KVR Audio

abernathy · Post by **abernathy** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 4:47 pm

I'm going through the tedious process of preparing to upgrade to macOS Monterey + Apple Silicon. I'm not feeling optimistic that the old TimewARP 2600 will ever get upgraded. After all these years it is the one synth I have trouble replacing with any other softsynth. It has this hardware-like presence to its sound that other 2600 emus can't touch. There's probably all sorts of technically bad things about its sound, like aliasing.... but it still feels like hardware to me. It IS ugly to look at and glitchy!

I reached out to SONiVOX but never heard back. Old message on their website:

"SONiVOX has been actively testing all applicable hardware and software products with each beta release of macOS 12 Monterey. We understand how important it is for all our users to know exactly what works before they make the jump on any new updates. We encourage all our users to remain on their current OS until all necessary hardware and software products have been qualified for use with the macOS Monterey operating system."

ChamomileShark · Post by **ChamomileShark** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 4:57 pm

It's sad that these things are taken on by companies from the original developers and then just abandoned.

I remeber I had just finished beta testing the Arturia version when TimewARP came out and to me it did sound more like hardware too - that was my immediate reaction.

But it was buggy and I never used it much.

I always avoid SoniVax after getting one of their products for free and never having had a response from them when I had an issue with it.

Examigan · Post by **Examigan** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 5:07 pm

You might like the Cherry Audio 2600. There is a demo version you can try.
Info from their website:
macOS Requirements: macOS 10.9 or above (including macOS 12), 64-bit required. Native Apple M1 processor support

mcbpete · Post by **mcbpete** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 5:12 pm

On PluginBoutique (where I bought a few cheap SoniVox plugins a while back) there is the following (updated 10 days ago):

"SONiVOX is currently working on updating its product range to be safe for Windows 10, as well as macOS Catalina, Big Sur and Monterey compatible installers. Once these are available, they will be added to this download area."
https://support.pluginboutique.com/hc/e ... Installers

abernathy · Post by **abernathy** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 6:21 pm

mcbpete wrote: ↑Fri Jan 28, 2022 5:12 pm On PluginBoutique (where I bought a few cheap SoniVox plugins a while back) there is the following (updated 10 days ago):

"SONiVOX is currently working on updating its product range to be safe for Windows 10, as well as macOS Catalina, Big Sur and Monterey compatible installers. Once these are available, they will be added to this download area."
https://support.pluginboutique.com/hc/e ... Installers

Thanks. I hope it happens!

mcbpete · Post by **mcbpete** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 6:32 pm

Ditto on my [Windows-y] side - The current installers to some of the plugins will the whole system completely unbootable ! (learned the hard way and stuck in a blue screen of death boot loop but luckily found a recovery method ( viewtopic.php?p=8185159#p8185159 ) !)

ChamomileShark · Post by **ChamomileShark** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 8:12 pm

""SONiVOX is currently working on updating its product range to be safe for Windows 10, as well as macOS Catalina, Big Sur and Monterey compatible installers. Once these are available, they will be added to this download area."

But Windows 10 was 2015...so they've been working on it for 7 years?

I suspect even if they get it working on current OS's the original buginess won't have gone away.

I think you are going to need to find something else.

Here is a thought, if what you connected to was the "ARP-ness" of the plugin have a look at the Odyssey emulations. If it's a more general "hardware-ness" look at things like U-hes stuff.

zzz00m · Post by **zzz00m** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 9:05 pm

Examigan wrote: ↑Fri Jan 28, 2022 5:07 pm You might like the Cherry Audio 2600. There is a demo version you can try.
Info from their website:
macOS Requirements: macOS 10.9 or above (including macOS 12), 64-bit required. Native Apple M1 processor support

I uninstalled TimewARP 2600 after I picked up the Cherry Audio 2600. $25 now. Check out the demo! https://cherryaudio.com/products/ca2600

Xenos Soundworks has released a 90 preset bank for the CA2600, "Retroscapes", $8.95. https://xenossoundworks.com/ca2600.html
Xenos demo mp3 > https://xenossoundworks.com/resources/C ... s+Demo.mp3

The SONiVOX 2600 plugin was always way too small and buggy for me to enjoy it.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Fri Jan 28, 2022 9:14 pm

zzz00m wrote: ↑Fri Jan 28, 2022 9:05 pm The SONiVOX 2600 plugin was always way too small and buggy for me to enjoy it.

I picked it up for 9.99 € (I think) in that nutty sale Plugin Boutique had some time ago. Tried out for half an hour, and then wondered why I even bought it. 1. Just not my kind of synth. 2. Too ancient and outdated in terms of analog modelling. 3. Way too small interface.

Well... can't complain about 9.99, I guess.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:43 pm

CA 2600 is nice if you want something that doesn't sound at all like an ARP 2600.

Examigan · Post by **Examigan** » Sat Jan 29, 2022 6:25 pm

Starsky Carr made a video comparing CA's version to the Behringer model he has:

https://youtu.be/TcKFWlHoeLA

zzz00m · Post by **zzz00m** » Sat Jan 29, 2022 6:53 pm

EvilDragon wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:43 pm CA 2600 is nice if you want something that doesn't sound at all like an ARP 2600.

Is that a fact, or just your opinion?

steffensen · Post by **steffensen** » Sat Jan 29, 2022 6:58 pm

The only problem with that is that neither of those synths sounds like a 2600.

In software the TWARP is the closest, followed by the KARP and Oddity (different flavors).
KARP is sounding very true to the the new improved version by KORG. It's however so "perfected" that i feel they removed most of its magic. It's still good and perhaps the most hw'ish sounding of them all even so.

steffensen · Post by **steffensen** » Sat Jan 29, 2022 7:03 pm

zzz00m wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 6:53 pm
EvilDragon wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:43 pm CA 2600 is nice if you want something that doesn't sound at all like an ARP 2600.
Is that a fact, or just your opinion?

For anyone who have heard or played the real - it's a fact.
If the features is all that matters, it's fine.

A bit like the Arturia version. Doesn't sound like the real thing at all, not saying it sounds bad, just a bit false marketing stating it's a 2600 clone... (As many seem to state.....)

zzz00m · Post by **zzz00m** » Sat Jan 29, 2022 7:35 pm

Isn't it also a fact that soft synths are never going to sound exactly like their hardware counterpart?

I accept that (and assume many folks do as well). Most emulations are close enough for any music that I would make with them, rather than stressing out over an oscilloscope comparison. Plus they're much less expensive and more convenient. If you don't accept that, you really should stick with hardware.

I think a reasonable benchmark might be rating how close they come. But to say "doesn't sound at all like" ... really???

TimewARP 2600 dead going forward...?