Arturia

Lots different synth in one bundle, some legendary old stuff. Sounds great. Not cheap, but often on sale and you get a lot for your money. I use this a lot.

I love this, it is the synth I use most. Lots of creative potential, it is deep and has great presets.

What a great concept and sound. Really special. A keeper. Better than the competition. And smart, using algos from your other plugins. But, WTF, no mix knob? I am sorry Arturia, and Mr. Superstar Producer, but I don't care how special you think your new plugin might be, I still like to be able to dial in more or less. No, those tiny knobs called 'level' and 'dry' aren't enough (you made them so small so no one would use 'em?) And this won an award? Is anyone on KVR using their actual brains? Or is it just a never-ending drip feed of 'more' and 'new'? Arturia and I go back to 2004, so yeah, I can kvetch. Put a mix knob on this, and I will scream about Mix DRUMS from the rooftops. Until then, I'll stick to Fuel. That has a mix knob.

PS I know how a lot of people (especially younger folk) like to use plugins, so stay away from the presets until you've figured out what the different sections are actually doing. Start with the initial preset and tweak from there. Otherwise you'll spend hours turning your drums into oatmeal. Because there is NO MIX KNOB.

Overall awesome power synths that keeps improving with free updates. The analog part of it is awesome, the wavetable as well, the sampler granular is good. I don't use the modal and harmonic engine much but i guess it is nice if you know how to properly use it. The best part is definitely the workflow and UI, unmatched in my opinion, especially for modulations. Things go fast between idea and actual sound, and it is hard to go back on another synth. The sequencer is very good though I wish it was more flexible like in Serum 2. After making 100's of presets with it I can definitely say it is a top notch synth.

Hands down the best Mellotron emulator I've tried. Not only did it meet my expectations, but it blew them away with: Every tape library made for the Mellotron, the ability to edit your own tape frames, deep control of keyboard layers, a collection of built in HQ effects, and a delightfully retro interface that is easy to learn. Hate sounding like a fanboy, but Arturia always gives 110%.

Companies vary, but Arturia ALWAYS seems to produce tools that are far above the competition and this instrument is no different. Unsurpassed sound quality, deep sound engineering to create an easy to use and luscious sounding vst. All controls can be automated, there's a diverse selection of presets, and it's stable and reliable. They have never disappointed and these analog/digital augmented tools are full of creative inspiration. Strongly recommend any of the Augmented series of Arturia plugs, really any Arturia plug.

Arturia V Collection: A Mixed Bag with One True Gem

The standout of this collection is undoubtedly the Synclavier V - it offers unique and powerful synthesis capabilities that are hard to find elsewhere. This alone might justify the purchase during a good sale, especially for those interested in serious sound design and complex harmonic synthesis.

The CS-80 V emulation is impressive sonically but suffers from significant CPU optimization issues, particularly on modern architectures like Apple Silicon. Speaking of optimization - many plugins in the collection show their age both in resource usage and interface design.

While Arturia was once the go-to for vintage synth emulations, companies like GForce now offer superior alternatives for classic Oberheim, Moog, and ARP sounds. The Augmented series feels particularly unnecessary, consuming excessive storage space without adding meaningful value.

At $200, the collection feels overpriced given its current state. Wait for a summer sale if you're mainly interested in the Synclavier V or CS-80 V. The rest of the collection, while functional, doesn't compete with modern alternatives.

Note: As both a software and hardware customer (KeyStep Pro, MiniFuse), quality control issues have become increasingly apparent across Arturia's product line. Consider carefully before investing in their ecosystem.

Pros:

Synclavier V is exceptional
CS-80 V sounds great (if your CPU can handle it)
Decent value during deep sales.

Cons:

Poor optimization for modern systems
Dated user interfaces
Better alternatives exist for most included synths
Unnecessarily large storage footprint
Questionable value at full price.

I have more VST collections, sounds, samples and libraries than I'll ever use in a lifetime. I have a problem. Having said that, whenever I open a new project, and after laying down drums, bass & guitar, and I'm ready for synth, I typically gravitate to one of the UVI or Arturia libraries. When it's Arturia, this is typically the synth I try first. More often than not, there's a preset that sounds very close to what I'm looking for. And if it needs tweaking, it's very easy to do so. Sounds fantastic and is easy to use.