KVR Audio

tdm71 · Post by **tdm71** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 4:43 pm

Since they are all on sale at least for today (rapid is ending today) which ones do you like the best for the value?
All seem to cover the same territory sound wise and all have many expansions.
So:
1.) what are you buying/did buy?
2.) Why?
3.) What are your favorite expansions?

NatLife · Post by **NatLife** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:08 pm

Hive

GMusic · Post by **GMusic** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:10 pm

I have all 3 instruments.

1) I bought Avenger expansions.
2) Because I already own all the Rapid ones and the Nexus expansions are not as editable as Avenger (or Rapid) expansions. Plus, the Avenger expansions are least expensive, especially if you buy the pick 5 deal at Sweetwater.com
3) I don't have a favorite. I use preset searches which search all expansions. I don't usually work with just one expansion so I couldn't tell you what I use most.
Overall, I feel Rapid is the most bright, cleanest sounding of the 3. Many Nexus expansions that I have just sound dated. Though, I haven't bought the newer ones in the past couple years. The value just isn't there compared to the other instruments. Avenger is definitely warmer sounding to me than Rapid, but each has their place in my music.

kevvvvv · Post by **kevvvvv** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:26 pm

Avenger has the most potential. It's the better investment.

There's nothing wrong with other synths, they're just not as "right".

Buying synths used to be like buying new toys - get 'em all.

But now, with the specs of so many synths right out there at the outer limits, imo it's like placing a bet on what you're going to stick with, learn from, and make progress with.

What helps Avenger's case is tipped-to-be-legendary Manuel Schleiss's astonishing musicianship and ability to come up with really high quality (and pricey) preset packs

- while Rene Keilworth in the lab keeps improving the spec.

There's no end in sight where avenger's future is concerned.

otoh wtf buy whatever, cos it's a new synth

Gribs · Post by **Gribs** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:40 pm

Falcon is on sale for 30 percent off as well. Even so it costs more than 2X The sale price of Avenger and Rapid. I own it already as well has the previous version of Halion (still on the fence about upgrading for various reasons). I don’t see a good reason to buy Rapid or Avenger other than... yeah it’s a new synth. Do I need the brain and hard drive clutter?

As far as GUIs go, Rapid’s GUI seems more useable to my eyes.

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:45 pm

I also have both, they both sound great and both have active developers who are always adding stuff.

Rapid - Easy to get great results, fun, also runs as a seperte FX VST with great reverbs etc. so you gte 2 for 1- light copy protection.
Avenger - Very deep, can do so much so a lot to master and a bit of a learning curve, not a fan of the new copy protection (1.5)

rlared · Post by **rlared** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 8:19 pm

I think Avenger is fantastic. Have not really used the other 2. Probably can't go wrong in this situation with whatever you choose.

sircuit · Post by **sircuit** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 1:39 am

At this point, between al three, Rapid hands down. The copy protection is a breeze compared to what they've implemented in Avenger with 1.5. I won't even bother to update. I made the "mistake" to place custom wavetables and shapes in the factory directory (easier access) and with 1.5 update, the factory is not a folder, is a monolith. So all my work is now stuck in 1.4. Funny

Rapid also has the FX module which is pretty darn great and subjectively sounds fatter than Avenger.

And with the new Nexus and their copy protection, I learned a valuable lesson: only use in my projects synths that I "really" own and that not require weird (month/3month/whatever) activations.

My go-tos are Hive, Diva, Zebras, (Urs' are very well maintained), Serum, Falcon, (very well maintained, again) , ANA2 (still decently maintained), Air Suite (pretty much abandonware but they work just fine with iLok) - that is, if I ever want to open the projects one year later. For the rest of the instruments: add to the project, sample, remove from the project.

So at the end of the day, the "best" synths are the ones that start at any time, in any condition, with or w/o internet connection, usernames, passes, activations, prayers to gods or sacrificing goats.

neverbeeninariot · Post by **neverbeeninariot** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 10:05 am

sircuit wrote: ↑Sun Dec 01, 2019 1:39 am At this point, between al three, Rapid hands down. The copy protection is a breeze compared to what they've implemented in Avenger with 1.5. I won't even bother to update. I made the "mistake" to place custom wavetables and shapes in the factory directory (easier access) and with 1.5 update, the factory is not a folder, is a monolith. So all my work is now stuck in 1.4. Funny

Rapid also has the FX module which is pretty darn great and subjectively sounds fatter than Avenger.

And with the new Nexus and their copy protection, I learned a valuable lesson: only use in my projects synths that I "really" own and that not require weird (month/3month/whatever) activations.

