By Funkybot
On 2nd December 2004
Version: 1.071
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fxPointAudio NuBi
I've also been following Nubi since the early days and though those early betas were already good the most recent updates have really made it formidable competition for B4. First thing is first, the sound: frankly I've played with B4 quite a lot and also own DaOrgan and in the raw sound department Nubi beats them both. It just sounds more organ like and present than either of those with great sound throughout the length of the keyboard. The leslie (rotary chorus) isn't a perfect emulation just yet but as of the most recent update holds it's own with most leslie emulations available in VST format. Now on to features, Nubi is without a doubt the most flexible organ emulation allowing you for control of the foldback points, multiple types of percussion, tuning scales, percussion harmonics, drawbar leakage, etc. If that wasn't enough there's more to tweak in the config file, that PJ didn't want cluttering up the GUI (which was smart as these features are already more than enough for most). The only reason Nubi didn't score a perfect 10 here is due to the lack of vibrato which I'd personally love to see implemented in the future. The GUI is a good size, easy to read, and has just the right amount of features present, so another big score there. The User Guide is a .txt file which covers all of the features and explains them very well. Nubi get's a low score in the preset department though as very few are available, but the real fun in Nubi is coming up with your own sounds anyway. PJ is great as far as taking care of his customers whether it's a technical problem, or feature suggestion, etc. And finally for less than $40 I can't see how you can go wrong with Nubi, check it out. |
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By Funkybot
On 20th October 2003
Version: 1
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RNDigital Labs FIREQ / FIREQ LE
Firium is a linear phase EQ, which means two very important things: the first being that it makes it an insanely clear and transparent EQ as it is not adding any phase distortion to the signal, and the second is that it introduces quite a bit of latency, making it a less than perfect track EQ. Well where does this you? If your host doesn't support delay comp you're still left with the perfect mastering EQ. Is it that good? Yes. I defy you to listen to Firium and not be impressed with the sound. Curves are drawn in by hand, so as far as ease of use goes, this would be a hard EQ to beat. Secondly, Firium includes a spectrum analyzer in the GUI which allows you to spot out problem points in your mixes quickly, and also allows you to see how your EQ adjustments are effecting your mix. This is just an unbelievably clean, transparent, and sweet mastering EQ that bears no faults whatsoever in that task. Buy this EQ, and sound better. It's that simple. |
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By Funkybot
On 20th October 2003
Version: 1
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RNDigital Labs Uniquel-izer
What to say about Eqium? Hmm, what not to say? It allows for an unlimited number of bands, all with adjustable Q settings, has two types of low and high shelves each, as well as low/high/band-pass filters, as well of course as the stock parametric filters, and don't forget about those notch and the two types of harmonic filters (hit the down button under the filter types to see those). So can you have more flexibility in an EQ? I think not. In fact, I can't think of any other EQ that approaches Eqium in terms of flexibility. Ok, but that doesn't mean a thing unless the EQ itself actually sounds good, and Eqium sounds fantastic. As already noted, it is highly transparent. This is not a character EQ by any means, which makes it the perfect all rounder. It has a fantastic low end, extremely well defined mids, as well as fantastic smooth and open sounding highs. Other EQs at similar settings, simply do not hold up in as many scenarios anywhere near as well as Eqium does. The one thing Eqium could use, that it doesn't feature is a frequency analyzer built into the GUI, but guess what? Elemental Audio has a free plug-in that does this called Inspector, and while not being as convenient as having it within Eqium's GUI itself, it's free. Oh, did I mention that Eqium is light on the CPU as well? This is the best all round native (non-linear) VST EQ on the market IMO, and by far. Download the demo, then take out your credit card and place an order, because that will be exactly your response upon using Eqium for a few minutes. |
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By Funkybot
On 4th October 2003
Version: 1.53
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PSPaudioware PSP VintageWarmer
