KVR Audio

enCiphered · Post by **enCiphered** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:57 am

e@rs wrote: ↑Thu Dec 19, 2019 8:01 pm
e-crooner wrote: ↑Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:59 pm ...I am still looking for a single synth that does everything I need it to do, which is not that much, anyway. I hate the idea of having a folder full of plugins because each of them sucks at something.
I suggest Avenger. Does ~everything and has a feature no other synth has: it resets its activation every 3 months.

enCiphered · Post by **enCiphered** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:58 am

V0RT3X wrote: ↑Thu Dec 19, 2019 7:31 am My most essential so far?

Geist 2 - Its just so enjoyable to use and barely takes much CPU. I also really like the drag’n’drop slicer and built in mixing engine. The real fun stuff is when you start using it for polyrhythmic beats.

Cypher 2 - I’ve always had a soft spot for this synthesizer. It might not be the best for fm style stuff but it allows for quick results and the MPE stuff is fun when I use my rise49.

Reaktor 6 - Its vast and i love the blocks modular stuff for making my own custom FSU ensembles. There is so much here! it’s really an essential tool that every composer/sound designer should take advantage of. I often like sampling the weird stuff from this to make sliced up kits in Geist.

Massive-X - If i had to choose between this or Massive, i would go for this because of the quality of sound and the deep modulation system. Also I’m looking forward to MPE in this one day.

The Drop - It is great for adding Mojo to sterile sounds and rhythm to lifeless sounds. I always find a place for this ob my stuff.

The Glue - i am a huge fan of The Glue in Ableton, but when i moved to Bitwig i didnt have it built in so it was only natural to buy this . Great bus compressor that adds a bit of pleasing colour when you drive it hard. Its the simplest of my plugins as far as controls go but I really like the sound..

Zebra + TDZ - if I had to choose between the modular awesomeness of Zebra or the thick warm sound of Diva then id go with Zebra+ The Dark Zebra because of the Diva filters built in. This way I get the best of both worlds.

Zebra just has so much going on and the CPU to sound quality ratio is perfect for when I need vast amount of Zebras. Overall you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Hive2 - Easy to use and sounds great when I want a quick great sounding modern workflow. I like how it makes you want to focus on working fast rather than spend time endlessly tweaking.

Byome - I like the algorithms in Byome and the modulation system just “works” for creating fast wacky effects. It also works great as a swiss army knife FX plugin for subtle saturation, simple EQ tweaks, reverb etc.

Triad - same as above but for Multiband use.

Acon Digital Equalize 2 - great quick EQ that sounds great and does what it says it will do. I also appreciate The super steep filter slopes for experimental sound duties.

Acon Verberate 2 - i need this for more natural Sounding algorithmic verbs. I can do weird and spacey reverbs in abundance with all the character verbs i have in the aformentioned plugins, but when i want something to sound like its in a real room this is my goto.

Thats pretty much all i would really want along with Bitwig. I know those plugins fairly well and enjoy using them and learning new things about them on a daily basis.

Also My OCD seems to have accepted this bunch as my desert island pack.

Very interesting and detailed listing, thanks for sharing with us

sidesword · Post by **sidesword** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 7:14 pm

air Xpand!2
ImpOSCar2
Oddity2
Minimonsta
Zebra2

a lot of 2's...

XxEDxX · Post by **XxEDxX** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 7:23 pm

Fabfilter and Toneboosters are the most essential plugins I ever use. In particular EQ & Compression. On the synth side I'm still sticking to Synthmaster. Just can make everything with it, from bread & butter sounds to more crazy stuff.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 11:30 pm

I bought SM One when it was $29 last year and I have tried to find some use for it but, so far, it's not turned out to have much to offer us. I' not sure what it is, I just struggle to fit it into anything I'm working on and I can always find something that works much better.

enCiphered · Post by **enCiphered** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 11:36 pm

BONES wrote: ↑Fri Dec 20, 2019 11:30 pm I bought SM One when it was $29 last year and I have tried to find some use for it but, so far, it's not turned out to have much to offer us. I' not sure what it is, I just struggle to fit it into anything I'm working on and I can always find something that works much better.

It is on sale now for $39 but $29 can´t be beaten.
I don´t know, after working with Halion 6, Hive, Icarus and Dune I cannot imagine I will ever need more WT synths, no matter how much they cost.

