Serum or used Virus TI Snow?

[4damind]

Serum, because I would never buy a Virus TI Snow (I still own a Virus XL/C and use it not very often).
The Snow has also some limitations to an TI2 (half of the voices, fewer knobs and switches etc) so if I would buy an Virus again it would be a TI2 (desktop or keyboard).

But Serum and the Virus are very different synth. I don't know if a lot people using Serum instead of a Virus? It's for me more a replacement for NI Massive.

[tehlord]

Serum, because I would never buy a Virus TI Snow (I still own a Virus XL/C and use it not very often).
The Snow has also some limitations to an TI2 (half of the voices, fewer knobs and switches etc) so if I would buy an Virus again it would be a TI2 (desktop or keyboard).

But Serum and the Virus are very different synth. I don't know if a lot people using Serum instead of a Virus? It's for me more a replacement for NI Massive.

When Serum first came out there were a couple of videos on Youtube of people importing Virus wavetables. So therefore Serum is now a Virus.

Which of course, it's not.

[recursive one]

Both are digital-sounding synths with an advanced wavetable section, hence the comparison.

But as we speak, I decided against Serum

Maybe it's worth waiting for Icarus, but I don't expect Tone2 to make something sonically comparable to Virus (they do nice synths, but all of them have some kind of similar character, which is very different to what I hear in the Virus demos)

[tehlord]

Both are digital-sounding synths with an advanced wavetable section, hence the comparison.

But as we speak, I decided against Serum

The magic in the Virus is in the filters and FX.

[recursive one]

Both are digital-sounding synths with an advanced wavetable section, hence the comparison.

But as we speak, I decided against Serum

The magic in the Virus is in the filters and FX.

Many sounds in Virus demos (especially the trance plucks and the like) seem to have some kind of subtle but very pleasant saturation or distorton - is it the filter drive? Or an actual distortion? Or the bare oscillators sound this way?

Like here, the patch starting at 2:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yTYPllKtQU

[tehlord]

The virus has a few layers of saturation and/or distortion. You can apply it in the filter, or in the FX section. Lots of different algorithms to choose from.

That particular effect sounds like some subtle bitcrushing. Which is does very well.

[db3]

Maybe it's worth waiting for Icarus, but I don't expect Tone2 to make something sonically comparable to Virus

Ingonator is probably the best person to ask, but I got this from T2 "we didn't try to recreate the Virus. However, Icarus can sound pretty much identical in many areas. Especially within a mix it could be difficult to hear the difference if your goal was to recreate the Virus's sound with Icarus."

[recursive one]

Maybe it's worth waiting for Icarus, but I don't expect Tone2 to make something sonically comparable to Virus

Ingonator is probably the best person to ask, but I got this from T2 "we didn't try to recreate the Virus. However, Icarus can sound pretty much identical in many areas. Especially within a mix it could be difficult to hear the difference if your goal was to recreate the Virus's sound with Icarus."

"Joe-Schmoe-With-Boombox won't hear the difference" Well, this says a lot actually, because "it can sound identical in many areas, especially in the mix" has been said many times about Spire, Massive, Sylenth etc.

Still, I don't doubt that Icarus will be a fine synth and maybe a nice addition to Virus

[Robmobius]

I don't like Serum that much. It sounds like plastic, just very sterile and cold and synthetic.

No it doesn’t…

Serum is great, but it's not really going to add anything you don't already have.

Despite claims to the contrary, nothing sounds like a Virus.

I agree… Serum is absolutely class and has a wide range of sounds. I’m using it more and more all the time.

I have a Virus as well. It has it’s own sound and if you’re an ITB dude you’ll really like it. A new Snow is a bit of an indulgence. They are over priced for what they are, but that didn’t stop me buying one.

[db3]

Sounds like the best move would be to pick up that second-hand Snow. There don't seem to be that many around, so I suspect you'd get most of the money back if it didn't work out.

[4damind]

Serum has also some distortion stuff.. Moog filter with drive/fat etc. I must not sound very clean.

This Serum pluck is with diode distortion with a 24dB Moog with a bit fat/drive and a TI2 wavetable.
Serum

[Robmobius]

Sounds like the best move would be to pick up that second-hand Snow. There don't seem to be that many around, so I suspect you'd get most of the money back if it didn't work out.

That's true... You'll probably get back what you paid for it, if it's in decent nick.

[Dasheesh]

Both are digital-sounding synths with an advanced wavetable section, hence the comparison.

But as we speak, I decided against Serum

The magic in the Virus is in the filters .

This.

[recursive one]

Go get the Virus already. You know you want it.

Done

And yes, it does sound awesome!

[kyodeejay]

Pros of Virus
- sexy looking box
- biohazard logo
- THAT sound

[...]

What I already have: Spire, Dune2, Sylenth, Massive (and some others but these four are the most used and I like their sonic charater the best)

You will forget soon about the sexy look or the bio logo. That sound is good, yes. BUT. I won't purchase nothing having all these plugins. If you don't get that sound with such plugins, you won't get it with the Virus. If you have an excess of GAS and you want to spend money, better go for a good midi controller [if you are missing some tactile interaction], or some FX like Toraverb or JMUC [more important that synths sometimes!], or a good sample collection, or an arpeggiator to inspire you, or change your DAW if it do not meet your desires.

You have too many similar synths, and adding another more, software or hardware, won't help you except the first couple of days.