KVR Audio

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:25 pm

grymmjack wrote:FM7 DOES NOT SOUND CHEAP AS CHIPS IT SOUNDS GOOD.

He didn't say FM7 sounds cheap as chips, he says it uses "cheap as chips digital operators", i.e. algorithms that require very little processing.

HunterKiller · Post by **HunterKiller** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:56 am

Vectorman wrote:I wasn't really shocked and horrified by D-CAM's CPU use, but I guess having already been using u-he Bazille (with which I can barely get 8 notes of polyphony per core on my quad), I'd already been "braced for impact," LOL.

I've seen several people over the last year or two post that they would welcome synths that ate CPU more greedily in exchange for a real advance in softsynth sound quality. Well, with new arrivals like Synth Squad and Bazille, we're finally starting to get it.

TimewARP2600 has been doing this since 2004.

rouge · Post by **rouge** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:25 am

Vectorman wrote:I wasn't really shocked and horrified by D-CAM's CPU use, but I guess having already been using u-he Bazille (with which I can barely get 8 notes of polyphony per core on my quad), I'd already been "braced for impact," LOL.

I've seen several people over the last year or two post that they would welcome synths that ate CPU more greedily in exchange for a real advance in softsynth sound quality. Well, with new arrivals like Synth Squad and Bazille, we're finally starting to get it. I think it's worth the cost in CPU when I start tweaking Strobe or Bazille and hear how amazingly present and characterful they sound. I'm content to do more rendering to audio and work around it until CPU's have sped up to the point that multiple instances of D-CAM and Berlin Modular synths can be dropped into a session as casually as ImpOSCar or Sylenth currently can. Who cares if you can get 64 notes of polyphony out of Synth X or Synth Y if the core sound isn't as good?

+1000 This man speaks the truth

rouge · Post by **rouge** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 6:20 am

HunterKiller wrote:
Vectorman wrote:I wasn't really shocked and horrified by D-CAM's CPU use, but I guess having already been using u-he Bazille (with which I can barely get 8 notes of polyphony per core on my quad), I'd already been "braced for impact," LOL.

I've seen several people over the last year or two post that they would welcome synths that ate CPU more greedily in exchange for a real advance in softsynth sound quality. Well, with new arrivals like Synth Squad and Bazille, we're finally starting to get it.
TimewARP2600 has been doing this since 2004.

And it sounds no where near as analog as cypher. Its not just about the features, its about the sound. Just because they say it does analog like fm or cross modulation doesn't mean it does it well.

dub3000 · Post by **dub3000** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 7:43 am

just adding my 2c,

bought it yesterday and loving it. all synths run decently at 2x oversampling on a core 2 duo at 384 sample latency.

the sounds are amazing. but i was a bit confused by the modulation sources for a bit - it's unclear that clicking on the 'word' part (e.g. "LFO1+") does different things (bring up the source selector) to clicking on the middle part (select the modulation source). it'd be probably good for new users if the bit that said "LFO1+" or "Env1+" etc was a distinct UI item or had a 3d border around it or something.

apart from that, yeah, loving it. cypher is a beast.

quantize · Post by **quantize** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:05 am

I've only had enough time to quickly install and browse presets in the other synths, but i had some time to spend on Strobe and I'm very impressed by the sound..I have to say the presets are surprisingly underwhelming given the enormous potential.. Given how much time went into development i was a little surprised that there arent more WOW presets, but its not a big deal..you can make that wow factor yourself pretty quickly..which i think is the true test of a virtual instrument.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:17 am

Echoes in the Attic wrote:
olikana wrote: it is a VA that does cross modulation and has new features like "through zero"...but describing it as an "analog FM" makes little sense...or better said only describes the synth in part (same way it would be limiting calling it an "analog subtractive").
it's not analog (it's software) ...and it's not only a Fm (it is also a 3osc subtractive synth).
it is a Virtual Analog by definition though ...and this cannot be disproved.
you keep calling it an analog FM....I'll keep calling it a VA.
important to me is that it sounds closer to the real analogs than the VAs I have been dealing with in the past 10 years.

if cypher had all the filter types of strobe....i would bin strobe...cos in theory there's nothing cypher can't do that strobe can. (architecture wise anyway)
Ok then. You win. We will now call strobe a "VA synth". And we will call Cypher a "VA synth". And what the hell, let's call Amber a "VA synth" too. Who needs descriptors like "Divide-Down Oscillators" or "string machine". People might get the wrong idea and expect violins or guitars.