Have you ever wondered about those magic boxes we hear so much about by pro-engineers? The LA-2A's, 1176's, and Fairchild's? Did you ever wonder what about these particular unit's "characters" made them so particularly great, and why hardly anything in the software realm can seem to add a similar kind of voodoo to a track or mix? Well, Vintage Warmer can. This is a dynamics processor, but it's not quite a compressor or even multi-band compressor, nor is it quite a stock limiter. It's more like a multi-band limiter connected to a tape like saturation device that can even perform some EQ like functions, but can make absolutely anything sound magical. Vintage Warmer is most often pidgeonholed as a mastering tool, and to look at it simply as such is really a shame. Run VW through an acoustic rock drum set and watch how it's magic can give you an instant John Bohnam sound. Listen to how vocals suddenly get pushed up to the front of the mix, or how acoustic guitars suddenly sound so much more present and smooth. This plug-in can make just about anything cut through a mix, the only downside to using it during mixing is its rather large CPU load though. As far as Vintage Warmer's skills as a mastering device; most times Vintage Warmer can suffice as all you need in a mastering chain. It's really that good and that versatile. This plug-in can be driven extremely hard as well with very pleasing saturation sounds allowing you to get loud mixes when you need them without some of the harsh artifacts of other limiters. Vintage Warmer really is one of the few plug-ins that you absolutely must own. I can honestly not think of one other native dynamics processor that I can say comes anywhere near doing what VW can. |
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By Funkybot
On 24th September 2003
Version: 1
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Kjaerhus Audio Classic Reverb
Though I loved all the other Kjaerhus Audio effects, I was extremely apprehensive about this reverb. Why you ask? Well VST reverbs aren't necessarily well known for being smooth and sounding great. But when I loaded this up I was surprised at the quality. Sure it's no Lexicon verb, and isn't quite as smooth as SIR is capable of being with the proper impulses, but it's still quite amazing. The "drums room" preset for instance is amazing at adding a nice space around sharp percussive instruments, which is where a most VST verbs fail. Also this plug-in is extremely light on the old CPU for a verb, making it a great choice on a send. The GUI looks like the other Kjaerhus Audio ones, but I have to complain about it a bit in this situation, as I've never been a fan of knobs on plug-in reverbs. Doesn't really need docs, but doesn't have them. All in all though this plug-in will be getting a nice amount of use even though I've got a lot of other commercial/freeware verbs. |
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By Funkybot
On 24th September 2003
Version: 1
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Kjaerhus Audio Classic Flanger
Now I've absolutely hated flanger effects almost all my life, but damn this one is good. Kjaerhus has been making some of the absolute best bread and butter VST effects even when you compare them to hardware. This flanger can do sounds anywhere from subtle soft flanging, to all out jet noises and does them extremely well. Not the sexiest GUI but functional, and lacking some docs, but those are my only complaints and they are fairly minor. If you're looking for an amazing sounding flanger that will rival some old classic guitar stompboxes, or more high end rack gear, this may be it. Best of all it's free. |
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By Funkybot
On 24th September 2003
Version: 1.2
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Kjaerhus Audio Classic Chorus
Kjaerhus Audio is taking the concept of bread and butter plug-in effects to the next level in terms of sound quality. This is probably the best, most lush sounding chorus effect on the VST scene, even when one compares it against commercial offerings. The GUI is functional, though looks a tad bit like an old 80s bit of 1/2 space rack equipment, and looks almomst exactly like all the other Kjaerhus Audio GUI's making it hard to distinguish it from the others so it lost two points from me there. Also it seems to lack a proper manual, though anyone who has used a chorus effect in the past will have no trouble figuring out how to use this. But these are my only qualms, and it's the sound the counts most and this where this chorus really excells. In all honesty I've never been a big fan of chorus effects in general, but this plug-in has me running vocals, guitars, basses, and keys through them like there's no tomorrow (ok I'm exagerating a bit, but suddenly I really do like choruses). Anyone using VST effects should have this chorus on their hard drive. |
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By Funkybot
On 24th January 2003
Version: 2.01
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LinPlug Free Alpha
This is another fantastic bit of freeware, and definately a must have in any VST arsenal. It's fully featured and then some, with polyphony, glide, a mod matrix, a huge selection of waveforms, and four different filter types, not to mention a chorus! I mean really, as far as features go this is one of, if not the most fully featured freeware synths. The oscs are probably on the duller side, as they aren't as bright, or in your face as some other synths, but it's a nice break from things. On the flipside to that I'm not sure if the leads FreeAlpha produces would cut through a busy mix without some help from other plugs. Also it doesn't seem to alais very much at all at the higher frequencies, I suspect the dull nature of the oscs could have something to do with that though. The impressive thing here is really the mod matrix, which is very nice to have around on a freeware synth. The GUI is professional and very well laid out, featuring the stock Linplug look. The presets are actually some of the better ones on a freeware synth, especially the pad sounds, something about the seeming simplicity and mellowness of some of the preset pad sounds really had me excited. I really think FreeAlpha could really shine as a pad machine, for those times when you really need something cool, but subtle to just round out a mix. All in all this is an excellent analog synth, especially for newbies who can't afford some of the bigger stuff. Kudos to Linplug for giving it away for free. |
