KVR Audio

Infiltrator · Post by **Infiltrator** » Wed May 09, 2012 2:05 pm

Hi folks, looking for some opinions on the Gladiator 2 synth.
I heard some presets and find them pretty awful, basically because it's sounding all pretty much like a typical trance synth to me. I was wondering if you guys could share some wisdom with me in regards to this synth and its use for more experimental music, drone, ambient, weird and dark stuff etc.
I'm going to get the demo soon and have a play, but I'd appreciate some opinions first, who knows, maybe this is just a synth that is not good for the sound I'm after and I don't even have to demo it.

Many thanks!

Mushy Mushy · Post by **Mushy Mushy** » Wed May 09, 2012 2:06 pm

Stop being lazy and just demo it

LeVzi · Post by **LeVzi** » Wed May 09, 2012 2:19 pm

Infiltrator wrote:Hi folks, looking for some opinions on the Gladiator 2 synth.
I heard some presets and find them pretty awful, basically because it's sounding all pretty much like a typical trance synth to me. I was wondering if you guys could share some wisdom with me in regards to this synth and its use for more experimental music, drone, ambient, weird and dark stuff etc.
I'm going to get the demo soon and have a play, but I'd appreciate some opinions first, who knows, maybe this is just a synth that is not good for the sound I'm after and I don't even have to demo it.

Many thanks!

Oh yeah, it's more than capable of so much more than just trancey sounds. For the darker sounds,drones etc, look into the unison and more importantly the spirit effects.

Also with the distortion options and mod matrix, you can route up some pretty bonkers noises tbh. It's so much more than just a trance synth tbh, and HCM is pretty cool too, add's interest to your more standard waveforms.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Wed May 09, 2012 2:45 pm

I just got both Saurus and ElectraX in the last 4-5 weeks or so.
I also got the Gladiator 2 demo which is really interesting but i have enough work to do with the 2 other synths currently.
Maybe sometimes later this year i will complete the "family" like i have already done with both the Waldorf plugins and the Xils Lab synths (+ the LeMasque Delay).

Ingo

Infiltrator · Post by **Infiltrator** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:10 pm

yeah, I know, it's lazy but like I said, I rather ask before I install a demo and ruin my computer with the registry entries etc.

Thanks for the feedback so far, what I hear sounds promising, so I'll give it a shot....
I tend to delete all presets of new synths these days more and more and Gladiator seems to be another one of those synths where the presets are useless to me. Just liek massive for example...

LeVzi · Post by **LeVzi** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:20 pm

Pre-sets are pretty subjective tbh, if you don't wanna use them, then yeah, no harm in getting rid and making a bunch of your own. Once you get into gladiator specifically the HCM , you'll see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Sequent · Post by **Sequent** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:41 pm

I already have Firebird+ and have been thinking about getting one of the other synths. I've been looking at Gladiator 2, ElectraX and Saurus, though I'm not exactly sure how they all fit into the big picture: there seems to be a little bit of overlap between all of them, with I'm guessing ElectraX having maybe the most all around flexibility? There certainly seems to be a trance/techno vibe to all of them, yet it's clear that there is so much more on offer. The things I like about the Tone2 synths are the very (imo) silky and smooth sound to them (especially with pads) and the relatively low cpu requirements. Tone2 synths have a unique character. It's a sound that I like having in my pallet.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:43 pm

Sequent wrote:I already have Firebird+ and have been thinking about getting one of the other synths. I've been looking at Gladiator 2, ElectraX and Saurus, though I'm not exactly sure how they all fit into the big picture: there seems to be a little bit of overlap between all of them, with I'm guessing ElectraX having maybe the most all around flexibility? There certainly seems to be a trance/techno vibe to all of them, yet it's clear that there is so much more on offer. The things I like about the Tone2 synths are the very (imo) silky and smooth sound to them (especially with pads) and the relatively low cpu requirements. Tone2 synths have a unique character. It's a sound that I like having in my pallet.

If i had to choose a single of the Tone2 synths it could be indeed ElectraX but i'm happy i also got Saurus.

Ingo

T-CM11 · Post by **T-CM11** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:55 pm

Infiltrator wrote: experimental music, drone, ambient, weird and dark stuff etc.

Why try a synth that's full of trance presets for those genres when there's so many other choices?
Try Alchemy, Omnisphere, Iris, Harmor, Absynth, etc. etc.

Sequent · Post by **Sequent** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:56 pm

Thanks, Ingo, that's the way I've been leaning. I just downloaded the ElectraX demo and will check it out over the next few days. My plan was to get the more "all around" one first and then possibly pick up something like Saurus later (maybe if it comes up in the marketplace sometime).

Big Waldorf fan as well, btw, since many years... both hw and soft!

Ingonator wrote:If i had to choose a single of the Tone2 synths it could be indeed ElectraX but i'm happy i also got Saurus.

Ingo

T-CM11 · Post by **T-CM11** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:59 pm

Krakatau · Post by **Krakatau** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:59 pm

I experienced having very big fun in creating pads and sounscapes with gladiator2

The early RCM stage in itself can be tremendeously effective for the creation of moving/evolving texture especially when combining various, slow scans of all kind as soundsources

Of course, it will remains a typical colour from gladiator (as well as many tone2 products AFAIK) but if that "tone2 flavour" doesn't bother you, the possibilities are really huge

Sequent · Post by **Sequent** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:11 pm

A very good point... but it also depends on what the op already has in their toolkit. One could, for example, say that the Virus is a trance synth, but that would be selling it short... or say the Yamaha CS-1x. All the alternatives you mentioned are great and maybe even better for ambient, drone, etc., but I think Gladiator (or ElectraX) are also definitely viable.

For ambient and drone I would also add Wavestation... I'm pretty sure that it's been used for ambient/drone... as have the others I've mentioned.

Iris, btw, is absolutely perfect for that.

T-CM11 wrote:
Infiltrator wrote: experimental music, drone, ambient, weird and dark stuff etc.
Why try a synth that's full of trance presets for those genres when there's so many other choices?
Try Alchemy, Omnisphere, Iris, Harmor, Absynth, etc. etc.

T-CM11 · Post by **T-CM11** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:14 pm

Sequent wrote:but I think Gladiator (or ElectraX) are also viable.

[/quote]
Of course, any synth could be used, as long as there are enough editing possibilities to change the non-suited presets

Infiltrator · Post by **Infiltrator** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:16 pm

Sequent wrote:A very good point... but it also depends on what the op already has in their toolkit. One could, for example, say that the Virus is a trance synth, but that would be selling it short... or say the Yamaha CS-1x. All the alternatives you mentioned are great and maybe even better for ambient, drone, etc., but I think Gladiator (or ElectraX) are also definitely viable.

For ambient and drone I would also add Wavestation... I'm pretty sure that it's been used for ambient/drone... as have the others I've mentioned.

Iris, btw, is absolutely perfect for that.

T-CM11 wrote:
Infiltrator wrote: experimental music, drone, ambient, weird and dark stuff etc.
Why try a synth that's full of trance presets for those genres when there's so many other choices?
Try Alchemy, Omnisphere, Iris, Harmor, Absynth, etc. etc.

I like the GUI of Gladiator a lot, hence my interest for this synth. It looks as if this synth could be a joy to program. I already use Absynth 5, Aalto, FM8, Massive, Synplant and some hardware synths....

Gladiator 2 ? Any good apart from Trance?