Waldorf Largo with what VST comparable? still good?

[krandr]

Largo is 99% clone of the Terratec Komplexer (serial/cd copy protection).
Komplexer for me is still one of the best VA/WT synths because:

1. Fantastic modulation matrix "all to all"
2. Polyphonic modulation sources and destinations (VoiceNumber->OscPitch for example)
3. DSP is highly optimized for old chips from Waldorf MicroQ/Q
4. 4 voices


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[rod_zero]

I am still struggling to decide which interface is better (largo vs Nave). But seem cluttered and both have some advantages over the other.

Also IMHo Largo filters sound better.

[Apostate]

I am still struggling to decide which interface is better (largo vs Nave). But seem cluttered and both have some advantages over the other.

Also IMHo Largo filters sound better.

I think they both feature excellent filters. However, Nave is steady releasing updates (there's one today), and a 1.1 version with some major implementations will be out in June at the latest (according to an e-mail from the developer).

I should also mention the close controls at the bottom of the gui, if you haven't already try digging around there...it offers amazing sound design opportunities.

I write this with all due regard for Largo, which is definitely no joke as a synth (though imo overpriced).

[Lotuzia]

I still love Largo. While Serum is a kind of blank slate, Largo is a character synth. Sometimes I'd rather have an instrument with a lot of character than one that sort of puts me in a zero state and makes me create the character. Sometimes, vise versa.

please explain the character to me , i dunno and try to understand why largo has character and Serum is blank slate, no fanboyism here from me, im neutral .

It's pretty simple. If you understand the differences between different analog synthesizers : Filters, oscillators, envelopes and everything else, are different. Then the way VA are coded is different too for these various modules.

And similar things apply to wavetable synthesizers. In these various domains, one can prefer the sound of this WT synth over that WT synth because filters sound better to their ears, or whatever synth modules besides filters.

This beeing said, I have both Largo and Nave and find them different, and equally appealing, for various reasons, and more than some other WT synths. YMMV.

[chk071]

Largo is 99% clone of the Terratec Komplexer (serial/cd copy protection).

Mh... both the oscillators and the filters sound better IMO. Komplexer sounded very good too though. A big advantage is that Largo has oscillator phase setting, i really missed that on Komplexer, the osc's there are always free running. Also that mathematical function thing was pretty worthless for me.

[Naenyn]

I'd been wanting to try Largo for a while.. but had to wait for a 64-bit AU. I fell in love with it pretty quickly after demoing. The basses sound so huge.. and the filters are pretty amazing. Definitely has a distinct sound.

On a side note, I also tried out the Nave demo/beta but was not impressed at all with the sound quality. Hopefully the final version will be better..

[Apostate]

I'd been wanting to try Largo for a while.. but had to wait for a 64-bit AU. I fell in love with it pretty quickly after demoing. The basses sound so huge.. and the filters are pretty amazing. Definitely has a distinct sound.

On a side note, I also tried out the Nave demo/beta but was not impressed at all with the sound quality. Hopefully the final version will be better..

This will sound like hellish blasphemy to some around here, but I own Serum, Largo, and Nave, and I'm actually finding myself using the last two far more than the first (though Serum is obviously a freaky great synth).

One of the best things about Serum, in my humble opinion, is that you have such a great facility to modulate the effects (and those effects are often pretty darn good, again imo). I actually rely on the inboard effects more than my out, and I own heavies like Altiverb and Alpha Compressor. Not wild especially about the EQ, but that goes for most synths in my experience.

There are also of course more options in general when it comes to Serum, you can really get to a mitochondrial level on the editor for custom waveshaping, amazing.

The above are mostly what I think Serum has over the other two. And yeah, they're hugely significant variables so there's no chance of me wanting to get rid of Serum, ever. And of course it would be nice to import wavetables into Largo. However, the fact remains, I use it less. I write everything from Rock/Metal to Dubstep to fusion to country to contemporary serial compositions and classical music. However, I focus mostly on the first and last two genres, so maybe that's why...I don't do the EDM thing anywhere near as much, and of course Serum is (at least word of mouth advertised) as being perfect for that genre. I could be wrong on that last, forgive me if so.

Though the earlier stated opinion that Largo is a more characterful synth than Serum came under some fire, I tend to sympathize with it. Serum can be more molded into a certain sound, while Largo is pretty easy to characterize (at least to my ears). I just happen to like the sound that Largo has overall, quite a bit in fact (minus the meh for the most part effects). I've bee really digging into the modifiers in Largo lately, and am finding all sorts of creative uses for them in the matrix.

I think one of Nave's most promising factors are the blades and their controls. The further I explore those aspects, the more creative sounds I get.

[masterhiggins]

Love largo! Definitely has an icy/gloomy sound but I'd also add "shimmering." It can sound warm, but it's a digital warmth as opposed to analog warmth like diva. People who say wait for nave have obviously never used largo. With largo/PPG wave 3.v/nave/wavegenerator/wavemapper I have absolutely no need for another wavetable synth. Not even serum.

[Apostate]

Love largo! Definitely has an icy/gloomy sound but I'd also add "shimmering." It can sound warm, but it's a digital warmth as opposed to analog warmth like diva. People who say wait for nave have obviously never used largo. With largo/PPG wave 3.v/nave/wavegenerator/wavemapper I have absolutely no need for another wavetable synth. Not even serum.

