Native Instruments Massive X Synth - Sequel to Massive (Out Now!)

[generaldiomedes]

Sadowick has a lot of great tutorial and review videos out there, and is certainly no 'goof'.

[zerocrossing]

I’m going to say something controversial. It is highly possible that some people may be unsatisfied by something that other people find very satisfying.

Hear, hear!

I will add: if you don’t like the programming, change the channel. You’ve probably got it set to Omni and that clearly isn’t working for you!

Yeah, I never quite get the cats who state their case and then hang out as if it’s the forum’s job to turn around and agree with them. If a plugin isn’t for me, I’m usually out after a page or two.

It's usually the uninformed and obstinate posters (especially the ones who hate to admit they are wrong) who come back time and time again for no fathomable reason. It usually plays out like a game of whack-a-mole without them realizing they're actually the mole...

When Hive first came out, I’d be surprised if I wrote more than two posts about it that basically said, “not really interested in a synth that’s this simple, but it sounds good.” When Hive 2 came out, I think I posted on how it they did add enough to make me reconsider it and I mentioned how great I thought the filters sounded. I decided against it, but I didn’t feel I had to go back to the thread and try to gather support for my decision. Why would I? I decided that it’s not for me at the moment, and I moved on.

[zerocrossing]

man this synth is neat, and fun to make music with

Oh... that’s what it’s for?!

[drzhnn]

To the person who asked about note-off velocity.
So sorry, I spoke too soon in frustration over not getting MX to run on my desktop.

I didn't give it a fair try on my laptop, but re-loaded it again,
and release velocity appears to work fine with just a little bit of fiddling.
I plan on giving it a fair try.

Yeah, note-off velocity works just fine, but when MX is loaded via Komplete Kontrol software note-off velocity is ignored. Most likely a limitation or bug in KK.

[zerocrossing]

This synth is just not complete. A "next-generation" synth that under-performs compared to its competition. I expected more. Ive learned and concluded that he standards are low here.

Find me a wavetable synth that gets filter FM (on excellent sounding filters) and distortion right and get back to me. I’ll wait.

[zerocrossing]

Hey guys. I haven't kept up with this thread. Been enjoying the synth. How's the aliasing on it btw?

Evidently you’re supposed to make music with it, but I’m waiting for sufficient evidence that that’s the intended purpose, because it seems like it’s meant to cause arguments on the internet.

[Functional]

Sadowick has a lot of great tutorial and review videos out there, and is certainly no 'goof'.

Sadly his behavior here indicates otherwise. I'm just going to regard him as a goof. After I explained to him how to control independently the release shape, he still went ahead and did not even correct himself with the modulation envelope topic. He posted a youtube video (this was before my correction AFAIK) which is misleading MX owners about how you supposedly can't control them independently even though there is a simple solution which I went to articulate to him. That means he is posting false information and willingly keeping it there without making any edits to the description of the video at least.

This is how a goof would act.

[zerocrossing]

It’s a delight to have someone as curious, knowledgeable and articulate as Functional in this thread.

Thank you for your participation.

Hey, I was just really excited for Massive X and now happy to see that it surpassed my expectations in most regards. A software synth that can pull of Arca-esque, Rival Consoles-esque AND Boards of Canada-esque sounds? Don't give a damn how rough in the edges it is, the things you can do with it simply surpass any softsynth that I know of. It's not a synth that is "better at making that supersaw than X", it's a synth that has wild sonic capabilities when you dig a 'lil deeper.

Does it mean that I'm oblivious to its shortcomings? No, I'll happily list em:

- no custom wavetables
- no envelope shape to quickly figure out how the envelope is arranged (or, for example, directly adjusting shapes there)
- no midi learn (this is a biggie for me!)
- only 2 proper wt oscs
- the routing section requires unnecessary amount of precision: why can't you just drag a "cable" to a box rather than a small dot? The design makes sense in Reaktor, not in here because it's not cluttered

If a synth has all these flaws or limitations and still manages to impress me like no other, that's truly something

Yes, MIDI learn gets my vote as the top feature to add in an update.

I note that the Moog Grandmother has no pictures of envelopes on it, yet people manage to make amazing music with it. MX clearly isn't very rewarding for 'scope peepers, as its main function seems to be to, you know, make music.

That’s not really fair. An envelope like the Matriarch is very simple. I had a hell of a time understanding what the DX7 envelopes were doing until software showed me them in real time.

[Functional]

My biggest complaint of Massive X: I can't stop between arguing on the internet about it and playing with it. I get no music done right now. Could NI please fix this bug? It's a bug, right?

[Forgotten]

Ive learned and concluded that he standards are low here.

Is that why you thought we would be interested in your videos?

