By bongodrums
On 19th February 2006
Version: 1.0
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Synapse really do make quality gear. Just about everthing they've done has been of superior quality I think (orion, etc)
I am still using a really old version of this synth because I think the new one's UI isn't as good. Sure, my version has a lot less features than V4 but it looks way better (reminds me of a Nord Lead) and is easier to get certain sounds, since it doesn't rely on the 4 filter/amp saturation controls (which are like EQs).
It really is hard to believe that all the sounds this is capable of come from triangle waves only! (That's why you can't select any basic waveforms). At first, I thought it was a sample playback vst! Wow. Talk about fat and ballsy! I like the Phase control, which really widers the sound between the 2 oscs. This thing is capable of plucks, sine-whistle leads, crunchy tight basses and some unique stuff. You could make full tracks using just this alone (and still only tri waves?!!!)
And to sweeten things, it has one of my all-time favourite patches - THAT lead sound used by Venga Boys "Boom boom boom" song, as well as many others. Simple, yet so deceptive! A great synth. |
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By R'yleh
On 14th December 2005
Version: 4.2
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i bought this synth as part of the synth pack by synapse audio and did not regret it. On forst sight it looks and behaves as all other VA synths alike, but there are some
nice additions, that i like very much :
the "age" parameter, which gives the synth a more "vintage" feel and the "spectrl fx, which add some extra to the sounds. The filter have a nice "analogue " feel
and especially the LP/Notch combination give good definition to the sound.
Another thing which made this synth stand out and made me using more and more in the last time is the sound quality.
Unfortunately the included presets do not show the full potential of this vsti ( at least for me ), so a little
tweaking is required, especially when you need more agressive tones.
Tweaking is very easy , as the synths gui is laid out
clear and logically without any gimmicks ans pseudo-hardware lookalike, which i like.
no crashes or unexpected behaviours so far.
Help file is included, documenting all parameters in detail, although i never needed it.
all in all a very good workhorse for a cheap price.
For the more adventorous musician i would go for HYDRA
but for the "everyday" needs this is a good choice. |
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By Dana1
On 18th February 2004
Version: 4.2
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The concept of the Scorpion is quite simple, it has the usual 'analogue' synth controls, then some effects (delay/chorus/reverb). Certainly many other synths easily beat this one in terms of features.
What makes this synth unique is simply the quality. Some presets sound exactly like some Korg machines from the 80s to me, but all in all the sound is unique, it does not try to emulate specific gear. Another strong point is an 'Age' feature, randomizing some stuff slightly while playing. This is turned off by default, of course.
With the addition of the legato/mono mode in 4.2, it's by far the best VSTi now for basses and leads now that I own. It's playable polyphonic as well, but I find it not so useful, with the restriction to 8 voices, and quite some CPU useage in 8-voice mode.
For a professional VSTi the price of $69 is low - I got it even cheaper, bought it last year as part of the Synth Bundle.
Summary:
+ Sound quality
+ Compact, nice GUI
+ Value for money
- it seems only the VSTi has been updated, not the DXi! |
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By pummel
On 10th February 2004
Version: 4
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EDIT: OK, it is now late 2004 and the landscape has changed along with my personal vision of perfection. Scorpion remains a good sounding synth, but it has not kept pace. Given the current crop of competion, I cannot recommend it as highly.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
scorpion is not only a top sounding synth; but also extremely light on the CPU. download the demo and see for yourself.
for quite some time now, ive been looking for a simple, CPU sipping, fat sounding analog synth appropriate for techno; scorpion is it.
obviously, scorpion is not the end all, be all monster synth; but then, it is not intended to be. I was attracted by the unique fat sound, low CPU usage, and clean simple GUI.
what sets scorpion apart from the masses is its focus on ring modulation, wav inversion, and phase matching to create timbres. this produces sound similar to frequency modulation and pulse width modulation; but just different enough to be unique. The "fatness" comes from the spectral drive unit. this is not overdrive distortion; to appreciate it, you have to hear it for yourself.
gui -- in my mind, scorpion is a study in elegant simplicity; well laid out and clearly labeled. it takes up much less than half the screen at 1024X768; just what you want in a low CPU workhorse of which you will have multiple instances.
sound -- in a word, fat. the easiest sounds to create are the blips, bloops, and twangs of techno. pads are easy. with a little work, you can tune in some fantastically rich bell tones; often beyond a small synth of this nature. however, this version has an aliasing issue in the upper octave, with extreme settings(you would never hear this on a 5 octave keyboard)
features -- not every small synth has chorus, delay *and* reverb. even fewer allow you to use them all together, for only ~ 1% cpu (in sonar 3, higher in FLstudio). the filter has the typical goodies, but it also has that spectral drive unit; this makes all the difference in the world
docs -- the docs are the built in help; they are minimal, covering only the functionality of the widgets. there are no tips on how to use them, for example
presets -- the included presets are first rate; however, there are only 128 of them and they do not cover all the sounds this synth can make.
support -- there is both a forum here at KVR and another at the synapse site for support; the dev is involved.
vfm -- a well rounded feature set with pro quality presets.
stability -- rock solid
cons: there are a few minor annoyances worth mentioning
o my biggest gripe is the lack of a global tuning knob. along with master volume, this is a feature every synth should have; especially one featuring FM or ring modulation. the envelop pitch knob can be used for global tuning, but this is kludgey (and then, you cannot use the envelop).
o (this version of) scorpion does not have a true mono mode, where the envelop retriggering is suspended for "held" notes. granted, not many synths do (especially in this price range); but given its feature set, i feel this one should. |
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Last edited : 1st October 2004
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By Spe3D
On 9th June 2003
Version: 3.2
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Hi!
Value for money, Did I Mention ‘Value for money’, Spot on. So far I have had many free updates from the efficient user area on their website, notification is sent out by email when the updates are available and so far has always surprised me just how much is added for free.
Not only is the synth feature packed but it’s damn cheap for what it is. Vsti, dxi ample presets that are useful and the features can fatten these up even more so sound quality is very good too.
Its simple to use, its got instructions but to be honest its so simple to use you will be off on a sound adventure in no time.
GUI is clean, well laid out and does not waste space so its pretty compact. I have no problem running this on my computer set up 1800+ AMD XP, Windows 2000 SP3 all within FL Studio Producer.
Really you cannot go wrong with this.
EDIT: I wrote this when it cost less btw ;O)
Spe3d
:O) |
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Last edited : 20th February 2004
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By Brando
On 2nd November 2002
Version: 3.1
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Like Plucked String, I've been using Scorpion since it was first released. Now with 3.1 Rich has thickened up the sound even more, prettied up the GUI, and introduced it in a DXi version, for which I am extremely grateful.(For the record, the VSTi version have always worked flawlessly in Angus' great adapter!)
Wonderful and highly playable synth that is capable of the snarliest and wickedest leads you can imagine, as well as lush weepy warm pads. Beautiful sounding filters! I love this synth, and for the price I am a bit surprised it doesn't get a lot more mention than it does.
Thanks for supporting DXi, Synapse! Like I said in my Plucked String review, I am off to buy Junglist DXi to complete my trilogy!
Brando |
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