Is Equator 2 worth it? And is it safe to buy it from splice.com?

[kodra]

Vital

Great suggestion, especially considering the OP mentioned money is a consideration

Is it good for acoustic sounds tho? I just checked their webpage and I feel the packs are very electronic-orient. I know it's possible to make acoustic sounds by myself... but I don't have that much knowledge about sound design/synth.

[BBFG#]

Is there a demo to download for Equator 2?

[billcarroll]

Vital

Great suggestion, especially considering the OP mentioned money is a consideration

Is it good for acoustic sounds tho? I just checked their webpage and I feel the packs are very electronic-orient. I know it's possible to make acoustic sounds by myself... but I don't have that much knowledge about sound design/synth.

Pigments would be your best bet for using samples so you can get acoustic sounds. It's a great synth, and Arturia is doing a great job with their synths and effects now.

https://www.arturia.com/products/analog ... ts/details

[yellowmix]

The official guide says I should use a synth with MPE support like Surge XT. I tried it a bit, but the sounds sound quite... electronic. I'd like something more acoustic.

You've looked at the Factory Patches > MPE > MPE Third Party > MPE Linnstrument patches? Lots of acoustic-like patches by Roger Linn.

[fisherKing]

Vital

Great suggestion, especially considering the OP mentioned money is a consideration

Is it good for acoustic sounds tho? I just checked their webpage and I feel the packs are very electronic-orient. I know it's possible to make acoustic sounds by myself... but I don't have that much knowledge about sound design/synth.

Pigments would be your best bet for using samples so you can get acoustic sounds. It's a great synth, and Arturia is doing a great job with their synths and effects now.

https://www.arturia.com/products/analog ... ts/details

pigments does not seem like the solution (imho).

if you want acoustic sounds, why not go for sample libraries, sample players? if you want 'real' sounds, go for samples over synthesizers...

[rod_zero]

Vital

Great suggestion, especially considering the OP mentioned money is a consideration

Is it good for acoustic sounds tho? I just checked their webpage and I feel the packs are very electronic-orient. I know it's possible to make acoustic sounds by myself... but I don't have that much knowledge about sound design/synth.

Pigments would be your best bet for using samples so you can get acoustic sounds. It's a great synth, and Arturia is doing a great job with their synths and effects now.

https://www.arturia.com/products/analog ... ts/details

pigments does not seem like the solution (imho).

if you want acoustic sounds, why not go for sample libraries, sample players? if you want 'real' sounds, go for samples over synthesizers...

cause not all sample engines deal well with MPE or you have to configure it...


Equator does seems the best option, but really risky to deal with ROLI.

[pdxindy]

Vital

Great suggestion, especially considering the OP mentioned money is a consideration

Is it good for acoustic sounds tho? I just checked their webpage and I feel the packs are very electronic-orient. I know it's possible to make acoustic sounds by myself... but I don't have that much knowledge about sound design/synth.

What sort of acoustic sounds do you want?

[billcarroll]

Vital

Great suggestion, especially considering the OP mentioned money is a consideration

Is it good for acoustic sounds tho? I just checked their webpage and I feel the packs are very electronic-orient. I know it's possible to make acoustic sounds by myself... but I don't have that much knowledge about sound design/synth.

Pigments would be your best bet for using samples so you can get acoustic sounds. It's a great synth, and Arturia is doing a great job with their synths and effects now.

https://www.arturia.com/products/analog ... ts/details

pigments does not seem like the solution (imho).

if you want acoustic sounds, why not go for sample libraries, sample players? if you want 'real' sounds, go for samples over synthesizers...

How acoustic do you want to go? So many options + granular with Pigments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zEi5q8YBys

But I think pdxindy's question is spot on, "What sort of acoustic sounds do you want?"

[fisherKing]

Equator does seems the best option, but really risky to deal with ROLI.

why? the issues they dealt with in 2021? or is there something else?

[BONES]

ROLI has been through some serious difficulty, effectively declaring bankruptcy. I think they used a method slightly different under UK law. I'd being a little hesitant to sink money and time into ROLI software or hardware right now.

Why? That was two years ago and since then they have released multiple updates of their software products and a whole new Seaboard. Even so, if the company is afloat when you buy Equator, it will continue to work if the company disappears. It is completely risk-free.

if you want acoustic sounds, why not go for sample libraries, sample players? if you want 'real' sounds, go for samples over synthesizers...

What do you think Equator is? It is every bit a sampler.

I've been using Equator since I bought my Seaboard Rise in 2018 and it is a fantastic synth, choc-full of excellent sample-based acoustic sounds. Best of all, it is so easy to use with MPE, much easier than any other VSTi I have tried to use with my MPE controllers (I have several, but not a Linnstrument). $249 is a lot to pay but you get a lot with it. I'd recommend it over any of the other suggestions here, which you will find are a lot more like your experience with SurgeXT. Equator was built for MPE, those other synths have been adapted to work with it and the difference is night and day in my experience.

I have no qualms in buying Roli products, they seem to be a pretty good company who have gone through a rough patch and come out the other side. I've not used Splice but they've been around a while and I've never heard of anyone having problems with them. So my recommendation would be to go for it!

[pdxindy]

^^^ what Bones said

[kodra]

What sort of acoustic sounds do you want?

Like these:

https://youtu.be/zE6Sgq9SpEE?t=362

(especially 4:02, 6:01, 8:12, 10:18. I don't particularly like its woodwind at 12:05 tho)

This video is what makes me interested in Equator2 in the first place.

ROLI has been through some serious difficulty, effectively declaring bankruptcy. I think they used a method slightly different under UK law. I'd being a little hesitant to sink money and time into ROLI software or hardware right now.

Why? That was two years ago and since then they have released multiple updates of their software products and a whole new Seaboard. Even so, if the company is afloat when you buy Equator, it will continue to work if the company disappears. It is completely risk-free.

I guess their point is that if ROLI goes under, Equator2 will no longer receive updates/bugfixes/support? I don't know how big ROLI's financial trouble is today tho.

[Jac459]

If you use bitwig why not just start with the Bitwig synths? Their mpe support is good and the sampler has some good accoustic sounds.

[billcarroll]

ROLI seems focused on music education and LUMI Keys.

I own a Seaboard, blocks, and Equator 2. I just don’t see the company pulling itself out of insolvency in the current economy where music software and hardware is becoming a tougher play with narrowing margins.

The current economy in the UK is rough for businesses with insolvency numbers rising. I’m just looking at the finances and the odds.

Reviews like this don’t help that much

https://www.wired.com/review/roli-lumi- ... review/amp

Who knows. I don’t. But if I were putting money into software today I’d lean towards Arturia and Pigments for MPE and acoustic sounds. Certainly more presets and attention going towards Pigments. Just my opinion, and everyone here has one of those.

[Jac459]

.... But if I were putting money into software today I’d lean towards Arturia and Pigments for MPE and acoustic sounds. Certainly more presets and attention going towards Pigments. Just my opinion, and everyone here has one of those.

Pigment is definitely a safe bet. It is part of the very popular modern synth and the UI is intuitive enough to do your own mpe presets.