Rhino
by Big Tick

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Product	Rhino
Developer	Big Tick
Primary Type	Monster Synth
Price (MSRP)	€70

Plug-in Formats

Instrument(s)

Operating System Availability

Operating System	Latest Version	Download	Is it Available?
	2.0.4	Demo / Trial

Miscellaneous Information

Copy Protection	Key File
Supported Sample Formats include	WAV
Banks & Patches	Download Banks
Average User Rating

Known to work

Waveforms

Rhino features a huge list of built-in waveforms.
Up 6 oscillators per voice for a huge sound!

Additive Generator

The built-in additive synthesizer can be used to define new waveforms.

Ultra-slick graphic envelopes

Graphical multipoint envelopes with curvature controls.
Envelopes can be synchronized to tempo.
Each oscillator has his own level, pitch, and waveshaping amount.

Waveshaping section

Each oscillator can have his own waveshaper.
Waveshaper can be modulated by an envelope, keyboard tracking, velocity or aftertouch.

Filter section

Dual multimode filter, with -12/-24/-36 dB/oct. slopes.
Use the amazing Rhino envelopes to control the filter and create rhythmic patterns.

Keyboard tracking controls

Graphical curves for keyboard and velocity tracking.
Control Envelopes levels and times, oscillators pitch, and many over parameters.

Routing Matrix

A comprehensive routing matrix, visible at all times, defines the FM settings for the 6 oscillators.
2 Ring modulators enhance the power of the FM synthesis engine.
Oscillators and Ring Modulators can be freely routed through the 2 multimode filters.

Step sequencer

The built-in 16 steps sequencer allows to generate hypnotic patterns and unique effects.
The sequencer is synced to the host tempo.
Separate control over note, length and velocity.
Random sequencer mode, to emulate the wonderful features of the Jupiter series arpeggiators.

Multi-effects section

Many effects included (chorus, flanger, phaser, delays, reverbs, ...)
Up to 2 effects per patch.
Parallel and serial modes.

Other features

Rhino includes Big Tick's new, unique user-defined controls system.
Assignable midi controls.
Microtuning (using Scala .tun files).
Includes 64 presets.
The demonstration version has save and automation disabled.

All KVR Audio news items relating to Rhino.

Dangerous Bear Underground releases Daniel Kemp's Anomaly (WUSIK\|RHINO)	15th March 2007
Big Tick launches Christmas Discount (on Rhino & soundsets)	6th December 2006
T3 releases T3-Volume 4-Rhino	26th June 2006
Big Tick updates Rhino to v2.0.4	6th June 2006
Big Tick Rhino available with 30% discount	21st November 2005
Classic VL Vol.1 for Rhino now available	21st July 2005
Digital Synth 2 for Rhino released	16th June 2005
Big Tick updates Rhino to v2.0.3	4th April 2005
Classic Oberheim Bundle for Rhino released	26th January 2005
Classic Oberheim 1 bank for Rhino	24th November 2004
Big Tick Rhino updated to v2.0.2	12th November 2004
Big Tick Rhino updated to v2.0.1	28th October 2004
Textures for Rhino released	19th October 2004
DX7 recreations Vol.2 for Rhino released	26th August 2004
Classic Moog bank for Rhino released	10th August 2004
Big Tick Rhino v2.0 released	1st August 2004
discoDSP Vertigo cross-grade offer	9th July 2004
Big Tick Rhino v2.0 SP1 released	24th June 2004
Big Tick Rhino 2 pre-release	21st June 2004
Big Tick Rhino updated to v1.0.9	16th October 2003
Big Tick Rhino updated to v1.08	4th August 2003
Big Tick Rhino updated to v1.07	28th June 2003
Big Tick Rhino updated to v1.06	2nd May 2003
Big Tick Rhino updated to v1.05 inc 64 new presets	3rd April 2003
Big Tick Rhino updated to v1.04	21st March 2003
Big Tick Rhino updated to v1.02	13th March 2003
Big Tick Rhino updated to v1.01	9th March 2003
Big Tick Rhino v1.0 released	4th March 2003
Big Tick Rhino v0.91 Public Beta released	7th January 2003
Big Tick Rhino v0.9 public beta released	18th December 2002

User Reviews by KVR Members for Rhino.

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By mikusan
On 27th October 2005
Version: 2.03

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mikusan

5 of 6 people found
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GUI

Sound

Features

Docs

Presets

Support

VFM

Stability

This is my first review so be gentle with me...you'll notice that I've given Rhino a "full house". This is not gushiness on my part - I've thought long and hard about those points, and I even considered marking some areas down simply to prevent the review looking OTT. But I've asked myself if there are any aspects which have room for improvement and I can honestly say I can't think of any. So, full marks it is...

