So what exactly IS rapture anyway?

[MitchK1989]

I've read about it on their site and I've come across the term "wavetable". Does this mean it uses single cycle waves, tables of single cycle waves which can be swept through, or samples?

Any opinions you have on it would be nice as well. The MP3 demos make it out to be fairly suitable for dark digital bass.

[kritikon]

Wavetables are basically samples that you can sweep through, start at different points, modulate at different points etc. They traditionally use a swept sample - something like an old analogue synth sweeping up a filter, but the sample could be anything such as the sound of a thunderclap, radio interference etc. A decent wavetable synth nowadays (IMO) should allow you to input your own wavetables. To be honest - I can't really see a difference between a wavetable synth and a well-featured sampler. A decent sampler should let you do almost everything a wavetable synth can, and it then only relies on the quality of samples that you putinto it. A decent sampler should give you start point modulation, sample playback options forward/backward/alternate etc, release point and other mod options and will be automatable in any decent host.

Most wavetable synths I've tried sound very digital, so (as with anything) you like that or you don't. Although there's no reason a wavetable synth can't have smooth analogue-sounding filters, and indeed Waldorf was supposedly reknowned for doing exactly that (although to me Waldorf filters sounded harsh and metallic, but others seem to like them...).


So...dark digital bass. Yes, a wavetable synth should let you do lots of that - to get the dark bit right, you'd just filter out some of the digital brightness.

As for Rapture...I don't really know anything about it. But if it's wavetable, it sounds like it should be up your street. It's ReFX isn't it? I personally rate ReFX as providing good quality stuff for reasonable prices. I bought JunoX2 and then got the freebie Vanguard upgrade when JunoX2 was stopped. Good value for money IMO. I've used Claw extensively, and IMO it makes a reasonable replacement for my MC202 - the commercial Claw version is still possibly on my list...as is XPhraze (but possibly I might just plump for the Korg VSTi Wavestation instead - I'm basically looking just for a Wavestation replacement). I always keep an eye on ReFX 'cos you never quite know what they'll turn up with next. It's not always to one's own personal taste, but it always has some quality or quirk that makes it distinctive.

[zircon]

Rapture is Cakewalk, not reFX.

[[ xerocreep ]]

It uses single cycle and sfz samples for it's oscillators. To the best of my knowledge you cannot sweep between the waveforms.

It sounds really cool, and with a bit of effort you can get some pretty unique sounds out of it with all of the layering and such.

My only gripe is that you can't route multiple "oscillators" to a single filter.

It is excellent for dark digital bass though.

[ouroboros]

To be honest - I can't really see a difference between a wavetable synth and a well-featured sampler. A decent sampler should let you do almost everything a wavetable synth can, and it then only relies on the quality of samples that you putinto it. A decent sampler should give you start point modulation, sample playback options forward/backward/alternate etc, release point and other mod options and will be automatable in any decent host.

Thanks for saying this: After purchasing my first sampler and trying to use it quite a bit, I found myself wondering the same thing. No black and white, I guess, only a grey continuum.

[MitchK1989]

It uses single cycle and sfz samples for it's oscillators. To the best of my knowledge you cannot sweep between the waveforms.

So it's just plain sample based synthesis? That's kinda boring... Any standout features I should be trying?

[dougsyo]

You'll get a better answer over in the Cakewalk Instruments forum. The question may have even been answered there. I remember there was a post in the last two-three months about how DimPro and Rapture differ, since DimPro is more of a sample-based synthesizer. Rapture is more electronica-oriented, and one of the strengths is the set of step sequencers.

Found it:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=1016 ... e&#1016096

Rapture wavetables/wavesequencing:
http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=8056 ... le&#805612
http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=7527 ... le&#752783

Doug

[xylyx]

My only gripe is that you can't route multiple "oscillators" to a single filter.

I'm no expert on Rapture (not had it that long), but isn't there a filter on the Global tab that all the elements can be routed through?

[hcv242]

anybody knows if in rapture you can set the lfo start phase at the bar start, like in z3ta+ ?

[pljones]

You should be able to modulate the oscilator start offsets... don't know if you can, though. You can in the SFZ format, so it's likely you can (and Dim Pro seems to have it on the interface). I've no tried it in anger, though.

[vincent66]

I think that Rapture (and Z3ta+) -both of which I own- are wavetable synths in the old soundcard sense of the word, in that you have access to a bank of waves which you can add your own to, rather than the PPG type of Wavetable. Having said that Cronox 3 (which I also have) has just been updated and that has Schroeder Oscillator types which allow you to read a wave in a manner that produces wavetable like sounds and the Spread feature (like a unison) does lend itself to very Palm like sounds. I'd recommend a look at that too.

[b rock]

anybody knows if in rapture you can set the lfo start phase at the bar start

Switching any LFO from sync to frequency takes it from host tempo control, and ties the phase to note on events. You can change that phase by clicking and dragging the waveform widget, or using Shift and arrow keys. Like the oscillators themselves, any changes update at the next note on event. Alternately, you can just load your own custom LFOs.

Rapture can do wavetable sequencing in .sfz, or by way of the step sequencers. That's more in a 'static' sense, in that wavetable scanning direction or random access isn't done easily. It takes some extra work to tie the step sequences together in rate, overall length, smooth crossfades, etc. It's not intended to mimic a PPG; it's just something that can be done.

There are filter effects in the Global section. I think that it'd be more versatile to bind several oscillators together in an .sfz file, load that into a single Element, and run the results through the two filters and 14 routings in the DSP section. That still leaves the other five Elements open for use. Again (alternately), you can configure as many filters as you want in an .sfz file.

[kritikon]

Rapture is Cakewalk, not reFX.

Oops.

Ah well...my excuse is that I don't pay any attention to S&S synths. I lived through the time when S&S was the big thing in boring digital synthesis and they never lit my bulb back then. Wavetable is just an extension of S&S, and as I mentioned...I'd rather use a decent sampler. There was the occasional good S&S - I still love my Wavestation, and some of the hybrid FM/S&S Yamahas were capable of some very good sounds, but overall they really don't do it for me.

I suppose I can see why some use S&S - the ready made waveforms and patches etc...but again samplers can do all that. Nowadays there are sample sets both on CD (and laid out in proper patches and keygroups etc) or downloadable that can take the place of a bought S&S synth. Back in the early late80s/90s samplers weren't as feature-laden as now, so that's why S&S held sway. An S&S synth will remain just that and you hope the dev or 2nd parties continue to supply extra sample sets. Whereas a decent sampler is an S&S synth and also you can load your own samples and use it as a traditional sampler. It surprises me that there is a market at all for S&S in s/w form. Horses for courses I suppose.

Still...good luck to Cakewalk.

[xylyx]

kritikon: Rapture (and Dim Pro) will load wave files, as well as sfz files and others. There is no reliance on Cakewalk to provide more sample sets, as you can make your own or get them from others (NSL supply most of their soundsets in sfz format). Rapture and Dim Pro are nothing like Nexus or Atmosphere in this regard...

[MitchK1989]

Kritikon, PPG style wavetable synths like the Waldorf Microwave, Vember Audio Surge, ect. resemble analogs and virtual analogs more than samplers, using single cycle waves much like analogs do. The only difference is that you have a lot more single cycle waves to choose from, and you can morph/interpolate/sweep between them.