Manytone Music

Jeremy_NSL · Post by **Jeremy_NSL** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 8:33 pm

Hi. Just to share my thoughts on Manystation after I've had a chance to play with it awhile:

For the price I paid, $70 cdn, its great! Love the guitars, basses and cello, and pleasantly surprised by the synth-stuff. The quantity and quality of patches is really awesome too - there is something here for everyone, like 700+ patches! Overall I recommend it.

Two things that were slightly disappointing about the product though: the patches, while good, aren't very adventerous. Just scrolling through the patches, few make extensive use of the mod matrix; few patches use the W oscillators; few try any AM or FM or crazy filter routings or fx routings; most use the modwheel just for vibrato. This is weird, because I have The Second Wave, and Tim and some of the other programmer's made some really wild use of the Wusik engine there! So it almost seems the programmers held back here...

Second thing is I'm disappointed about is the drums aren't better. Some hits are missing (sidesticks etc), with pitchshifted hits on keys instead of different samples. And no velocity layering - which I realize Manytone warns people about in the sticky thread, but I think is really necessary (even just 2 layers!) for a good kit.

Anyway, maybe these slight flaws can fit in with Manystation's expansion packs (Manymore's they are called?). Drums are certainly an area requiring expansion; and a wildly experimental synth expansion wouldn't hurt either.

projectdan · Post by **projectdan** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:50 pm

I would be after more accoustic and traditional instruments for manymores. They are what sets manystation apart, there are loads of choices for synthetic stuff (both sampled and pure synths) out there. I bought manystation mainly for the accoustic stuff so am biased

The synth presets are a bonus for me. More drums and pianos would be good, also strings, love the cellos that are in the current version, even sound good when used in some of the synthetic patches, intresting combination. Manystation was well worth the money

M'Snah · Post by **M'Snah** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 9:05 am

floyd wrote:Two things that were slightly disappointing about the product though: the patches, while good, aren't very adventerous. Just scrolling through the patches, few make extensive use of the mod matrix; few patches use the W oscillators; few try any AM or FM or crazy filter routings or fx routings; most use the modwheel just for vibrato.

Second thing is I'm disappointed about is the drums aren't better. Some hits are missing (sidesticks etc), with pitchshifted hits on keys instead of different samples. And no velocity layering - which I realize Manytone warns people about in the sticky thread, but I think is really necessary (even just 2 layers!) for a good kit.

I'm not a sound designer, but: Does it make sense to do wicked things with the mod matrix when you're trying to provide quality samples (and presets) for 'real' instruments? (I already have WS, Albino, etc., and didn't really need another synth, but alway 'need' more quality samples).

90909 wrote:I would be after more accoustic and traditional instruments for manymores. They are what sets manystation apart, there are loads of choices for synthetic stuff (both sampled and pure synths) out there. I bought manystation mainly for the accoustic stuff so am biased The synth presets are a bonus for me. More drums and pianos would be good, also strings, love the cellos that are in the current version, even sound good when used in some of the synthetic patches, intresting combination. Manystation was well worth the money

Yes, I agree

.

Piano's, EP's, maybe B3, guitars, strings/double bass, maybe woodwinds/brass? I wouldn't vote for drums, I already have more sets than I can choose from

--HansM

Jeremy_NSL · Post by **Jeremy_NSL** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 9:14 am

I'm not a sound designer, but: Does it make sense to do wicked things with the mod matrix when you're trying to provide quality samples (and presets) for 'real' instruments? (I already have WS, Albino, etc., and didn't really need another synth, but alway 'need' more quality samples).

I'm talking about the synth stuff. The real instrument presets don't need fancying up, I agree.

opiadream · Post by **opiadream** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 9:19 am

aside from some tweaking of the pitchwheel settings on the guitars

M'Snah · Post by **M'Snah** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 9:46 am

opiadream wrote:aside from some tweaking of the pitchwheel settings on the guitars

Yes indeed. I find myself using the mod matrix to add aftertouch and modwheel... and set the voices to 1 for lead guitar

for faster licks effect.

--HansM

MRT · Post by **MRT** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:02 pm

"I would be after more accoustic and traditional instruments for manymores. They are what sets manystation apart" I'm with 90909 and HansM on this.
I don't buy a lot of soft synths but that's what caught my ear with Manystation. Besides it always seems easier to mutilate a good sample than create one.
My first choices would be Bass,Strings,Brass.
MRT

manytone · Post by **manytone** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 3:35 am

Hey Guys

I have read all your comments here and I have taken notes

I just wanted to say ..
Thanks...
and also let you know we are working on a bunch of things.
There will probably be more Real World and Instrument Sounds than Synth but there will be some more great Classic Synth stuff coming too.

