KVR Audio

ew · Post by ew » Mon Oct 13, 2014 5:48 pm

aMUSEd wrote:Actually this seems a lot cheaper and would probably run fine off my Netbook via a midi interface:

http://www.iax-software.com/index.html

(has some patches to download too )

I used that until I got Sound Diver running right on my W7 machines. It works fairly well. Be sure you set the clock setting in the Z1 to external before you try transmitting, though- I've never gotten it to work otherwise.

ew

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 6:06 pm

I thought Sound Diver was just a Mac programme?

Acid Mitch · Post by **Acid Mitch** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 6:23 pm

aMUSEd wrote:I thought Sound Diver was just a Mac programme?

Was Mac and PC for years before Apple bought Emagic

Bathrobe · Post by **Bathrobe** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 6:39 pm

Radikal Technologies Accelerator
That is my favorite Polysynth.
The interface is matrixlike without too much menu-diving, it has the best keybed feel i´ve ever encountered , the sounds can be very ´3d´ with awesome basses and leads. It has a fun soundrandomizer that comes up with unique names. Maybe not so much for sound-effects but playable patches.
The Operating system has gotten a few updates already, so no more infant bugs.

If you want a knob per function keep an eye on the Oberheim 2voice+.

For special sounds i like the Polygamist, but it´s not getting built anymore and the 60 or so owners are not letting them go.

Hope i could give you something to look at that were not already mentioned.
Really the Accelerator i can highly recommend.

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:14 pm

Thanks - the Accelerator does look good - can't find anyone in the UK selling it so far. Actually the Spectralis might be better - I probably have too many keyboards now so a desktop unit would be better.

ew · Post by ew » Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:01 pm

Acid Mitch wrote:
aMUSEd wrote:I thought Sound Diver was just a Mac programme?
Was Mac and PC for years before Apple bought Emagic

Yep. The PC and Mac versions aren't that far out of sync, either- the last Windows version was 3.0.5, while the last Mac version was the 3.1 beta (second version).

ew

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:08 pm

So, ironically, I guess it runs on PC's but probably doesn't anymore on Mac?

Shy · Post by **Shy** » Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:49 pm

Exactly. No more PowerPC emulation since OS X 10.6, and it had serious bugs / crashes with SoundDiver anyway, SoundDiver only works fine on PowerPC Macs. The Windows version, of course, still works, in Windows 10 as well.

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 9:51 pm

Really, can it still be authorised?

ew · Post by ew » Fri Oct 17, 2014 6:53 pm

aMUSEd wrote:Really, can it still be authorised?

Yep- it uses CD authorization. The Windows version doesn't use the xs dongle that the last Mac betas did.

ew

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 5:43 pm

Off to pick up my Z1 tomorrow

ZenPunkHippy · Post by **ZenPunkHippy** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 5:52 pm

Nice! Did you see there is a new Modulus demo up at Sonic State? Quite a detailed walk through with Ben Crosland (the sound designer), and one of the developers:

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2014/10/ ... -progress/

Definitely worth a watch ...

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 6:42 pm

aMUSEd wrote:Off to pick up my Z1 tomorrow

Nice!

I remember getting in the Z1 and the Prophecy when they first came out and I was a bit turned off to the Prophecy, but the Z1 seemed very cool. Way out of my price range then, and I was more guitar orientated at that time anyway.

This thread really does kind of illustrate how "conservative" the hardware world has become. Aside from a few high-end stand outs... it seems like nearly everything being made is pretty conservative. My guess is that software has sort of slapped down that segment of the hardware market. It seems like the 90s were really the last time really progressive hardware instruments were being mass marketed.

Speaking of, join us in the E-MU Proteus appreciation thread.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electro ... rials.html

For peanuts you could get on of these misunderstood ROMplers. I admit they're a PITA to program without the software editor, but it's free and works well. Balma is a genius on these things and he's eager to share.

T-CM11 · Post by **T-CM11** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 9:50 pm

zerocrossing wrote: This thread really does kind of illustrate how "conservative" the hardware world has become. Aside from a few high-end stand outs... it seems like nearly everything being made is pretty conservative. My guess is that software has sort of slapped down that segment of the hardware market. It seems like the 90s were really the last time really progressive hardware instruments were being mass marketed.

Is it the large hardware companies that have become conservative, or their market?
There's still plenty of interesting instruments (or modules) being made, but not by Roland/Yamaha/Korg, and you won't find them in a Guitar Center shop.

himalaya · Post by **himalaya** » Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:11 am

True, this is the time for the boutique synth maker/buyer. Lots of choice there, but I'd be interested to find out how many go beyond the tried and tested simple subtractive+simple digital designs. ( actually, it would be good to list all the available boutique synths that try to be different).

If talking in general, not just small independent synth makers, there is nothing that offers what Z1 had to offer (excluding Korg's own Kronos) and more importantly, nothing that goes beyond it.

I can definitely see a small boutique synth that has an XY pad with which to cross-fade into different physical modeling engines like in Logic's Sculpture synth....

John Bowen's Solaris offers some great ideas. The new Modulus has some cool features too. Also, DSI is good at introducing new ideas as seen in the Evolver series and now Prophet 12. But look at what happened to a truly innovative synth, the Hartmann Neuron....?

I sometimes wish I could use a comb filter followed by an LPF on one of my analog synths. Nobody seems to offer such simple filter combinations in the analog hardware synth world (fighting hard not to start on the modular synth path...). However it is possible with Waldor's Blofeld or John Bowen's Solaris...

@aMUSEd,

Congrats on the new purchase. I wish I had the Z1, like Kawai's K5000S (just loved those knobs!).

Hardware synths - something out of the ordinary?