KVR Audio

Greg Houston · Post by **Greg Houston** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 10:44 pm

jdnz wrote:
martingifford wrote:I've been using IK's 73 eq (use the drive as well as actual eq)

Along these same lines I dig the IK EQ 81 (a different flavor of saturation than IK EQ 73) with Sonimus Britson, and then more recently, IK EQ P50A with the IK Mix Bus Compressor. The latter combination is a smoother, more subtle saturation than the former.

deastman · Post by **deastman** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:10 am

I'm reading all these negative comments about the sound quality, and it just doesn't jibe with my own experience. Here's what I think (and please feel free to disagree!): I think wavetable synths, and also most additive synths, make it very easy to add a whole lot of upper harmonics. Doing so tends to de-emphasize the fundamental and first few harmonics. The result is a perceived thinness or harshness. Considerable care is required when creating patches on these kinds of synths, so that the upper frequencies don't overwhelm the lower partials.

Skyre · Post by **Skyre** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:05 am

deastman wrote:I'm reading all these negative comments about the sound quality, and it just doesn't jibe with my own experience. Here's what I think (and please feel free to disagree!): I think wavetable synths, and also most additive synths, make it very easy to add a whole lot of upper harmonics. Doing so tends to de-emphasize the fundamental and first few harmonics. The result is a perceived thinness or harshness. Considerable care is required when creating patches on these kinds of synths, so that the upper frequencies don't overwhelm the lower partials.

I was considering typing something up like that myself. Very well put.

bitcrusher · Post by **bitcrusher** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:37 am

just a quick note that 1.01 beta 6 is up atop the Serum registered user forum on http://www.xferrecords.com with more fixes/improvements including some optimizations on Win VST_x64 and also AAX builds, pitch bend is now automatable, and more!

Steve
Serum | Xfer Records

highkoo · Post by **highkoo** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:54 am

Oh boy.

The more optimized this baby gets the more it becomes the absolute king of the mountain, imo.

Some vids Ive watched-

martingifford · Post by **martingifford** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:17 am

"Perhaps Codex is the synth for you. I instantly liked it."

Heh. I just tried to install it. Had to sign up with Waves, then struggle to figure out how to download and install it then get a licence, then it didn't even show up in the VST folder it was supposed to install into.

Reminds me of the supposedly free M1 download with the Korg Microkey - impossible row of hurdles to jump, so I didn't bother. Nice little midi keyboard though.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:29 am

martingifford wrote:
"Perhaps Codex is the synth for you. I instantly liked it."
Heh. I just tried to install it. Had to sign up with Waves, then struggle to figure out how to download and install it then get a licence, then it didn't even show up in the VST folder it was supposed to install into.

With the Waves plugins the single plugins will not appear in your VSTPLUGINS folder.
You should get something like a WaveShell-VST 9.3_x64.DLL file in the folder. Anyway in the host the plugins (e.g. Codex, Element) should appear if everything is installed correctly.
This also includes installing the Waves License Center (first entry in the Waves v9 installer), installing the Plugin from the "Single Plugins" entries and installing the demo license from the Waves Cloud (usually on a normal USB flash drive, no special dongle needed).

It's also nice that for the Waves plugins (like with Serum...) also VST3 and AAX (for Pro Tools) plugins are installed.

db3 · Post by **db3** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:29 pm

Unfortunately I've had very little time to deep dive into Serum. But, the first couple of presets I worked on explored a warm gritty digital side.
I see myself using Serum for more this type of thing than ambient or wobbles

https://app.box.com/shared/static/209zw ... 2p5vwz.mp3

Sparky77 · Post by **Sparky77** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:59 pm

bitcrusher wrote:just a quick note that 1.01 beta 6 is up atop the Serum registered user forum on http://www.xferrecords.com with more fixes/improvements including some optimizations on Win VST_x64 and also AAX builds, pitch bend is now automatable, and more!

Steve
Serum | Xfer Records

Great news - The smell of PROGRESS!

Sampleconstruct · Post by **Sampleconstruct** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 2:18 pm

Oud Stabs meet Dirt Brass in this afternoon jam:

http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/o ... brass-demo

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 2:40 pm

db3 wrote:Unfortunately I've had very little time to deep dive into Serum. But, the first couple of presets I worked on explored a warm gritty digital side.
I see myself using Serum for more this type of thing than ambient or wobbles

https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/audio/we ... ZOfeVHI5sA

The link is for me not working and so the embedded KvR player doesn't play something

Maybe you copied the wrong Dropbox public sharing link

Chris-S · Post by **Chris-S** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 2:51 pm

highkoo wrote:Some vids Ive watched-

Thanks. Already some cool videos on YT. Like the Supersaw comparison Virus TI vs. Serum.

db3 · Post by **db3** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:22 pm

4damind wrote:The link is for me not working and so the embedded KvR player doesn't play something Maybe you copied the wrong Dropbox public sharing link

Not sure why that was...worked for me

Trying box instead:
https://app.box.com/shared/static/209zw ... 2p5vwz.mp3

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:47 pm

deastman wrote:I'm reading all these negative comments about the sound quality, and it just doesn't jibe with my own experience. Here's what I think (and please feel free to disagree!): I think wavetable synths, and also most additive synths, make it very easy to add a whole lot of upper harmonics. Doing so tends to de-emphasize the fundamental and first few harmonics. The result is a perceived thinness or harshness. Considerable care is required when creating patches on these kinds of synths, so that the upper frequencies don't overwhelm the lower partials.

I think that's partially true.

Ah, I crack myself up. But seriously, we've talked about digital synths being "cold" since DX7 days. Guitar amps since transistor days. I'm sure pianos are talked about in such a way as well. Funny, I was just in a thread on Gearslutz where someone described the DX7s "warmth" compared to software. It's all relative I guess. Anyway, I mentioned some techniques to warm and beef up Serum's sound that work really well but aren't very apparent in the presets.

Listen to Codex though, with the same wavetable and basic filter settings. It's a totally different sound. It's as if the designers at Waves said, "no one would ever want that kind of harshness, let's make sure it doesn't happen." So, you lose flexibility on one hand, but on the other you have a more instantly likable sound.

I hear this a lot in software instruments. Some sound very "cold" and "clinical" to me. (I don't like to use the word "thin" on a synth capable of such bass as Serum) NI synths, including Massive, come to mind. I remember thinking Tone2's Saurus and Nemesis were cold, where Diva and Toxic biohazard were warm. I don't think of it as a value judgement though, just like I don't judge a hot cup of coffee against a glass of iced tea. Both have places in my world.

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:54 pm

db3 wrote:
4damind wrote:The link is for me not working and so the embedded KvR player doesn't play something Maybe you copied the wrong Dropbox public sharing link
Not sure why that was...worked for me

Trying box instead:
https://app.box.com/shared/static/209zw ... 2p5vwz.mp3

And now.. build a song around it

Official Serum thread!