Wow Me! (Synth Suggestions...Dune 2 Winner Prize Ready...Update 5/5)

[lnikj]

The interface on Kaivo didn't make me want to keep messing with it.

Just looking at the screenshot on their website (http://madronalabs.com/media/kaivo/images/Kaivo1.1.png):

- a ton of criscrossing red lines. Great. I'll just trace every one of those with my finger and try to figure out what the hell is going on... on second thought, not worth my time.
- why those color and font choices? Vague green on green. Little italic letters. Ugh.
- in the "Key" section those connecting nodes or whatever are so close together, that labels are staggered on two lines. That's not terribly intuitive to read. Yet elsewhere there seems to be plenty of space between them.
- there are little dials apparently controlling something to do with other bigger dials, but offhand I couldn't guess what.
- do the colors of the larger parameter dials mean anything? If it's just supposed to visiaully group sections together, why are some of the sequencer ones blue and some red?
- what's the big empty display for Envelope 1? Why is sustain not in line with attack/decay/release as everyone is used to?
- without reading a manual, the granulator is kind of baffling. "noise, pink to white" doesn't look anything like any granulator I've ever used, and there's not much of a clue as to how it relates to the physical model. Maybe it's less insane in practice.
- a 2D LFO looks like a clever thing, but working out how the individual X and Y values translate takes too much thought to be intuitive. (Maybe in practice it's not so bad.)

As I said, each to their own

None of these things are an issue for me and I find no problems in practice.

I appear to be in a minority of one around here but Aalto and Kaivo are two synths that I want to stroke, like my very first MBP many years ago, but I can’t of course. Well, virtually maybe.

I feel inspired when I fire them up, and I certainly can't say that about the cramped and tiny interfaces of so many analog emulations. I've just sold V Collection after many years because of this very issue.

[wagtunes]

The interface on Kaivo didn't make me want to keep messing with it.

Just looking at the screenshot on their website (http://madronalabs.com/media/kaivo/images/Kaivo1.1.png):

- a ton of criscrossing red lines. Great. I'll just trace every one of those with my finger and try to figure out what the hell is going on... on second thought, not worth my time.
- why those color and font choices? Vague green on green. Little italic letters. Ugh.
- in the "Key" section those connecting nodes or whatever are so close together, that labels are staggered on two lines. That's not terribly intuitive to read. Yet elsewhere there seems to be plenty of space between them.
- there are little dials apparently controlling something to do with other bigger dials, but offhand I couldn't guess what.
- do the colors of the larger parameter dials mean anything? If it's just supposed to visiaully group sections together, why are some of the sequencer ones blue and some red?
- what's the big empty display for Envelope 1? Why is sustain not in line with attack/decay/release as everyone is used to?
- without reading a manual, the granulator is kind of baffling. "noise, pink to white" doesn't look anything like any granulator I've ever used, and there's not much of a clue as to how it relates to the physical model. Maybe it's less insane in practice.
- a 2D LFO looks like a clever thing, but working out how the individual X and Y values translate takes too much thought to be intuitive. (Maybe in practice it's not so bad.)

As I said, each to their own

None of these things are an issue for me and I find no problems in practice.

I appear to be in a minority of one around here but Aalto and Kaivo are two synths that I want to stroke, like my very first MBP many years ago, but I can’t of course. Well, virtually maybe.

I feel inspired when I fire them up, and I certainly can't say that about the cramped and tiny interfaces of so many analog emulations. I've just sold V Collection after many years because of this very issue.

The V collection is another issue altogether. With the exception of maybe the SEM, those GUIs are nightmares in eye strain. You'd think they'd fix that FINALLY.

[aMUSEd]

The interface on Kaivo didn't make me want to keep messing with it.

Just looking at the screenshot on their website (http://madronalabs.com/media/kaivo/images/Kaivo1.1.png):

- a ton of criscrossing red lines. Great. I'll just trace every one of those with my finger and try to figure out what the hell is going on... on second thought, not worth my time.

You don't need to, if you click on one it gets highlighted so it stands out from the others, so it's actually easier than in other modulars with a tangle of cables to see routings. Cables are also colour coded.

[BBFG#]

As I said, each to their own
I've just sold V Collection after many years because of this very issue.

I just recently went through the paces of demoing these. And while they were good solid sounding machines (And I had no real problem with their interface either). They just seemed to show me they really weren't necessary overall and for what I would use them for are covered well enough or even better by things I already own.

Things I try to keep in mind, either in demoing something new or actually producing music is:
To each their own.
Less is more.

I guess I'm a minimalist at heart, even when not in practice.
Business marketing is my real enemy, always trying to find ways to get me having more and get caught in chasing their latest update for it. And sadly, that keeps me from making music more than any initial GAS by desire or bundle ever does.

[Robmobius]

I wish I could say I use all the stuff I've bought, but it's sadly not the case. I'm happy to sell stuff on when my vst collection gets bloated.

[chaosWyrM]

...unfortunately it doesnt sound too great in reality. you would think it would...but really, everything it does sounds the same. i mean you can just sit there and hit the random button for an hour and not hear anything surprising or even really that interesting.

