Product Reviews by KVR Members
All reviews by Shane Sanders
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Surface
Reviewed By Shane Sanders [all]
September 28th, 2006
Version reviewed: 1 on Windows
This is one of the coolest percussion plug-ins around because you can make it sound organic or you can tweak it into total glitchdom. With the right rhythms, the sounds from this little machine can mesmerize you.
It is based on physical modeling modules, and I tend to use it as an unusual frame drum emulation. By positioning the X-Y GUI control at or near the center, you can achieve a full bodied membrane sound, and with the octave shift, push it so low your skull will rattle. There are other controls for manipulating the type of mallet/hand sound you want as well as a host of other clearly labeled knobs for tweakers.
It has some temporal controls for making notes shift in pitch (like a talking drum) and it is velocity sensitive according to your desired amount. The "vary" feature can be used to randomize the "snapshot" of each hit, making it an effective humanizer. I don't use that feature a lot, but for those wanting to make hi-hats and the like, it would be indespensible.
Add a touch of reverb or delay and this VSTi is perfect.Read Review
It is based on physical modeling modules, and I tend to use it as an unusual frame drum emulation. By positioning the X-Y GUI control at or near the center, you can achieve a full bodied membrane sound, and with the octave shift, push it so low your skull will rattle. There are other controls for manipulating the type of mallet/hand sound you want as well as a host of other clearly labeled knobs for tweakers.
It has some temporal controls for making notes shift in pitch (like a talking drum) and it is velocity sensitive according to your desired amount. The "vary" feature can be used to randomize the "snapshot" of each hit, making it an effective humanizer. I don't use that feature a lot, but for those wanting to make hi-hats and the like, it would be indespensible.
Add a touch of reverb or delay and this VSTi is perfect.Read Review
Twin 3
Reviewed By Shane Sanders [all]
September 18th, 2006
Version reviewed: 1.2 on Windows
This is a "best of class" type VSTi.
I looked high and low for a synth that could offer a complete set of modulation options for shaping creamy lead and bass sounds with a view toward playability and "feel" and finally landed on this wonderful synth. From owning FabFilter1, I knew the filters were going to be very smooth, and so I downloaded the Twin demo and started tweaking. A few hours later I bought it. A few hours after that, I had a song nearly completed because I was so happy to finally have a low-end sound that could be punchy and yet offer some cool filter sweeps on sustained notes without any of the aliasing common on a lot of other subtractive synths.
The drag and drop routing system is a dream--just download the demo and experience it. This synth has a warmth that is lacking in most similar products. There's just something about how it sits in a mix. I highly recommend this for folks looking for a bread and butter bass/lead synth. Because it is a player's synth, you can coax even more out of it by combining it with a good amp/cab sim. The nuances of the synth can really come to life.Read Review
I looked high and low for a synth that could offer a complete set of modulation options for shaping creamy lead and bass sounds with a view toward playability and "feel" and finally landed on this wonderful synth. From owning FabFilter1, I knew the filters were going to be very smooth, and so I downloaded the Twin demo and started tweaking. A few hours later I bought it. A few hours after that, I had a song nearly completed because I was so happy to finally have a low-end sound that could be punchy and yet offer some cool filter sweeps on sustained notes without any of the aliasing common on a lot of other subtractive synths.
The drag and drop routing system is a dream--just download the demo and experience it. This synth has a warmth that is lacking in most similar products. There's just something about how it sits in a mix. I highly recommend this for folks looking for a bread and butter bass/lead synth. Because it is a player's synth, you can coax even more out of it by combining it with a good amp/cab sim. The nuances of the synth can really come to life.Read Review