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By Funkybot
On 24th January 2003
Version: 2.8
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Rumpelrausch Taips ZR-1
Let me preface this review by saying that I'm a big organ fan, I love them and can never have enough organ sounds. The ZR1 though doesn't get much use from me anymore. To me it just sounds a bit cheesey, more like the kind of organ you'd hear at a funeral parlor as opposed to a real tonewheel, or combo organ. That being said, none of the organs in my collection sound quite funeraly either :) . As far as freeware goes than the ZR1&3 are probably the best freeware organs on the VSTi scene, but neither is going to quite nail that real tonewheel kind of sound, nor does either sound very much like a true combo organ. Also the bass on it just seems kind of muddy, and not at all well as well defined as I'd like, while the high end just sounds a bit cheesey without that metallic harmonic quality you'd expect from a tonewheel organ. The GUIs are functional, but within Sonar always seem to be resetting the graphics in a wierd way which makes me think the plug-in will crash at any given moment (but it hasn't yet). If you're not one to use organs very much in your music, than the ZR1 may fit the bill nicely, but if your inclined to use them frequently going for something like DaOrgan or Combosister (depending on which organ flavor you want, or both) would probably better suit your needs even on a tight budget. I haven't found a place for the ZR1 just yet, but it's still going to stay around on my hardrive just in case. |
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By Funkybot
On 16th January 2003
Version: 1
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Andreas Ersson Iblit
As of late I'd been becoming a cynic in regards to freeware virtual analog VSTi's, I mean let's face it, there's been a lot. Thus I almost never even downloaded Iblit, luckily I paid attention to the positive word of mouth and it had me curious enough to give it a go. I put this up there as one of the best sounding freeware VAs, with the other being Triangle 1 (funny that they're both monosynths). Iblit, was everything I expected from Synth1, minus the polyphony and arpegiator. In fact whereas I was disappointed with Synth1s sound Iblit has done nothing but exceed my expectations. It's got a very nice character, warm, and big, and very analog sounding. There's no hint of alaising in Iblit, but it is not at the expense of high end frequencies that would make it sound dull, no, Iblit sounds great across the board. On paper there's nothing about Iblit that's going to have you jumping for joy, but Iblit's charm is its sound, do not pass up on this one. |
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By Funkybot
On 13th January 2003
Version: 1.6
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Rumpelrausch Taips Crazy Diamonds
Crazy Diamonds is another one of those very small specialized softsynths that only attempt to do one thing, in this case it's capture the sound and vibe of a Solina String Ensemble. It's not alone in this respect, as Big Tick's Cheese Machine attempts the same thing, and I must say that both of these synths though specialized, do what they do very well, while still sounding unique. Crazy Diamonds sounds a little more vintage than Cheese Machine, and seems better at quickly reproducing those classic String Ensemble sounds as it has the organ-esque sound of the Solina's. Crazy Diamonds also allows for more control over the sound than Cheese Machine which is nice, but doesn't take away from the quality of the latter. If you're looking for some cool simple vintage string/pad sounds, then you owe it to yourself to download both, but don't expect either to do much more than that. Also experiment with layering these sounds with different string sounds, either from other synths, or samples for even more fun. I love simple, and specialized VSTi's, as long as they do that task well, and Crazy Diamonds fits the bill. Of all the freeware that has come and gone from my VST Plug-ins folder Crazy Diamonds has been a constant. |
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By Funkybot
On 12th January 2003
Version: 1
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Big Tick Cheeze Machine
I'm surprised I'd never gotten around to reviewing this as I've had it for so long. This is truly a must have freebie, a one trick pony, that does that trick rather well. Do you want chessey 70s style string/pads, with little fuss? This is one of the two VSTi's that will do the job, easily and very well. The other is Crazy Diamonds, and frankly everyone should own both, they're very similar, but still sound very different. The idea with this seems to have been to provide VST users with something along the lines of a Solina String Ensemble, i.e. easy analog string sounds. The sounds sit in a mix very well, and sound even better when layered with either more complex synth string sounds, or string samples. Download this for the one thing it does very well and you'll love it. |
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By Funkybot
On 3rd January 2003
Version: 1.0
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FXpansion DR-008