I want to own them all! (laughing like the movie character in your awesome avatar)

I agree Largo sounds more "digital" (ever since I was scoffed at for using that term by some dolt I just love overusing it, sorry!)

[shroom81]

Seriously Syncrosoft protection need to run a demo ? No thanks Waldorf can keep their sounds them self

[Ingonator]

Seriously Syncrosoft protection need to run a demo ? No thanks Waldorf can keep their sounds them self

A dedicated demo version download does not exist, just the eLicenser licenses are different (either time limited for a demo version or unlimited for a full license). The advantage of an eLicenser demo license seems to be that there is not demo limitation besides the limited time.
Besides using a license on an USB eLicenser dongle (which i would recommend...) it also seems to be possible to use a sof teLicenser with the license stored to a HDD instead of a dongle.

For using the license on an unlimited amount of different computers an eLicenser USB dongle would be needed.

FWIW there is currently no plan to change the protections for Largo, Nave, PPG Wave 3.V and Lector (all eLicenser protected) to a different one. Only the Waldorf Edition 2 will continue to use a serial protection.

[rod_zero]

I would prefer iLok, that allows for software activation on more than 1 computer without the dongle.

[EnGee]

Waves Codex is a nice wavetable synth. I bought it for $50 when there was a discount, but it also has a stupid protection!

So if you really want that Waldorf sound, it's better IMO to save for a Blofeld desktop which is $499 now in Amazon, otherwise just buy NI Massive or Serum or Reaktor. Personally I'm going to buy Komplete when there is a discount although I just bought Bazille which with Blofeld can make a digital heaven
Btw when I bought Blofeld, I got also Waldorf Edition LE for free

Just forgot to ask! What protection has Wavemapper or Wavegenerator? They are by the original developer of PPG Wave, right? I need to have a look if they have a friendly protection.

[zerocrossing]

I still love Largo. While Serum is a kind of blank slate, Largo is a character synth. Sometimes I'd rather have an instrument with a lot of character than one that sort of puts me in a zero state and makes me create the character. Sometimes, vise versa.

please explain the character to me , i dunno and try to understand why largo has character and Serum is blank slate, no fanboyism here from me, im neutral .

Explain character? Uh... a set of attributes put together.

Largo has a set of wavetables that was curated by it's designer.

Serum has a set of wavetables that was curated by it's designer... and you can make as many new ones as you have time to do. Don't like the included wavetables? Make ones you do like.

Largo as 5 filters. They're all really nice but they have that... Waldorf filter sound. Not a qualitative remark... it just is. I love them.

Serum has a ton of filters... I haven't even fully explored them all, but a lot of them are sort of clinical sounding... which is fine, especially if you've got an interesting wavetable that's being scanned. Some are very interesting sounding as well. It covers a giant range.

...and on and on. Here's an example. Before Serum came out I was demoing Codex. I really like Codex. It's simple but IMO it sounds really great and does some interesting tricks. Then Serum came out and when I read the specs I thought, "Holy sh!t, this I must have..." My first impression with the demo was "meh." The presets are mostly crappy and drenched in Serum's reverb... which is also crappy. I don't judge a plug in by it's presets though, so I went to work on it. At first I just couldn't get that warm juicy sound that Codex just had. Codex just sounded like it had an analog filter or something. Serum sounded very digital. Then, I came across it's French and German filters. BINGO. There it was. In a short period I was basically able to recreate the patch I had been loving in Codex in Serum. I kept Codex though... because it's just fast and fun to work with. Big sweet spot. But when I feel like really getting lost in sound design, Serum is excellent.

[Ingonator]

A short history of the wavetable synths i had owned and still own, starting in 2004 with a Korg Wavestation EX (not exactly a wavetable synth but could do similar stuff):

- Korg Wavestation EX (+ Wavestation plugin)
- Waldorf Q blue keyboard (with 32 voices expansion) (SOLD)
- Waldorf Microwave XT desktop (SOLD)
- Access Virus TI (Mk I) desktop (SOLD)
- Waldorf Largo (bought as boxed version in 2009)
- Waldorf Blofeld desktop (wih SL expansion)
- Waldorf Edition
- Vember Audio Surge (SOLD)
- U-He Zebra 2 (SOLD)
- PPG Wave 3.V (involved with beta testing)
- KV331 Audio Synthmaster 2.7 (owned since v1)
- Synapse Audio DUNE 2
- PPG WaveGenerator
- PPG Wavemapper 2 (involved with beta testing)
- Waves Codex (SOLD)
- Waldorf Edition 2 (involved with beta testing)
- Tone2 Electra 2.1 (owned the former ElectraX earlier) (involved with beta testing)
- Waldorf Nave plugin (involved with beta testing)
- Novation UltraNova (36 wavetables included for all 3 Oscs + additional single waveforms)
- Ensoniq ESQ-1 (not really a wavetable synth but has 32 digital waves and a real analog filter)
- UVI Falcon

Those that were sold are marked with "SOLD" and those i still own are written in bold letters.

I had tested both Serum and Spire multiple times but those are not really for me (sound wise and also due to insane CPU use).