Must be a damn good synth that the main argument is over the naming description !!

dub3000 · Post by **dub3000** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:21 am

quantize wrote:I've only had enough time to quickly install and browse presets in the other synths, but i had some time to spend on Strobe and I'm very impressed by the sound..I have to say the presets are surprisingly underwhelming given the enormous potential.. Given how much time went into development i was a little surprised that there arent more WOW presets, but its not a big deal..you can make that wow factor yourself pretty quickly..which i think is the true test of a virtual instrument.

i don't think i've found a synth yet (plugin or hardware) where i actually like many of the default presets. that's not intended as a slight against anyone, i just like making my own.

the ones in synth squad are decent (and there are loads of them) but i still prefer to hammer together my own ones.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:24 am

rouge wrote:
HunterKiller wrote:
Vectorman wrote:I wasn't really shocked and horrified by D-CAM's CPU use, but I guess having already been using u-he Bazille (with which I can barely get 8 notes of polyphony per core on my quad), I'd already been "braced for impact," LOL.

I've seen several people over the last year or two post that they would welcome synths that ate CPU more greedily in exchange for a real advance in softsynth sound quality. Well, with new arrivals like Synth Squad and Bazille, we're finally starting to get it.
TimewARP2600 has been doing this since 2004.
And it sounds no where near as analog as cypher. Its not just about the features, its about the sound. Just because they say it does analog like fm or cross modulation doesn't mean it does it well.

If that's your opinion you may also propose that Cypher sounds more analog than a real ARP 2600 ?? You could also discuss if a Prophet 08 sounds more analog than a Prophet 5.

I get a feeling that those comparisons start to get ridiculous...

starla* · Post by starla* » Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:10 am

its funny that people actually think a vst emulator sound exactly like an analog synth just because it got the same name.

cYrus · Post by **cYrus** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 11:46 am

starla* wrote:its funny that people actually think a vst emulator sound exactly like an analog synth just because it got the same name.

how does an analog synth sound exactly?

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:04 pm

starla* wrote:its funny that people actually think a vst emulator sound exactly like an analog synth just because it got the same name.

In defense of the timewARP, this is IMHO the synth where this kind of thinking fits best. If there was a hardware equivalent to Strobe, I assume that Strobe would be the second synth I'd say that about.

Wopelka · Post by **Wopelka** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:05 pm

just a question, as i'm a bit puzzled with all the CPU hog discussino:

is a Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q8200 2.33 Ghz & 4 Mb of RAM enough to run Synth Squad without too much trouble?

randyandyvandaman · Post by **randyandyvandaman** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 12:14 pm

Synthesis is based on an infinite palette of sound.
Whether it be analogue or vst emulations go forth and create.
I think at times we put too much emphasis on the science and mathematics
of sound and not on what actually sounds nice.
Then again my hearing is different to yours.

Cheers

ZenPunkHippy · Post by **ZenPunkHippy** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 1:09 pm

Wopelka wrote:just a question, as i'm a bit puzzled with all the CPU hog discussino:

is a Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q8200 2.33 Ghz & 4 Mb of RAM enough to run Synth Squad without too much trouble?

Yes. I've been running Synth Squad on a much earlier CoreDuo, it's been perfectly usable, although obviously some patches will cause a problem. Core 2 Quad will be fine.

Peace,
Andy.

FXpansion D-CAM: Synth Squad for sale now!