GUI - cool colour scheme, very 'pro'-looking. GUI is functional and clear, and logically laid out for such a versatile (or complex, depending on your POV) instrument. The tabbed, multi-screen approach isn't for everyone, but I personally think it's far more tidy than having 'menus-within-menus' or multiple windows.

SOUNDS - well, name your poison...Rhino can do punchy, nasty (in a good way) analogue, or convincing acoustic instrument emulations, or cold, metallic timbres, or infinitely evolving soundscapes and atmospheres. It really has to be heard to be believed - try the demo or listen to the demo tunes on Big Tick's website. I'll mention presets later in more detail, but you should also listen to the demos on Daniel Maurer's site. The only downside to some of the fuller, more intricate soundscapes, is the danger of swamping the mix in the context of a full song - but the same can be said for many instruments, it really depends on how and where you place the sounds.

FEATURES - you get six oscillators, two filters (with a variety of flavours), multistage envelopes (for oscillators, filters and a shedload of modulation options - envelopes can be cut & pasted, saved & loaded, and there's a stock of useful preset envelope shapes to get you started), waveshaping, additive synthesis, FM synthesis, sample playback, a quirky but nonetheless useful arpeggiator, microtuning, and two FX slots. The FX vary from the bread'n'butter (Chorus fattens up the sounds nicely, QuadPhaser is very tasty) through barking mad (CrazyComb filter or OktaVerb - bonkers but still useful) to the kind of quality that you want to use on other instruments (8-tap Reverb is excellent). (A standalone effects unit is being considered for the next version, by the way). Each effect has a number of editable (and modulatable) parameters, and many of the parameters can be tempo-mapped too. As far as modulation goes: just about anything you'd like to modulate can be modulated by just about anything else. A particularly useful feature is the bank of six user-definable sliders which can be programmed (via MIDI-learn, which is well implemented) for real-time modulation of any number of parameters - there's no limit to the number of parameters per slider, either.

DOCS - the PDF manual is well-written and covers every aspect of operation comprehensively, without being overly technical. Which is a neat trick, when you consider how powerful this instrument is. There are even a few tutorials on the website, and the developer himself is a nice guy who always makes the time to answer queries.

PRESETS - this is an outstanding aspect of Rhino: there is now a massive library of presets, covering a huge spectrum of sounds. Preset management can be handled conventionally, or a more innovative feature is the database. Users can construct a database for their presets, sorting them into (user-definable) categories. So no matter how many banks you own, you can keep all your pads, lead sounds, etc together. Constructing the database is dead easy - just drag and drop the patch name into the chosen category. Daniel Maurer's presets deserve a special mention - they've extended Rhino's palette by an incredible amount, they're cheap as chips (he also offers several bundle deals), and they're a masterclass in Rhino programming. Instant inspiration!

SUPPORT - can't be faulted. Big Tick is very responsive to user requests and suggestions, which is one of the reasons why Rhino is so feature-packed. The odd couple of tech problems I've had with Tick products were dealt with within a few hours (even though they were down to me, not the product...)

VFM - well, this can be very subjective...but in my opinion, Rhino is a steal for 100euros. Sonically, it covers a vast area so it can do the job of three or four more limited synths. Rhino is by now a relatively mature instrument, but it continues to engage thanks to the occasional upgrades (free) which increase the functionality even more, and Daniel Maurer's consistently amazing preset banks.

STABILITY - rock solid, in my experience. Depending on your processor, you may be limited in terms of simultaneous instances (although it's nowhere near as CPU-hungry as it's earlier incarnations), but I've never known it to crash or cause a crash.

By Jeremy_NSL
On 22nd July 2004
Version: 2.0

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4 of 4 people found
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Rhino is a synth that can do just about anything. Wavesequencing, waveshaping, VA, additive, FM/AM/RM, and now in 2.0 simple rompler features.

Put simply, it sounds great. And contrary to earlier versions, the CPU usage is very reasonable compared to other similar synths.

The knock on Rhino has always been: its hard to program. And it is. The interface is functional, but it takes a long-time to create sounds with it - especially as a beginner. Alot of the difficulty has to do with Rhino's reliance on flexible multistage envelopes: you can do anything with these envelopes, but if you just want to program a simple patch, they are overkill. If you just want a simple lfo instead of an envelope you can use an unused oscillator for it - but it takes just as much cpu as if the osc was not an lfo! I'd like to see a more modular approach, maybe the ability to swap out certain envelopes for simple LFOs or ADSR envs, like Kontakt.

Fortunately there is a great manual to help you understand Rhino, and a huge amount of free and commercial presets around made by people that LOVE multistage envs.