You're doing it wrong mr chaoswyrm

Sounds may need a bit filtering and fx and tweaking but it pays off.. Especially when trying to make some real instruments emulations. (plucking) Strings and piano type sounds are freaking awesome and off this world. Actually anything where you want some easy evolving (like pads) are super. But again fx and filters in this synths are quite.. Well you'll do better with DAWs own fx.

i dont want to hijack this thread too much...but...

it sounds like were talking about 2 very different synths here. im not doing it "wrong" im just not using it for those kinds of sounds, which i can get better from other synths, and for which its not really intended. i would never even think about going to enzyme for an evolving pad, thats what wusik or psygen is for, and plucks...well i have serum...enzyme cant even begin to compete with those for those kinds of sounds. it would be unfair to even fault it for that, thats how not for those sounds it is.

its intended for creating "different/new" sounds and ear splitting harshness and aggression (with is psycho and danger buttons, complete with gas mask and fall out symbols)...which it does achieve (well the ear splitting and aggression anyway). i mean just look at the factory presets, there are very few patches that dont fall under the "harsh" category, and the marketing is squarely in the industrial and dubstep areas.

thats all fine with me...thats why i got it. its just they all sound too alike. one of its main selling points was its ability to make sounds nothing else can...and unfortunately for me all those sounds are kinda the same.

i do agree with one thing though...it needs a lot of effects on it, as it has a tendency to come off a bit thin and tinny.

who knows...maybe ill give it another chance. maybe my initial disappointment in its (lack of) range and over all sound quality has jaded me against it.

sure...why not? ill spend some more time with it later and see if i can salvage it.

ok...sorry...back to our regularly scheduled program.

I meant that hitting just random is "doing it wrong" It's true that it may not be the most versatile synth on market.. Like I said the only useful area (for me) that I've found is guitar,piano and pad style sounds. Yea and harsh highbass wobbles and throttles, since the lacking bottom end.

I've never checked the presets so can't really say anything about them.

my apologies then,

i only mentioned the random function to compare it with synplants. one would think that continually hitting "random" would produce a wide range of results (especially when its a main feature of the synth)...in the case of enzyme it doesnt...which just goes to show its not that capable of a wide range. in direct contrast to synplants range which is just all over the place...even within each random seed, every note is completely different.

[BBFG#]

If random and billions of presets (4294967296) is the desire.
Then all you need is this:
http://www.image-line.com/plugins/Synths/Autogun/

[PHY6]

If you're going for modulation possibilities, fxpansion d-cam synth squad can't be beaten imo.
The ease of seting up the modulation gets you results really fast...
Version 2 is coming soon, so I'd inform if there's a free update when you buy now, or just be patient.

[wagtunes]

If random and billions of presets (4294967296) is the desire.
Then all you need is this:
http://www.image-line.com/plugins/Synths/Autogun/

I have autogun. All the sounds are the same. They're all glassy bell like sounds. I've yet to find anything remotely resembling a saw wave yet.

[Tricky-Loops]

If random and billions of presets (4294967296) is the desire.
Then all you need is this:
http://www.image-line.com/plugins/Synths/Autogun/

I have autogun. All the sounds are the same. They're all glassy bell like sounds. I've yet to find anything remotely resembling a saw wave yet.

There are some nice metallic sounds but I couldn't integrate them into a song because they're too much processed and you cannot change the effect settings!

And even after some randomizing, always the same presets (re-)appear!

But Ogun is a great synth, someday I might buy it...

[BBFG#]

If random and billions of presets (4294967296) is the desire.
Then all you need is this:
http://www.image-line.com/plugins/Synths/Autogun/

I have autogun. All the sounds are the same. They're all glassy bell like sounds. I've yet to find anything remotely resembling a saw wave yet.

I agree, plus there's no real tagging system and it effectively becomes just a waste of time gambling for the next sound being the right one.
I only posted it as a tongue in cheek response to randomizers and prolific numbers of presets.
I also have to say, it was really hard to un-install. It has a way of leaving traces all through your system that make you scratch your head when you run across them.

[Tricky-Loops]

Autogun...I also have to say, it was really hard to un-install. It has a way of leaving traces all through your system that make you scratch your head when you run across them.

Are all 4294967296 presets hidden in the registry?

[BBFG#]

Autogun...I also have to say, it was really hard to un-install. It has a way of leaving traces all through your system that make you scratch your head when you run across them.

Are all 4294967296 presets hidden in the registry?

Oh no. And it appears to un-install without issue.
But then while searching other things, I kept finding paths to it written in other .ini that had nothing to do with it and quite a few registry keys for it (most VIs that register have about 3 or 4).

Imagine 4 billion... that would be a nightmare!

[V0RT3X]

http://www.syntorial.com/

[wagtunes]

Just a quick update. I've dedicated most of the day to playing with Spectral. The more I get into this synth the more I love it. It's really deep without being overly complex.

It is starting to look like this might be my next purchase.

Tomorrow is Oxium day just to make sure.

Of course I still have to wait for Sunrizer to come out for Windows and that won't be for another few weeks.