By jobromedia
On 11th October 2009
Version: 1
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Softrave Harmonium
Saw this as a random plugin for the hour, and thought I should give it a shot. This synth tries to mimic some 19th century harmonium, which it does quite good. The sound is rather warm but has a big problem with missing loops at some parts. It also constantly plays 3 semitones below the scale, so you are forced to retranspose before you use it. This is a function that the developer definitly should've fixed before releasing this plugin. He could just as easily added the detune prefab, remove the menus and the knob and set the semitone list to 3 semitones above Then he should've connected the detune prefab to the incoming pitch of all samplers he uses. This would save some time for musicians who wants to start playing directly. Stability it is quite decent. Haven't noticed any behaviors that synthedit plugins normally has. The presets is quite average in quality, but shows the potential this instrument has. No documentation to speak about, haven't had any issues with the support (haven't tried it yet:) ), and the GUI looks proper except for the sliders that could've been looking better. Also there is a problem with the patina of the logotype. It looks 20th century with it's bright yellow color. Enough bitching around. So how is the sound? It is like a pipeorgan in some ways. If the loops where consistent then it could replace as a cheap pipeorgan. |
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By jobromedia
On 22nd July 2009
Version: 1.0
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4Front Technologies 4Front E-Piano Module
This plugin has over 6 years on it's back, and still this plugin finds it's way into many users. If you need a piano plugin that you can tweak the hall out then this ain't for you. This is a basic one sound electric piano in the DX range. Do you have a MIDI keyboard and want to play some piano, then this is a good step on the way. If you need some soulful crappy balad piano then this is for you, but I would much rather let this one rest peacefully when there is a whole lot of samplers who allready posesses sounds like this one, and more. So is it any good? It's a twoedged sword I'd say. Perfect for beginners who need a solid piano to practice their skills on, quite lame if you need a piano for studio recordings. So limited it is most likely you won't find much use for it, but what the heck it is freeware so one can't crave it all here.
GUI: Not important. Nothing to tweak
Sound: Semigood at best.
Features: Limited to say the least.
Docs: Unavailable
Presets: One only, the default one.
Support: Haven't needed it yet.
Value for money: Freeware, so id doesn't matter.
Stability: Had a few crashes, but that is most likely to be due to the hosts I've used. |
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By jobromedia
On 20th June 2009
Version: 1.6.1
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Korg M1
Korg M1 is an old synthesizer, but due to the age one can still hear this synthesizer in many tracks nowadays tho. When this synth came out it was equipped with 100 sampled waveforms, 100 presets, 100 combination's and a sequencer of 4200 notes split up on 10 songs. You could reconfigure it to have 50 presets & combination's to get an additional 3500 notes in the sequencer.
The M1 VST has vastly expanded beyond these boundaries. First of all you have all the cartridges for the M1 built in from the start. Lots of these cartridges has extra waveforms beside the presets and combination's they hold. That's not enough. All the diskettes released for the Korg T1, T2 and T3 synthesizers are also built in. Some of these disks has extra waveforms beside the presets and combination's they hold expanding the sound database even further.
The VST has a special multi mode that lets you use one instance to play 8 presets at once. This replaces the sequencer mode in the original M1. There is the same problem of voices suddenly being silenced due to the fact that you played too many notes at once. Luckily the Korg M1 VST can compensate with up to 256 voices polyphony.
Selecting a preset is simple. You can either do it through the categories available, or you can do it on a cart / disk basis. So if you want a fat electro bass you just click on the bass category, then the fat and synthesized sub categories and you got a list to choose from. A similar process is utilized when you select waveforms.
If you are after a "bread & butter" synth then there is enough marmalade here for you to enjoy it. Although a tad bit oldskool presets there is still enough variation available for you to actually get some decent sounds out of it. Adjust the waveforms and you're ready to go. The price is a theft if you ask me. €199 for all these presets and combination's a definitive bargain with all the benefits this plugin has. If you are after a good hiphop synth then this is the way to go. Looking for a trance / dance synth with all the basic building blocks then this is your best bet.
Over and out. |
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By jobromedia
On 21st July 2008
Version: 1.6
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Coyote Electronics ForteDXi
Time to review ForteDXI. Allready from the start this plugin looks oldskool with a MSDOS command popping up showing what files are being coied. I don't mind that at all, but the developers should at least focus on getting a nicer installer.
So when the install is completed, and one load the plugin the first thing that strikes one is the slim design. A really fresh designed GUI faces the user. The same cannot be said about the sound. The sound fizzles in the upper frequencies. Doesn't matter if you turn off the high resolution resampler. Wouldn't be much wrong with that, but there is some of the sounds that is shipped with this plugin is just plain crappy. Some samples are even off key! But there is hope.
