FXpansion D-CAM: Synth Squad for sale now!

[ckatrun411]

Does anybody know ifl these products will be, "download sales only," or will you be able to find them in retailers like, "sweetwater, audiomidi, etc," as well?

[andy-cytomic]

Just like to add that even the 101 and 202 sound different. Owning both I'd say the 202 has more nasal sound midrangey sound... I like 101 better actually.

Well when it comes to mass produced on the cheap stuff like these component tolerances were typically quite high so even between two 101's there will be a noticeable sound difference

Andrew Simper

[khanyz]

Just like to add that even the 101 and 202 sound different. Owning both I'd say the 202 has more nasal sound midrangey sound... I like 101 better actually.

Well when it comes to mass produced on the cheap stuff like these component tolerances were typically quite high so even between two 101's there will be a noticeable sound difference

Andrew Simper

It's kinda half the fun. Isn't it?

N.

[andy-cytomic]

Does anybody know ifl these products will be, "download sales only," or will you be able to find them in retailers like, "sweetwater, audiomidi, etc," as well?

They will be available as boxed products that can be bought online and posted to you or bought in regular retail shops.

Andrew Simper

[andy-cytomic]

It's kinda half the fun. Isn't it?
N.

Definitely In some of the later designs I think some engineers of analog gear actually made things so clean and sterile that they sound digital (which is fine for some sounds). For synths I like the really dirty sounds of components interacting with each other, and feeding noise around and generally sounding wonderfully complex and interesting. I hope that people find the Synth Squad is a very solid step in that direction.

Andrew Simper

[strav101]

I have Vaz Modular which sounds so damn analog to me...does this pack of new synths reach this sonic quality? - (also I have the Scope stuff as well)

[exxxy]

I have Vaz Modular which sounds so damn analog to me...does this pack of new synths reach this sonic quality? - (also I have the Scope stuff as well)

why not listen to the demos?
and the synths aren't out yet so the only person who could answer this are the devs - do you think they are going to say yes or no to that question? - or people who have listened to the mp3 demos .... which you can just do yourself

[Lotuzia]

Didn't click for me, at least based on the audio demos.

I do like the "no fx" concept on board and the overall philosophy and talking, but when it comes to the sound and that I compare with to my real analog gear, or some other Vstis ........

So, not to be misunderstood, the sound is not bad in se, but tbh I didn't feel that a revolution was about to be born, and the crowd knocking on the queen's door .....

Might be it's just me ....

Hopefully there's much more to be found with the synth's demos.

LtZ

[strav101]

I was looking for some kind of technical explanation - it's obvious the dev would say Yeah anyway....

[ckatrun411]

I was looking for some kind of technical explanation - it's obvious the dev would say Yeah anyway....

First off, Vaz is amazing. But not Os X.... So, it doesn't work for those of us using Mac....

Second off...

I think what makes synths like Vaz amazing, is the fact that they have their own tone, their own vibe, there own sound.

Third....

I think the concepts of the Synth Squad are very different from the concepts of a huge modular like Vaz, Reaktor ( which is about as analog as a digital clock ) and Max.

The concepts of Synth Squad, as I understand them are:

1. The beauty of simplicity and user experience.

2. The tone and timbre qualities of instruments.

4. The power of computer software synthesis.

5. The vibe of circuity, that has been shown to create very expressive musicality, brought together to create new and exciting ideas.

Its a very interesting concept.

I'm always thinking, that where software can really innovate itself is not in sound quality, but in sound vibe. Hopefully, that is making sense.

Anyhow, Vaz is no youngster. Great as he is, software technology does get better with time. Software dev's build new architectures, architectures with new techniques. It is just the way it goes.

As a user of few, and not many, vst synths myself, I can say I am absolutely interested in these. I have a very discerning ear, I believe very much in my ears, I think they have changed, and have grown while I've been producing, and I am really keen on the few sounds I am hearing on the Synth Squad website.

I'll give a strange example....

1st off, those participating in the KVR community, really get to know what it is we each own, and are using in our music. Its no surprise, we know who owns a Zebra, who's got a massive, and who owns an Absynth... Etc.....

One of my favorite vst/au synths is Rapture. Rapture, has always been a favorite example of a synth that I believe is:

A) On the cutting edge of computer software sound quality.

B) Extreme in its possibilities for beautiful and wild sound design.

C) Flexible, and fat, and all around great.


But here is the weird thing! I've always thought Rapture, to lack a sound vibe. Does that make any sense? Here it is, one of my favorite synths, an award winning synth, a really awesome piece of technology, very important in my music, and my music studio, ( which is a virtual studio, aside from sound card, mbp, and monitors, ) and I think, Rapture lacks a tone in and of itself.

This, "tone," I speak of is, is very hard to explain. I can only suggest, that this, "tone," is exactly why I bought Sugar Bytes Unique. And since, I can't explain it, I'll ask that you deduce what I am talking about, from that statement.

With that said, what interests me, is the concept behind this Fxpansion Synth Squad. Like I was stating earlier, the concept of Synth Squad, seems to be, model circuitry that is known for its musical expressiveness, and create new virtual instruments.

Not just model, the Sh 101, or the Arp, or 303, etc... ( sorry, I don't know my vintage synths well, I come from a rock background, and I haven't memorized what Fxpansion modeled, so I am throwing out examples )

But model, the circuitry behind these creations. Find out, what it is about those creations, that sounded so beautiful, and bring that all together, to create new instruments, that represent how great instruments are built.

