Diva Alternatives

[pdxindy]

Again with the Divwig...

And Acewig and Bazwig and soon Repwig...

CLAP is freakin awesome!

[SamDi]

To bring it back on topic, this is another strength of DIVA. The Universal Audio and Softube Model synths arguably sound more accurate to classic synths than DIVA but they're incredibly limited in comparison. You're not going to get many experimental sounds out of UA's Minimoog. Even DIVA doesn't go far enough for a lot of people but it does a pretty good job of straddling that fine line between authenticity and flexibility.

And now, if you use Bitwig, the CLAP version of Diva can have unlimited per voice modulation plus various parameters that cannot be modulated directly in Diva can be in the CLAP version.

At least when BW now has MSEGs, I can use Diva and Repro more often, because normally I don't approach them very much because I am not that big fan of simple (means limiting) synths. BTW is there any statment when they all shall go to release state or will they stay in Beta the next years as Uhbik?

[BONES]

The big amount of tutorials is primarily dedicated to the sheer market share.

I'd suggest it's more about the genre it's associated with and the kinds of clueless idiots it attracts.

OK, and it is an ideal synth to learn. You can decide yourself, what you want to believe, what is the chicken and what's the egg here.

I'm sorry but it doesn't work like that. I've given you a factual explanation as to what makes it a less than ideal synth for anyone to use, unless you can counter that directly, you have no argument. I'll wager it's not something you had even thought about until I mentioned it.

Furthermore, I wonder myself if your skills are so complete, that you never approach any tutorial video because you never need to learn anything new anymore?

I watch plenty of video tutorials for things I don't know about but synths are all basically the same, if you know one you can work out any other. Occasionally I might need to consult a manual to find out how a specific synth does a specific thing, but I've never been so lost in a synth that I felt I needed to waste 15 minutes watching a video. But I watch After Effects tutorials all the time, even though I've been using it for 25 years.

If that's true, how come there is no way to apply envelope modulation to the filter cutoff from the front panel, where the rest of the filter controls are? That kills the workflow stone dead from the off, which makes all that other krap you mentioned worthless.

Did you ever try Serum? Applying an ENV to filter cutoff is just dragging this ENV tab to the cutoff knob, adjusting mod level on this knob and that's it. All done directly from the front panel in 1 second...[/quote]
But you can't see the value once it's done. And dragging and dropping is the Fisher Price way of doing things.

This is a complete different topic from what we discussed

Spare me days! The only reason things like Serum exist is so we can make music. That you don't understand that proves my point (and is more than a little bit frightening, if I'm honest).

The more people use something, the more tutorials it gets.

I don't think it works like that. If people aren't watching tutorials, "content creators" won't keep making them because they won't be making any money from them.

Fine for you to not like it though.

I don't really have an opinion on it at all. As I said, I've never so much as listened to any demo tunes.

But i do find helpful to separate making patches and making music.

I find that impossible. Either the patch will inform the music or the music will inform the patch. Each one needs the other.

[pdxindy]

BTW is there any statment when they all shall go to release state or will they stay in Beta the next years as Uhbik?

Sometime in the next couple months should be the next round of CLAP betas.

[frag]

If you want analog sound, Diva, Repro-5 & Repro-1 are the best. They're not only emulations, they have character of their own. You can create emulations as well as your own, original sounds with these synths. For example, UAD MiniMoog is great emulation of original, but the sound is too harsh just like NI Monark. And you're mostly limited to this "character".

But solo playing and arranging is quite different... I remember Oxygen rework by Reveal Sound Spire, they provided the project for download. The mix sounds analog, you almost believe it's recorded in the 70s. But when I listened to individual sounds, they seemed kind of plain and boring - not the type of sounds that hold my attention. In music, the whole appears to be much more important than parts.

So in the end it's all about expertise. A skillful producer will make Spire sound analog in the mix, and inexperienced producer will easily make Diva sound harsh and digital, completely unlike itself.

[Uncle E]

It’s a great point. Deserves its own thread. My typical track these days has fuller synths like DIVA and UA Minimoog alongside thinner synths like Model 84, Bassline-101, and the Micro Q port. But if I had to build a mix with nothing but fuller synths and cutting them back or nothing but thinner synths and layering them additively, I’d go the fuller route. I just find that easier to mix.

