KVR Audio

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 3:49 am

So, up until now I've been using various software to warm up particularly cold sounding plug ins or my Audiothingies MicroMonsta. Soundtoys, Saturn, Amplitube, etc. They work pretty well. Lately though, I've heard some Heat demos that got my attention. Sounded good, and seemed to be a fair price, but I'm wondering for any who own it, do you feel like it's significantly better than the better software offerings? My main idea is to have it live on the output of the Micromonsta to give it a bit of oomph and occasionally distort the hell out of it. Most of the demos I'm hearing show it on drum machines or on a output bus, but the MicroMonsta will be used for all sorts of pads, basses, leads, arps, etc. Worth it?

shroom81 · Post by **shroom81** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 4:41 am

If you got the cash then I'd say go for it, it's a great box and more than a one trick pony imo. I use it on the 2buss all the time the clean boost circuit can really give your mixes some juice w/o sounding distorted.

It's very nice on single channels too, combination of distortion/filter/eq play's nicely together.

Booming kicks and basses are pretty easy to dial in, I love me some AH on almost anything really and it's all within your'e Daw. Which is nice even though it does bring a little latency.

Also using it as an audio interface works flawlessly here, good sound, good headphone output, built like a tank too.

My only gripe is I wish at least one of the distortion circuits could distort a bit more for extreme mangling but I guess one can always add they're pedal for that or of course some plugins...

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 5:21 am

shroom81 wrote:If you got the cash then I'd say go for it, it's a great box and more than a one trick pony imo. I use it on the 2buss all the time the clean boost circuit can really give your mixes some juice w/o sounding distorted.

It's very nice on single channels too, combination of distortion/filter/eq play's nicely together.

Booming kicks and basses are pretty easy to dial in, I love me some AH on almost anything really and it's all within your'e Daw. Which is nice even though it does bring a little latency.

Also using it as an audio interface works flawlessly here, good sound, good headphone output, built like a tank too.

My only gripe is I wish at least one of the distortion circuits could distort a bit more for extreme mangling but I guess one can always add they're pedal for that or of course some plugins...

Have you done any a/b comparing with plugins? I'm really curious.

deastman · Post by **deastman** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 5:53 am

I only just got mine and haven't tried the DAW integration yet. My plan was to use it mostly with hardware, on the way into the computer. I suppose it could work equally well the other direction, and of course it makes for a seamless round trip to warm up your VSTs. I agree that my main disappointment was the lack of a really extreme sound mangling distortion. I'm not a purist at all though, and my personal feeling is that one can probably get close enough ITB if you plan to stay there, although the tight integration does make it pretty enticing.

Bottom line, it sounds great! But there are other things which also sound great.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 7:23 am

I don't have an Analog Heat. I do have the Analog Rytm and I can say that the analog distortion and compressor in the Rytm has a character I have not heard in software. From some audio demos of the AH, it sounds like it has something interesting as well. I'll likely purchase one.

shroom81 · Post by **shroom81** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 pm

zerocrossing wrote:Have you done any a/b comparing with plugins? I'm really curious.

Yes I have and even with all the amazing software these days I still find Ah beats the vst's due to it's filter/eq/distortion combination.
You can really zoom in on the sounds sweet and boost the crap out of it, it's distortion just sounds a little nicer to the ear then vst's.

But if you're really just thinking about using it as a distortion box for 1 synth you be better off saving some cash and buy some pedals.

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 2:17 pm

shroom81 wrote:
zerocrossing wrote:Have you done any a/b comparing with plugins? I'm really curious.
Yes I have and even with all the amazing software these days I still find Ah beats the vst's due to it's filter/eq/distortion combination.
You can really zoom in on the sounds sweet and boost the crap out of it, it's distortion just sounds a little nicer to the ear then vst's.

But if you're really just thinking about using it as a distortion box for 1 synth you be better off saving some cash and buy some pedals.

