Diva versus Ace

[marzzz]

Despite the size of the cabinet, that somehow seems to be a pretty sparse modular....!?

[Urs]

Well, never forget that ACE is just part of a bigger plan. We want you guys to get used to this kind of patching and the inherent sonic possibilities of all audio rate modulations (plus CPU-hoggyness).

At some point we'll put the full blown Berlin Modular on the table, and then that's that. (I also have the comfy feeling that Berlin Modular is a similarly moving and improving target as Diva was)

Urs

[atukao]

Urs

Will Berlin Modular exclusively use patch cables like Ace & Bazille or will it include an alternative patching process similar to Zebra.

What level of priority does Berlin Modular and "LUSH" have in your schedule compared to Zebra and other projects: is it going to be another year or more before something is released?

[Uncle E]

If you were experienced with modular analog systems, you would have felt right at home with ACE.

I am experienced with modulars. I don't like the sound of ACE and that's the reason why I never dug into it. Hearing now that ACE will eventually have parts from DIVA does make me somewhat regret selling it but I won't use it in its current form.

[Uncle E]

... and therefore much smaller than a hardware Zebra2, about the size of Bazille. But why are we talking about size now?

You made the statement that my not enjoying Zebra and ACE means that the "modular paradigm" must not agree with me, which I am refuting my stating that I enjoy modulars, have plenty of experience with them, and simply have never gotten my head around Zebra's interface. Furthermore, this is only my opinion for now, it may change completely once Zebra sounds like DIVA and thus provides more rewards for learning the interface.

[Fritze]

The day will come when it falls like dandruff from your eyes (German saying)

What the heck are you doing around here right now...shouldn't you be off somewhere fancy and romantic celebrating your 4th wedding anniversary!?

Ah, congrats Urs! Greetings to the Diva, eehhhhh lady.

[Fritze]

Diva's the SUV with a HEMI, ACE is the exotic roadster

Ahhhhh, now I know why I prefer Diva over Ace. Makes total sense now!

[Fritze]

FWIW, I have been using synths for over 20 years and consider myself a synth expert, yet I never mastered ACE or Zebra. I mastered DIVA before ever even using it because its architecture is so bog standard, and consequently it's now the only u-he synth I use.

Then you aren't that much of a synth expert (no offense meant)...

[Uncle E]

I'm Imagining a guitarist in a world where all the Les Pauls, Strats, Getsch hollow-bodies can each be purchased for the price of a nice dinner, and delivered instantly. Unreal times for synth-lover. What the heck am I doing on this forum? Gotta go play

Beautiful! Not that this is even nearly as good as what you're describing, but TC Electronic now makes guitar pedals that can be programmed by sending an audio signal from a phone through the guitar's pickup and into the audio input of the pedal. Again, it's not as good as getting a new guitar zapped over for the price of Ruth's Chris but it's pretty damn neat just the same.

[Fritze]

About interfaces of modulars: Some interface concepts are more natural to me than others. This makes it easier of harder for me to get into a certain synth. E.g. the VazMod didn't click with me years ago. I'm now taking the n+1th approach to conquer Zebra's interface and it's feels better now to me. Ace is still somehow confusing as until now I somehow refused to memorize the unseen structure that can be broken with the patch chords. I love Zebra and Ace but their usage concepts don't feel natural to me.
Diva is so much more rewarding to me for two reasons:
The sound quality, which is so FULL of character right from the start which inspires me a lot. I made more than 800 presets during the few weeks of beta testing it. I can't say that about too many synths that I made that many presets in such a short amount of time using them.
Second, the structures are much easier to grasp for me. I know "a few" things about modular synths as I was using Reaktor almost exclusively for 2 years. So it's no question of complexity and what I understood it's similar for Uncle E.

[pdxindy]

If you were experienced with modular analog systems, you would have felt right at home with ACE.

I am experienced with modulars. I don't like the sound of ACE and that's the reason why I never dug into it. Hearing now that ACE will eventually have parts from DIVA does make me somewhat regret selling it but I won't use it in its current form.

Well, now you are saying something totally different than before. Not liking the sound is entirely different than not understanding the interface.

[pdxindy]

... and therefore much smaller than a hardware Zebra2, about the size of Bazille. But why are we talking about size now?

You made the statement that my not enjoying Zebra and ACE means that the "modular paradigm" must not agree with me, which I am refuting my stating that I enjoy modulars, have plenty of experience with them, and simply have never gotten my head around Zebra's interface. Furthermore, this is only my opinion for now, it may change completely once Zebra sounds like DIVA and thus provides more rewards for learning the interface.

The Zebra interface is easy. You put some modules in the order you want and then there they are and you tweak them. It could not be more obvious. Zebra can do so much sonically that Diva cannot. If that sonic range of FM, Additive, Comb and the Wavetables etc does not interest you sonically, and you are only interested in the classic analog sounds, that is fine and Diva was created for you.

[pdxindy]

FWIW, I have been using synths for over 20 years and consider myself a synth expert, yet I never mastered ACE or Zebra. I mastered DIVA before ever even using it because its architecture is so bog standard, and consequently it's now the only u-he synth I use.

Then you aren't that much of a synth expert (no offense meant)...

Well, it is true. If he knows how to use Diva before even using it that is because he has a lot of experience with basic subtractive. If he had that same level of experience with modulars, he would know how to use ACE immediately as well...

I had slow going with ACE at first because I had never used a modular synth. Same thing with Bazille. First time I tried it I could barely make a sound.

[pdxindy]

About interfaces of modulars: Some interface concepts are more natural to me than others. This makes it easier of harder for me to get into a certain synth. E.g. the VazMod didn't click with me years ago. I'm now taking the n+1th approach to conquer Zebra's interface and it's feels better now to me. Ace is still somehow confusing as until now I somehow refused to memorize the unseen structure that can be broken with the patch chords. I love Zebra and Ace but their usage concepts don't feel natural to me.
Diva is so much more rewarding to me for two reasons:
The sound quality, which is so FULL of character right from the start which inspires me a lot. I made more than 800 presets during the few weeks of beta testing it. I can't say that about too many synths that I made that many presets in such a short amount of time using them.
Second, the structures are much easier to grasp for me. I know "a few" things about modular synths as I was using Reaktor almost exclusively for 2 years. So it's no question of complexity and what I understood it's similar for Uncle E.

I disagree (besides Diva sounding great). Zebra is brilliant. There is nothing else like it that has that much diversity, flexibility and sonic potential that is so easy to use. One glance and you know which modules are being used and in which order. It is clear and concise and capable.

[justin3am]

While I really enjoy Diva, I still prefer to use ACE and I generally prefer Bazilla and Zebra to ACE.

Most of the sounds I like are based on FM, Wavetable or Additive sounds which isn't exactly Diva's main focus.
I generally prefer to work in modular environments because the sounds I like are tough to achieve with fixed architecture synths.

That isn't to say that fixed architecture synths are bad, they just aren't my preference.