KVR Audio

HcDoom · Post by **HcDoom** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:43 am

Hello!

Just saw that Synthmaster is on a crazy sale now...read a description, it seems action packed...also new update is out. I never tried it, although GUI looks intimidating...so wanted to ask you guys, who used it extensively, what do you think about it...pros, cons? I already have Dune 2, Serum, Zebra, Hive...so, if it covers the ground that my synths cover it, Ill pass this wonderful opportunity and wont look back.

Thx

recursive one · Post by **recursive one** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:38 am

I think your synths have it covered already. Synthmaster is very versatile, but the sound quality doesn't quite cut it for me.

I use Dune2, Spire, Sylenth, Massive and Diva in all my tracks, and also have Synthmaster, which I never use - I tried it here and there but always ended up replacing it with one of the above synths.

shroom81 · Post by **shroom81** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:44 am

The new update is awesome and for the price its a no brainer imo.

woodsdenis · Post by **woodsdenis** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 10:10 am

It is a very good synth but probably the worst support of any synth and very buggy.

audio/fault · Post by **audio/fault** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 10:30 am

woodsdenis wrote:It is a very good synth but probably the worst support of any synth and very buggy.

i really had the opposite experience. and i only use the "free" beat/cm-version...

2ZrgE · Post by **2ZrgE** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 11:07 am

It needs a GUI overhaul. Worst GUI from all the synths I use mainly (U-he, Dune, Massive).

But you get a lot for your money, that's for sure.

DocShay · Post by **DocShay** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 11:19 am

woodsdenis wrote:It is a very good synth but probably the worst support of any synth and very buggy.

I didn't even have to say it...smh this x1000!!!! I'm actually at the point of hating this plugin from all the bugs...

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 11:20 am

recursive one wrote:I think your synths have it covered already. Synthmaster is very versatile, but the sound quality doesn't quite cut it for me.

I use Dune2, Spire, Sylenth, Massive and Diva in all my tracks, and also have Synthmaster, which I never use - I tried it here and there but always ended up replacing it with one of the above synths.

I wouldn't say the sound quality is inferior, it's just that, compared to the synth you listed, it simply lacks character. The oscillator don't sound particularly special, the filters are a bit digitally harsh, the envelopes are not very snappy. And the GUI needs a major overhaul IMO, for me, it's pretty much a pain to use. Looks to me as if the dev added more and more and more and now the GUI lacks a decent concept.

All just my 2c of course, but Synthmaster, even though very hyped around here and in CM mag was one of the least attractive synths i tried. Just not my cup of tea. Might be other people's. Fair enough. So i just can propose to the OP: Demo, demo and demo. You won't be happy if you base your decision on the people's opinion here solely.

Can't rant about the support btw. Whenever i needed it (1 time for the magware Synthmaster, and one time for the license transfer of the full version), it was excellent.

basslinemaster · Post by **basslinemaster** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 12:11 pm

I bought Synthmaster 2 on pre-order, getting Synthmaster (1) for free. I couldn't see what Computer Music was talking about, because there were so many bad presets that came with Synthmaster 2, and very few decent ones, and nothing that sounded better than even Sylenth1 to me, yet Computer Music made out it was the best thing since sliced bread. I'm glad to see it isn't just me that feels it doesn't sound that great.

wagtunes · Post by **wagtunes** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 12:16 pm

My 2 cents on Synthmaster, which was one of my very first synths.

It's either a programmer's dream or nightmare depending on how you look at it. While it's incredibly versatile, it's also all over the place. The GUI is a nightmare as far as layout goes. But once you get used to it (took me a while) it's actually not that hard to use. But the design could definitely have been better.

Sound wise, it's not the most characterful synth. I love the sound for certain things. For other things, not so much and I'll look to another synth. However, there are tons of libraries available for it. I particular love the house stuff.

As for bugs, I don't find it as buggy as some people do but there are some, the most annoying being how suddenly the waveforms just disappear. The fix is deleting the init folder and recreating it by reloading the synth. PITA.

Personally, I love it because as a programmer you can do so much with it. But if you want to get a lot out of it, provided you don't buy a lot of libraries, programming it can be a little tedious at the start. It's easy to get frustrated with this thing when you're first starting out, especially if you don't have a lot of experience programming synths.

