KVR Audio

UnderwaterSunlight · Post by **UnderwaterSunlight** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:13 pm

I want to hear about an alternative to Padshop Pro. Only 64bit compatible. Windows 7.

The reason is, my Padshop Pro doesn't play well in Ableton 8 (garbled parameter values upon reloading an Ableton set). In Reaper 4, problems as well, here it crashes the host frequently when opening a project that contains it.
My third host, Cubase Studio 5, is certainly able to host Padshop properly, but I much prefer Ableton or Reaper for my work.

Now, who can point me to a VSTi which nicely does the granular sounds I'm after? I need lush, evolving pads (that's why I bought Padshop in the first place) and weird FX.
I already own NI Komplete7 (I use FM8, Massive, Absynth, Prism, Reaktor often, but Padshop's feature set and accessibility are very good).

My music styles are Ambient, Chillout, Experimental, Space, Soundtrack stuff.

Would Iris, Harmor, Alchemy or RayBlaster offer what I want?

Thanks in advance for your hints.

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:30 pm

Why don't you have a look at Kaivo too.

wasi · Post by **wasi** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:35 pm

Skanner XT is very similar IMO.

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:49 pm

You already have that what you seek. Absynth should do the trick.

UnderwaterSunlight · Post by **UnderwaterSunlight** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 3:12 pm

Kaivo:
Kaivo's sound didn't appeal to me as I judged it according to a Youtube video.

Skanner XT, Absynth:
I have the free Skanner, but like Absynth, there are too few granular possibilities.

Other granular VST's:
I demoed Granite. It didn't click with me.
The Mangle is still to be properly developed.

Anyone using Monolake's granulator (Max4live) to good pleasure (I only have Live 8 without M4L) ?

coincidental · Post by **coincidental** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 3:53 pm

Alchemy springs to mind really. That should cover you for just about everything, but I can highly recommend the Luftrum and Big Tone soundsets in particular for the genres you mention. The factory patches have a massive amount of good stuff in them too. And then there's Simon Stockhausen's patchpool stuff... Check out all the sound demos on the Camel Audio site.

It might not be everyone's favourite granulariser, but you can't argue with the sound design possibilities. It's also very stable and well supported - and there's the prospect of Alchemy 2 on the horizon. Need I go on?

BBFG# · Post by **BBFG#** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 4:08 pm

coincidental wrote:Alchemy springs to mind really. That should cover you for just about everything, but I can highly recommend the Luftrum and Big Tone soundsets in particular for the genres you mention. The factory patches have a massive amount of good stuff in them too. And then there's Simon Stockhausen's patchpool stuff... Check out all the sound demos on the Camel Audio site.

It might not be everyone's favourite granulariser, but you can't argue with the sound design possibilities. It's also very stable and well supported - and there's the prospect of Alchemy 2 on the horizon. Need I go on?

Echo that with a big +1

Key word that brings Alchemy to the top: 'evolving'.
With the last deal on PSPro, I thought hard whether to get it or not, and finally decided not to for two reasons. The one that applies here is I was getting what I need out of Alchemy and felt in many ways it would be redundant.

I also like the sound designers mentioned and use their libraries and would add Yuroun to that list also.
Like you I found Kaivo to not yet be to my liking, but I still think it's worth keeping an eye on its development. And while I don't need it, I've promised myself to snatch up Harmor during the first real sale I see on it. (Btw, the second reason I didn't get PSP was eLicenser and if it had a different method, would have bought it anyway, redundant or not).

UnderwaterSunlight · Post by **UnderwaterSunlight** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 4:37 pm

I will have to testdrive various eligible plugins then.
Thanks to all who took their time to assist me.

wasi · Post by **wasi** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:50 pm

FWIW, Skanner XT is much more powerful than Skanner. The two can't really be compared other than the output being the same when the preset is the same. It's highly underestimated IMO.

But yeah, hard to argue with Alchemy for anything.

AstralExistence · Post by **AstralExistence** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:22 pm

whats wrong with omnisphere?

~Pd~ · Post by **~Pd~** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:54 pm

You might like Mirage for Reaktor.

https://soundcloud.com/peterdines/peter ... ler-pack-1

http://www.reaktortips.com/2011/02/intr ... -pack.html

BBFG# · Post by **BBFG#** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:10 pm

AstralExistence wrote:whats wrong with omnisphere?

Besides for not being able to import a sample into it?

electro · Post by **electro** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:27 pm

Did you know Halion 5 (Steinberg's Sampler) has the complete engines of Padshop and Retrologue built in?
http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vs ... ion_5.html

BBFG# · Post by **BBFG#** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 11:09 pm

electro wrote:Did you know Halion 5 (Steinberg's Sampler) has the complete engines of Padshop and Retrologue built in?
http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vs ... ion_5.html

If PSPro is giving the OP problems, it's doubtful that Halion would solve them.

Sound Author · Post by **Sound Author** » Thu Jan 01, 2015 9:09 pm

BBFG# wrote:
AstralExistence wrote:whats wrong with omnisphere?
Besides for not being able to import a sample into it?

^ This being my #1 gripe concerning Omnisphere. Almost every time I lodge this complaint, Omnisphere loyalists immediately start pummeling me with remarks like "Yeah, but there are over 40 gigs of amazing sounds" -- BLAH BLAH BLAH --

Listen, I'm a sound designer. If I create a patch, and I begin with an albeit superb field recording by Diego Stocco {yes, I'm a fan} then I'm basically standing on Diego's shoulders and phoning it in. I take great pride in ownership of MY SOUNDS.

Sample import is a basic feature. Even freeware programs have this capability. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Omnisphere, but if Spectrasonics would like to have my $400, sample import is the #1 thing keeping me from giving it to them.

Seeking alternative to Padshop Pro (only 64bit VST) under Windows 7.