[Jac459]

It’s a great point. Deserves its own thread. My typical track these days has fuller synths like DIVA and UA Minimoog alongside thinner synths like Model 84, Bassline-101, and the Micro Q port. But if I had to build a mix with nothing but fuller synths and cutting them back or nothing but thinner synths and layering them additively, I’d go the fuller route. I just find that easier to mix.

I agree, this point was also discussed in the Twin 3 thread with the sound designer explaining how he prefers usable sounds over too "big" sound difficult to fit.

For the fuller route I think it can also be a middle of the road. If you take some growling big aggressive basses in phase plant for example, it can be quite difficult to trim down without sticking the life out of it. (Except if you are a neuro hard-core drum and bass addict, then you will put thermal and portal after phase plant and cranck up the volume hehe)

[BONES]

But solo playing and arranging is quite different... I remember Oxygen rework by Reveal Sound Spire, they provided the project for download. The mix sounds analog, you almost believe it's recorded in the 70s. But when I listened to individual sounds, they seemed kind of plain and boring - not the type of sounds that hold my attention.

That would be the aspect that made it sound like the 70s - lots of boring sounds put together in interesting ways.

I agree, this point was also discussed in the Twin 3 thread with the sound designer explaining how he prefers usable sounds over too "big" sound difficult to fit.

That's actually the opposite point to the one Uncle E was making. You can always make a fat synth sound thin but you can't make a thin synth sound fat.

[revvy]

No such thing as a ‘boring sound’.

[El°HYM]

Also keep in Mind that most modern software Synths having quite a bunch of internal Effects, some even like a whole Multi - Effect. This is mainly for presentation of their Presets. They need to sound big and full and impressive on first Sight. In the Mix you might be better of with turning most of those Effects off, to make them fit. Most analog Synths dont have any (or just very few) internal Effects, yet still mostly easier to fit into the Mix than a software Synth.

Just something to think about.

[BONES]

That's not been my experience at all. Any synth will fit into a mix if you craft it correctly. It's very rare these days that I need even EQ to make a synth part fit/work in a mix.

No such thing as a ‘boring sound’.

You obviously haven't listened to the new Depeche Mode album. Those basslines use the most boring, generic sounds imaginable and they seem to have had access to an entire wall of modular to make them.

[revvy]

That's not been my experience at all. Any synth will fit into a mix if you craft it correctly. It's very rare these days that I need even EQ to make a synth part fit/work in a mix.

No such thing as a ‘boring sound’.

You obviously haven't listened to the new Depeche Mode album. Those basslines use the most boring, generic sounds imaginable and they seem to have had access to an entire wall of modular to make them.

Not into DM but seeing as a simple saturated sine or triangle or 40 year old PBass can produce a great bassline in the right hands, I’m not gonna put the ’problem’ down to the sounds themselves.

[Sawtooth Fairy]

If you want analog sound, Diva, Repro-5 & Repro-1 are the best. They're not only emulations, they have character of their own. You can create emulations as well as your own, original sounds with these synths. For example, UAD MiniMoog is great emulation of original, but the sound is too harsh just like NI Monark. And you're mostly limited to this "character".

But solo playing and arranging is quite different... I remember Oxygen rework by Reveal Sound Spire, they provided the project for download. The mix sounds analog, you almost believe it's recorded in the 70s. But when I listened to individual sounds, they seemed kind of plain and boring - not the type of sounds that hold my attention. In music, the whole appears to be much more important than parts.

So in the end it's all about expertise. A skillful producer will make Spire sound analog in the mix, and inexperienced producer will easily make Diva sound harsh and digital, completely unlike itself.

That is what I meant before. The differences between the sound quality of any modern subtractive synth plugins are so small that production can easily compensate. It doesn't really matter whether you use U-he, Tal, Spire, Sylenth1, Invader, etc. Nobody can tell what was used just by listening to a finished song.

[El°HYM]

That's not been my experience at all. Any synth will fit into a mix if you craft it correctly. It's very rare these days that I need even EQ to make a synth part fit/work in a mix.

What is your craft?

[legendCNCD]

That's not been my experience at all. Any synth will fit into a mix if you craft it correctly. It's very rare these days that I need even EQ to make a synth part fit/work in a mix.

Sound selection has a huge impact in this and I agree.

I'll check them anyway with EQ8 in Live using the analyzer to quickly view the sequence, and we usually just drop some lows or highs away, then quickly check for some resonance/harsh areas if these actions are needed at all - depending. Then its onwards to next!

We've found Diva playing very, very nicely with Omnisphere together Not alternatives, sorry I dont know what would I replace Diva with.