KVR Audio

golemus · Post by **golemus** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:00 pm

There was a topic like this but it is in archive:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/archive/i ... /31588.php

So how about today, Z3TA is now in version2, does it already match (or surpass) the sound quality of Virus?

Forget about the presets, just think about oscillator, filter, effects, etc..quality.

It is funny, somebody in the topic told that as virus is hardware it cannot match software but AFAIK virus is VA so it is software in hardware, so just a large dongle essentially

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:09 pm

It would be interesting (and I've been tempted) to load the virus waveforms into Z3ta+ and see if you could replicate the sounds. Maybe this is cheating because they would be virus waves to begin with, but I don't think the filters or the fx on the z3ta+ could stand up to a Virus.

Chad@PA · Post by **Chad@PA** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:31 pm

The amp sim section may also help you get closer towards emulating the sound of a specific box.

It'd be cool if that FX section was expanded to load custom impulses.

djanthonyw · Post by **djanthonyw** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:57 pm

Sounds close enough to me...

http://www.vengeance-storage.com/AudioD ... zetav1.mp3
http://www.vengeance-storage.com/AudioD ... ss-iv4.mp3

Honestly, if z3ta was available for Mac, I would take that any day over a hardware Virus.

liquid wind · Post by **liquid wind** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:41 pm

They're different synths, I don't really get the mysticism around the Virus where every synth has to be compared to it. It's good but nothing I've heard from it makes me think "this is the standard to which every other synth should aspire". It's just...a good synthesizer...as is Z3TA. That's my perspective as a listener at least. I haven't spent an extensive amount of time with either synth, maybe there's something with working with it that's special. There is something to be said for hardware you can play with rather than having to tweak things with the mouse, but that has nothing to do with the sound quality

debby · Post by **debby** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:05 am

Virus or any top hardwear has high quility sound (like jucy? tone)... and still Z3ta2 seems not enough 6%... (but very good). For aught I know, I think SynthMaster 2.0 was only one punch digital soft synth have got hardwear quility.. sound was perfact.. but, lost that sound became v2.5

digitalboytn · Post by **digitalboytn** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:44 am

debby wrote:Virus or any top hardwear has high quility sound (like jucy? tone)... and still Z3ta2 seems not enough 6%... (but very good). For aught I know, I think SynthMaster 2.0 was only one punch digital soft synth have got hardwear quility.. sound was perfact.. but, lost that sound became v2.5

I love the sound of z3ta+ and now Z3TA+2....

z3ta+ was originally designed to be hardware,but remained a soft synth....

Like some other people here said,most hardware synths these days are just VA's using a hardware interface...It's just coded software with a box,a few knobs and buttons and some pretty flashing lights

I would much rather have the software versions and use the power of my PC's to get the code running and then use the audio interfaces to get the sound out..

It's the same as running hardware - but with some serious advantages....

A.M. Gold · Post by **A.M. Gold** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:20 am

debby wrote:Virus or any top hardwear has high quility sound (like jucy? tone)... and still Z3ta2 seems not enough 6%... (but very good).

z3ta is only 6% of the quality of the Virus?

That's not too good.

docmhenry · Post by **docmhenry** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:23 am

Hi all...

Perhaps this should be in a different thread, but I am a Mac user, and I have Z3TA+2 on it. I apologize if thisis common knowledge, but I bought a program called Crossover from Code Weavers. It uses a wine wrapper to run windows software. It costs $39.95, and it is worth every penny. I run both Nucleus Sound Lab's Viral Outbreak and Z3TA+ through Mulab for windows, and then I use Soundflower to get the sound into Ableton Live for the Mac. The main difference between Crossover and VFX is that Crossover can run Windows applications like FL Studio on the Mac! It is not a panacea, though, because not all applications and windows plug ins will work. Make sure you try the demo of anything first. I have found that most plug ins for windows will install flawlessly! It would be interesting to compare Viral Outbreak and Z3TA+ this way...on a Mac!

There is a 30-day free trial for Crossover, BTW.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:42 am

liquid wind wrote:They're different synths, I don't really get the mysticism around the Virus where every synth has to be compared to it. It's good but nothing I've heard from it makes me think "this is the standard to which every other synth should aspire".

If someone is making popular dance music, a Virus TI2 and a good drum sample library is all they'll need to instantly sound as good as a lot of what's currently being released. Z3ta+ 2 is good but, IMO, you can't say the same thing about it.

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:55 am

Z3ta can sound like a Virus. In the past also with this Virus Mod (but IMO this is not ported to Z3ta+2 yet).

But to be honest... most VA softsynth can sound close to a Virus! NI Massiv, Sylenth, Dune, Zebra, NI Absynth... Often the sounds are so close that nobody could tell the difference. The synth must have a proper Unison, quick envelopes, good filters, some effects and then it's done.
The Virus is only software running on a own DSP, no special stuff or voodoo there.

samsam · Post by **samsam** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:23 am

The Virus sounds nice and all but zeta's got a much better keyboard, high class knobs and it's awesome to use as a MIDI controller...

GeorgeZ · Post by **GeorgeZ** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:35 am

Uncle E wrote:If someone is making popular dance music, a Virus TI2 and a good drum sample library is all they'll need to instantly sound as good as a lot of what's currently being released. Z3ta+ 2 is good but, IMO, you can't say the same thing about it.

Well, I wouldn't go that far... production has a lot to do with it as well. Surely there would be people who can make a Virus sound terrible, and other people who can make Synth1 sound magical

debby · Post by **debby** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:09 pm

A.M. Gold wrote:z3ta is only 6% of the quality of the Virus? That's not too good.

No.. I means 94%..

. Maybe 96%

But Virus is Art! Massive seems more perfact synth. synthmaster 2.0 was best at tone feeling at least. but needed some more like bug or filter range control. I think..

AKJ · Post by **AKJ** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:24 pm

I don't care for the sound of a virus since it never appeared to be that special to me. both z3ta 1 and 2 sound very good. instead of comparing to another device better name what exactly you are missing... (I am missing the hermode tuning in z3ta v2 which made v1 advanced in this respect. btw, the virus also features it: http://www.hermode.com/html/products-practice_en.html )

Access Virus vs. Z3TA2