KVR Audio

Painmooser · Post by **Painmooser** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:40 pm

virus is a digital synth - => algorithms

or does the virus has some true analog route besides the Line out?

ontrackp · Post by **ontrackp** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:08 am

This thread inspired me to buy Diva today. After one hour of just playing around with programming sounds I could use on a current project I can say that I am totally blown away.

dsan@mail.com · Post by **dsan@mail.com** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:30 pm

Congrats ontrackp!

I am finding they compliment each other. I think I like the Diva sounds better though. But man is it a CPU hog! Found a couple of sounds my system can't handle and get some crackling going on. Fortunately it's only been a couple

I am really liking Zebra HZ and can't wait to have the time to go into Zebra and make my own. Come on retirement!

Good luck!

Happy Musiking!
dsan

Dasheesh · Post by **Dasheesh** » Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:02 pm

Painmooser wrote:
BBFG# wrote:
pdxindy wrote:
BBFG# wrote:I'm using Alchemy and Zebra2HZ almost equally, I still prefer Alchemy for its granular pad sources though. Where Zebra catches up is in using both 2.6 and HZ in different instances, since they do have a character all their own and still compliment each other perfectly. I've also regained an interest in Zebralette for its quick simplicity and clarity in complimenting leads. But out of those three Zebras, HZ gets opened up the most.

One of my 'granular' presets for Zebra... (just 1 osc)

http://draigathar.org/sounds/Zdisto.mp3
Nice!
that sounds really atmospheric - I like it!

and yeah as a short time Zebra User my opinion might not be as weightful as of others. But all I can say is, that I originally cam from Guitar playing slowly into electronic music. A few years (its already 13 years now ^^) ago I settled on Cubase and Native instruments and was happy so far. But I got lazy - I thought I had seen it all and that there might only be minor differences across SW Synths - and so it came that only a year ago I browsed the internet to see what is new there..

And I Was blown away by the new "sound" (new in terms of - new to SW Synths).. downloaded the DIva demo, Nebula 3 - and all I have to say is I trust my ears, and u-HE with Nebula alone makes a perfect song, I stroingly consider to sell those "mastering" tools now - I dont need them anymore.

The soft synths from today do sound nothing like the sw from 1998-200x - really its not a huge difference its game changer difference... its just a completely different thing now. I got chills for the first time for a long time since I played guitar..

I strongly recommend to audit the suggestions in this thread!

This all the way. The sound of these new soft synths are GAME CHANGING. It's a paradigm shift due to computing power. Beware if thinking of an upgrade though... The CPUs have only now begun to cross that thresh hold. To make use of these new synths... ones like Diva, Spire, Synthmaster.... you need a newer computer. I would say a 2011 would struggle with handling these. I just purchased a 2013 macbook pro and synth master has chewed my cpu and crapped it out the other side. I continually max out cpu at 140 % :O! These things do eat cpu for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and then come back for desert like THANXgiving dinner. Just putting that out there as a heads up for you old timers... and I have no idea what people's problems with SM interface are... I love it and it's a breeze for me to use, but I come from analog hardware so that might have something to do with it. I accept quarks as part a synths character. I've been so in love with SM that I haven't gotten around or felt a need for anything else, but when I do it will come down to Diva v.s. Spire as a complment I believe.

ontrackp · Post by **ontrackp** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 12:37 am

Yes. Game changing. I"ve only been into soft synths for about a year because I was more comfortable with the traditional workflow, and I felt my collection of hardware synths sounded much better. My first software synth was Zebra2, which literally changed my workflow. Did a lot of free trials and added ACE, Synthmaster and DIVA (and upgraded to ZebraHZ). Between those three I never have to turn on my hardware (except occasionally the K2000 for the piano which I just really like).

If you're using SM for all your tracks, your CPU will go crazy. Get Zebra2 - it's like a swiss army knife of great sounding synths, and if you like rolling your own sounds you will have a field day -- for the next 20 years. ALso, DIVA sounds fantastic and the interface is incredibly smart.

For us old-school hardware synth guys with racks of synths and outboard gear, the latest generation of software synths is a total game changer. The other aspect of it is, of course, the cost. For the first 15 years of MIDI it cost $2,000 - $ 5,000 a year to keep up with the technical improvements in hardware. Now, $200 is considered expensive (!!) -- by the old standards picking up a new great sounding device for only a couple of hundred dollars is nothing short of a miracle.

Tronam · Post by **Tronam** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 3:24 am

By "the new Access Virus" do you mean 'Is Zebra as popular now as the Virus was 10 years ago?' Probably yes, but I wouldn't say that it replaces it. They complement each other. One is fixed architecture, the other semi-modular and this definitely influences how I approach sound design. I also tend to make different decisions when I'm in front of an instrument with a dedicated hardware interface as opposed to twiddling knobs with a mouse. Zebra is amazing, but the raw Virus osc/filter character is still its own thing, like the Nords, and they're certainly not the pinnacle of VA synthesis anymore. I've owned both over the years and the one I miss most is the NL2. It might be limited by today's standards, but I loved creating sounds on it.

shalako · Post by **shalako** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 3:50 am

I really don't like Zebra, I have an Access Virus C, I have nicer synths than both of them.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 4:38 am

ontrackp wrote:Yes. Game changing. I"ve only been into soft synths for about a year because I was more comfortable with the traditional workflow, and I felt my collection of hardware synths sounded much better. My first software synth was Zebra2, which literally changed my workflow. Did a lot of free trials and added ACE, Synthmaster and DIVA (and upgraded to ZebraHZ). Between those three I never have to turn on my hardware (except occasionally the K2000 for the piano which I just really like).

If you're using SM for all your tracks, your CPU will go crazy. Get Zebra2 - it's like a swiss army knife of great sounding synths, and if you like rolling your own sounds you will have a field day -- for the next 20 years. ALso, DIVA sounds fantastic and the interface is incredibly smart.

Zebra is an excellent balance between a vast sonic palette, sound quality and cpu use. A true workhorse synth...

Soooooo ...