Sick Noise Instruments

Bought this cause "VST3 Instrument" was plastered all over the page, so didn't think to read that the Mac version is AU only for some weird reason. Not very common, but my mistake regardless. Didn't think to double-check, so emailed tech support, where the owner basically patronised me saying I should have known better than to expect an AU instrument to work on a VST only host. Rude as all hell. Also the installation method is ridiculous regardless, and certainly not one that I've ever seen or is very good at all, considering you have to load the preset from the preset file and save the preset every single time. What a joke. Glad I only spend 1.5 Euro on it. About how much such a ridiculous piece of software is worth. Won't be buying from these guys again.

I hate giving negative reviews on anything, but...this is one of the worst purchased synths ever. Setting aside for a moment the bold claim that it's in any way "analog," its sample-based preset bank isn't even finished and comes to you in pieces that you have to put together, with zero instructions other than "use the load button," which is the tiniest button on the interface. Luckily I bought this on sale - sadly, I bought it blind, which I usually don't do, but since I already had a Kontakt library from SickNoise I liked, I thought there could be little harm in it. Lesson learned.
The sound is very digital, "retro-video-gamey" noises and blips. The sample load button appears to be solely for fixing the presets as mentioned above - it didn't work with any external samples I tried, although it supposedly has this functionality (there are few instructions and none indicating any sample type limitations.) If it's locked like this, why is it even there?
Dialing in the built in FX helps somewhat on a few of the presets. There is a vaguely analog-esque feel to the filter. But overall it's less a virtual synth and more an exercise in SynthEdit nostalgia...or something. It really does feel like someone's half-finished hobbyist project released into the wild.
SickNoise would do well to focus on making fairly interesting Kontakt libraries like Trypticon and Protogon. There are free VST synths out there from 15 years ago literally worth ten times more than this sad offering. If I had bought it for full price (60 Euro?!?!), I would have been FURIOUS.

One star for the mostly neat looking interface, another for the nostalgia and my valuable lesson learned...

Protogon Horizon has great building blocks of sound to get deeper into the creative journey. You never know where things will take you. Start with great sounds.

MADE WITH SYNTHEDIT.

PROS:

NICE GUI.

CONS:

I had very bad crashes using synthmaker/synthedit products in the past so i usually avoid them and kvr made that easy but lately they have dropped the ball on copyright protections and development environments listings.