The most underestimated synths...

[tibah]

Seems like a rather specific issue since applying unison doesn't make it go bananas on my system and I'm on a somewhat dated i5.

[sfd]

Just wondering. Long ago there was some talk about KarmaFX modular synth. Nobody seems to ever mention it anymore.

Is it discontiuned. Out of date or simply not so nice a synth?

Or is it maybe underestimated?

[wagtunes]

Just wondering. Long ago there was some talk about KarmaFX modular synth. Nobody seems to ever mention it anymore.

Is it discontiuned. Out of date or simply not so nice a synth?

Or is it maybe underestimated?

I have it.

It's still available.

It is most absolutely one of the most overlooked synths out there as far as sound goes.

It is a bit fiddly as far as the interface at times and mod wheel assignment is not ideal. Saving patches and banks can also be a bit confusing at times. The synth is not without its quirks but for pure sound and what this thing can do, it is absolutely one of the most overlooked modular synths out there.

[Bodhisan]

Is Diversion underestimated?

I don't know. All i can say is that i probably would use it a lot more, if it wouldn't hack my CPU into pieces, whenever i apply unison.

I would definitely use it more with a larger screen (uh-hum...Synthmaster was supposed to have a larger option - that disappeared with the release of SM1), and I usually have to put the unison at 2 - or bounce to wav, or suffer the CPU hit - but I love Diversion and it's capabilities...but, then, I recently (speaking of Linplug) pulled the paid Alpha3 out and was amazed at its capabilities - with so much less than Diversion. My speculation is that synth pros (the guys that grew up with the hardware, don't underestimate synths at all...it's those like I who aren't fully versed in simple capabilities of modulations that aren't the obvious cutoff/frequency targets that underestimate even the simplest synth.

[sfd]

Just wondering. Long ago there was some talk about KarmaFX modular synth. Nobody seems to ever mention it anymore.

Is it discontiuned. Out of date or simply not so nice a synth?

Or is it maybe underestimated?

I have it.

It's still available.

It is most absolutely one of the most overlooked synths out there as far as sound goes.

It is a bit fiddly as far as the interface at times and mod wheel assignment is not ideal. Saving patches and banks can also be a bit confusing at times. The synth is not without its quirks but for pure sound and what this thing can do, it is absolutely one of the most overlooked modular synths out there.

OK, you got me there. I'm definitely going to check out KarmaFX !

[DuX]

For me KarmaFX just sounds too "plastic". KInda like 2003 psy-trance or something. It is an obvious VSTi. I don't like that.

Linplug instruments tend to be buggy and they also sound "plastic". They haven't updated their DSP coding in a decade. All of Linplug synths sound 2006 to me.

Those are the reasons why they aren't so popular, I think.

[wagtunes]

For me KarmaFX just sounds too "plastic". KInda like 2003 psy-trance or something. It is an obvious VSTi. I don't like that.

Linplug instruments tend to be buggy and they also sound "plastic". They haven't updated their DSP coding in a decade. All of Linplug synths sound 2006 to me.

Those are the reasons why they aren't so popular, I think.

You know what? I keep threatening to do this and one day I'm going to. But if I put together a mix with KarmaFX and like 20 other synths, you wouldn't have a clue which synth was hardware, which synth was software and which synth was what.

[SODDI]

Delay Lama

[jancivil]

I'm not sure in what way some of the synths mentioned here, that also can be found among the most popular at KVR, would be some of the "most underesimtated".

I said Absynth because the more popular view is that it is only good for 'cold' ('digital'), and weird soundscape use.
And that will be pretty much based on the limited use of its factory presets, or even what is sold by soundset vendors. But it's good as a general synth and 'warm' can happen is one knows what to do in the programming of it.

[sfd]

For me KarmaFX just sounds too "plastic". KInda like 2003 psy-trance or something. It is an obvious VSTi. I don't like that.

Linplug instruments tend to be buggy and they also sound "plastic". They haven't updated their DSP coding in a decade. All of Linplug synths sound 2006 to me.

Those are the reasons why they aren't so popular, I think.

