VSTis as good as hardware? Similar to Access Virus Quality?

[fgimian]

However, to my surprise, Zebra sounds quite thin

Have you detuned the oscillator and tried "Reset" in the Phase-tab?

Urs

I made Urs upset. I loooovveee Zebra2, I'll try now and make sure I did it correctly

Fots

[projectdan]

Several of the synths you have tried have oversampling options, you do use these options when checking them dont you? Also Have you got readings on the Virus's aliasing, because it does have it, are these synths any worse?
Another point is ocsillator aliasing is only one factor of the sound and to rule synths out based just on this first point before checking the rest of the features out in context is misguided.

[kmonkey]

Plz test Sytrus as it should do everything your test wants. Can't do the test myself as it'd be biased.

pm me how and i will do it

[tony tony chopper]

In Sytrus
-first open the 'default' patch (it's just a sine)
-switch the sine to saw (right-click the sine display, so that it'll also turn band-limiting on)
-if you need a filter, unroute the saw from the out and route it to a filter instead
-if you need to test antialiasing with pitch-bending, you'll need to raise the oversampling

I can post a preset but you'll need to use the same version (Sytrus 2.2)

[fgimian]

Several of the synths you have tried have oversampling options, you do use these options when checking them dont you? Also Have you got readings on the Virus's aliasing, because it does have it, are these synths any worse?
Another point is ocsillator aliasing is only one factor of the sound and to rule synths out based just on this first point before checking the rest of the features out in context is misguided.

I'm testing all synths without oversampling for fairness. Toxic III and as far as I know, Albino, do not have oversampling.

You are definitely right in mentioning that the oscs are only 1 thing to consider. As I mentioned, this is how I test synths personally. Please feel free to share your thoughts on what aspects you test with VSTis.

If I could post samples of a Virus to test against I would, but I don't have one. I'm hoping someone here who does will be kind enough to help

Fots

[fgimian]

However, to my surprise, Zebra sounds quite thin

Have you detuned the oscillator and tried "Reset" in the Phase-tab?

Urs

I made Urs upset. I loooovveee Zebra2, I'll try now and make sure I did it correctly

Fots

Yo man, I got it. It's not Zebra2 ... turns out that the Detune on osc 1 in Synth1, doesn't just produce 2 voices. Listening to it again it sounds more like an 8 voice unison

When detuning both oscs against each other (without using osc1 detune) in synth1, then using unison, it turns out to be 4 voices and Zebra sounds a little better than that instance

I would really like to know how Synth1 can do an 8 voice unison on a single oscillator hardly hit my CPU, I probably only get 2 - 3 % CPU on that, there must be some sort of shortcut there

Sorry for the false alarm, please let it be know, the Synth1 osc1 detune, doesn't create 2 voices, it creates more, so the unison comparison is unfair. Sorry guys

Fots

[Urs]

Also Have you got readings on the Virus's aliasing, because it does have it, are these synths any worse?

Last time I booted my Virus A, the aliasing was pretty audible.

Soundpalace, Zebra does not oversample the oscillators at all. (The RingMods are the only oversampled processes here)

Btw. if Z2 sounds thin, that could also be because the oscillators have a lot of overtones in the bass, which tends to "cover" the deep parts of the sound. Try the "Brilliance" osc fx and dial them down a bit to what the other synths have

Also, for judging fatness, make sure that all examples are listened to at the same volume!

Later,

Urs

[fgimian]

OK, some more comparison, synth1 osc1 detune appears to create 6 voices, I can match the sound (and exceed it a little) with Zebra, Zebra sounds warmer in this instance.

hey Urs, why is Zebra2 1 octave lower than all other synths by default ?

using Z2VST_Win280706.zip

Fots

[Urs]

Oh, and if you need a big sound from Z2...

Use 1-2 detuned oscs in quad mode with the osx fx "fundamental" turned to 0.00 - and add an FMO that just does the fundamental sine, adjusted to a volume of your preference...

Cheers,

Urs

[Urs]

hey Urs, why is Zebra2 1 octave lower than all other synths by default ?

That's been an accident. All of my synths are 1 octave lower. Call it the u-he character

Urs

[fgimian]

cool, thanks Urs

Fots

[nuffink]

Can instruments capable of as many timbres as these have a definable character?

[tee boy]

zero vector is the VST synth that sounds most like my virus. It is also fairy similar in signal flow and functionality to the virus. Tone2 firebird has some potential too. But if your into trance, get yourself a virus.

I like Zero Vector aswell. Very useful synth to have.

Funnily enough, while Im not a huge fan of its sound, I LOVE the layout of V Station. I can always program well on that synth for some reason.

On the other than, while I quite like the sound of Albino, I find the work flow less intuitive.

But if you want a Virus, why not just get one? I'll never know why people spend all their money on hundreds of VST's when they could just jump on Ebay and get what they REALLY want. Makes no sense to me.

TB

[martian]

soundpalace.

what was wrong with the oscs in zeta?

theres no aliasing, and you have variations of each wave type like saws/sq/etc with different harmonic balance, pwm all 60 waveforms, shaper for each osc, rig mod, fm, pm, hard sync, 8 voice multi oscs, etc. cant think what you wouldnt like for trance?

also for testing, be sure to set rendering to 'high', and for filter testing be sure to fully send an osc to only 1 filter, so make the osc bus control fully up or down.

regards,

[phattslagg]

Several of the synths you have tried have oversampling options, you do use these options when checking them dont you? Also Have you got readings on the Virus's aliasing, because it does have it, are these synths any worse?
Another point is ocsillator aliasing is only one factor of the sound and to rule synths out based just on this first point before checking the rest of the features out in context is misguided.

In Virus TI the HyperSaw oscillator is alias-free, whilst the 'Classic' oscillators are not.

With regard to the 'Virus filter' sound - since the Virus C (OS6.5) there is now the 'Analog' filter, which does a damn good Moog 4-pole impression, as well as being able to do a self-oscillating 1-pole (which rocks, btw).

Overall, the Analog filter mode has far more character than the original Virus filter, that's for sure.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the thing which most often increases the likelihood of aliasing is the use of saturation/distortion.