, that is. I wouldn't have bought all those other tools if I didn't think they had promise. They just weren't for me.

[ontol]