Opinions on MassiveX

VST, AU, AAX, CLAP, etc. Plugin Virtual Instruments Discussion
Post Reply New Topic
RELATED
PRODUCTS
Massive Massive X Zebra

Post

Echoes in the Attic wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:27 pmBut I thought you liked Omnisphere. That's pretty digital.
I do! And it can be horribly digital (that Spotlight EDM section is a bit of a rogues gallery), but it doesn't seem to colour everything by any stretch - I find Omni can be lovely and buttery if I want it to be.

I'm sure both Zebra and Massive and Massive X can do sounds I like - actually I know they can. But as a first port of call, going through the presets of each I find a joyless miserable experience, as does the most cursory of patch building. They all tend to sound overbearingly clinical and cold to my ears. I don't find the same thing - at least with anything like the same extent - with Avenger or Nexus, though they can't on the other hand easily reach for the warmth that Omni and the likes of U-he's repros can do. Those feel like good middle-ground to me - more modern without being sterile.
http://www.guyrowland.co.uk
http://www.sound-on-screen.com
W10, i7 7820X, 64gb RAM, RME Babyface, 1050ti, PT 2023 Ultimate, Cubase Pro 13
Macbook Air M2 OSX 10.15

Post

Sinisterbr wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:42 pm I think its GUI gorgeous. Besides, MX has an excelent workflow. Given all its capabilites, it's still not difficult at all. They did a great job IMHO.
Ok, ...never quit your job to become a UI designer. Never.

Post

Stefken wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:10 pm
Sinisterbr wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:42 pm I think its GUI gorgeous. Besides, MX has an excelent workflow. Given all its capabilites, it's still not difficult at all. They did a great job IMHO.
Ok, ...never quit your job to become a UI designer. Never.
I think Massive X UI is gorgeous too, so it's 2x1.

We win, you loser! :hihi:

Post

XorXisT wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:20 pm
Stefken wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:10 pm
Sinisterbr wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:42 pm I think its GUI gorgeous. Besides, MX has an excelent workflow. Given all its capabilites, it's still not difficult at all. They did a great job IMHO.
Ok, ...never quit your job to become a UI designer. Never.
I think Massive X UI is gorgeous too, so it's 2x1.

We win, you loser! :hihi:
Only thing is... you won in the sucker department. :lol: :lol:

Post

noiseboyuk wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:01 pm Massive X has convinced me I don't really like digital synths. Everyone agrees it sounds great, yet I don't like it. Or the original. Or (audible intake of breath) Zebra. So I'm a heretic, basically - I like warm and subtractive, clearly. But if you liked the original, I guess this is sonicaly superior and has good new tricks.
Well its a wavetable synth not a subtractive one. Wavetable synths are not exactly known for being warm. Traditionally wavetable synths like the Waldorfs and PPGs of this world have been described as either glassy or metallic in timbre.

Have you tried Diva, Repro, Monark and the Legend? Did you not like them.
Orion Platinum, Muzys 2

Post

I own very few soft synths. My go-to stable for a while has been Repro, U-No-lx, Absynth, and Massive 1. If I can't do what I want with those, I might play around in Reaktor. I picked up X in the latest sale.

I quite like Massive X. It's missing some capabilities of the original Massive, but does some things better. The envelope capabilities feel much more limited, and even though there are many places to filter the sound in the signal chain, I wish they had still gone with two main filters.

The noise section is great for sound design, and overall it just sounds good. The oscillators all sound impressive and the filters are fantastic. The effects all sound great, though I'm still trying to dial in the most Juno-y chorus.

I don't have any complaints on the preset browser, not sure what there is not to like there. There are some categories and presets, seems pretty straightforward. The UI is fine for me, not any more or less usable than any other soft synth. More intuitive than Absynth!
Last edited by hermbot on Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Post

khaosgott wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:39 pm Demo the plugins is always a solid advice, however I would like to get an opinion or two from other people with different hearing abilities.
Hi, khaosgott. I have a very good opinion on Massive X, but it took months to make my mind about it. And the reason for that is that is so overwhelming, it takes months just to process what the hell is this thing.

Simply put, Massive X is WAY BEYOND HUGE. It is “semimodular and then some”, everything has many options and the modulation possibilities are endless. For a skilled sound designer, it’s a dream, an infinite tool. The sound is very sharp and very precise. The way it shows and sets modulations is awesome, thankfully, because complexity of a patch can skyrocket fast.

A good way to define Massive X sound is that you will get EXACTLY what you program. Massive X won’t introduce any non-linearities, randomness, blablabla. If you want any of this, you will have to set it up by yourself, up to the last tiny detail. For the good and the bad.

For those reasons, there is no point to use it for bread and butter, simple sounds. It’s overkill.

If you like tweaking and mangling, you will enjoy it a lot, but be aware that it’s an overwhelming monster with quite a learning curve.

Many details in Massive X need some development, but the core of it, its internal architecture and sound engine, is rock solid. at the current discounted price, it’s a very good deal.

Hope it helps. If you finally get it, let us know.
MAN FROM SPACE
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/135uz9UwHtdXZgiFyAc3oz
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/manfromspace

GumRoad (FREE Ableton racks and synth presets): https://gumroad.com/manfromspace

Post

v1o wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:36 pm
noiseboyuk wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:01 pm Massive X has convinced me I don't really like digital synths. Everyone agrees it sounds great, yet I don't like it. Or the original. Or (audible intake of breath) Zebra. So I'm a heretic, basically - I like warm and subtractive, clearly. But if you liked the original, I guess this is sonicaly superior and has good new tricks.
Well its a wavetable synth not a subtractive one. Wavetable synths are not exactly known for being warm. Traditionally wavetable synths like the Waldorfs and PPGs of this world have been described as either glassy or metallic in timbre.