Bang for the buck you really can't beat. I still have a hard time believing that a synth this versatile is this cheap. This is easily a $150 synth.

As others have said, demo it and make your own decision. All you're going to get here is opinions, which are pretty worthless in the grand scheme of things.

Bottom line: I like the synth. I'm glad I got it. I wish it was a little easier to program and I wish some of the bugs would be fixed. Sound wise it's very good but not great. At least not compared to some of the other synths like Zebra 2 and Serum. But for the money, it's hard to beat.

** EDIT ** Here's a demo I made for one of my sound libraries. There is no external FX processing on this outside of a limiter on the output buss so please take that into consideration. This is the pure sound of the synth itself, period.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... new-sounds

slyte · Post by **slyte** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 3:05 pm

Synthmaster was ranked #2 or 3 in a musicradar poll not so long ago, So I bought it...

Absolute waste of money.
Total lack of character, sounds old-fashioned ( in a bad way ).
I Gave it a chance for 3 month, never use any sound for a track.
U-he Zebra, FM8 and Monark blew it away.

xamido · Post by **xamido** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 3:48 pm

There are some reason for Synthmaster getting on top of music magazine reader poll :

- Cheap. It's cheap and with occasional sales it's dirt cheap. It's now 50 something at JRR now for synth that's this powerful (due to sales).
- It's digital and neutral sounding. Which is what EDM crowd wants, but not for KVR crowd who prefer synth with analog and warm character.
- Quite low cpu usage.
- Plenty of built in effects.
- Lots of EDM oriented preset, which is what the majority of CM and FM reader enjoy.

For me personally i love Synthmaster. Used to hate it at first but once i got through the intimidating interface it's actually quite fun and versatile. And it's actually not just a strictly EDM synth. I use it all the time for non edm synth sound for my songs. https://soundcloud.com/xamido/girlfriend

BBFG# · Post by **BBFG#** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:39 pm

BBFG# (in another thread) wrote: I've had problems with 99% of the downloads I've had to do with them.
So much so, that I cringe a little whenever there is an update...
Synth is not bad, but the only thing that works smooth and flawlessly on their site is the purchase.
EVERYTHING else becomes a test in patience in repeated tries of getting their servers to connect.
However, once they do, files less than 200 MB download as they should.
Someone mentioned it was PITA and that is certainly true. Often the updates won't complete properly either and nothing less than removing the old version completely and installing the full new version will get it going. And it's best to save the libraries before that and copy them over after rather than re-install since that seems to be a whole can of bugs within it self.
Dealing with support can also be a lesson in examples of avoidance and denial on their part.

For the most part I would say it could be a versatile and usable synth if it wasn't so unnecessarily time consuming. The time one can waste with this software though. I decided I would give it another chance with this update and even opted to get two more of the sound sets. Probably a mistake. So far, nothing has changed as far as getting those two 1 MB files which took the servers a total 1 hour and 40 minutes to connect, but only a couple of seconds to download once they did.
Actual download times are well within reason, but getting their server to connect is often a nightmare. Support is quick in communicating their defense of the system, but not nearly as quick, if at all when a problem appears. Every update though can take another half a day to get working though. When it works though, it works and could easily find a place if the company ever breaks out of its patterns of operation.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 5:06 pm

xamido wrote: - It's digital and neutral sounding. Which is what EDM crowd wants, but not for KVR crowd who prefer synth with analog and warm character.

Have to disagree on this point. Sylenth1 which is massively popular in EDM musc since years isn't at all "neutral" sounding, rather pretty raw. Massive too. Synthmaster sounds kind of tamed IMO. As you said, pretty neutral. Not really raw, not really soft, not really snappy. Just not my cup of tea overall, but hey, fair enough, can't like everything.

robotmonkey · Post by **robotmonkey** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 5:33 pm

I have Synthmaster Player version that I got dirt cheap and that has turned out to be a very nice sound module. I would not say that it has any sound quality issues. It's actually right on the same level as FM8, ZTA+2 and Alchemy Player. So I can not understand the complaints that it does not have good sound quality.