Is Serum worth cashing out for, when you get Vital for free?

[Dust_NL]

Why Serum and not -for example- Pigments, because you’re already into Arturia’s stuff? And are there specific sounds you really can’t produce with the ones you already have or do you only think you can’t?

To be honest, I’m fairly new into synthesis, but I noticed (got many free synths including Vital and a few ‘A-class’ ones like Diva, Hive2 and Pigments 3) I was always THINKING I NEEDED another vst, because my productions weren’t there yet and with a new one, they surely will…. So I drew a line last week and told myself to only produce something new with the ones I’ve already got and learn them very well. Last few days I’m not producing anymore, but only fiddle around with knobs and parameters to get the sounds I want. Or better to say: try to get them. And every single day, I can do more and more with just one synth.

So, back to your question in your first post. Why Serum or maybe better: are you missing something in your current arsenal?

[ElDoRado1239]

My impression was that Serum has a better and better looking interface - but that will differ person to person. I also think Serum is more powerful and in the end, I like its sound better.

The best way to decide is probably starting the Rent2Own via Splice and prepare a few "exercises" - a few sound types, few bars of music in styles I would plan to use it for. Then perform these tasks with both Serum and Vital. See what workflow is better for you, which synth produced results that matched your initial ideas and which one forced you to compromise or made the process slower, more complicated.

[Hink]

I don't have it but I do think it's worth it for the number of presets out there alone.

please keep in mind we have a great many very good sound designers for many, many synths here who offer their presets at a very reasonable price. I am quite sure all will greatly appreciate the support as well

[JamelaBanderson]

If you have fun designing sound, you'll probably want to own both. However if you primarily use presets, you should be equally happy with Vital or Serum. Both have a vast array of presets for sale or free and you could get lost for days going through them all.

[YnJ]

I have fun designing sound, and I now own both of them. They are completely different, not as much in how they work, but in sound and character, I also got VPN Avenger and Pigments on sale now, and I'll get Rapid as well

[YnJ]

I got some really cool wavetables for Vital as well, and will look for more for Serum, some of them are compatible with both I think

[ronmendoza0594]

I think many of their features overlap, so the release of Vital made me think twice about buying Serum

[dune_rave]

serum can modulate the points of a mod envelope. can vital do this? plus serum has a wavetable editor. plus serum can create wavetable from image files
....

[FapFilter]

serum can modulate the points of a mod envelope. can vital do this? plus serum has a wavetable editor.

So does Vital.
If image importing is vital to your sound design workflow, Serum does indeed have this “killer feature“ over Vital

[Biscotto]

serum can modulate the points of a mod envelope. can vital do this? plus serum has a wavetable editor.

So does Vital.
If image importing is vital to your sound design workflow, Serum does indeed have this “killer feature“ over Vital

To be exact, Vital has a "wavetable editor" but it "can not" modulate the individual points of the LFO, while Serum can.

[FapFilter]

That's correct, it wasn't clear to me wether he meant the envelopes or LFOs.
The former are fully automatable, while the latter aren't.

[dune_rave]

plus serum has more wave morph modes and more filter types and more skins. serum also have an fx version.
But theres no point in comparing these two questioning what is better. they are different.
And vital dont run on some older GPU (yeah i cant run it) . Anyway, these are just tools, and the one that matters is the music made with them.
You can find many comparison on the net, heres one: https://soundpeaks.net/blog/serum-vs-vital

[Biscotto]

That's correct, it wasn't clear to me wether he meant the envelopes or LFOs.
The former are fully automatable, while the latter aren't.

You are right, envelope was not the right terminology for the LFO even though they can act as envelopes as well.

Assigning Chaos or “NoteOn Rand” to those points, in the right amount, can create some amazing sound design possibilities.

I work mostly with Serum and Diva and I cover all my music needs, and recently got back to Bitwig and I have on my plate more than I can ever explore in my life time.

I really love those two synths but Serum is the one that allows me to still get “surprised” so many times.

I got Vital in order to support the gifted developer and sometimes I dig it but I haven’t exhausted Serum yet and probably never will

[tony10000]

Serum is a classic and well worth owning. It is my go to for creating new sounds.

[doc11235]

Vital is now one of my goto synths, along with Phase Plant and Pigments 3, though VS3, UA3, Oberhausen and Knifonium aren't going anywhere. Everything else has been semi retired.