monark?-is it worth getting if you have DIVA?

[Igro]

NI synths that are based on Reaktor are CPU hogs. I wouldn't buy anything from them. And, of course, the worst customer service.

[chk071]

Might get the update to Komplete full from Komplete Select next time they have another 50% off sale on that. I really like the included products. Hardly anything bad in it.

And, of course, the worst customer service.

Eh... yeah... well, no. Not really.

[ghettosynth]

NI synths that are based on Reaktor are CPU hogs. I wouldn't buy anything from them. And, of course, the worst customer service.

Reaktor Synths use more CPU than the same synth coded natively, this is true. So if that's a concern, one should avoid them. However, if someone can run Diva then they can run Monark so whether or not the additional CPU consumption of Reaktor matters is in the eye of the beholder.

There is nothing as flexible AND as well supported, nothing. MFL is closing the gap very slowly for Max, but the only advantage that it has is the nice integration with live and it's also a CPU hog that can't run as a plugin in any other host.

To be clear, I don't really care if people who are afraid of CPU consumption don't use Reaktor, it just means fewer dumb questions on the NI forums...win win!

[jancivil]

Monark is very feature limited so it can only be used for very easy sounds (bass, mono leads).

The essence of it is Minimoog. Only with more features. I've used it for some fairly out sounds, but then...

As to the OP, there is a demo, it's right there to the right of the BUY NOW link.

[yellowmix]

Monark sounds great, I got it with Komplete. But I rarely reach for it. I can't recall ever needing a Minimoog-type sound that Diva couldn't do or approximate to the extent listeners would care about in context of a contemporary piece with many others things going on in it. And the fact that it's in Reaktor is a factor (even though I have a quick track template for it just like Diva). So unless you're doing some kind of Tribute Album to Moog By, at which point you would acquire an actual Moog... decide for yourself if you need to bridge that very small gap for however much that money is worth to you.

[PAK]

I just found this thread by accident. Now i'm really interested in that sound example. You still have it?

No. Most likely it'd be related to load/feedback (not only as distortion, also influence on attack etc). If not that then maybe I was getting at the difference in dialing in the settings.. For example Monark's Filter Contour, Vs Diva's env send amount, where Diva tends to require more care dialing in with emphasis /envelope etc to replicate. This in part due to Diva giving multiple filter/env types rather sticking within the ranges of a single specific instrument. That difference also tends to reduce depending on how much someone "knows" Diva. Legend since beats both in that department, as it gives some user influence over how controls respond.

In terms of one or the other there's more crossover than some opinions seem to indicate. For a more Monark like sound from Diva I guess the first place to start might be putting the vca env1 volume up to full If you're looking for interesting results from feedback/res you might also want to check the 12dB cascade on Diva, rather than sticking to ladder (iirc, should "scream" more than bite/uhbie, which tend to be more "fuzzy")

unless you're doing some kind of Tribute Album to Moog By, at which point you would acquire an actual Moog..

Since this thread was started Behringer's Model D came out. Given you get a reasonable clone and dedicated control surface for $299 (most likely $270 on sale), it'd kinda remove some of the point of a $99 Monark today. Maybe a good thing, as the expectation is once again on software finding new ways to extend capabilities, rather than mimic something which is now (somewhat) affordable

[ghettosynth]

Since this thread was started Behringer's Model D came out. Given you get a reasonable clone and dedicated control surface for $299 (most likely $270 on sale), it'd kinda remove some of the point of a $99 Monark today. Maybe a good thing, as the expectation is once again on software finding new ways to extend capabilities, rather than mimic something which is now (somewhat) affordable

Yep, but, a sub $10 software minimoog is a different thing. That's the approximate price taken on a simple per/product pricing of Komplete.

[jancivil]

at which point you would acquire an actual Moog...

I would not. I grew up with the Minimoog. For me this distinction is meaningless. It's the old analog vs VA discussion, which I have no time for. I don't know if DIVA sounds the same or not. I bought Monark at the buy 'n sell subforum here for like 50 bucks. I demoed it before, I like it. It sounds great. I know exactly what to do with it. No, I don't use it for too many things, just like I don't need contrabassoon that often. Last I used it was a very avant-garde track, though.

decide for yourself if you need to bridge that very small gap for however much that money is worth to you.

At the time of the OP <- the middle of the thread or somewhat it was 50% off of 99 bucks. So now it's 99 bucks? Just sayin'.

For me the availability of a 300 dollar control surface with a "reasonable clone" attached has no bearing on a hundred bucks for Monark. I write host automation and get on ok. I'm in the market for a Roli controller and that has bearing on some things, leveraging Cubendo Note Expression for MPE particularly (but also for any vi, including VST 2).

But I'm not in the 'you have to love knobs' camp. Even as I was a longtime Minimoog user. Just sayin', not everybody's economics are the same, quite.

[AnX]

Try Legend. It does have a demo.

[4damind]

Try Legend. It does have a demo.

Yes, today there are some more options. I don't know if "The Legend" is the best Minimoog emulation but it's without doubt a great sounding synth.
I still prefer Diva but I never had a real Minimoog so for me it's not this "100% accurate emulation thing".

[chk071]

Can't get Legend to get as snappy, organic and wild as Monark. Just can't. Soz. That's also why it's not the "ultimate emulation". The Minimoog is snappy as fudge. Legend is not. I'm sure it'll decently get you 90% there, for most sounds, as will also the Arturia Minimoog, but, for the rest, i just think that it fails, like many emulations.

As i like it so much, i'll post this video another time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pRiUSf_QFw

Shows pretty well how creamy, fat and organic the original, but also the Behringer D is. And how much Monark resembles that sound.

[EvilDragon]

The Legend is just another two Minimoogs that were calibrated differently so they respond differently, etc etc. Not every Mini was as wild and snappy. Tho I must say I feel The Legend is plenty snappy enough.

[chk071]

Ok, you may have a point as the guy in the vid also says that it's an early model, and, AFAIK, Monark was also modelled on an early model. You can switch in Legend though, so, it should have the same behavior. Can't imagine they're so far from each other, just because the were calibrated differently. Not only does the resonance fall apart a bit on higher settings, but you also lose some "oomph" when turning down the cutoff, and it's also not as snappy when you dial in fast filter envelope decay times. Actually, it shows the same shortcomings that Dune 2 shows a bit. Mind that i don't want to say it's bad, i just think that Monark is better in that regard.

[AnX]

Can't get Legend to get as snappy, organic and wild as Monark.

what does that even mean

The Minimoog is snappy as fudge.

Fudge is soft and chewy, not snappy.

[chk071]

What do you expect me to reply to that? Make a point. Then we can talk.