Since this plugin supports GIGA samples you can replace the samples you don't like with samples from other giga sampler packages. This means that you can get a fullblown soundbank with some work from your side. Note that the low sound rate here in this review is for the included sounds. It needs to be said that if you expand with your own sounds then the sound will become much better.
There is onboard effects but I haven't so far had any luck of hearing them in actions apart from demo songs downloaded from the author's site.
Value for money: Hmmm I cannot say this is the best plugin I've bought, when it comes to the sound it is a totally disapointment, but when it comes to the expandability of this plugin then it really knocks the socks off. I guess that $40 is a bit heafty due to the onboard sounds, but then again you can expand on it with better samples. |
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By jobromedia
On 6th March 2008
Version: 1.3.9
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reFX Nexus
In the 1990's each decent producer owned a workstation with a decent set of presets and a good sequencer. Nowday's composers use a decent sequencer and a workplugin. And it is as a workplugin Nexus really steps in like a gusty wind with a heck alot of decent sounds, good looking user interface, a simple and effective modulation matrix, and a heck alot of inspiration for that matter. It took me 15 minutes to finnish a track with Nexus.
People complains about that you cannot do much with it since it is a rompler, that is Nexus strongest side. Having over 600 sounds and 100+ per expansion makes it definitly useful. I cannot give this 10/10 on VFM because it lacks a decent way to expand it further.
Expansions
The expansions that Nexus can use is rather useful and gives the user more sounds to use. The Bigtone expansion gives very decent pads, Dance drums unleches over 676 single drumhits + 600 drumloops, Dance Orchestra brings you 128 top notch orchestra sounds.
Skinable
Nexus has several different skins that you can load and use. For instance there is a decent metalic skinpack that gives you nexus as gold, silver or bronze. Also there is for the retro's classic looking skins from a TB303, Comodore C64, and Vengeance (a slightly purple skin).
What Nexus lacks.
There are a few things that Nexus lacks. First and foremost an editor so you can expand the sounds on your own. What expansions also lacks is first and foremost a decent General MIDI expansion, since Nexus allready is decent doesn't mean that it could live without the GM patches. Also wanted on my wishlist is a jazz expansion, since Nexus allready got a really good orchestra expansion, but it is way too much layered sounds and the sounds are quite mudded. I definitly miss single trumpets, saxes, and other jazz instruments that could be useful. GUI wise it could be good if there was a high contrast skin for sight impaired persons. The skins that are available are decent, but they are somewhat hard to read for sight impaired persons like me. Apart from that it's all good with me. |
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By jobromedia
On 24th April 2006
Version: 1.0
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Jeff McClintock SynthEdit
I've been following Jeff McClintock's project SynthEdit with a close eye and now it's time to add a (hopefully) good review of it.
SynthEdit is one of the simpliest most efficient ways of achieving a VST plugin. But tho it is simple, don't let it fool you.
Installation
Installation is straight forward and gives you a standard installer that puts SynthEdit where it should be and includes 2 demo se1 files to play with; 1 sequencer and 1 live ensemble.
Skins & graphics
The se1 files has some basic sound generators and sequencers tied up together and is euipped with the uglynice default skin that comes with SynthEdit. Skinwise SynthEdit can be enhanced and expanded as much as you wish. Through a simple set of textfiles each graphic object can be customized as it fits your needs. New knobs, buttons and sliders can be downloaded and added to your skin as you need it. If you need a new skin, just create a new folder and copy the needed components into it. Can't be much simplier or can it?
It gets better!
Since 0.95 you can load lose bitmap images into image components and connect them to an animation component to gather the animated knob images from them. This way you can use more than the standard 2 knobs that SynthEdit can handle from starter. This is done with subcontrols, controls that also are used to allow simplified list handling that let's you create oscilators with just 2 waveforms instead of using the standard 7 waveform oscilator you normaly use.
Reusable components make life simpler.
If you've made a component that you like and want to reuse in another synth, then you can save that component to a new file. When you load that file the component is recreated as it was when you saved it.
Modular expandabilities.
So you're not pleased with the modules that SynthEdit comes with? Then you can download new modules from various sources and include them in SynthEdit to add new feature such as effects and new oscilators. By doing this you can get an entire new sound out of SynthEdit, expand and get new user areas out of it. One good example is Dave Haupt's sub component packs that opens up a new way to look at text. Want to display a line about a parameter what it does? Use the DH_Textformat to feed a parameter through and connect the out text to a DH_TextDisplay to show it. Then you can alter the colors by using DH_Colorpicker and setting the result display colors with it.