I got the DR-008 with Sonar XL a while back, and really hardly used it, not that it wasn't good, but it was just easier to go on using my hardware drum machine whose kits and program eccentricities I was used to.One day I came across a huge zip file of several classic drum machines, and mapped them out to the DR-008 and found the process to be extremely intuitive, "nice" I thought, but again would only use the DR-008 when I needed one of those kits. So then I discover a very large drum kit on the net with multiple velocities which needs to be mapped out. Now I'm thinking this is going to be a pain as opposed to the single velocity analog style drum machine sounds I had mapped in the past, but this thought couldn't have been more wrong. The DR-008 made mapping out this huge (200+MB) kit a breeze, and extremely intuitive. Having access to all the pads in one screen, then the method of assigning/editing modules (anything from a sampler to a drum synth) to those pads was not only easy in a relative perspective, but so easy that never having done anything like this before, I only needed to consult the manual (extremely well written BTW) to find out which of the four sampler modules was the one I wanted to use. From then on in I was home free. Angus has a forum here, and has always been extremely helpful anytime I've ever had a problem with any FXpansion product. The GUI is a bit intimidating at first, but insanely easy to come to grips with, it's just not as sexy as it probably could be, but extremely functional. As far as I'm concerned this is THE drum sampler to own. |
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By Funkybot
On 19th December 2002
Version: 1.2
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NUSofting ComboSister
I've been waiting and waiting for a combo organ VSTi that didn't cost 300 bucks [B4], and suddenly Combosister appeared. This instrument really does a great job of nailing all those classic Vox, Farfisa, etc combo organ tones, while covering all the areas in between them, and sounds going beyond any of them as well. The GUI is fairly nice, it's the nice redish/orange continental color, and does everything it's supposed to but it could be a bit more sexy (black/white key scheme or just a bit more organ looking). But that's really just me nitpicking. The presets are fairly marginal, but I expect some new ones will be on the way covering more vintage combo organ terrain. The manual could also probably use a bit of beefing up, but if your fairly familiar with how drawbars work you'll be able to play this one by ear fairly well. I'm using this in Sonar and have yet to have any trouble with the plug and Dash's costumer support is just great as well. If you like organ sounds this is an absolute must have plug-in, you can't nail those cheesey 60s pop/rock/surf sounds without this, and even if that's not your thing this can go way beyond all that. The price is right, it sounds great, check this out and be prepared to spend some time with this and love it. |
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Last edited : 16th June 2003
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By Funkybot
On 9th December 2002
Version: 1
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IK/AMG Brit Horns
I got this one in the ST contest that IK ran a while back, thinking I'd take this to cover some of the ground I was missing in the brass department. The sounds aren't too bad, but not fantastic or mind blowing by any means. For the most part they are just passible, and even with clever programming probably wouldn't fool too many people into thinking you had a live brass section in with you. To be fair though, brass is probably the hardest instrument group to make sound real via sampling. As far as the samples go, you are limited to trumpet and alto sax as far as single instruments, and a few variations on the mixes. Neither one of these sound particularly great, but in a mix with some live instruments the solo instruments may sound real enough if you were just looking to just add a simple horn melody to a track, but I wouldn't expect much more from this library. The mixed sections are fairly mediocre, though having a few variations on the falls is certainly nice. If you're looking for a great brass library, I simply think you'd have to go for one of the more expensive libraries into your favorite sampler, as right now there is nothing else on the market like this. Considering the price of a good AKAI brass library though, I think this kind of falls in line with "well you get what you pay for" and may work well enough for those not looking for or who can't afford the expensive libraries. |
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By Funkybot
On 25th November 2002
Version: 1.05
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Ichiro Toda Synth1
Ok I've really tried to love this synth but something about it just won't let me. The sound of this just doesn't get me excited the way some other softsynths do. There's nothing about the oscs or the filters that really has me jumping up for joy, but again I can't nail what it is I don't really like about them, they just seem a bit to nonspectacular to me. Even as a freebie I think FreeAlpha and the CM101 sound better, but Synth1 does have a few things up on the others. For instance the arpegiator, why don't all softsynths have one? It's just so much fun to play with and really brings some life to what I consider to be a less than spectacular synth. Also there's DXi version. Big ups to the developer for doing this, again I hope other devs take note of this. Let's not forget the inclusion of a mono/legato mode, some devs have been known to overlook this at times. The last super cool thing about this (aside from it being free of course) is the CPU useage. Wow does this thing hardly take up any CPU! I'm convinced I could run 15 instances of this before I'd get near spiking the CPU. The GUI needs some work, it's not bad, but some nice textures would really help out. All in all this is staying on my hard drive if only for it's strong points, but I'm not otherwise overly impressed by this. |