[EnGee]

Factory is still under the radar IMHO, probably because it doesn't tick all the boxes feature-wise as a "super-synth" (whatever that is, but I guess "does it all") - but SugarBytes always kinda does their own thing, and for what it is, it's great. Their products, to me, seem more geared towards experimentation then being targeted towards any specific product category.

It's interesting, comparing the Factory mod matrix to Massive's mod UI, and pretty subjective as to what one prefers. But Factory is great software extension of (what I guess started with?) the EMS-type matrix. Massive could do with a supplemental mod matrix/table somewhere, but that's more clutter, dev time, etc. Happily, neither are expensive pieces of hardware, so I'm owning both.

Good times, and we're all pretty spoiled. But I agree with most that a lot of the stuff in MX (especially with regards to the envelope graphics, given their complexity) feel more like missing features due to a rushed release then just wish-list items. Great sound and flexibility to me though.

("In my day...": had to program this. A freakin' number pad. Jeez... Sounded great, though.
I also had a DX7 at the time, so that's two - count-em: two - data sliders for input between 2 flagship synths. Now we're all "the knobs are slow." I had a rotary phone too - couple of nines in a phone number and I'd bring a book. And school was uphill, both ways... )

Well, the modulation functions are mostly the same. It is just the presentation and workflow that are different. Personally I don't mind if it is Matrix style or the innovative Massive style But I wouldn't touch DX7 and programming it

Yes I agree. It is a good time that we are living regarding technology and music computation I'm still enjoying the old synths of NI as well. FM8 and Absynth still great synths and sound great as well

I'm enjoying also some old synths in Reaktor. The ones I get with Komplete 12 are fantastic as well (Form and Rounds especially as I haven't own them before). That's why I feel a little bit disappointed with Massive X. I mean the UI functions and representation needs additional work. Compared to what I have from NI synths, Massive X is the less intuitive (for now) Anyway, I still like it in spite of all the negatives I feel. But I can't say it is a masterpiece.

[neodeavid]

Well, here's a good video from SamiRabia AKA (Aiyn Zahev)


Anyway, Massive X still has a Massive aliasing XD

[realtrance]

It’s a delight to have someone as curious, knowledgeable and articulate as Functional in this thread.

Thank you for your participation.

Hey, I was just really excited for Massive X and now happy to see that it surpassed my expectations in most regards. A software synth that can pull of Arca-esque, Rival Consoles-esque AND Boards of Canada-esque sounds? Don't give a damn how rough in the edges it is, the things you can do with it simply surpass any softsynth that I know of. It's not a synth that is "better at making that supersaw than X", it's a synth that has wild sonic capabilities when you dig a 'lil deeper.

Does it mean that I'm oblivious to its shortcomings? No, I'll happily list em:

- no custom wavetables
- no envelope shape to quickly figure out how the envelope is arranged (or, for example, directly adjusting shapes there)
- no midi learn (this is a biggie for me!)
- only 2 proper wt oscs
- the routing section requires unnecessary amount of precision: why can't you just drag a "cable" to a box rather than a small dot? The design makes sense in Reaktor, not in here because it's not cluttered

If a synth has all these flaws or limitations and still manages to impress me like no other, that's truly something

Yes, MIDI learn gets my vote as the top feature to add in an update.

I note that the Moog Grandmother has no pictures of envelopes on it, yet people manage to make amazing music with it. MX clearly isn't very rewarding for 'scope peepers, as its main function seems to be to, you know, make music.

That’s not really fair. An envelope like the Matriarch is very simple. I had a hell of a time understanding what the DX7 envelopes were doing until software showed me them in real time.

Fair? A strange angle; I’ll grant you, the envelope in the Grandmother (and Matriarch, too) is simple.

But the one being again, entirely uselessly obsessed over above ain’t that complicated, either.

And don’t forget the Performer and Trackers. MX is a modulation monster, that’s really the easiest part of it to understand. Unless you’re Completely New[tm] to synthesizers, which the person whinging on about them might well be, I can’t say.

[ew]

If you want to know what it is used for, you need to route the exciter to one of the mod slots and route it to the filter (don't have anything else going to the filter) and set the filter to comb. Exciters such as this are meant to excite resonators (which the comb filter essentially is). This particular exciter is meant for plucked tones and it behaves a bit differently than your ADSR mod envelope. How? How about you see yourself and see what kind of tone you get from an ADSR envelope that only has a tiny bit of decay like the exciter does.

The exciter envelopes are useful in other places as well. Modulate formant with one for transients with the formant wavetables. Or, use it to modulate FM on the filter to add punch to a note's attack.

ew

[EvilDragon]

This synth is just not complete. A "next-generation" synth that under-performs compared to its competition. I expected more. Ive learned and concluded that he standards are low here.

And we've learned you don't really know sh*t.


You get explained how exciter envelopes work, then when you don't know how to retort to that (because you're clueless about the topic), you deflect to "this synth is unfinished" diatrible. Really predictable.