Thanks for that. Distortion is important, but having the filter and EQ, plus the LFO and plug in integration is huge for me too. I'll probably get it. I do notice that distortion is the one realm of music processing where software falls down a bit, so I'll probably get one, though, now I'm thinking of alternate possibilities, like getting an Analog Four, which I had and really liked. I could run the Micromonsta through that and have another flavor of analog synth for a bit more money. (Of course, losing things the Heat does)

Or... leave the MicroMonsta alone (continue processing it as I have) and get a Peak, which seems to have an amazing array of pre, and post filter drive/distortion as well as being it's own take on wavetable synthesis. Decisions... decisions...

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 2:23 pm

pdxindy wrote:I don't have an Analog Heat. I do have the Analog Rytm and I can say that the analog distortion and compressor in the Rytm has a character I have not heard in software. From some audio demos of the AH, it sounds like it has something interesting as well. I'll likely purchase one.

Yeah, I had an Analog Four, and I loved it. I know it gets kicked around a bit, but I thought it had such a unique sound. I'm actually considering one instead of the Heat. Double duty for a few extra bucks.

Now that you mention it, the RYTM might actually be an even better solution. I've got a decent complement of analog synths, but the only analog drum machine I own is a Tempest, which at the moment is being used as a 6 voice hybrid poly. (It's amazing at that) The RYTM might be a shade over my budge for this year, but I might be able to swing it. (pun intended)

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 2:31 pm

deastman wrote:I only just got mine and haven't tried the DAW integration yet. My plan was to use it mostly with hardware, on the way into the computer. I suppose it could work equally well the other direction, and of course it makes for a seamless round trip to warm up your VSTs. I agree that my main disappointment was the lack of a really extreme sound mangling distortion. I'm not a purist at all though, and my personal feeling is that one can probably get close enough ITB if you plan to stay there, although the tight integration does make it pretty enticing.

Bottom line, it sounds great! But there are other things which also sound great.

I couldn't use it for round trip VST processing due to the latency of that trip. I need my gear to work in real time with my latency as low as possible. All my music is done "live" in Live, so that extra lag waiting for the return trip would break things for me.

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 3:02 pm

I have an A4 and a RYTM, didn't go for the HEAT as I have plenty of outboard distortion (as a guitarist) and to be honest I think something like isotope Trash is probably a better bet if you are in the box.

I can however highly recommend either the A4 or the RYTM though. worth every penny and great effects that can also be accessed via overbridge (which works on the A4 and RYTM)

bungle · Post by **bungle** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 4:10 pm

zerocrossing wrote:Yeah, I had an Analog Four, and I loved it. I know it gets kicked around a bit, but I thought it had such a unique sound. I'm actually considering one instead of the Heat. Double duty for a few extra bucks.

A few extra bucks ?
Twice the price, damn i wish i was that rich !!!!!!

sinkmusic · Post by **sinkmusic** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 7:16 pm

By the way, ZeroCrossings, how do you like your MicroMonsta ?

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Sat Jun 17, 2017 10:27 pm

bungle wrote:
zerocrossing wrote:Yeah, I had an Analog Four, and I loved it. I know it gets kicked around a bit, but I thought it had such a unique sound. I'm actually considering one instead of the Heat. Double duty for a few extra bucks.
A few extra bucks ?
Twice the price, damn i wish i was that rich !!!!!!

Well, I'm comparing the cost of a new Heat vs. a used Analog Four module. I'm not really made of money, but I've got about $1300 in the synth budget this year. In my head, I think that I'd be losing distortion types, but for an extra $400-500, I'd get a synth with some extra effects. I do miss my Analog Four. Getting rid of that was a mistake.

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Sat Jun 17, 2017 10:29 pm

sinkmusic wrote:By the way, ZeroCrossings, how do you like your MicroMonsta ?

I love it. It's got a really nice character to it. The UI is pretty good, and overall the feature set is very complete.

sinkmusic · Post by **sinkmusic** » Sat Jun 17, 2017 11:37 pm

Thank you.

Elektron Analog Heat vs. software