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Last edited : 26th November 2002
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By Funkybot
On 4th September 2002
Version: 1.0
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Computer Music DS-404
Not yet owning a sampler, but meaning to get around to buying one, the news of the DS404 coming free with CM50 just had my psyched (hey now I just had to buy a magazine not a soft-sampler). Upon getting it, I thought "wow this thing looks scary, I'm not going to be able to figure this out," but after all of half an hour going through the tutorials in CM50 I had gotten down most of the basic features. Within a day with the DS404 I was pretty sure I had it all down. The interface is a bit confusing with all the different function keys, but you can quickly get the gist of them and even memorize what goes where. My main complaint is the lack of keyboard shortcuts, as well as mouse selections. There's no portamento, or sustain pedal response as well, the inclusion of which would have put this sampler over the top, but what do you expect for a freebie. Another complaint of mine is how picky the DS404 can be in regards to opening wavs. It seems if you go through a .wav editor you should be fine, but exporting a .wav out of Sonar and into the DS404 is just not happening until I go through another program to resave the .wav file. I really wish DS404 was a little less picky about .wav files as it would save me one extra step in the sample making process, but since most folks use wave editors anyway it probably won't be a problem for too many people, and even if it is putting them in Winamp and exporting the .wavs from there will do the trick. The samples included aren't amazing, but are certainly usable, take the Rhodes patches for instance, both are nice and would sit well in a mix, and the samples you don't like could easily be mangled into something else that you may. All in all DS404 had me creating my own multisamples within a day, having never done it before. It's well worth the price of the mag, and should be a welcome addition to any VST setup as well as a great way to intro yourself to the world of sampling. I'm looking forward to what Muon does with it. |
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By Funkybot
On 29th May 2002
Version: 2.0
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LinPlug Organ 3
DaOrgan is a nice option for those of us who still can't afford the B4, but don't expect a straight out B3 clone with DaOrgan. This bad boy has a more modern edge than the B4, and just sounds fantastic. The great thing about the sound of this is that it can pull of some very nice B3-esque sounds, in fact version 2 seems to have gotten even closer to the B3 with the improved leslie and tonewheels. What is also nice is that by simply turning off the leslie and spending some time with the drawbars you can get pretty convincing combo organ tones out of it as well (especially once in a mix). The version 2 Leslie sounds great, and it now has fast/slow switching and syncable leslie speeds/acceleration which is quite the nice touch. I'd also love to use this Leslie as an effect, as it really does sound sweet so put that on my wishlist. The vibrato depth has also been increased in version 2, so you can get a very nice deep combo like vibrato now. The docs could use a couple of paragraphs explaining what drawbars are, and how they work as people unfamiliar with them may be quite daunted at first, but aside from that they go on to explain all of the other features/functions very well. One thing I would like to see is easier preset selection, as right now you have to go to a whole other screen just to load each preset or go through the up/down arrows, whereas a pop-up box would be much easier. Peter from Linplug also has a forum here, and is just great with customer support. I've never ever had a problem with this in Sonar via Fxpansions adapter, so stability is really a non-issue (as it should be). All in all this is one of my most used plug-ins, and for the cash it's an amazing bargain, if you need an organ plug-in you owe it to yourself to check this bad boy out before you shell out a lot more money for another. |
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Last edited : 11th October 2002
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By Funkybot
On 8th April 2002
Version: 1
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Smart Electronix GalactiX
Not a bad synth, but dissapointing nonetheless. I was reluctant to download it at first as I've already got plenty of VSTi's but some of the reviews here convinced me to try it out. Well this thing certainly sounds digital which is kind of nice, but I just could not get into this thing at all. The envolope presets rather than controls was a good idea by the developer, but that was about there wasn't too much else I liked about this, it's just not my thing. With some work this could really go somewhere but as of right now it's not going to be getting any use from me. |
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By Funkybot
On 7th April 2002
Version: 1.01
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rgc:audio Triangle II