My go-tos are Hive, Diva, Zebras, (Urs' are very well maintained), Serum, Falcon, (very well maintained, again) , ANA2 (still decently maintained), Air Suite (pretty much abandonware but they work just fine with iLok) - that is, if I ever want to open the projects one year later. For the rest of the instruments: add to the project, sample, remove from the project.

So at the end of the day, the "best" synths are the ones that start at any time, in any condition, with or w/o internet connection, usernames, passes, activations, prayers to gods or sacrificing goats.

Funny post and I'm laughing but I feel your pain. I will also stay with 1.4 until I have to rebuild my PC (or it dies), since there seems to be no way to download or re-licence 1.4, and my Ignition Key is officially 'too old' for Avenger...

steve.lindqvist · Post by **steve.lindqvist** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 10:40 am

For me the most stable at the moment is Rapid. Best deal is Avenger (sweetwater deal). Nexus offers the biggest expansion library.

rlared · Post by **rlared** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 6:39 pm

sircuit wrote: ↑Sun Dec 01, 2019 1:39 am At this point, between al three, Rapid hands down. The copy protection is a breeze compared to what they've implemented in Avenger with 1.5. I won't even bother to update. I made the "mistake" to place custom wavetables and shapes in the factory directory (easier access) and with 1.5 update, the factory is not a folder, is a monolith. So all my work is now stuck in 1.4. Funny

Rapid also has the FX module which is pretty darn great and subjectively sounds fatter than Avenger.

And with the new Nexus and their copy protection, I learned a valuable lesson: only use in my projects synths that I "really" own and that not require weird (month/3month/whatever) activations.

My go-tos are Hive, Diva, Zebras, (Urs' are very well maintained), Serum, Falcon, (very well maintained, again) , ANA2 (still decently maintained), Air Suite (pretty much abandonware but they work just fine with iLok) - that is, if I ever want to open the projects one year later. For the rest of the instruments: add to the project, sample, remove from the project.

So at the end of the day, the "best" synths are the ones that start at any time, in any condition, with or w/o internet connection, usernames, passes, activations, prayers to gods or sacrificing goats.

Do you say Rapid "hands down" just because of the copy protection of Avenger? Or do you like Rapid better as a synth? I have Avenger which I think is great and Rapid looks nice and it's $100 now so I'm fighting GAS. . . it seems like having both of them would be pretty redundant?

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 7:07 pm

Not redundant at all, Rapids USP is the 8 layers, it’s a pretty unique and fast way to build complex sounds. Also with rapid it’s an fx plug in.

sircuit · Post by **sircuit** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 7:41 pm

rlared wrote: ↑Sun Dec 01, 2019 6:39 pm Do you say Rapid "hands down" just because of the copy protection of Avenger? Or do you like Rapid better as a synth? I have Avenger which I think is great and Rapid looks nice and it's $100 now so I'm fighting GAS. . . it seems like having both of them would be pretty redundant?

I’m going into a subjective territory here, but for me Rapid has better fx than avenger. The oscillator effects, multiband saturator coupled with the new reverbs are insane. I could not replicate inside Avenger what I got from a saw osc within Rapid.

And then you have in Rapid the resample import feature which is mindblowing for getting pads and drones out of almost any imported sound. This is very unique to Rapid.

Rapid is... “fat” for a lack of better term, while Avenger is polite (a good allrounder excelling at nothing prticular except for being a rabbit hole in attempting to get solid sounds out of it, with synthesis, not with samples).

And then you have Zebra which is a big wall of sound. Speaking as a house/techno producer.

You can demo Rapid, the sale is still on, and everyone is different - maybe you’ll not like what I like or you’ll find catchy something else.

Robmobius · Post by **Robmobius** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 12:50 am

I prefer the user experience of Rapid. But both are excellent synths.

cowby · Post by **cowby** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:19 am

I have all 3. Agreed that Avenger is a very deep synth and have some learning curve but it doesn't and wonder how members here can utilities > 80% of its features or so as it has so much to offer. That being said please check demo it with your current computer and see if it can run Avenger smoothly. I found some of the presets consume CPU almost 50%. And if you create complex sounding patches with various modulation... CPU will cry out loud. That's the point you need to aware.

Rapid a little bright sound comparing to Avenger but I enjoy making patches with its simple UIs. But 8 layers also a sound designers' great playground. Skin is not my cup of tea though. And the development is a bit slow comparing to Avenger.

Hive... Well, can be thick warm can be cold as ice in terms of her sound. Very capable synth. The stocked presets show most of her talent/potential to the users. Great synth and CPU usage is friendly.

Black Friday Sale: Rapid vs Nexus Vs Avenger