Sonic Academy ANA 2

[Echoes in the Attic]

On sale again - is this worth getting?

One of my favorites sonically.

[BONES]

Yes, definitely. I think the sound quality on offer rivals DUNE (the benchmark for sound quality, IMHO) and it is extremely well thought out, GUI-wise, which makes it easy enough to work with, given its complexity.

[Touch The Universe]

High praise comparing the SQ to Dune, interesting

[sqigls]

they're quite similar in sound, i really think Ana 2 has the edge on features though, except for Synapses new genetics patch blending tool. I really could ask for more in a synth. You'd have to be a total synthesis wizard to hit the ceiling on it, maybe. Avenger is perhaps a step up from that, but i'd much prefer to work with the Ana 2 GUI. I use Dune and Ana about the same amount, transplanting patches between them both sometimes, but if i'm to start a preset from scratch I'd prefer to work in Ana 2. Not a huge fan of the rectangle box in the middle though. I'd prefer to just have 2 big screens to toggle than have so many controls in those kinda fiddly tabs.

i should add, the sale price is a bit of a deal too

[zvenx]

I too agree Dune and Ana 2 are very similar in sound.
rsp

[hurricaneaudiolab]

Just an opinion of course, but, the only synth that tops Dune3 in "sound quality" is Omnisphere.
I place ANA 2 in the 3rd tier of the sound quality rankings.

I. Omnisphere
II. Dune 3 - better than every other synth except Omnisphere
III. ANA2/Thorn/Zebra/Diva/Hive

[sqigls]

well, they're very clear sounding digital synths.
i've never tried Omnisphere, but i'm not really a next level synthesist, nor do i have 80GB to spare on my hard drive. Dune is very clear, but doesn't have the punch or density? (not sure the most appropriate word) of Ana... like some synths just have a real thick solid sound, but that's probably why i use Dune and Ana so much because i find they fit into a mix real well.
it's probably the way one uses it also, like i don't really use a whole lot of unison, nor do i use a billion oscillators (generally).
Dune is bright. Zebra is round... that's kinda the way i think about my synths, in overall timbre perhaps.

[PieBerger]

I love how ANA sounds, but I don't find it a particular fun and or efficient synth to use. I dislike that the mod matrix is tucked away in the same fiddly tabbed area as the FX etc. and the matrix itself is quite basic and also kinda clunky. For simple sound design it's excellent, especially as it's raw character is pleasing, but it's not likely to ever be a goto/primary synth for me, because trying to design more complex patches with it, makes me want to punch stuff

If £40 is affordable to you, it's definitely worth having, even if it's just to make the occasional nice supersaw or simple filter sweep style patch with.

[BONES]

Not a huge fan of the rectangle box in the middle though. I'd prefer to just have 2 big screens to toggle than have so many controls in those kinda fiddly tabs.

What I like, though, is that they allow it to grow when it makes sense, e.g. for the arp, the mod matrix and other things like that.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Not the best interface ever but certainly not the worst. Could maybe benefit from drag and drop type modulation and more mod visuals.

What I love about it is that it does really good classic analog sounds but then can also can into nasty digital stuff, in a good way. With the sampling capability it's pretty well rounded. Though I'd prefer timestretch for samples to multisamples in this case. Great presets too.

[Phil Sonic Academy]

Not the best interface ever but certainly not the worst. Could maybe benefit from drag and drop type modulation and more mod visuals.

What I love about it is that it does really good classic analog sounds but then can also can into nasty digital stuff, in a good way. With the sampling capability it's pretty well rounded. Though I'd prefer timestretch for samples to multisamples in this case. Great presets too.

Yeah we've looked in to the time-stretch thing a couple of times... possibly licensing zynaptiqs stuff... its not unreasonable what they are asking but we would have to figure it out.

would def open up some interesting possibilities.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Not the best interface ever but certainly not the worst. Could maybe benefit from drag and drop type modulation and more mod visuals.

What I love about it is that it does really good classic analog sounds but then can also can into nasty digital stuff, in a good way. With the sampling capability it's pretty well rounded. Though I'd prefer timestretch for samples to multisamples in this case. Great presets too.

Yeah we've looked in to the time-stretch thing a couple of times... possibly licensing zynaptiqs stuff... its not unreasonable what they are asking but we would have to figure it out.

would def open up some interesting possibilities.

Just my opinion, but I think even a lowish quality timestretch would be cool. Something in Ableton's old Impulse drum machine, or in Tal Sampler (Vintage stretch style). It just allows any sample with any kind of modulation over time to stay the same length.

[twal]

I'm sure someone can explain some of this better. And it's just my opinion. I didn't like the way the fx section looked when I first tried ANA 2 but after some time I started to enjoy it, and you can get a lot of interesting sounds running fx through fx sends. I like the Mod matrix. I like the quick interface and intuitive control- it's very fast to find what you need. Out of the synths I mainly look at Dune 3, Synthmaster 3, Avenger, Spire, it's the most enjoyable one for me to use because it's fast to navigate and easy to find things without overthinking it; and you can get most of what you want out of it besides sounds other synths with a lot of layers can produce (or granular and what not). You have to be more crafty but you can get a lot of the same sounds. And, the sound has that extra "oomph" in it which is there in synths like Spire or Avenger (Spire has the x-comp thing and Avenger has the control that adds punch, I forgot the name -- to help them), but it seems more robust/interesting/special whatever that means, it's one of its strong points.

[twal]

they're quite similar in sound, i really think Ana 2 has the edge on features though, except for Synapses new genetics patch blending tool. I really could ask for more in a synth. You'd have to be a total synthesis wizard to hit the ceiling on it, maybe. Avenger is perhaps a step up from that, but i'd much prefer to work with the Ana 2 GUI. I use Dune and Ana about the same amount, transplanting patches between them both sometimes, but if i'm to start a preset from scratch I'd prefer to work in Ana 2. Not a huge fan of the rectangle box in the middle though. I'd prefer to just have 2 big screens to toggle than have so many controls in those kinda fiddly tabs.

i should add, the sale price is a bit of a deal too

For a second, I thought I was reading my own post. Yeah, the GUI is really thought out like Bones said- it makes you wonder why other synths are so jumbled around or more difficult to pinpoint controls in at first glance.

[BONES]

Not the best interface ever but certainly not the worst. Could maybe benefit from drag and drop type modulation and more mod visuals.

I can't think of a synth this complex with a better interface. D'n'D and modulation visuals don't make any synth easier to work with, unless you are working with other people's presets. But if you are starting from an INIT patch, I think ANA-2 is very hard to beat for interface and workflow.