I think I'm alone on this one but I actually like Triangle 1 better than T2, I don't know why maybe it's the less options but T1 definately had that certain something that I just don't get as strongly from T2. I'm also not too big on the new GUI, if I could have a blend between the original Triangle GUI with the functionality of the new one I'd be a happy camper, as the blue/grey isn't doing much for me. The presets are also a bit lackluster but there's also a few gems in there. As far as the sound goes it's your classic RGC sound which is great, the addition of effects was nice (but I doubt how much I'll be using the decimator), and the option to use different filters was just fantastic as was the sub osc. The best thing about this has got to be the microhost, this just makes it so easy to do some major patch tweaking while I'm doing other things without having to worry about having a sequencer open. I was more impressed with this after spending some time tweaking and coming up with my own patches, but aside from the sub osc, filter types, and the chorus I wasn't really using anything that wasn't in T1. Anyway I'm just so used to the old version, the sentimental geek that I am, but this truly is a top notch synth. It's not too far at all from being the mono Pentagon 1, and is capable of some great and diverse lead/bass sounds. If your on a PC it'd be silly not to get this. Oh and did I mention the midi learn features? It's so easy to assign CCs with this thing. The one request I made to Rene regarding this was that I think you should be able to have more than one midi input, that way my knob box on my SBs Midi Port, and my keyboard on my Midisport could be used at once, and Rene said he'd try to get it in. In closing this is another top notch RGC synth. Did I mention that this also the first freeware DXi that I can think of, glad to see some smaller devolpers supporting the format. |
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Last edited : 8th April 2002
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By Funkybot
On 13th March 2002
Version: 1.2
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Sonic Reality Sonik Synth
I'm one of the guys that upgraded from OmniSynth to Sonic Synth, and have got to say WOW was that totally worth it. Let me start with the Pianos which are just great, I also own the Piano ROM (which could not be any better), and these compliment that package so well. Gorgeous pianos that actually sound like they were mic'd and sit amazingly well in a mix with no effort. The Bonus disc's harpsichord is also fantastic as well. The organs are also very nice, I find myself occasionally using MDA's leslie instead of Sampletanks but that doesn't take away from the quality here. Combo organs have also been included since the 1.2 rev and they sound great, though they make a chirping noise when sustaining a few notes at once. The Synths in Sonic Synth can certainly save you a lot of programming time as you've got a bunch of great out of the box sounds. Next up is the strings, a nice diverse collection of strings, that were just better than I was expecting they truly are one of the highlights in this collection of sounds. Since getting the 1.2 rev and the Bonus disc the horns/winds now range from useable to fantastic, a nice cross section of each. Another highlight for me was the tuned chromatic percussion stuff, I've always wanted some nice Vibes samples (these are great), and you never know when you need a nice glockenspiel, clestia, or Cymbalon (best kept secret of the SS patchlist). The I-Map drums sound great once you get a hang of the map, and the Bonus Discs orchestral section is just too sweet for words. Anyone who's ever had to deal with Sonic Reality knows that thier customer support is probably the best anywhere. In closing you're not going to find a better set of sounds for the cash. The overall quality/quantity is just amazing, and enough to keep you busy for months. This package very much filled every gap in my musical arsenal. |
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Last edited : 5th December 2002
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By Funkybot
On 7th March 2002
Version: 1
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rgc:audio Triangle I
I've had this freebie on my hard drive since I first heard about it, and I gotta admit I didn't start giving it much useage until I tried the Pentagon demo, at which point I thought hold on there might be something to that Triangle thing. Well it wasn't quite that drastic, but it certainly was underused. Well since then I've wisened up and gone back to Triangle and I gotta say at times I find Triangle more useful than Pentagon. It's just easier to deal with than Pentagon at times, due to the less knobs, plus having limitations is nice. If I need a nice lead that I know will be a monophonic melodic line I'm going to open up Triangle before P1, sure P1 has a great mono mode but Triangle is a lot more user friendly for quick leads, and even bass lines (the one time I wrote a tune with a synth bass it was provided by Triangle). Just concider this thing to be a super moog of sorts, it can create those classic Moog leads and bass sounds, but do soo much more. As far as the GUI goes I like it, it's friendly on the eyes, a good size, and I dig the color scheme and overall design. All and all this is too good to be a freebie, don't overlook it. |
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By Funkybot
On 25th February 2002
Version: 1.2
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rgc:audio Pentagon I
