Is MSoundFactory by MeldaProduction the sound-designers wet-dream? / Why should I not buy it?

[CRAFTMATIX]

I love MSF and hate it equally. How is it possible for something to be so awesome yet suck so bad? I suppose you can truly do any type of sound you can imagine with it. The oscillator module is really powerful once you realize all the options and tools available. The same can probably be said for the FM,Additive,Wavetable, and Sampler etc...But they are so awkward and convoluted in their implementation. They are probably great but I don't get why anyone would prefer it the way it is when there are so many simpler ways to lay things out. Vojtech is brilliant for sure. But omg...The filters...measurements in octaves instead of Hertz, o-----k. I can get past that but they just don't sound like or do what I want them to do. I don't use them anymore. I will just use one of the great EQ's instead and modulate that (which is very easy to do) if needed. Free updates. Melda is always getting better. I got it early for $69 or something like that so I feel I got a lot of bang for my buck...It now costs more than Zebra and according to the website will eventually be nearly as much as Falcon who gives $100 voucher for purchasing.

[craggvalehouse]

I think the price is really fair from Melda - if you have money and want it badly just buy it straight away, if not just save a few months and get it half price when it comes back onto sale - what a great way to let everyone get the good stuff.

Also please nobody keep comparing The Grid to MSF - Bitwig is great, The Grid is great and amazingly well thought out but it ain't no MSF sound wise on any level from the oscillators to the fx, don't fool yourself.

[MrBauer]

Well it has the usual melda flaws. Since you wrote you're one of the fews that have no problem with some of it, then go for it. It doesn't matter anyways what we write. You've made your decision Btw the Grid is not comparable I agree. It's fully modular not semi-modular like MSF.

[dionenoid]

It is a cpu hog with lots of issues and bugs. Delve into it deeper and you run in to them everywhere throughout the whole synth. Btw : None of the major issues that were reported from the start have been solved or improved. New functions been added but lots of them lead to only more issues.

My advice : Look at other synths like Phaseplant, Falcon or Reaktor.

[Tj Shredder]

Also please nobody keep comparing The Grid to MSF - Bitwig is great, The Grid is great and amazingly well thought out but it ain't no MSF sound wise on any level from the oscillators to the fx, don't fool yourself.

You just did it yourself, just with a different conclusion. Seems a matter of taste...

[Whywhy]

It is a cpu hog with lots of issues and bugs. Delve into it deeper and you run in to them everywhere throughout the whole synth. Btw : None of the major issues that were reported from the start have been solved or improved. New functions been added but lots of them lead to only more issues.

My advice : Look at other synths like Phaseplant, Falcon or Reaktor.

Can you give me some examples of issues that haven't been resolved?
Msf have a lot of new features and modules add every month, like, sampler, multicore, audio rate modulation, new filters, envelope, looper, reverb, utility...
Vojtech listen is users and fix bugs and implement new modules regularly.
About the cpu, it's pretty good, but, like all modular, semi modular, you need to know when to stop adding stuff for your patch...
Making the same patch into Phaseplant is impossible for me, phaseplant kills my CPU.
( phaseplant is really great too, but it can't replace Msf and invert )
Msf and Bitwig are complementary, they work really well each other.

[Whywhy]

About the thread question:
Why should not buy it:
- If you don't like the Melda environment and philosophy ( I love it )
- it's an open system,
It evolves a lot and it can be disturbing if you like a close system or concept.

[GusGranite]

I call Melda ‘Marmite’ now. Every thread is the same...

I love it. I love Marmite too.

[n9research]

I wouldn't be without it.

But it is very much a "here be dragons" instrument.

It doesn't hold your hand, and gives you the freedom to make some truly awful noises (having a limiter on the output is a necessity!)

Amazing: Oscillator module, polyphonic and monophonic FX, modulation, macro-control

Great: MPE, multi-core, unison, oversampling

Could-be-better: Filtering, monophonic envelope behaviour, multisampling

Really-needs-work: Manual, patch and module presets

[e-crooner]

The GUI has the oomph of a shoestring

[dmbaer]

I like the granular effect by Melda that is included but would like to see a granular oscillator added at some point (Please ). A spectral oscillator like Padshop 2 would also be a helpful addition and one can only hope.

I have it on good authority that the granular oscillator will happen but your patience will be required. It's not going to happen in the next few months.

Likewise, some kind of spectral oscillator capability will eventually be forthcoming, although how much it looks like Padshop 2 remains to be seen. I'm hoping it will be more like Alchemy (pre-Apple) or Harmor.

Luckily with free updates for life, owners will get these capabilities at no cost when they become available. I am certainly looking forward to both. I'm also very desirous of TurboFilter getting fleshed out to the point that there are a bunch of presets available to those of us who aren't filter gurus. Something along these lines should be forthcoming as well, but also not expected anytime soon.

[dmbaer]

That said, there are aspects of MSF I haven’t begun to play with, such as the multiparameters, which scare the hell out of me. But there are about 10 tutorial videos that explain them—and someday I’ll watch them. MSF is immediately approachable but offers endless depths to explore if you want to create sounds.

