KVR Audio

Echoes in the Attic · Post by **Echoes in the Attic** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 6:01 pm

Igro wrote:It's released. Would be good to change the topic name...

Why? People don't ask questions about a product that has been released?

Echoes in the Attic · Post by **Echoes in the Attic** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 6:18 pm

hmm. No demo?

bharris22 · Post by **bharris22** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 6:23 pm

Does anyone know if you can import your own samples, too?

Echoes in the Attic · Post by **Echoes in the Attic** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 6:27 pm

bharris22 wrote:Does anyone know if you can import your own samples, too?

Can't.

bharris22 · Post by **bharris22** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 7:28 pm

10-4. Thanks.

EDGEK8D · Post by **EDGEK8D** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:00 am

FM8 on sale at the same time this comes out. Coincidence? I think not.

Seriously, I've been chomping at the bit to jump into FM synthesis with a proper FM synth. I've got all of the major players in the realm of subtractive......but I'm not an NI guy. Though I did pick up Monark for $50 over the holidays, which was smart.

The Blue 2 website is surprising light on information. Just kind of talks about lots of filters and being able to do FM and subtractive yada, yada, yada.

Straight up, as an FM synth only, how does this compare to FM8. I'm not interested in its subtractive abilities though I'm sure Blue 2 can do many things that FM8 cannot, as far as FM goes, number of operators, etc....Trying an FM synth as a demo isn't very fruitful unless you know FM, which I don't. I downloaded the demo for Octopus and just checked some presets. It seemed to sound nice enough.

Anyone with lots of experience with both FM8 and Blue/Blue2, I'd appreciate a few words.

codec_spurt · Post by **codec_spurt** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:00 am

EDGEK8D wrote: I've been chomping at the bit to jump into FM synthesis with a proper FM synth. I've got all of the major players in the realm of subtractive......but I'm not an NI guy. Though I did pick up Monark for $50 over the holidays, which was smart.

The Blue 2 website is surprising light on information. Just kind of talks about lots of filters and being able to do FM and subtractive yada, yada, yada.

Straight up, as an FM synth only, how does this compare to FM8. I'm not interested in its subtractive abilities

You sound churlish, and like you are expecting others to do your homework for you.

Did you go as far as looking to the Nam demo that Rob did?

You have heard of some great new synth. The new second coming. But you don't quite know why that is. But you want others to explain it to you. And you don't even ask nicely.

FM. This is so much more than an FM synth. Why compare it to FM8? That is just silly. You aren't interested in its subtractive capabilities? But that is integral to the synth in the main.

Yada yada yada.

If you want an FM only synth, why don't you try to get a DX-7 or something.

You have a really arrogant attitude.

GeorgeZ · Post by **GeorgeZ** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:20 am

Codec, hardly saw that post as churlish (didn't come across rude at all I think). Pretty sure you imagined a tone in his writing, that just isn't there

Echoes in the Attic · Post by **Echoes in the Attic** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:24 am

codec_spurt wrote:
EDGEK8D wrote: I've been chomping at the bit to jump into FM synthesis with a proper FM synth. I've got all of the major players in the realm of subtractive......but I'm not an NI guy. Though I did pick up Monark for $50 over the holidays, which was smart.

The Blue 2 website is surprising light on information. Just kind of talks about lots of filters and being able to do FM and subtractive yada, yada, yada.

Straight up, as an FM synth only, how does this compare to FM8. I'm not interested in its subtractive abilities
You sound churlish, and like you are expecting others to do your homework for you.

Did you go as far as looking to the Nam demo that Rob did?

You have heard of some great new synth. The new second coming. But you don't quite know why that is. But you want others to explain it to you. And you don't even ask nicely.

FM. This is so much more than an FM synth. Why compare it to FM8? That is just silly. You aren't interested in its subtractive capabilities? But that is integral to the synth in the main.

Yada yada yada.

If you want an FM only synth, why don't you try to get a DX-7 or something.

You have a really arrogant attitude.

I have no idea what that was all about, but anyways let's move on without derailing things into needless silly attacks...

EDGEK8D, your question was completely normal and reasonable, especially given that there is no demo for Blue II so I'll try to give some thoughts. I think the main difference is the sound. FM8 has a more traditional, DX7 inspired sound. It sounds more "digital" than Blue which has a thicker juicier sound, and can do subtractive well because of the variety of filters and lots of waveforms, waveshaping, pwm and other oscillator shaping functions. FM8 has some cool tricks like the morph square which can morph between entire patches. Blue's new square is really an oscillator cross-fader if I understand correctly, also with an XY mopdulator that can record movements. Blue 2 also has sample content now.

Both good synths with pretty fully featured FM capabilities (especially now that Blue has a fully assignable matrix), just different characters. Might be worth watching as many videos as you can on both.

codec_spurt · Post by **codec_spurt** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:37 am

GeorgeZ wrote:Codec, hardly saw that post as churlish (didn't come across rude at all I think). Pretty sure you imagined a tone in his writing, that just isn't there

Ok. That is maybe so.

My apologies if that is the case.

GeorgeZ · Post by **GeorgeZ** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:27 am

I could do a little video on Blue II if anyone's keen?

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:44 am

EDGEK8D wrote: ...Straight up, as an FM synth only, how does this compare to FM8...
Anyone with lots of experience with both FM8 and Blue/Blue2, I'd appreciate a few words.

I'm interested also, I'm considering (finally) delving into proper FM.

lalo · Post by **lalo** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:03 am

FM8 vs. Blue

They ' re both great FM stuff.
I went the Blue way mainly because in FM8, envelope times, levels and segments slopes
are not automatable as VST parameters.

Now that Blue II has flexible algorithm routings for my kind of use Blue II wins.
I'll go for the update in a few days.

stimresp · Post by **stimresp** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 10:24 am

Time to change the title and replace those question marks with exclamation marks.

For me, the most anticipated VST of the last 12 months. And it does not disappoint!

Spent the morning poking around in the new features. I know it's often said, but for me it's real this time - Blue2 really is a sound-designer's wet dream. The interface is beautiful and brilliantly laid-out (but then I am already familiar with Blue 1).
Still, time to read the manual.

As for the sound itself - well, you just have to hear it for yourself. Rob's presets are phenomenal and inspiring as always.

Everything about it oozes quality. I think the demo will speak for itself.

noiseprovesnothing · Post by **noiseprovesnothing** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:57 am

You can tell Jon put a lot of thought into the interface - it's straightforward to program, straightforward to see and know what you're doing. I'm awarding extra points for the flexible signal routing.

Somehow the CPU use, even with the new HQ reverb. is very, very light on most patches. The filters sound great, and unison both per oscillator and globally is a nice touch.

I had just enough time to do a little patching, and the Interface makes that fun. I did just a touch of "FM for Dummies (meaning even after 30 years of synthesis, I still haven't taken the time to grok FM) and it's absolutely painless on this synth.

Rob Papen Blue II ???