Have you tried Diva, Repro, Monark and the Legend? Did you not like them.
I mentioned Repro as a pure joy. Diva is fine, but somehow never excites me. Monark is great, don't have Legend. The wavetable thing is interesting, I don't think the sterile / warm thing is purely down to this in my limited experience, though it could be a factor.

As it is, I'm not really in the market for any new synths. My bread and butter are Omni, Repros, Avenger, Nexus. On top of that I have OPX-pro ii (lovely sound, horrific to program), Arturia V Collection, all the NI synths in Komplete 12 Ultimate and the Korg legacy collection (great sounds by and large, notorious UI, but do have an MS20iC as a controller). So I really do want for nothing... its just taken me a long time to figure out that a lot of the most revered synths do very little for me.
http://www.guyrowland.co.uk
http://www.sound-on-screen.com
W10, i7 7820X, 64gb RAM, RME Babyface, 1050ti, PT 2023 Ultimate, Cubase Pro 13
Macbook Air M2 OSX 10.15

Post

noiseboyuk wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:00 pm
v1o wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:36 pm
noiseboyuk wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:01 pm Massive X has convinced me I don't really like digital synths. Everyone agrees it sounds great, yet I don't like it. Or the original. Or (audible intake of breath) Zebra. So I'm a heretic, basically - I like warm and subtractive, clearly. But if you liked the original, I guess this is sonicaly superior and has good new tricks.
Well its a wavetable synth not a subtractive one. Wavetable synths are not exactly known for being warm. Traditionally wavetable synths like the Waldorfs and PPGs of this world have been described as either glassy or metallic in timbre.

Have you tried Diva, Repro, Monark and the Legend? Did you not like them.
I mentioned Repro as a pure joy. Diva is fine, but somehow never excites me. Monark is great, don't have Legend. The wavetable thing is interesting, I don't think the sterile / warm thing is purely down to this in my limited experience, though it could be a factor.

As it is, I'm not really in the market for any new synths. My bread and butter are Omni, Repros, Avenger, Nexus. On top of that I have OPX-pro ii (lovely sound, horrific to program), Arturia V Collection, all the NI synths in Komplete 12 Ultimate and the Korg legacy collection (great sounds by and large, notorious UI, but do have an MS20iC as a controller). So I really do want for nothing... its just taken me a long time to figure out that a lot of the most revered synths do very little for me.
how is "So I really do want for nothing... its just taken me a long time to figure out that a lot of the most revered synths do very little for me" relevant to the topic? :roll:

Post

fisherKing wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:29 pmhow is "So I really do want for nothing... its just taken me a long time to figure out that a lot of the most revered synths do very little for me" relevant to the topic? :roll:
It really isn't. It's a ghastly tangent. Very sorry.
http://www.guyrowland.co.uk
http://www.sound-on-screen.com
W10, i7 7820X, 64gb RAM, RME Babyface, 1050ti, PT 2023 Ultimate, Cubase Pro 13
Macbook Air M2 OSX 10.15

Post

noiseboyuk wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:34 pm
fisherKing wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:29 pmhow is "So I really do want for nothing... its just taken me a long time to figure out that a lot of the most revered synths do very little for me" relevant to the topic? :roll:
It really isn't. It's a ghastly tangent. Very sorry.
not so serious, really. certainly not on the kvr forums, where every day, threads derail and people rant and so on. it's a non-stop party... :party:

Post

In conclusion, yes. Yes there are indeed opinions on Massive X.

Post

fisherKing wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:55 pmnot so serious, really. certainly not on the kvr forums, where every day, threads derail and people rant and so on. it's a non-stop party... :party:
...and that's another thing... I'm a terrible KVR forum member... crying-emoji-that-I-can't-even-find....
http://www.guyrowland.co.uk
http://www.sound-on-screen.com
W10, i7 7820X, 64gb RAM, RME Babyface, 1050ti, PT 2023 Ultimate, Cubase Pro 13
Macbook Air M2 OSX 10.15

Post

Also bought it during this sale and after a few days of use, I really like it.

The GUI to me is great and usable, really big and easy to learn. Massive is as simple or as complex as you want it to be and easily tops serum in terms of modularity. Read some complains about lack of filters and oscillators which is just bullshit since you can add additional ones. While the effects are fewer than in serum i would say they sound better and are definitely more interesting and "out there" which holds true for the synth as a whole. Only negative are the presets which doesn't do it justice at all. Very sterile and very dance oriented even if the synth is so much more than that.

Serum killer for me! (Just love the performers, wave shape modes and harmonizer thingy)
Last edited by oslin007 on Mon Nov 25, 2019 10:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Post

v1o wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 6:36 pm Well its a wavetable synth not a subtractive one. Wavetable synths are not exactly known for being warm. Traditionally wavetable synths like the Waldorfs and PPGs of this world have been described as either glassy or metallic in timbre.

Have you tried Diva, Repro, Monark and the Legend? Did you not like them.
No.
Massive X is a wavetable subtractive synth, like Massive
Weapons of choice (subject to change):
Godin Redline, Kuassa, Fuse Audio, Audiority, Roland A-500pro, Dune, Dagger, TAL, Reaper for Rock & Synthwave pleasures; Viper and FL Studio for guilty EDM pleasures

Post Reply

Return to “Instruments”