Well anyone who had some GUI complaints about this bad boy, just got their wishes fullfilled (and should update their reviews). Version 1.2 is out, with a different skin and the option to create your own, or download new ones. There's not much else to say about this synth that hasn't already been said. What can I say I gave it perfect tens? It sounds like a an absolute analogue gem, has more features than I'd probably ever use (but it's still nice to have them), it's rock solid as far as stability, and has a nice manual. As of late I've found myself creating a small army of my own presets, and I've never been much of a tweaker. At first Pentagon seemed a bit intimidating as far as programming goes but everyday it becomes easier and easier to use, and after time you realize just how well laid out this synth is. Plus Rene is just absolutely great as far as customer support goes. After having Pentagon for months all my other virtual analogue synths, have been pretty much sitting in a virtual closet, as P1 is consistantly the first thing I reach for when I need a synth part. Plus the DXi version runs like a racehorse in Sonar. If you can only afford one virtual analogue it should be this one, it's just that versatile, and sounds that good. |
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Last edited : 19th June 2002
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By Funkybot
On 18th February 2002
Version: 3.3
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GForce M-Tron
This is a nice recreation of a classic instrument. There's not much to say about the sound, aside from it really does sound like a mellotron. If you're familiar with the sound of one you will not be dissappointed. Most of the stability issues have been cleared up in the most recent releases, and the customer support has greatly improved in the last few months as well. I've been in contact with G-Media a few times as of late and they've always been quick to reply, and get on top of bugs. Also it took me a few tries to get it to install in Win XP, the install would hang during the conversion process but there is a converter on the g-media site which will fix that problem, it just makes no mention of this being a workaround for an XP install. If you like Mellotrons than this plug-in is probably the one for you. Another nice thing about this plug is that if the original disc doesn't have enough tron sounds for you more Tape Banks are available. |
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Last edited : 28th May 2002
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By Funkybot
On 14th February 2002
Version: 1
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Big Tick Ticky Clav
This is one of those "I Can't Believe it's Free" instruments. I was really impressed with the authenticity of this instrument even in it's early beta version, and the final release just added to this favorable impression. I've never played a real D6, but have heard them in countless records, and this recreates that sound extremely well. Just to put it through it's paces I grabbed a midi of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and ran the output to TrickyClav and I just have to say how great it sounded. The wah/effect section is a nice bonus too. I'm sure that some Clav purists who own a D6 would find something to nitpick over this instrument, but it's better than the clav samples I've come across so far. If you're into classic keyboard sounds and need a clav to add to your collection, this is it. |
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Last edited : 14th February 2002
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By Funkybot
On 11th October 2001
Version: 1
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Computer Music CM-101
I really like this little synth. It's a low frills analogue snyth that's capable of some real nice sounds, and is etremely easy to program. I have to admit, at first I wasn't too impressed, after running through all the presets I found them to be way to generic (too many less than great basses and not so great pads) and not all that representative of some of the finer points of this synth. The most impressive thing about this (besides the sounds, it really does sound pretty good), is just how simple it is to program, I'm really not that good at programming patches but with this thing I was getting great sounds quickly and easily. Again this is really a low frills instrument, but if you're looking for something to compliment your arsenel this is definately worth an issue of Computer Music (even if your in the US and need to spend $12 for an issue). |
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By Funkybot
On 6th October 2001
Version: 1
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mda ePiano
This is one of the few VSTi's I find myself loading up and just playing for hours not realizing where the time went. This instrument provides the warm Rhodes sound, that we all know and love. I was concidering purchasing the EVP77 after being impressed with it at a friends house, but after finding this absolute gem I see no reason to. The EVP77 sounds digital and cold (not to mention overly bright), where this is warm in all the right places. Sure these two instruments generate their sounds in diferent ways where one is trying to create a physical model a Rhodes (EVP), and another is playing off of samples, but the end goal is the same: a good Rhodes sound. And as far as I'm concernced MDA's E-Piano wins hands down. Plus it's free, making this instrument an absolute necessity. |
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| Latest 27 reviews from a total of 27 |