There is certainly a learning curve with MPs, but you should not regard them as scary by any means. In fact, you can do straightforward things with them quite easily. But like so much else with Melda software, there's all kinds of depth there that can be learned and utilized. Other deep synths like HALion and Falcon require the designer to get into script programming to do the kinds of things you do in MSF with MPs. I'd suggest that, at the end of the day, learning the Melda way vs. learning script programming is the easier of the two paths to take.

[Brother Greg]

That said, there are aspects of MSF I haven’t begun to play with, such as the multiparameters, which scare the hell out of me. But there are about 10 tutorial videos that explain them—and someday I’ll watch them. MSF is immediately approachable but offers endless depths to explore if you want to create sounds.

There is certainly a learning curve with MPs, but you should not regard them as scary by any means. In fact, you can do straightforward things with them quite easily. But like so much else with Melda software, there's all kinds of depth there that can be learned and utilized. Other deep synths like HALion and Falcon require the designer to get into script programming to do the kinds of things you do in MSF with MPs. I'd suggest that, at the end of the day, learning the Melda way vs. learning script programming is the easier of the two paths to take.

Thanks for your thoughts! I'll start watching those multiparameter tutorial videos today.

[] Peter:H []

MSF is great. I love it. But if you look at it from a Modular Synth perspective it has tough competition.
MSF itself is not a real / full-blown / traditional modular synth. Don't get me worng it is modular in a sence but what makes it different is the approach. Take for instance BItwigs The Grid - The Grid is more traditional Modular as it offers a great deal of modules taking care of gate signals which is missing in MSF. And The Grid has this familiar "patch cable" approach where you can plug in patch cables and connect modules. If you for instance want to do modulate one Oscs frequency with another Osc, simply wire the patch cable. In MSF the approach is different with a little detoure...
But this said, the goal and market segment of MSF is different as well: MSF is meant to be like Kontakt. It offers the possibility to build your own instruments, seal them and sell them as 3rd party MSF instruments. You can check out some of User Created Instruments in the latest release of MSF coming with 14.05.
So I just gave my 2 cents. I have no clear winner in this game. I like both the Grid and MSF, though I more actively use MSF (see: current track in my signature, which is done completely with MSF and Melda FX).

] Peter:H [

[WasteLand]

MSF is great. I love it. But if you look at it from a Modular Synth perspective it has tough competition.
MSF itself is not a real / full-blown / traditional modular synth. Don't get me worng it is modular in a sence but what makes it different is the approach. Take for instance BItwigs The Grid - The Grid is more traditional Modular as it offers a great deal of modules taking care of gate signals which is missing in MSF. And The Grid has this familiar "patch cable" approach where you can plug in patch cables and connect modules. If you for instance want to do modulate one Oscs frequency with another Osc, simply wire the patch cable. In MSF the approach is different with a little detoure...
But this said, the goal and market segment of MSF is different as well: MSF is meant to be like Kontakt. It offers the possibility to build your own instruments, seal them and sell them as 3rd party MSF instruments. You can check out some of User Created Instruments in the latest release of MSF coming with 14.05.
So I just gave my 2 cents. I have no clear winner in this game. I like both the Grid and MSF, though I more actively use MSF (see: current track in my signature, which is done completely with MSF and Melda FX).

] Peter:H [

i agree with MSF is certainly a beast. and quite good.. even more.. it seems to me more an avenger than a kontakt replacement, because kontakt lacks oscillators, additive modules, granular is coming, etc. o well it can even replace serum (aaaah, the wavetable module is quite extensive, already, this will cost me some downvotes.. o well serum is great, just like avenger, although i don't own them because i have MSF, and other vst synths..)....... but replacement, isn't the function of a new vst synth... MSF isn't finished, won't be finished ever (...), but it has already many features. and MSF within MSF.. but the modulation options are perfect for making sounddesign, dynamic sounds.
for me it is sounddesign system, MSF. i didn't buy it for presets.. or instruments.. but i think when more instruments come, will certainly attract more people.

it isn't a real modular ecosystem, i have also softube modular (all modules + heartbeat + etc.), reaktor 6.3 (with the usual suspects block packs, there aren't many. and user blocks are coming), and voltage modular (with many bundles, ow sales...).

but isn't semi-modular like others, melda has its own way, which i like, and it is quite powerfull.

working in VM, reaktor or softube modular is quite different.

it is more an addition to what is already on the market, a great addition.

EDIT: i used the term replacement. of course serum, with it's own workflow, etc. or avenger are different synths. but they can overlap, does avenger do also wavetables?
MSF has powerfull wavetable options. i also use vaporizer 2, by the way. i wasn't that into wavetables, but what vaporizer 2 can't do, i can do in MSF.

MSF is deep, deep menu's, mind-boggling sometimes. but i like that, the possibilities, nesting, parallel effects/manipulation. or serial and parallel effects. it does not have all the functions you can have with a modular ecosystem, but if you are creative, you can use the modulators for different uses, that aren't so obvious. but that is also the case in modular ecosystems. Filters making music, without OSC, an ADSR can be an envelope follower, etc.
or even LFO's.... o well, many techniques, i discover every week, several new approaches, not only by myself, but seeing what other people do.