Wavetable Synth Poll 2020

[nickc901]

Im surprised phase plant is as low as it is. Ive seen it mentioned like one time in this thread. Its an absolute monster.

It deserves to be low. It's powerful on paper, but cumbersome and unpleasant to use in practice, loosely tossing around a bunch of half-baked ideas which are handled in far-superior ways in other synths. I'm frankly surprised Phase Plant didn't receive a colder reception than it did.

What are these half baked ideas you are suggesting?

[dune_rave]

On the other hand Phase Plant is currently on Promo for 99... One of my fav. game is space invaders, so it's quite tempting. Though for second try, I still not really like the factory sounds.

[Spencer Maddox]

On the other hand Phase Plant is currently on Promo for 99... One of my fav. game is space invaders, so it's quite tempting. Though for second try, I still not really like the factory sounds.

Wait that’s all of phase plant? The entire synth? Hmmmmmmmmm...


Edit: it’s just the base one. The oscillators.
Phooey I thought it was the whole kit and caboodle.

Still might consider it...
I have way too many synths...I don’t NEED it...nope....not at all....


But...what if I just tried one mo-

[epiphanius]

Long list, but missing my vote: Loom. Crisp digital sounds with pleasing interface. Also: cheap! I prefer it even to Pigments...

[Spencer Maddox]

Long list, but missing my vote: Loom. Crisp digital sounds with pleasing interface. Also: cheap! I prefer it even to Pigments...

Does loom do wavetables??
I thought it was additive.

[EnGee]

Loom I/II is Additive but it has excellent morphing. It's a great synth but I don't use ilok anymore.

[Sinisterbr]

I don't think Loom fits in this pool at all (neither do I believe it can compete with most synths here in terms of quality - and I do own it).

[KBSoundSmith]

Im surprised phase plant is as low as it is. Ive seen it mentioned like one time in this thread. Its an absolute monster.

It deserves to be low. It's powerful on paper, but cumbersome and unpleasant to use in practice, loosely tossing around a bunch of half-baked ideas which are handled in far-superior ways in other synths. I'm frankly surprised Phase Plant didn't receive a colder reception than it did.

What are these half baked ideas you are suggesting?

It's been a while since I demoed the synth, but here's what I remember disliking: the nature of the GUI, modulation system, poorly designed MSEG/LFOs and editor with strange limitations (addressed by now, maybe?), the included samples, wavetable implementation, and the snapins.

Phase Plant mentions having a large number of FM operators, for example, but the GUI makes attempting anything beyond basic patches painful. Likewise, the modulation implementation is clumsy and crude, taking up needless GUI space and requiring several steps and modulation mixtures to achieve basic functionality achieved with one knob in better designed synths. With these flaws, good luck making any type of complex patch and being able to make sense of it after a week, much less after a month or a year. The GUI and UX design choices are, bluntly, poor.

And frankly, you have to be a sucker to buy into their snapin scheme. Other synths include FX as standard, including the ability to modulate FX parameters... and many even include the FX as a separate plugin for use elsewhere. With what they charge for their snapins, you are much better off buying significantly better standalone FX plugins, or hell, upgrading your DAW.

I've no doubt there are people who love the synth, and good for them -- use whatever they wish. But for me, the synth design is akin to the Homer Mobile.

[anomandaris1]

Phase Plant is very popular among dubstep guys, so it's far from being received in a "cold manner". Maybe most of KVR people seem to be into analog emulations...

[dune_rave]

ahh, Almost played Phase Plant Space invaders to the end, But the last Space monster killed me.
/Still don't like the factory sounds/
my feature requests : in the game , aliens don't shoot, that would be AWSOME. Plus some game music would be COOL.

[MetaMorph534]

On the other hand Phase Plant is currently on Promo for 99... One of my fav. game is space invaders, so it's quite tempting. Though for second try, I still not really like the factory sounds.

Wait that’s all of phase plant? The entire synth? Hmmmmmmmmm...


Edit: it’s just the base one. The oscillators.
Phooey I thought it was the whole kit and caboodle.

Still might consider it...
I have way too many synths...I don’t NEED it...nope....not at all....


But...what if I just tried one mo-

Just buy a year sub for 99, if you like it you get a credit you can use to buy the perpetual license later. They are always adding to it so I think for now the sub makes the most sense.

[ansolas]

I love Avenger and the way you can so easily create a great sounding wavetable's from a dragged samples as well as the fast multisample import.

I love Serum for is ultrafast showing GUI and it's Wavetable editor

I Like Massive X for its nice audio rate modulations

[SLiC]

For those considering 'Rapid' there is a nice little free bonus...granular...MSEG also being added, this is a powerhouse of a synth but so easy to use....as you can see from the granular demo below.

[faun2500]

For those considering 'Rapid' there is a nice little free bonus...granular...MSEG also being added, this is a powerhouse of a synth but so easy to use....as you can see from the granular demo below.

That first sound!

[BONES]

here's what I remember disliking: the nature of the GUI, modulation system, poorly designed MSEG/LFOs and editor with strange limitations (addressed by now, maybe?), the included samples, wavetable implementation, and the snapins.

Really? If you asked me to list the things I think makes Phaseplant a real standout, most of those things would be in the list. The GUI is awesome, the mod system is as good as any of have used and better than 90% of things out there. I've run into no issues with MSEG or LFO and I think the LFO editor is a real selling point. I don't know about the wavetable implementation because I don't use the wavetable osc at all but I do love the Snap-ins. I use them all the time, both in and out of Phaseplant, because they get the job done with a minimum of fuss.

Likewise, the modulation implementation is clumsy and crude, taking up needless GUI space and requiring several steps and modulation mixtures to achieve basic functionality achieved with one knob in better designed synths.

I think you must be confusing PP with some other synth because PP's mod implementation couldn't be easier - click the "+" button on a mod source, and start adjusting the knob/slider/button/widget you want it to modulate. I can't think of an easier system or one that shows you all the different mod sources at each destination so effectively.

The GUI and UX design choices are, bluntly, poor.

I'm glad they didn't hire you to do it, then.

With what they charge for their snapins, you are much better off buying significantly better standalone FX plugins, or hell, upgrading your DAW.

Can you point me to something better than the Phase Distortion Snap-In? Or Disperser? Even Faturator is a well above average distortion plugin.