Overview of Arturia Vcollection6 synths

[dune_rave]

Today I tested the CMI V.
On the start screen, there's a computer keyboard.
If you press the keys: A R T U R I A , the CMI V screen gets the blue death screen
Anyway, i don't really like the samples of CMI, and its inner sequencer and options, so i think this will be uninstalled.

Last week I was playing around the DX7 V, this could be a great instrument, but the cpu usage was a bit annoying, so I returned to dexed and FM8.

At this time, I'm satisfied with these plugins from The Vcollection:
-prophet
-jupiter
-cs80v
-the moogs
-arp2600

Plus there's that Matrix synth - Don't really understand its gui - started to read the manual....

[BBFG#]

Hmm, to each their own I guess. Personally don't think much of the Prophet(s) or Jupiter. And for me, the CS-80 has only been good as an extra layer to the Vox to mimic the YC-45d. But on its own I find the voicings to be somewhat distorted, as I do with the Prophet(s) and Jupiter. The CMI is good enough, but it just doesn't seem special enough to use for those type of sounds. Hate to say 'dated', but that perhaps is what it is to me. But if that problem you describe is its only problem for you, then maybe just don't do that? Moogs are just okay and again, probably won't find much use for them in this current version. Same is true for the SEM.
BTW, I don't have the full Collection, just AL3, and I bought it specifically for the (Vox) organ(s). But so far, the synths I do like out of it are the Synclavier and to a lesser extent, the 2600 and Matrix. And then those Moogs that are "just okay".
Thinking I'll revisit and consider upgrading somewhere around Analog Lab 5 & Collection VIII.

As always, YMMV.

[dune_rave]

I don't like the SEM either - though it has a 8 voice programming extra screen, but I'm not a fan of this feature.
The B3 is nice - they created an organ with complex modulation options - You can use this organ like a synth
The Synclavier is also nice.
The weirdest one is the Buchla Easel synth - I don't really found good sounds in there, and cpu usage was really damn high.

[psynical]

Thanks for sharing?

What was the point of this post?

[dune_rave]

I've just posted my experience with these synths. Maybe someone can share other oppinions.
Maybe there's some hidden value in the synths I currently find useless.

[BBFG#]

Yeah, I agree the Buchla seems to be for a certain set of the market that maybe I don't play in. And the DX is almost a 'meh' to me now. At least it's clean though.
Like the OP, it does make me feel that NI's FM has become more of what I now expect of FM. And these days, I don't care to give NI any praise that bolsters their current delusion. Again, Arturia's DX is good enough, but perhaps 'dated'...

But in totality, AL3 in comparison to Syntronik (another one I found myself testing at the time) was IMO, a much better route for these type of sounds.

And it was the introduction of Pigments and the latest IK-M Syntronik bait that got me to even check the rest out. My surprise was finding the Vox Organ(s) was what appealed to me the most.

Oh, and the fact that recent storms after the fires have effectively cut me off from my hybrid hardware/software studio.

[telecode]

I've just posted my experience with these synths. Maybe someone can share other oppinions.
Maybe there's some hidden value in the synths I currently find useless.

there used to be actual manuals included in the arturia collection for each synth and you could sit and read about the synths and their history and how they work. Now I dont think arturia spend the extra cash to make the packages like that. i really found that useful and fun and am glad i for them back then.

my favorite products in the collection are:
- the jupiters
- cs80
- the DX

i dont like the moogs or organ that much.

i think they are synths for certain genres of music. i like the ones i like because i am sucker for that sound. but they are not that good for contemporary synth based music. once i invested in Serum and Pigments my mind was blown as to how much more useful they are for contemporary sounding rock/alternative/synth pop music.

[martinjuenke]

Is there anything exiting new coming out of these instruments or is it just nostalgia and a boring copy-cat culture thing?

[telecode]

Is there anything exiting new coming out of these instruments or is it just nostalgia and a boring copy-cat culture thing?

I think it all comes down to the way you chose to use them. i really liked the Stranger Things and Drive soundtracks. I thought it was amazing use of retro sounds.

Here's my personal take on it. I don't see it as a copy cat culture. I see it as people try to re-interpret certain elements of the past because they find it fascinating. its not that fascinating to people who actually lived in the era.

