KVR Audio

werp · Post by **werp** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:56 pm

Whatever spectrasonics lets out of the cage in an hour or so probably.

Synapse2k · Post by **Synapse2k** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 2:28 pm

STiX from this year that just came out is up there on my favorites list. STiX from XILS Lab. I didn't demo Icarus but I would have to assume that Reaktor 6 & STiX are the big ones. I am considring purchasing Reaktor 6. STiX is so in with it's drum banks and preset loops. Total trend worthy. Nice and organic and very hip FM sampled and physically modeled drums STiX has all internally sequenced or played. And of course Reaktor 6 is a huge step up from Reaktor 5. Looking forward to Predator 2 and Kontakt 6. Predator 2 is my 3rd choice for 2016. Lot's of good synths in 2015-2016.

I'm also anxious for the big Reason 9.5 and Cubase 9. Yayyyyyyyy. Oh only if they'd release an Absynth 6 and Alchemy 3. Alchemy 3 should support all DAW's again. It's doubtful they will have a new non Logic Alchemy or a new Absynth software version but I know Kontakt 6 is on it's way. It's probably true that Kontakt 6 libraries won't be piratable.

Aside from the synths I mentioned there's nothing else I'll probably EVER want for an upgrade. At least need. Unless it's choice soundbanks for each synth and Reason oh and one more thing Padshop Pro 3. Having lot's of soundbanks effects the end result of peoples songs if they don't spend hours digging for sounds to hone in on the right special combination. Even just buying 5 kontakt libraries or 5 refill set's or preset banks is enough for tons of indeterminacy. I don't think I've gone too far overboard for my enjoyment use though, personally. U-he is coming out with a Physical Modeled drum synth and I don't want it at all. Kong in Reason offers physical modeled drums as does Spark and also STiX but they're all different animals as they say. Not sure if it came out in 2016 but Tantra is a MUST have for elecro, edm, experimental, ambient, etc. heads in the VST category. Most people know about all the synths and VST's but I'm on a posting spree after sleeping in all day as usual so....

Ian Boddy (for different synth effects) and a lot of underground type artist and experimental minded artists would like http://www.dmitrysches.com Tantra and it's two expansion banks a lot for syncopated effects chains. It seems to be the best synchronous chopper, tremelo, syncing, cross feedback delay, filter, lo-fi, distortion, glitch box combo plugin out there. Did it come out in 2015 or 2016? I've already used it on 6 or 7 songs ranging from synth pop to industrial to soundscape to downtempo eclectic. KVR has free glitch, chopper things but Tantra is way better and then there's the discontinued Camel Space and also Illformed.com Glitch 2 is interesting in addition to Sugar Bytes Effectrix, Looperator and Artillery. In my opinion Tantra is by far the best of the bunch. Reason has a syncopated chop effect now called Alligator. They're called gated effects in the industry but they're different than noise gates that are for silencing out noise in quiet portions of recordings of things like guitar and voice and other mic'd recordings. Oh there's one more worthy gate effect called Twist by Sonivox. By the time everything requires Mac Sierra I'm done. I'm sticking with Mac OSX Yosemite so my purchasing will end eventually.

EnGee · Post by **EnGee** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:15 pm

electro wrote:
EnGee wrote:
OneOfManyPauls wrote:
EnGee wrote:I find it really a great synth. I love its sound and design. It's still growing in me the more I use it
fair enough
Well, although I like a lot Element 2, but I have checked and it is released in the late 2015. Anyway, comparing it with another synths, now I believe it is Reaktor 6

I didn't give it much attention, but the blocks really pushed it ahead. It also did that with a better performance than Reaktor 5! That is impressive

Another candidate might be Predator 2 (if it is what I think, that is, Predator Plus). So, now they are between those two. Let's see what Predator 2 will bring

Oh, and Icarus should be there as well (although I still prefer Serum), but Tone2 did a great sounding synth with incredible low cpu usage

So, my list would be:
1. Reaktor 6
2. Predator 2
3. Icarus
All 3 of those over Synclavier V? Reaktor 6 is 2015 anyway so it doesn't qualify. You can't have Predator 2 listed for Synth of the year since it doesn't exist yet

You are right. Reaktor 6 is 2015. I also forgot about Synclavier and it was silly from me to list Predator 2

This is the worst post by me in 2016 so far

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:46 pm

Fairly sure RePro One will be my favorite... but it's not out yet

Synthetic Wav · Post by **Synthetic Wav** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:51 pm

pdxindy wrote:Fairly sure RePro One will be my favorite... but it's not out yet

do you know what filter they will keep ?

