Diva Alternatives

[Leo1999]

It's time for another Hive thread, isn't it?!
OP is gone anyway.

[plexuss]

Dive

[vitocorleone123]

Imo, there isn't a VST that sounds as analog and warm as Diva. If that's what you're after, then get Diva. If you want more sound design options, then there are better VSTs out there as others have mentioned in this thread.

You’re right - there’s software synths that sound MORE “analog” than Diva, not “as analog”. Diva is not the best emulation of analog synths anymore. It was. Others caught up and surpassed it. But the others don’t do what Diva can the way Diva does it. So it comes to priorities.

In a busy mix of synths, it’s probably a wash. Playing solo, or as a featured sound, it can make a difference.

Correct me if I'm wrong, so what you are saying is that Diva was once the best emulation of analog synths even though it was never trying to emulate a specific one? So are there others that are more analog that don't emulate a specific hardware synth? What I am saying is that I classify Saurus in the same category as Diva, and you are saying that something is more analog than Diva in this instance? Or am I just completely off my rocker trying to understand something which you are not eluding to at all? HAH

EDIT: or are you saying that Diva was the best emulation before others actually emulated correctly.

When people say “analog sound” in reference to Diva, I’m saying many others have as much or more of that same kind of sound now.

Those that do have better “analog sound” to date are specific single-synth emulations, whereas Diva, as we all know, doesn’t emulate a single synth.

[Big Mouth Strikes Again]

Really? I was unaware that SEM had three oscillators, an ARP, on-board effects and patch memory. Because what makes most of those old synths shitty is the lack of those sorts of modern conveniences. I'd have thought that was perfectly obvious from the context, the OP was asking about Diva after all, but clearly I need to remember how utterly brainless the audience around here can be.

Oh sure, every “accurate” emulation of a “shitty old synth” has all the limitations of the original synth. The way the Roland Cloud and Aturia synth plugins, for instance, never deviate from the originals.

Beep beep. Your clown car is arriving.

[syntonica]

Diva if you like old-school analog. Saurus or Hive+analog wavetables if you like new-school. I like Diva for all the mix and match components, however, over the others.

If you have a specific model in mind, then go for a single-model emulation.

[BONES]

has all the limitations of the original synth.

When I said "utter stupidity", I may have been underestimating the extent of the problem. Where is the patch memory in a hardware SEM? The on-board effects? The sequencer? SEM didn't even have the Arturia's volume control. Or portamento.

The way the Roland Cloud and Aturia synth plugins, for instance, never deviate from the originals.

I can't speak of Roland Cloud - I have no interest at all in anything Roland does - but none of Arturia's emulations are as restricted as the originals. Continuing with the SEM theme, Arturia's has tonnes of extras - right on the front panel they've put a sub-oscillator, an arpeggiator and three on-board effects. Then there's the Advanced panel, which gives you a mod matrix that includes things like velocity and after-touch, which the original was incapable of responding to. There's also an 8-voice programmer and more controls for the on-board effects. Plus, of course, and this is the really important one, you have unlimited memory to save all your patches.

[Big Mouth Strikes Again]

Where is the patch memory in a hardware SEM? The on-board effects? The sequencer? SEM didn't even have the Arturia's volume control. Or portamento.

None of Arturia's emulations are as restricted as the originals. Continuing with the SEM theme, Arturia's has tonnes of extras - right on the front panel they've put a sub-oscillator, an arpeggiator and three on-board effects. Then there's the Advanced panel, which gives you a mod matrix that includes things like velocity and after-touch, which the original was incapable of responding to. There's also an 8-voice programmer and more controls for the on-board effects. Plus, of course, and this is the really important one, you have unlimited memory to save all your patches.

Bonehead, you get so worked up that you stop making any sense. What was that bit about “utter stupidity” being a low bar? You do realize you made my very point. Thank you for being a clueless dolt, I guess?

[martiu]

[El°HYM]

You are a good man, Bones.

[martiu]

Bones is my favorite plugin user here

[El°HYM]

He surely is! Me even has some plugins he also uses.

[ramseysounds]

Big Mouth Strikes Again I’m guessing is a user who got banned? Very rude regardless. Bones speaks a lot of sense.

[Jac459]

...
OP is gone anyway.

How to blame him ?

[Sawtooth Fairy]

You might also try Retrologue2. I don't even like Steinberg, but that synth is very good in my view. And it is much cheaper than Diva.

Maybe if you compare two synths isolated, like a single filter sweep, one might sound a bit more authentic than another, but at the end of the day what matters is the whole package. Which includes sound design, user interface, features, CPU load, etc.
For instance, a third envelope is a must for me. At the same time I am not nerdy enough to want to set a zillion trimmers and what not. I prefer a single drift amount knob instead.

Someone mentioned warmth, I just don't really hear warmth in Diva or any such synth.
I noticed the word warm in various Saurus pad presets recently, none of them sounds warm to me, though.
There is one pad, though, which does sound kind of warm, ChorusPad RL.

Still, at the end of the day, Retrologue2 owns them all in my view.

[BONES]

OP is gone anyway.

Who knows? He's probably looking on, weighing up the advice he's been given. You can hardly blame him for sating quiet, can you?