Scrubbing Monkeys · Post by **Scrubbing Monkeys** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 12:43 am

For instruments

Tal U no lx
Synthmaster
Waldorf ppg
Fathom
Synth1
xpand
AD2

For mixing

Toneboosters
Morphit and isone

Klanghelm
Dcac3

TDR
everything

But lately I could get by with Waves Omni Channel. I really wish I could have that one without Waves.

Valhalla Room
Tal dub x delay
Kazrog guitar amps
Sknote Deluxe 1 is also very cool.

The rest is just different flavors after this.

codec_spurt · Post by **codec_spurt** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:12 am

codec_spurt · Post by **codec_spurt** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 1:34 am

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 4:26 am

e-crooner wrote: ↑Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:59 pmNo idea, I am still looking for a single synth that does everything I need it to do, which is not that much, anyway. I hate the idea of having a folder full of plugins because each of them sucks at something.

Why? What do you see as the advantage of one multi-purpose synth over a number of specialist instruments? To me it's the equivalent of preferring an adjustable wrench over a set of open-enders - the right tool for the job will always do it better. If you just have one synth for everything, it will invariably be a very complex synth that requires a lot of effort, even for simple tasks.

Elektronisch · Post by **Elektronisch** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:32 am

Dune 3
Hive 2
Repro 5
Nimble Kick
Kontakt (plus 3rd party & Komplete CE libraries)

Faturator
FabFilter Pro Q3
Boz Little Clipper
IK Stealth Limiter
IK White 2A
IK Classic Clipper
U-He Presswerk
Waves C4
Waves L2
Izotope Nectar 2/3
Vallhalla Delay & Room
OSL Chorus
VolumeShaper 6
Melodyne 4

danbroad · Post by **danbroad** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 8:49 am

For me, I've tried most of them and the dust has settled to be just Omnisphere. If I needed a specific ROM based sample set it'd be Kontakt. Reaktor FX handles most of my weird stuff, Valhalla does the rest. Though I will say Replika and the new Raum are very useful.

The more I use plugs myself, the less I am into VSTi synthesis proper. For that, I personally like the interaction of hardware controls - Nord Lead A1, Minilogue Xd, Behringer cheapies etc would be my choices.

e-crooner · Post by **e-crooner** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 12:28 pm

BONES wrote: ↑Sun Dec 22, 2019 4:26 am
e-crooner wrote: ↑Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:59 pmNo idea, I am still looking for a single synth that does everything I need it to do, which is not that much, anyway. I hate the idea of having a folder full of plugins because each of them sucks at something.
Why? What do you see as the advantage of one multi-purpose synth over a number of specialist instruments? To me it's the equivalent of preferring an adjustable wrench over a set of open-enders - the right tool for the job will always do it better. If you just have one synth for everything, it will invariably be a very complex synth that requires a lot of effort, even for simple tasks.

I just want to keep it simple and limit synths to the merely supporting role they should play in my view.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 11:07 pm

I also like to keep it simple but not in that way. One big synth with a million controls hidden behind tabs and things like that is more complication than I like. I'd rather have 20 simpler synths with all the controls on a single screen so I can work quickly. e.g. Why does DUNE need three different forms of synthesis, why not have a DUNE V/A, DUNE FM and DUNE WT? Why does everything have to be stuffed into one synth? Unfortunately, that's not a good way to sell a product so we get stuck with these mega-synths, endlessly chasing each other to match and exceed the features of the competition, until they become unusable.

That's why I rate things like TRK-01 so highly - it is so easy to use, yet incredibly powerful. Same with Thorn, the only thing I might have to go looking for are effects, everything else is right where I can see it. I'd love it if someone packaged up a bunch of synths in the way they do with effects, to cover a range of needs. Simple tools that excel in one area or do something unique. That's what I tried to do with my Nitrous synths - make several synths with similar architecture that use a different form of synthesis, so you could learn one and be comfortable with the others straight away.

The whole idea of these mega-synths seems to be rooted in hardware thinking, where there was a physical cost to making a synth, and owning 20 hardware synths isn't exactly practical, so it makes sense to stuff as much into one as you can. But with software it makes no difference.

e-crooner · Post by **e-crooner** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 11:19 pm

Oh, I am not even talking about those "mega-synths" as you call them, not at all, I can't stand them. I am only interested in subtractive, yet I haven't found any subtractive synth I am really happy with.
I hope this will finally change with Synapse Audio's Oberheim emulation next year

Most essential VST plugins