Geist or Battery 4?

[ObsoleteAcc99]

Does battery 4 include the synthetic kits vol 1 and 2?

[osiris]

Geist can do more, but has a steep learning curve to be able to know all it can do. Battery sounds great and is simple.

[zyguli]

Consider updating Cubase to 7.5. Groove Agent 4 SE looks awesome! http://youtu.be/QkMOgilKx30?t=1m38s

[codec_spurt]

I only have Battery 3, but iirc there isn't that much difference with 4.

And I have Geist too which I made a free expander for.

I really like Battery. It is an excellent bit of kit with a really good library. It's not too difficult to use either.

But Geist has more strength in depth. There are so many things more you can do with it, not the least the fact it has a step sequencer and also a pattern sequencer on top, like a mini-DAW. The library is also really excellent, with the expansions making up any shortfall and being reasonably priced too (especially at the moment, I *think* they have a sale on don't they?).

One of my favourite things with Geist is the automatic loading and slicing of loops from the browser. Super fast and powerful. And a lot of fun. Geist is a generation ahead in development, but Battery is solid and gets the job done.

Geist definitely looks better though! Especially with those free skins that are flying around -

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Battery has a great library (although i speak to this while still on battery 3).

Quite a lot of the Battery 3 library has been removed for version 4. And the newer samples are quite weak in my opinion. Battery 3 kits can be used in Battery 4 but obviously that's only for people who upgrade and who still have access to the old library on disc. So for newer users they only get the newer weaker library. NI really messed up here but I guess they are trying to get people to switch to maschine.

I've owned Geist too and the Geist library is far better than the Battery 4 library IMO.

oh yeah, i forgot they had stripped away a lot of the stuff...effin' lame is what it is

good to know that i might find some gems in geist's library after all

[codec_spurt]

I forgot they stripped the library down too, sorry. I think the Battery 3 library I got was about 12GB or so, with some nice acoustic kits as well.

I considered upgrading to 4 but apart from a nicer GUI there wasn't that much more on offer.

Wasn't there a big thread on this?

[lotus2035]

If NI had kept the Battery 3 library 'intakt' I would have put it toe to toe with Geist. But even if you do have the Battery 3 library you can't access it the same way you access the Battery 4 kits. They aren't integrated. So it seems NI have turned their back on that library. A bit strange really seeing as the newer samples sound very thin, flat and lifeless. But I suppose that's how a lot of contemporary electronic music is starting to sound anyway so it fits right in.

[GFunk]

I've just downloaded the demo of Geist. You're not wrong about the steep learning curve. Mind you trying to pick up a plugin such as this with a hang over is probably not a good idea!
The cubase upgrade is a good suggestion. Didn't know they'd updated Groove Agent but the upgrade cost from cubase 5 is too much at present.

[osiris]

The best thing about Geist, that I've never been able to do with anything else, is load a loop, then mess it up with the presets. And I mean mess it up until it sounds like a totally different loop. I mean mess it up in a good way.

[JC_]

Consider updating Cubase to 7.5. Groove Agent 4 SE looks awesome! http://youtu.be/QkMOgilKx30?t=1m38s

I wish I had known about that a couple of days ago.

[V0RT3X]

Geist is pretty good bang for your buck if you like drum sequencing and it has an excellent groove engine system that works in your DAW with an amazing amount of ease.

I imagine people are put off by the complex look of it! I was at first and I thought why bother with this when I have my DAW sequencer etc. Programming a beat in is easy but once you get into learning how to program and automate stuff via it's built in automation systems you will probably go "Whoa dude"

Once i actually sat down and played with it, it kind of clicked with me that the Geist workflow is pretty intuitive and quick once you learn it and the overall plugin uses not much CPU considering what you get.


The built in Bus Compressor is not the best now but it still holds up pretty good! I am pretty bad when it comes playing beats via the pads so i never got into recording performances in geist, instead i programmed my beats. The built in groove engine system is great too for "humanizing" your beats in case that's what you want and it sounds pretty good.


Battery is a different beast, and I used to own that in Komplete 8 and it's really awesome if you like using your DAW to program beats.

Looks like Battery definitely out does Geist in terms of factory sample content though.

Even when I owned komplete and had Battery and Kontakt i found it much more "fun" to load up geist and program my beats with that.

I also barely use factory kits and samples soley, so i found geists resampler a great way to build new sounds.

[ARNK]

One very important note about Geist: If you're expecting it to slice audio really well - say, as well as ReCycle does it - you will be sorely disappointed. And you can hear that again. Geist can't hold a candle to ReCycle.

There are some other major problems with Geist, too many to list but can all be read on the FXpansion forum for Geist.

Until it can slice with accuracy, improve its interface and auditioning capabilities - it's worth about 100.00 USD. I paid in full for what it promised, but in practice I can see why they've dropped it down to about a hundred bucks on multiple occasions... this is its true value.

Disappointed. I'm really hoping they step it up like the rest of their arsenal in version 2 - if it makes it that far.

[electro]

Battery 3 is better than Battery 4.

Groove Agent SE is far better than Groove Agent One.

Factory content is not my concern so take that into consideration.