KVR Audio

Mivo · Post by **Mivo** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 6:08 am

The DRM and Codex being a Waves product kill any interest I may have had. I've only demoed Serum, but it sounded fantastic to me and has a stunning, gorgeous, and above all: very usable GUI. If not for financial limitations this month (just bought Bazille), I'd definitely have snatched up Serum -- and still might, if only to support Steve, who seems genuinely personable and down to earth.

V0RT3X · Post by **V0RT3X** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:22 am

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:45 am

Vortex wrote:Well i had a chance to really listen to Codex and so far it seems to have a sort of warm sound to it which some might really like. I'm guessing that waves might be using the same technology that they used in their metafilter product for this?

Yes this synth has it's own "warm" sound. Sound a bit like some sort of pre-filtering (it's the same with the other Waves synth "Element"). "Element" was not developed by Waves, the guy behind this synth wrote here the time it was released. Maybe Codex is also developed by the same guy.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:10 am

blackflag wrote:The filters just don't sound very good to me in either synth, I guess I will be sticking with Zebra and Dune2.

i guess i'll be sticking to the real analog filters on my AX80

https://soundcloud.com/layzerkvr/blackmonday

Sparky77 · Post by **Sparky77** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 11:32 am

Both synths have something to offer.
Serum has more capacity and better sound.

Really, they sound very different, despite using wavetables, they really don't sound very similar.
Codex does have the ARP so thats a big plus.

Novalis · Post by **Novalis** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:18 pm

Hadrondrift wrote:
Novalis wrote:
Do you know SAVIHost? A cool and free application. It's a very very small VST-Host that creates a pseudo-standalone version of every VST plugin.

Didn't know that, thanks for the tip!

woodsdenis · Post by **woodsdenis** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:22 pm

Codex sounds incredibly ordinary, its not bad or terrible just ordinary, also Serum divides the wavetables into 256 slices where as Codex is 64 from what I can see. They really couldn't be more different sounding, to say they are similar is like saying a Minimoog is similar to a CS80 because they are both analogue. They both have demoes check them out.

UltimateOutsider · Post by **UltimateOutsider** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:32 pm

Of course Waves caps how much a given voucher applies to a purchase. The $50 voucher can't exceed 25% the value of a single plugin purchase or 50% of a bundle purchase. Anyway, this means it was really a $25 voucher if you were planning to use it for Codex.

You can get the code here. It's only good for today: http://waves.com/easpecials

And of course after I put in my order at the $75 price I came to KVR and found this link that potentially gives you an additional 10% off. It was too late for me so I didn't try it, but maybe not too late for you guys.

valerian_777 · Post by **valerian_777** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:40 pm

And of course after I put in my order at the $75 price I came to KVR and found this link that potentially gives you an additional 10% off. It was too late for me so I didn't try it, but maybe not too late for you guys.

Code have a limit of one per order.

Naenyn · Post by **Naenyn** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 8:49 pm

I was all set to buy Codex at $50. Bummer about the discount limit. In the grand scheme of things, $25 is a small amount compared to how much I've already spent on plugins .. but I've yet to buy anything from Waves and have avoided them for a reason. Think I'll save that $75 and put it towards Serum. =]

Edit: So much for that plan.

Bought, thanks to wavesuniverse!

DHR53 · Post by **DHR53** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:00 pm

Er, I've tried both... and admittedly Waves put a bunch of analog type sounds in codex for (not sure why) filler. But Serum just has that slick pro look and quality and each sound in the demo is well... a little different. Steve has pretty good ears when it comes to cool. I'll take Serum even though Codex is cheaper.

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:12 pm

Ah, that $50 voucher is only good up to 25% off, so unless you're buying something else from Waves, Codex will set you back $74.25 USD. But it is for sure worth that... I put it up next to a number of other wavetable plug ins, including Serum, and here's my conclusion. It doesn't do anything wavetable wise that other synths don't already do. It doesn't even have a large complement of things it does do, but it sounds very good when it's doing what it's doing. Codex succeeds in providing a very warm and (I'm gonna say it!