I don't know if you're familiar with these bands but I think Soft Cell's music sounded pretty "plastic". Although they used , more or less, the same gear as Cabaret Voltair that didn't sound so "plastic".

There's a lot of "plastic" music out there made with synths such as Minimoog, ARP 2600, Synclavier, Emulator II, Roland this and Yamaha that. If anything sounded "plastic" in 2003 or 2006 it's almost certian not because of the gear btu rather about the music itself.

But, OK, If KarmaFX sounds like that music I better stay away from Roland synths too. Becase I don't, God forbid, want to sound like Soft Cell !

[zenvoxpop]

I recently quite enjoy Orion1 by Meesha. I would describe it as a charming french knock-off of Uhe Diva.
There nothing special about it, but somehow it's very musical and overall useful and solid synth.

Of course you have to ignore bland presets, dated interface and 32bit-ness (but who cares if you are using Reaper).

[BlackWinny]

For me it´s Mitosynth (iOS) since it is still one of my favorite synths to create unique soundscapes and weird pads within minutes. No desktop synth which costs 20 times more can do what this little synth can do.
I can go outside and record straight some sounds into it and use them for creating a patch.
I can use 32 sound sources for one patch (it is a kind of vector synthesis on steroids).
Combine that with additive and drawable waveforms and you get some fun for a few bucks.
It has a great tagging system and it´s easy to share and import patch banks including samples with 1 (or maybe 2 clicks).
I also love the way modulations works. It can get really fast and easy really complex. Unlimted LFO´s (polyphonic, mono, legato, whatever you want) everywhere. 4 XY pads (2 on iPhones) where i can assign as many parameters as i want.
I mean why can´t any of my big desktop tools can do this?
It hasn´t the best synth engine, FX (but the tube resonance is brilliant) filters and can´t do things like audio rate modulations but damn i would pay 150-200 if i could get that as plug-in.
This little thing can sound more "complex" and beautiful than a lot expensive synths on my notebook/desktop.

I don't have any iPhone nor iPad, but your description is very interesting. Especially knowing that the pad's market of music is still dawning and that there are certainly already some excellent products... already underestimated. On Android too, but I guess that iPad is technically much more interesting than Android for the music developments.

[BlackWinny]

For me KarmaFX just sounds too "plastic". KInda like 2003 psy-trance or something. It is an obvious VSTi. I don't like that.

Linplug instruments tend to be buggy and they also sound "plastic". They haven't updated their DSP coding in a decade. All of Linplug synths sound 2006 to me.

Those are the reasons why they aren't so popular, I think.

You know what? I keep threatening to do this and one day I'm going to. But if I put together a mix with KarmaFX and like 20 other synths, you wouldn't have a clue which synth was hardware, which synth was software and which synth was what.

Fully exact. And I have seen many challenges between forumers (in different forums) where many people claiming that softwares sound never as well as hardware... were totally wrong when the challenge was to guess is a sound was coming from hardwares or softwares (and not talking about A/B comparisons between vintage hardware devices and software emulations where nobody among the self-pretended "experts" were able to recognize what was the original hardware and what was the software emulation between the A and the B. And not in mixes but actually in leads or even totally alone in the sound proposed for the challenge. Each time I see these challenges I laugh out loud seeing so many people falling in the trap by being absolutely not able to say which was what.


And sometimes even for software synths which were considered as "weak emulations"!!!

In the French Audiofanzine we have quite often that kind of funny moments were the so-called "experts" who are scornful about software synths... become extremely embarassed to show obviously their total mistakes with their condescending behaviors in front of the other forumers.


It leads to a simple and obvious conclusion: the fact that it is quasi-impossible for these self-named "experts" who are used to spit on the softwares... to continue to pretend that the software sound craps compared to the hardwares.

That's why I fully agree with you.

[BlackWinny]

I don't know if you're familiar with these bands but I think Soft Cell's music sounded pretty "plastic".

I loved Plastic Ono Band, my friend.

[sfd]

I don't know if you're familiar with these bands but I think Soft Cell's music sounded pretty "plastic".

I loved Plastic Ono Band, my friend.

lol !

Yeah let's not foroget about Double Fantasy !