What is the strangest synth you've encountered?
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- KVRAF
- 2989 posts since 5 Nov, 2014
Olga
- KVRist
- 435 posts since 13 Sep, 2004
Block 4's Microcomputer. Strange digital beast from early 2000s. I loved this one.
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Jonathan Shepherd Jonathan Shepherd https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=5644
- KVRian
- 635 posts since 28 Jan, 2003
As someone above said, Sophia. And all things Madrona Labs.
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- KVRian
- 791 posts since 30 Oct, 2003 from Pacific NW, USA
I still use some of the Reaktor ensembles from Twisted Tools. I load up my own recordings into UltraLoop and S-Layer and then I'm able to create completely new loops that can spark my creativity if I'm feeling uninspired. Dust from Soundmorph is really nice for granular atmospheres and delicate textures.
As someone who loves cinematic music, both Plasmonic and Absynth are amazing, deep synths that I could play with for hours. I took the time to really dive into Absynth years ago and I'm still impressed with it's sound and functionality. I also have Absynth loaded as an effect on a bus as part of my Logic Pro X sound effects template. I'd really love to see a fresh update for it.
As someone who loves cinematic music, both Plasmonic and Absynth are amazing, deep synths that I could play with for hours. I took the time to really dive into Absynth years ago and I'm still impressed with it's sound and functionality. I also have Absynth loaded as an effect on a bus as part of my Logic Pro X sound effects template. I'd really love to see a fresh update for it.
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- Banned
- Topic Starter
- 109 posts since 1 Mar, 2021
Those DOORS are closed. Surprised you didn't mention your favorite synth, FORM from NI. That can get pretty weird.
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- addled muppet weed
- 105855 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
the ceremony is about to begin!
ive decided to keep form as my super secret weapon
you are correct though, awesome and weird!
reaktor is full of weird
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- KVRist
- 114 posts since 22 Sep, 2002 from Germany
In that regard and in my experience nothing comes close an old software that goes by the name Argeiphontes Lyre. Literally everything was strange: the name, the parameters, the UI and the results. I did not know what I was doing and therefore was waiting for the results in excitement. (It was an offline sound generator for classic MacOS, rendering the results to an audio file.)
Check out for yourself, it seems, it‘s still in development: http://www.akirarabelais.com/o/software/al.html
Check out for yourself, it seems, it‘s still in development: http://www.akirarabelais.com/o/software/al.html
- KVRist
- 113 posts since 3 Jul, 2005 from Ottawa,Canada
Truly innovative synthesis http://www.amaranthaudio.com/products/cycle/
- KVRAF
- 35294 posts since 14 Sep, 2002 from In teh net
Yeah I need to see if it still works on Big Sur but given it hasn't been updated for years I'm not hopefulkrzys wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:06 pm Truly innovative synthesis http://www.amaranthaudio.com/products/cycle/
- KVRAF
- 35294 posts since 14 Sep, 2002 from In teh net
OK it won't install. I expected the installer to need to be run as an uncertified installer but even then it crashes before it gets a chance to install anything. Pity.aMUSEd wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:15 pmYeah I need to see if it still works on Big Sur but given it hasn't been updated for years I'm not hopefulkrzys wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:06 pm Truly innovative synthesis http://www.amaranthaudio.com/products/cycle/
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- KVRian
- 1218 posts since 9 Feb, 2007 from San Ramon, California
Palindrome is a glitchy, vector morphing along a path, granular sampler. It is cool but not all that strange too me.
Madrona's stuff, especially Aalto, is Buchla-inspired semi-modular and likewise cool but not all that strange to me at all.
Synplant was definitely strange when I first tried it, but strange in a very good way. I so wish for a version 2, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. I don't know what Magnus has been doing since he worked with Teenage Engineering to make the PO-32 (meh). I was offered a PO-32 in lieu of $50 in a trade deal and took the $50.
I would say Ruismaker's Mononoke for the iPad is my most recent "strange" soft synth. It seems to have taken a certain inspiration from the Lyra-8 hardware synth and improved on it in the digital realm. I wish it was also available as a VST. Oh well. It is a great thing to patch into Aum with other stuff.
I think I am going to buy Thermo and maybe the bundle with Fundamental 2 after work today while it is on sale. I didn't realize Sonic-lab was having sale until late last night.
Madrona's stuff, especially Aalto, is Buchla-inspired semi-modular and likewise cool but not all that strange to me at all.
Synplant was definitely strange when I first tried it, but strange in a very good way. I so wish for a version 2, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. I don't know what Magnus has been doing since he worked with Teenage Engineering to make the PO-32 (meh). I was offered a PO-32 in lieu of $50 in a trade deal and took the $50.
I would say Ruismaker's Mononoke for the iPad is my most recent "strange" soft synth. It seems to have taken a certain inspiration from the Lyra-8 hardware synth and improved on it in the digital realm. I wish it was also available as a VST. Oh well. It is a great thing to patch into Aum with other stuff.
I think I am going to buy Thermo and maybe the bundle with Fundamental 2 after work today while it is on sale. I didn't realize Sonic-lab was having sale until late last night.
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- KVRist
- 113 posts since 3 Jul, 2005 from Ottawa,Canada
aMUSEd wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:39 pmOK it won't install. I expected the installer to need to be run as an uncertified installer but even then it crashes before it gets a chance to install anything. Pity.aMUSEd wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:15 pmYeah I need to see if it still works on Big Sur but given it hasn't been updated for years I'm not hopefulkrzys wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:06 pm Truly innovative synthesis http://www.amaranthaudio.com/products/cycle/
That’s unfortunate. The dev has a wonderful synth that unfortunately didn’t receive enough airplay to take it further down the development path. Thanks for the heads up re: big sur.
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- KVRAF
- 4321 posts since 26 Jun, 2004
I like weird. Id nominate Obscurium and Aparillo, and Madrona for sure, as weird-but-useful.
Metaphysical is the classic.
Weirdest I ever saw was Cal Scott's last-I-knew-now-deleted Reaktor user lib stuff. Absolutely bonkers out there, speaker and cpu and soul destroying devices with truly special sounds and graphics.
He returned, but last I saw all that old weird shit was gone. I have it all archived, but I hope it lives on somewhere else...
There is a thread on KvR about his madness I think..
Metaphysical is the classic.
Weirdest I ever saw was Cal Scott's last-I-knew-now-deleted Reaktor user lib stuff. Absolutely bonkers out there, speaker and cpu and soul destroying devices with truly special sounds and graphics.
He returned, but last I saw all that old weird shit was gone. I have it all archived, but I hope it lives on somewhere else...
There is a thread on KvR about his madness I think..
- KVRAF
- 5510 posts since 2 Sep, 2019