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 6:13 am

Synthetic Wav wrote:
pdxindy wrote:Fairly sure RePro One will be my favorite... but it's not out yet
do you know what filter they will keep ?

My understanding, which may not be correct... is that those were research options and that the final filter may not be exactly one of the choices or if it were one of them it may well be refined further.

Synthetic Wav · Post by **Synthetic Wav** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 8:51 am

pdxindy wrote:
Synthetic Wav wrote:
pdxindy wrote:Fairly sure RePro One will be my favorite... but it's not out yet
do you know what filter they will keep ?
My understanding, which may not be correct... is that those were research options and that the final filter may not be exactly one of the choices or if it were one of them it may well be refined further.

thanks

electro · Post by **electro** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 2:24 pm

I thought I read at some preview it was going to be Filter #3. Check the U-he homepage.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 3:22 pm

electro wrote:I thought I read at some preview it was going to be Filter #3. Check the U-he homepage.

hehehe... this is u-he we are talking about! Do you really think there wont be some changes to the model over time?

electro · Post by **electro** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 1:23 am

Since July 2016 we've seen two amazing new monosynth emulations.

U-he Repro-1 and Synapse Audio The Legend.

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 2:05 am

okay... RePro-1 wins my synth of the year vote.

It is amazingly good sounding. Even with extreme audio rate modulation, it never gets a harsh tone like digital usually gets when pushed out of its comfort zone.

Also, the FX are excellent... something outside the usual... creative with top notch sound quality. The sequencer is big and bright and fun.

GUI is clear and easy on the eyes, has a bit of enjoyable eye candy in the tweaks page while not being in the way. RePro-1 is all around innovative, freshly conceived and with exceptional sound quality.

JonSolo · Post by **JonSolo** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 4:20 am

Picking the best this year is hard.

RePro-1- This is just incredible. It is simply awesome.
The Legend- See RePro 1 comment.
ArcSyn- See The Legend comment.
Dagger- Don't remember if this is new for 2016 but is totally...see ArcSyn.
Phonec 2- Does this count as new? Still one of my favorite acquisitions this year!

Honorable Mentions-

Form- Pretty cool tool.
Wiggle- Better than expected and quite versatile.
Element v2- Does this count?
Rapid- A new twist on an old thought.
Reaktor 6 Blocks- Awesome improvement but...
Chromaphone 2- See Reaktor 6 blocks.
Synclavier V- Interesting take on a classic

Potentials?-

Avenger- Look incredibly promising and sounds fantastic!
Predator 2- Who knows? But it is a Rob Papen product!

Don't know, haven't tried-

Icarus
Factory
Modular

.jon · Post by **.jon** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 8:52 am

pdxindy wrote:okay... RePro-1 wins my synth of the year vote.

It is amazingly good sounding. Even with extreme audio rate modulation, it never gets a harsh tone like digital usually gets when pushed out of its comfort zone.

Also, the FX are excellent... something outside the usual... creative with top notch sound quality. The sequencer is big and bright and fun.

GUI is clear and easy on the eyes, has a bit of enjoyable eye candy in the tweaks page while not being in the way. RePro-1 is all around innovative, freshly conceived and with exceptional sound quality.

I've guessed you for a paid U-he shill, but this is pretty thick even from such.

1) sound is nothing special, compared to similar Blocks patch it sounds weak, thin and flat without the FX

2) FX are basic, CPU intensive and have poor UX due to naive cartoon GUIs, easily replaced by better FX plugins

3) the sequencer has 0 usability, yes it takes huge amounts of space (seriously, a monosynth on two pages?) but the actual controls you interact with are tiny and fiddly- it does everything but encourage improvisation

4) GUI is unclear due to mimicking some hardware with no colour coding or any other modern enhancements

5) it's a replica, which by definition is the antithesis of innovation- it contains nothing worthy of the word innovation. First replicas were made over 15 years ago, nothing fresh there either. Sound quality is a disappointment and certainly does not live up to the hype.

It's achievement is sounding similar to a budget monosynth from early 80's, in every other department it fails miserably, making it easily the worst synth by U-he ever.

Septimon · Post by **Septimon** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 9:14 am

NI Form. Really Great Synth/Sampler, easy to use, Great results, new ideas implemented, Unique concept

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 9:40 am

.jon wrote:I've guessed you for a paid U-he shill, but this is pretty thick even from such.

We don't pay for opinion.

The Favorite 2016 Softsynth Is...