I grew up and was raised on the music of the early 80s and a lot of those synth sounds were all over those old pop hits. Some of those sounds make me cringe when I hear them. But I can sort of understand why there is an interest in retro synths among the synth community to get back to those analogue sounds. Its kind of like the big fad in the 90s in the electric guitar community towards the old "warm" tube amp sound.

[BBFG#]

Did someone just hint at a PAiA emulation?

[dune_rave]

one last question: there's the analog lab. it seems i dont need that at all. i have komplete kontrol, so can browse all the sounds there ( im not a fan of these plugin wrappers anyway).
I know there are premapped controls, but i like to map my controls myself. plus analog lab offers a 'simple' layering - only two layers. If i'd like to layer, i prefer to do it in the daw, or in the flstudio patcher.

is there someone who owns vcollection and uses analog lab?

[BBFG#]

Analog Lab is in the collection. From there you can open up the deeper programming on anything you also own from the collection. The
Collection bundle, much like Komplete, ends up being the cheaper way to go if you find you need to go deeper than what AL3 allows, especially when they have another one of their regular sales. Plus, Analog Lab gets you an upgrade price. But at this point, I couldn't tell you if that means much or not.
Without the collection, you still have 'quick' controls, and it's super easy to figure out.
All I wanted was the Vox, seen it at times running @50% and cheaper than that secondhand, but not as often as the lab or the collection. But there is someone here that sells the lab lite version, and as soon as you register, it comes through with an upgrade for $29. So for under $40. it became the better solution at this point. Gives me plenty of time until the next version(s) to decide if the voicings improve, the plugins expand and if I want to jump on any sales price.

Download the demo, and if you find only one instrument you like, it might be worth it.

[nusound mind]

I own 3 from the collection; CMI-V, Synclavier and Sem-V.

The CMI I never use the samples that come w/ it but rather load my own and tweak it w/out knowing what i'm doing really. I've managed to come up with some decent sounds, surprisingly as bass in one track. Think it's full of character, though I crank up the bitrate and don't really aim for retro sounds just different and interesting ones, although tbh that Kate Bush used it a lot apparently on 'Hounds of Love' was a big reason I got it in the first place.

The Synclavier is similar in that I don't know what i'm doing but fiddle around and manage to squeeze some great sounds from it. The Sem sounds pretty good also imo, I got it just to have the emulation of that particular synth although I haven't used it in months.

The Buchla strictly from youtube preset listening (and fr. Arturia site) straight up does not sound good to me. Maybe it captures the spirit of the west coast modular whatevers but it's not my style. The DX7 likewise, might be great emulation but the synth it emulates i'd have no use for I don't think unless I forced it.

[felis]

....there used to be actual manuals included in the arturia collection for each synth and you could sit and read about the synths and their history and how they work. Now I dont think arturia spend the extra cash to make the packages like that. i really found that useful and fun and am glad i for them back then. ....

I'm pretty sure you still get hard copy, printed manuals when you buy the boxed version of V:
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Arturia/V- ... gLmp_D_BwE

Of course, you don't get them with an upgrade, or if you buy a download version, but they're still available as .pdf's.

I got the boxed version of 4, and then upgraded to 5. I still go through the manuals a bit - both the hard and soft versions.

For the synths, the SynclavierV and Matrix 12V are my favorites, but all the rest range from very usable to very good for me.

[jdoo]

there used to be actual manuals included in the arturia collection for each synth and you could sit and read about the synths and their history and how they work. Now I dont think arturia spend the extra cash to make the packages like that. i really found that useful and fun and am glad i for them back then.
...

To add to what was already said - the V Collection still includes manuals for all the instruments, with the History section, etc. - just like they always have.

I've had/owned several of the full V Collection versions over the years. Picked up the V Collection 6 a few months ago - after Arturia dropped the upgrade cost. I already had, and use the Analog Lab, which includes the non-editable presets (thousands) of the full collection. Since I had a prior version, it was only the new synths I couldn't fully edit. Of those - it was really the DX-7 that I wanted access to editing. Anyway - for me, the DX-7 was the standout synth of the new additions. I owned a DX-7 for decades... and Arturia's version far exceeds the original while remaining truthful to the original timbres. If someone is interested in the V Collection -- I'd highly recommend picking up the Analog Lab software. I gives you all the thousands of presets, and control of the most common synth parameters for those presets. It also allows you to to split and layer those presets. Fair warning though... the AL software can be a gateway drug to wanting the full V Collection...