Rhino is a steal at the price, even if you only use it as a type of synth rompler - using pre-made presets. But if you can learn to deal with all the features it presents, I honestly can't think of a synth that offers greater possibilities, at any price.

By bezza
On 23rd June 2004
Version: 2 pre-re

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Describing a synth is not easy but imagine it's the late eighties, a DX7mk11 meets a Wavestation in a bar and go on to have kids - Rhino would be their youngest, most gifted offspring!

The sound of Rhino is the killer. Not analog, not digital as such. just a rich Rhino combination of everything.

Evolving sounds, hard sounds, metallic, crystaline, morphing, even emulative real world sounds.

A CPU hog - yes, but invest in Freeze and enjoy. So many great presets available and first class support - probably the best support out there.

** Since I wrote the above Rhino has found many more uses in my music. The sheer variety of sounds available and presets means it is really a very capable all rounder (especially if you invest in some of Daniel's excellent banks). Rhino can cover most bases very well -and I know that if I feel brave enough to tackle programming some of my own patches, I can go as deep and complex as I want!**

Last edited by bezza on 16th September 2004

By pummel
On 19th November 2003
Version: 1.09

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7 of 7 people found
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i cannot say enough good things about rhino. the most important thing, it sounds great.

i challenge anyone in the market for a synth in this price range -- compare rhino's presets to those of any other. in my book, the presets mean a lot; if the synth developer and his right hand man cannot enthrall me with presets, what are the odds i will be able to do any better?

after spending about six months with top ranked synth demos, this is the one i choose. it certainly was not the first synth that came to mind, as i was a bit put off by the plain-jane interface. but during my evaluation, this is the one i kept coming back to.

what sets this synth apart is the wide range of high quality of sounds that anyone can easily produce. in fact, you have to work fairly hard to create a bad sounding preset on this synth.

the interface is different than most, but in a good way. rather than focusing primarily on knobs for adjustment, most of the adjustments are presented graphically. for example, the osc amp envelops are done this way, where you reach into the plot, drag points, and shape curves. to me, this is much more intuitive than twiddling ASDR knobs. more importantly, it provides infinite control; rather than limiting you to just a few slopes.

the typical analog-like controls are conveniently presented at the top level; and you can create a ton of great sounds there. in "analog" mode as i like to call it, using none of rhinos esoteric features, just two additive osc with conventional wave shapes, envelops, filters and effects, the sound tops most others *designed* to do only that. however, rhino goes far beyond the basics, and provides the most complete (almost overwelming) feature set of any synth in its price range. from that standpoint, it is almost like getting an AB... and an FM... in one package. the six osc FM mod matrix is a real winner; with its DX7 sysex import (sort of; it loads them and they sound good, but as of this writing they do not sound the same).

as for osc wave shape options, you've got it all -- about 100 built in osc wave shapes / loops, an additive wave tool to roll your own shapes, a wav file reader, and a wave shaper to modify them. like most features, the wave shaper has its own graphic envelop.

if there is a downside to this synth, it is cpu usage. rhino can bring the fastest of todays cpus to its knees; but i believe that is because rhino has so many features which can be simultaneously used. in my personal back-to-back comparison with other synth demos, using *the same number of features*, rhino was typically equal or better in cpu usage.

perhaps cpu's will get faster as time goes on.

By woolyloach
On 16th November 2003
Version: 1.09

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6 of 7 people found
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GUI

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Presets

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VFM

Stability

Rhino is an amazing piece of work. First, let it be known that I do darkambient/dark-trance kind of music with soft-synths, voice, and my guitar so Rhino is the PERFECT soft-synth for me.

The UI takes a bit of getting used to, but once you spend some quality time with it puttering around with Rhino becomes easier - the learning curve on programming it is significant, because it's one powerful tool.

Presets a-plenty on the Big Tick Website, all the banks I've played with so far are very musical and useful. If you run out of presets, you're probably hopeless (lol).

CPU usage varies radically between patches, some taking very little of my 2.53GHz. Pentium 4, some taking close to 40% or more for complex, evolving sounds. At first I was concerned, but the high-CPU sounds don't require a fistful of notes to work well so it's not as big a deal as it could have been.

It's very stable, more so than I am (lol) in my two hosts, Orion Platinum and Tracktion.

The last thing I'll say is about how it sounds TO ME, a very subjective thing: I used to own an UltraProteus that I had to get rid of, along with a TG33, a TG55, and a U-220. No soft-synth I've bought ever had the breathy, airy evolving sound of some of the patches on my now-departed hardware.. UNTIL RHINO CAME ALONG. I can finally honestly say I don't miss my rackmount gear any longer.

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