) phat sound that Serum (and the other wavetable software synths I own) does not have. What Codex lacks in filter types it makes up for with useful filters that sound really, really good to me. Very analog sounding compared to Serum's precise digital sounding filters. It's clear Waves flexed it's hardware modeling muscles here. Codex sounds like it's got high quality analog output circuits. Serum sounds like pure software.

Now, don't let this get taken as I think Codex sounds better, or better at all in an overall sense. There are definitely types of sounds I would go straight to Codex for. Simpler types of wavetable stuff and warm phat sounding basses. Serum's wide array of features and "colder" sound strike me as something I'd use when I'm after a very digital sounding synthesizer. Serum's overall sound strikes me more in the realm of Massive in that way. Two different flavors, both worth having.

Another place Codex excels, IMO, is it's presets. Most of Codex's presets are either good to go, or great starting places for something new. Serum's patches are overall not what I like, but it could be because they're targeting a different audience. I'd recommend they hire a big gun like Doc T who poops out great sounding wavetable patches before his first cup of coffee to get in there and create a bunch of content for the factory bank.

So, I bought it Codex. Decent deal for a synth of it's caliber IMO. I'm going to buy Serum too. I think the "vs." question is kind of moot considering how different these two instruments sound. I do have a feeling that I'll probably use Codex a bit more, though I do admit I wish it had a lot more slots in it's mod matrix and a third (and maybe fourth?) osc. I could also go for some more control over the chorus and reverb, but I'm happy they at least included good sounding versions of both. Here's another place Serum could use some polish. I thought it's reverb was especially bad sounding.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:35 pm

wavesuniverse is your friend, they are honoring the coupon and you'll get it for 55.90. You can't beat that with a stick!

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:38 pm

zerocrossing wrote:Ah, that $50 voucher is only good up to 25% off, so unless you're buying something else from Waves, Codex will set you back $74.25 USD. But it is for sure worth that... I put it up next to a number of other wavetable plug ins, including Serum, and here's my conclusion. It doesn't do anything wavetable wise that other synths don't already do. It doesn't even have a large complement of things it does do, but it sounds very good when it's doing what it's doing. Codex succeeds in providing a very warm and (I'm gonna say it! ) phat sound that Serum (and the other wavetable software synths I own) does not have. What Codex lacks in filter types it makes up for with useful filters that sound really, really good to me. Very analog sounding compared to Serum's precise digital sounding filters. It's clear Waves flexed it's hardware modeling muscles here. Codex sounds like it's got high quality analog output circuits. Serum sounds like pure software.

Now, don't let this get taken as I think Codex sounds better, or better at all in an overall sense. There are definitely types of sounds I would go straight to Codex for. Simpler types of wavetable stuff and warm phat sounding basses. Serum's wide array of features and "colder" sound strike me as something I'd use when I'm after a very digital sounding synthesizer. Serum's overall sound strikes me more in the realm of Massive in that way. Two different flavors, both worth having.

Another place Codex excels, IMO, is it's presets. Most of Codex's presets are either good to go, or great starting places for something new. Serum's patches are overall not what I like, but it could be because they're targeting a different audience. I'd recommend they hire a big gun like Doc T who poops out great sounding wavetable patches before his first cup of coffee to get in there and create a bunch of content for the factory bank.

So, I bought it Codex. Decent deal for a synth of it's caliber IMO. I'm going to buy Serum too. I think the "vs." question is kind of moot considering how different these two instruments sound. I do have a feeling that I'll probably use Codex a bit more, though I do admit I wish it had a lot more slots in it's mod matrix and a third (and maybe fourth?) osc. I could also go for some more control over the chorus and reverb, but I'm happy they at least included good sounding versions of both. Here's another place Serum could use some polish. I thought it's reverb was especially bad sounding.

Presets are just awesome for someone like me. They inspire me. Already wrote a small piece. Sure, it's presets arranged in C (sorry originality police

) but like element, it makes me imagine stringing things together vs constantly twattering around with sounds.

bharris22 · Post by **bharris22** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:03 pm

Bought for $55.90 at Wavesuniverse - thanks!

Codex vs Serum