The Most Overrated and Underrated VST/AU (Effects And Instruments)

[HcDoom]

Most overrated instrument:
uhe Zebra - Its good, but not that good...also HZ brought fame on it. It instantly doesnt mean if he liked something that its the best thing ever. It just simply suited him and he made it famous. For me and for a lot of people Ive talked with, sound is average and GUI is not the best. Endless possibilities, yes, but that doesnt equal to good!

Most underrated instrument:
DS Thorn
uhe Hive 2 (compared to Serum, it is)

[Examigan]

Sylenth1 may not be anything special these days, but it was exceptional back in the year it was released, which is 2006. For next 10 years at least it was everyone's goal to match or outperform Sylenth's sound.

I don't agree with that at all. It had all the same problems back then. There was never a time when I thought it was any good. Maybe it was perfectly suited to a specific type of music but it didn't impress me at all.

I agree. It's beyond me though why Lennard never had plans for a Sylenth2 (or did he?).

The name didn't change but it is now v3.067.

Yeah but that's just a joke. What is different between v1 and the current version? Stuff that would be a point upgrade for any other developer. Look at the differences between DUNE 1, 2 and 3 or Hive 1 and 2 - those are worthy of full version increments, what Lennar Digital offers is most definitely not.

For an example, when it went to v2.0 these were the additions/changes. I don't think that would be a .xx update. I still would like built-in PWM though:

Complete rewrite of the user interface and voice management, now fully written in C++ and assembly code.
Fixes all previous problems (including sound stuttering) with several hosts including FL Studio, ACID Pro and Tracktion.
Now also compatible with OS X for Intel Macs (VST only, AU is in development).
Heavily improved loading and initialization times.
Rebuilt MIDI learn functionality for ALL controls including support for RPN and NRPN messages.
Onboard preset browser with 4 selectable banks of 128 presets each.
Onboard menu for loading and saving presets and banks, as well as Copy, Paste, Insert, Delete, Init and Reset functionality for individual presets.
Fully compatible with older Sylenth1 versions.
Numerous minor bug fixes and improvements.
Now ships with a total of 1024 presets divided over 2 soundbanks.

[BONES]

OK, so that would actually be a point release. Support for a new platform, internal changes that mean nothing to the end user and a few bug fixes. Legend users got more than that in the update from 1.1 to 1.2. And let's be honest here, a V/A synth that they charge 139 euros for should have PWM. It is one of the most basic things anyone would expect from even a freeware V/A.

[chk071]

Actually, it costs 165 €, when you add tax... I agree, compared to some other synth which are more richly featured, it's not the best deal.

[ariston]

Most overrated: your favorite synth.
Most underrated: my favorite synth.

And that's the whole kit 'n' caboodle.

[perpetual3]

Airwindows stuff is really underrated, on other side some of the companies that have pretty skeuomorphic GUI's are utterly overrated, Slate, Plugin Alliance and co.

Man, so many times I try Airwindows and I can’t really tell a difference. On the other hand, when the plugins are on sale, some of the PA plugins are great, like Black Box and Shadow Hills Class A.

[Passing Bye]

Airwindows stuff is really underrated, on other side some of the companies that have pretty skeuomorphic GUI's are utterly overrated, Slate, Plugin Alliance and co.

Man, so many times I try Airwindows and I can’t really tell a difference. On the other hand, when the plugins are on sale, some of the PA plugins are great, like Black Box and Shadow Hills Class A.

Because Airwindows doesn't have + few db's boost by default on output.

[Dirtgrain]

Most overrated: your favorite synth.
Most underrated: my favorite synth.

And that's the whole kit 'n' caboodle.

But your opinion is wrong.

[perpetual3]

Airwindows stuff is really underrated, on other side some of the companies that have pretty skeuomorphic GUI's are utterly overrated, Slate, Plugin Alliance and co.

Man, so many times I try Airwindows and I can’t really tell a difference. On the other hand, when the plugins are on sale, some of the PA plugins are great, like Black Box and Shadow Hills Class A.

Because Airwindows doesn't have + few db's boost by default on output.

No brother, that’s not it.

[Halonmusic]

Overrated: Serum
Underrated: Full Bucket's collection.

[Yorrrrrr]

Serum is overrated. And Sylenth1.
Underrated? Hmmmm...maybe Harmor. Hive 2. Also the TAL synths.

[e-crooner]

Yeah but that's just a joke. What is different between v1 and the current version? Stuff that would be a point upgrade for any other developer. Look at the differences between DUNE 1, 2 and 3 or Hive 1 and 2 - those are worthy of full version increments, what Lennar Digital offers is most definitely not.

Nobody else seems to have a problem with that.

It's not my fault that everyone else is an idiot. It's the only synth I have ever encountered that problem with so if no-one else has noticed, that's on them.

Maybe it is just not weird enough for your weird music

More likely that it just isn't good enough to be useful for more than one specific type of music.

Your analogy is a bit off. Dune 3 is another synth, it is not even compatible with Dune 1, and the number is part of the name, it says so on the GUI.
With Sylenth1 the version number is basically a mere internal thing, it does not read Sylenth1 3 on the GUI. LD does not claim that version 3 is fundamentally different or more advanced than version 1. That's why it's 100% compatible.

So, I am an idiot because I don't even think there is a problem?

People use it for all kinds of genres, not only EDM if that is what you are implying. It is a complete synth and as such you can program all kinds of sounds on it. If you don't like Supersaw, don't use it.

It can do PWM, it works perfectly. And unlike with most other analog-type synths, you can apply it to all kinds of user waveforms by combining any two waveforms from the two layers, setting them to retrigger, and then setting and modulating the phase. This is very flexible and allows for almost endless waveforms/sounds.

[Spencer Maddox]

Overrated: Serum
Underrated: Full Bucket's collection.

Slightly Trigged But being respectful of your view, Why Serum?

I've seen that mentioned a few times in this thread, genuinely curious why people seem to view that as overrated because honestly to me nobody's made a wavetable synth that can do the same things It Can IMO. The closest is Rapid and Icarus.

Pigments has a lot of promise too. i've been getting into that one since i got it on sale.


EDIT: I should clarify more, when I say no other synth Im talking mostly about that Wavetable Editor and the Easy Flexible GUI.
VITAL, honestly, the upcoming Plugin by Matt Tyhel, Might be my New Fav however so let's see how this ages.


ANOTHER EDIT: FBS absolutely makes some underated gems. Best Freeware dev in the Game.

[ariston]

Most overrated: your favorite synth.
Most underrated: my favorite synth.

And that's the whole kit 'n' caboodle.

But your opinion is wrong.

Not wrong, just.... underrated.

[vurt]

the synths i use are neither over or under rated.