Can't find the component?
So you need "this" component but can't find it, and you have the experience to write it? Then do so with the SDK that is available. This module can then be shared so other can use it.
Documentation
The documentation is well written and has some good examples included, but the documentation isn't all. There are a very good WIKI available as well as there is some good forums available. Noteworthy is that there is a synthedit IRC channel that you can use to get instant help.
Spread your work!
If you are using Synthedit then why not spread the work so other can see what you've achieved? You can do it with for instance SourceForge (www.sf.net) that can help you out.
The flipside
So far SynthEdit sounds quite good huh? Is there any disadvantages that I should know about? Yeah there are some actualy: SynthEdit uses alot of CPU in some cases. This is because the VST code ain't that well optimized. SynthEdit creates a hickup in some cases when starting FL Studio, not much to notice tho even it might be irritating sometimes. Also SynthEdit takes some amount of time when generating the VST plugins. Not much but it can freeze up the computer slightly. The extended modules you are using are stored in a folder outside of your plugin, good to keep in mind to distrubute the same folder when distrubuting the VST plugin. SynthEdit under Win98 generates a DAT file that needs to be included as well with the plugin or it will not work at all.
Value for money.
If you are intrested in a cheap solution that can generate good VST plugins then SynthEdit is the thing to get. The quality from the plugins generated are quite worth the money, and if you are intrested in generating more advanced plugins then this is a good start before getting into deeper water. Offcourse you can't create assembler code or sourcecode here, but you are sure to be able to create some powerful stuff with this program. The expandability is small, but with more and more components comming to SynthEdit more and more complex plugins can be created.
Final judgement:
If you are intrested in low level programming then this isn't anything for you, if you want that then download the VST SDK and use it. However if you are intrested in learning stuff the simple way and gaining some experience from it then there is no reason why you should let this masterpiece be left alone. Soundwise it is as good as anything. It has some very userfriendly features + the skinability / modular expandability brings it in a class of it's own.
End of review
/J. Brodd. |
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By jobromedia
On 26th March 2006
Version: 1.0
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Steinberg VST Plugin SDK (Delphi)
Ok time to review this SDK.
Installation is simple, just extract the files and install the components supplied with it. Not necesery but that gives at least some graphic style instead of using the standard Windows graphic components that simply doesn't fid very well for VST designs.
Compiling the first VST is simple, will generate just a simple effect that with volume and pan. Assigning new parameters are quite simple, but changing the component that is linked to that parameter takes some more work, not as swift as with SynthEdit but it is quite simple anyway.
The souorcecode is well documented and it is simple to set up the generated plugin as you want, but it has some limitations, and the biggest limitation is the preset list. There is no comments included on how to include a set of default bank of patches.
Still the SDK is good, it does what it is supposed to do, and it has some good sourcecodes included. And that's about what it does. Still there isn't much Delphi sources available for download. Still a nice SDK to play with. |
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By jobromedia
On 10th February 2006
Version: 1.0
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Insert Piz Here Blood Bucket
Bloodbucket is a strange little critter to deal with. It has some nice sounds but it looks more or less like a test project thrown together without any consequential design in mind.
User interface
When loading it into the host it appears like a semibad user interface with poor drawn features, knobs are basically a white square with a direction marker in it. The synth seam to be designed with alot of haste in it since there are no consequential labeling of the knobs, but rather the classic SynthEdit tooltip names. The controls looks like they've been drawn in Paint or Photoshop and they don't look too well.
Sound
The sounds are really experimental and has some nice electronica feeling to it, not likely the synth you'll go for when it comes to good strings or other instruments, but it is more for synthetic sounds á la Kraftwerk.
Features
The synth has the basic synthedit waveforms and a simple modulation matrix for modulating the two oscilators. You have 3 envelopes controling different aspects of the sound. The matrix modulation has 3 knobs named Dog, Cat and Rabbit that controls the 2 onboard LFO depths.
Automation wise this the synth is pure hell to work with since many parameters are named the same, you don't know what decay parameter you're about to tweak, so it's some gamble when working with it.
Documentation
None to talk about.
Patches
The synth has 16 mediocre patches named after the heads organs, yet another sign of how hasty this plugin was created.
Customer support
Email on its site.
Value for money
This is freeware, and the synth should remain so. I can't see a valid reason why someone would pay for it.
Stability
Same stability that is known from SynthEdit plugins.
Final conclusion
This synth is really booring and it should have had some more time put down into it. It is yet another experimental synthesizer that is granted a place in my allready overcrowded Test folder.
JoBro Media. |
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Last edited : 10th February 2006
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| Latest 8 reviews from a total of 8 |
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