Up first is some Acoustic Bass, some Didgeridoo One shots, Piano, Mandolin, Banjo and other stringed instruments.
And Plenty more not announced yet

As for Drums .... Well ... Like Hans Said .... Most folks have a Bazillion Drums to choose from already ... But we will be doing some of our existing other Drum products into ManyStation format and perhaps make a few new Acoustic kits too. Even with all the Drums out there ....ManyStation is still a pretty neat toy to manipulate drums in.

So, Hang in there ... I'm working on so much.
The Days are not Long Enough

Paul

Phil Wilkes · Post by **Phil Wilkes** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 9:29 am

Sounds good to me! As has been pointed out, if you start with great "real world" samples, these can be interesting starting points for synthesis. If all the "Moog" sounds that you have ever heard came from basically half a dozen raw waveforms, how much more potential from hundreds of great samples!

btocher · Post by **btocher** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:08 pm

Phil Wilkes wrote:Sounds good to me! As has been pointed out, if you start with great "real world" samples, these can be interesting starting points for synthesis. If all the "Moog" sounds that you have ever heard came from basically half a dozen raw waveforms, how much more potential from hundreds of great samples!

I'd have to agree. I associate Manystation with "real" instruments rather than "synths" - it seems to me that synths are more Wusikstation's forte.

Just my 2 euros worth...

Baxter

M'Snah · Post by **M'Snah** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 7:51 pm

manytone wrote: As for Drums .... Well ... Like Hans Said .... Most folks have a Bazillion Drums to choose from already ... But we will be doing some of our existing other Drum products into ManyStation format and perhaps make a few new Acoustic kits too. Even with all the Drums out there ....ManyStation is still a pretty neat toy to manipulate drums in.

And maybe other percussion instruments? bongo's, congas, and all the other clapping and shaking and rattling instruments that I don't know the name of...

And I've been looking for a long while for a good vibraphone as well.. My Yamaha Piano has one that sounds nice, but never found something like it online yet in a format that I can use.

maximilians1 · Post by **maximilians1** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 8:48 am

btocher wrote:
I'd have to agree. I associate Manystation with "real" instruments rather than "synths" - it seems to me that synths are more Wusikstation's forte.

Just my 2 euros worth...

Baxter

I like the synth content in manystation,I think classic synths fit in nicely and balance out the content...there are some beautiful patches using classic synth samples with acoustic instuments

Max

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:20 am

floyd wrote:
Two things that were slightly disappointing about the product though: the patches, while good, aren't very adventerous. Just scrolling through the patches, few make extensive use of the mod matrix; few patches use the W oscillators; few try any AM or FM or crazy filter routings or fx routings; most use the modwheel just for vibrato. This is weird, because I have The Second Wave, and Tim and some of the other programmer's made some really wild use of the Wusik engine there! So it almost seems the programmers held back here...

*OUCH*

I really tried to experiment with the patches in my Manystation bank. But I have to plead guilty on not using the Matrix or Mod Wheel enough.

My Manystation bank is now complete, just needs some tweaking. I'll send it to Paul when it's finished.

manytone · Post by **manytone** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 6:17 pm

Yes ...a bit ouch...

I just looked over this and There is a Ton of patches that use the Mod Matrix and the Wave Sequencers. Much more that TSW from what i can see. (We have way more patches ... I think what you are after floyd is just spread out in the banks)

ManyStation being More Real world sounds did not need the extensive mod Matrix on some things. On other sounds we used it fairly decently i think.
From the Factory we want to keep cpu reasonable too.

If you look hard at the guys banks, i see some incredible use of the available Mods and the WS.

You know ... You just can't please everyone 100%.
We try but there will always be someone who sees it different than the Guy next door.

If we had too many Wave Seqs ... we would have some people saying ...Hey ...thats Crap

I think ManyStation has a Great Balance and I think everyone so far has seen something Great about it.

Teksonik ....I CAN"T WAIT!!!!!!!!!
I just loved your first 64!!

Thanks
Paul

M'Snah · Post by **M'Snah** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:11 pm

manytone wrote:If we had too many Wave Seqs

Please don't do too many Wave Sequences. Although I love browsing through those presets, and I really really respect the skill of the people who create them, they are more or less unusable for my type of songs

Manytone Music

KVR Audio

Manystation Reactions Anyone?