My ears have changed, so much in the last three years, I've been learning to produce. Synths I thought were great in year 1 and 2, bore me now. Lately, I'm down to using two synths. Rapture, and Unique. I'd like to expand my studio, and give myself some other vibes.

I really have high hopes for the Fxpansion. I could hear instantly, within seconds, what kind of great achievement they have made here.

I totally believe, there is a lot MORE WORK to do, with the tone and sound vibe of software.

I'm buying my Live 8 upgrade, I'm purchasing the SYnth Squad.... Later in 2009, I might buy the new Max4Live. But I really never thought, Max, Pure Data, Csound, Reaktor, Kyma, Nord Modular, and a whole big fat array of others, have a tone to themselves, that is mind blowing.

Now, maybe the Virus does, although it is a little old, played out to me, maybe the nord lead does, although in my way of working, a hardware synth, that can not be saved with a snap shot every ten seconds, is going to be a serious inconvenience... ( benefits of being a computer musician for only three years, -- LOL )

There are plenty of synths, to throw at the wall and say, "this is a classic sound." There are not plenty of virtual synths, to throw at the wall and say, "this is a classic sound."

Classic sound is what has become of Vaz, it is what has become with a few other virtual synths as well, it is certainly the vibe I'm getting from Fxpansion, it is certainly one that intrigues me.

[andy-cytomic]

Didn't click for me, at least based on the audio demos.

I do like the "no fx" concept on board and the overall philosophy and talking, but when it comes to the sound and that I compare with to my real analog gear, or some other Vstis ........

So, not to be misunderstood, the sound is not bad in se, but tbh I didn't feel that a revolution was about to be born, and the crowd knocking on the queen's door .....

Might be it's just me ....

Hopefully there's much more to be found with the synth's demos.

LtZ

Hi Lotuzia,

Thanks for being honest about the audio demos. Let me finish putting the new demos together, I'll make sure there are some that clearly demonstrate the non-linearities and asymmetries in the analog modeling. I would appreciate if you could spend the time to listen to the new demos and give another honest opinion. Also please listen to the demo I did several years ago of the SH101 and let me know what you think, the link to the mp3 is on this page: http://www.vellocet.com/dsp/analog/Self ... onics.html

Andrew Simper

[Lotuzia]

Didn't click for me, at least based on the audio demos.

I do like the "no fx" concept on board and the overall philosophy and talking, but when it comes to the sound and that I compare with to my real analog gear, or some other Vstis ........

So, not to be misunderstood, the sound is not bad in se, but tbh I didn't feel that a revolution was about to be born, and the crowd knocking on the queen's door .....

Might be it's just me ....

Hopefully there's much more to be found with the synth's demos.

LtZ

Hi Lotuzia,

Thanks for being honest about the audio demos. Let me finish putting the new demos together, I'll make sure there are some that clearly demonstrate the non-linearities and asymmetries in the analog modeling. I would appreciate if you could spend the time to listen to the new demos and give another honest opinion. Also please listen to the demo I did several years ago of the SH101 and let me know what you think, the link to the mp3 is on this page: http://www.vellocet.com/dsp/analog/Self ... onics.html

Andrew Simper

Hi Andy,

Well please don't take too much consideration on my opinion : Only based on the current availables audio demos, so really a first sight, or ear, impression.

I have a SH-101 in my studio, and yes the self oscillation seems quite accurate. I'd love to see a good SH emulation in the Vst world. Of all the ones I tried sofar some were quite brilliant and some other well .... less brilliant . But no one did make me feel like I will never use the real one in the future. This said VA has often something different to offer that just mimic the behaviour of its ancesters. Othh the main goal is probably to retrieve and offer some closest as possible flavors and joy of what the rusty gear could give too so .....

I'll listen to the new audio demos, no problemo. The least that I can do.

All the best for the Squad anyway.

LtZ

[SWAN808]

do we have a ballpark price for the squad?

[andy-cytomic]

Hi Andy,
Well please don't take too much consideration on my opinion : Only based on the current availables audio demos, so really a first sight, or ear, impression.

I appreciate you say what you think. Please don't feel bad about saying what you think is right.

I have a SH-101 in my studio, and yes the self oscillation seems quite accurate. I'd love to see a good SH emulation in the Vst world.

I'm glad you think the filter seems accurate to analog. My aim for this demo was to match quite closely that particular SH-101 filter sound as an excercise. I view it as copying a songs style in order to gain your own skills in song writing. Strobe is not a model of an SH-101, sorry to dissapoint you, but I have taken inspiration from it, and a few other synths in order to make it.

Of all the ones I tried sofar some were quite brilliant and some other well .... less brilliant . But no one did make me feel like I will never use the real one in the future.

I would definitely keep your SH-101 if I was you, since each one is different and it's great fun to have a physical synth you can play with, and even run on batteries if you want anywhere. But it being physical and analog also has it's drawbacks in terms of what you can do with it.

...
I'll listen to the new audio demos, no problemo. The least that I can do.
All the best for the Squad anyway.
LtZ

Thanks Lotuzia, I appreciate your time and comments.

Andrew Simper

[Shy]

Andy: for some reason I much prefer the sound of this. I too wasn't impressed by the demos on the FXpansion site. I think if you want to show off your synth's quality, their "analogness", then surely it would be much easier to hear without any effects, especially drum samples and other unrelated stuff all around.

I think you've done a very decent job and obviously worked hard on emulating filters and oscillators. Maybe the result is even better than any other currently available synths. I still hear nothing that could replace my real analog synths, and it has nothing to do with "it being a physical instrument" (I couldn't care less about that). But the future is bright if the core components are being developed with sound quality taken seriously.