UADx Opal Morphing Synthesizer

[Lbdunequest]

thank you, this doesnt seem to be something dificult to make in Opal, ill try to do that when im at home. Have you tried Repro 5 or model 80? they are prophet clones.

Or Messiah?

I dont think Messiah is in the same league, it just sounds lightyears far far away. Also in general Opal is probably one of the best sounding synth, software or hardware.

[audiouser720]

thank you, this doesnt seem to be something dificult to make in Opal, ill try to do that when im at home. Have you tried Repro 5 or model 80? they are prophet clones.

Yes of course, in fact I have a Prophet 5 rev4 and both Repro and Model 80 do this as expected.

I think I know what I am after I’m just not sure if it is possible in Opal. It seems very easy though but I want to do it exactly like on the Prophet. I’ve tried PolyMax and that doesn’t have LFO per voice functionality either. Apart from that it is absolutely beautiful sounding.

[elv]

The summer sale is about to end in a few days, and if you max out your codes, you can get Opal for $19.23. Some of us got the HANGTEN code, which combined with the UALURKER4LIFE code, and a THANKS code, would get you Opal for under 20 bucks. I like it.

Just tried this and only UALURKER4LIFE works for me

[vitocorleone123]

So why is this ting cannot do prophet 5 style poly mod? It would be the perfect software synthesizer. Sounds so good. But no poly mod? Am I missing something?

You can't mod cutoff and OSC freq with any of the oscillators fair enough. But sometimes you can do it with the LFO - Massive X for instance. However the LFOs in Opal are so primitive. You can't do key tracking? CAn't do per note modulation? You can set the waveform to random and then the beating goes out of note sync, but it's not like poly mod

Maybe Twin3 is for you? That’s another great sounding synth.

Yes but Opal just sounds so so much better it’s not even funny.

I completely disagree that Opal sounds much better - they just sound different as they are targeted on different things.

Twin3 emulates a more vintage saturated analog sound.
Opal emulates a more modern clean analog/wavetable hybrid sound.

I consider them equals overall, and they're not alone in that category of sounding great.

[audiouser720]

So why is this ting cannot do prophet 5 style poly mod? It would be the perfect software synthesizer. Sounds so good. But no poly mod? Am I missing something?

You can't mod cutoff and OSC freq with any of the oscillators fair enough. But sometimes you can do it with the LFO - Massive X for instance. However the LFOs in Opal are so primitive. You can't do key tracking? CAn't do per note modulation? You can set the waveform to random and then the beating goes out of note sync, but it's not like poly mod

Maybe Twin3 is for you? That’s another great sounding synth.

Yes but Opal just sounds so so much better it’s not even funny.

I completely disagree that Opal sounds much better - they just sound different as they are targeted on different things.

Twin3 emulates a more vintage saturated analog sound.
Opal emulates a more modern clean analog/wavetable hybrid sound.

I consider them equals overall, and they're not alone in that category of sounding great.

We hear things differently. To me Twin3 sounds sterile. I like the flexibility but the sound is too clinical.

Opal sounds like a nice analog poly. I can’t say if it sounds like a modern or a vintage synth. I don’t agree that vintage polys are saturated. Definitely not a Jupiter 8. It sounds ‘clean’ but warm. Prophet5 rev 3 is not a saturated sound either. Model D more likely.

[vitocorleone123]

So why is this ting cannot do prophet 5 style poly mod? It would be the perfect software synthesizer. Sounds so good. But no poly mod? Am I missing something?

You can't mod cutoff and OSC freq with any of the oscillators fair enough. But sometimes you can do it with the LFO - Massive X for instance. However the LFOs in Opal are so primitive. You can't do key tracking? CAn't do per note modulation? You can set the waveform to random and then the beating goes out of note sync, but it's not like poly mod

Maybe Twin3 is for you? That’s another great sounding synth.

Yes but Opal just sounds so so much better it’s not even funny.

I completely disagree that Opal sounds much better - they just sound different as they are targeted on different things.

Twin3 emulates a more vintage saturated analog sound.
Opal emulates a more modern clean analog/wavetable hybrid sound.

I consider them equals overall, and they're not alone in that category of sounding great.

We hear things differently. To me Twin3 sounds sterile. I like the flexibility but the sound is too clinical.

Opal sounds like a nice analog poly. I can’t say if it sounds like a modern or a vintage synth. I don’t agree that vintage polys are saturated. Definitely not a Jupiter 8. It sounds ‘clean’ but warm. Prophet5 rev 3 is not a saturated sound either. Model D more likely.

Interesting.

You do know that the louder the oscillators, and the louder the output volume, the more that Twin3 saturates and eventually distorts, right? Just like many analog synths (gain staging).

I'd never in a million years call Twin3 "sterile" or "clinical". It's more analog sounding than many dedicated emulations trying to recreate the past. I've never read anyone else describing Twin3 that way. They may dislike the UX, or even the sound, but never describe it in those terms.

You are an outlier. Not saying you don't hear it that way, just don't want others to think it's a common perception.

And, yes, Twin3 sounds decidedly more "analog" than Opal. But "analog" doesn't mean better! Opal has become one of my favorite synths, generally replacing Hive2 for that brighter, crisper, more modern hybrid digital VA sound.

[audiouser720]

So why is this ting cannot do prophet 5 style poly mod? It would be the perfect software synthesizer. Sounds so good. But no poly mod? Am I missing something?

You can't mod cutoff and OSC freq with any of the oscillators fair enough. But sometimes you can do it with the LFO - Massive X for instance. However the LFOs in Opal are so primitive. You can't do key tracking? CAn't do per note modulation? You can set the waveform to random and then the beating goes out of note sync, but it's not like poly mod

Maybe Twin3 is for you? That’s another great sounding synth.

Yes but Opal just sounds so so much better it’s not even funny.

I completely disagree that Opal sounds much better - they just sound different as they are targeted on different things.

Twin3 emulates a more vintage saturated analog sound.
Opal emulates a more modern clean analog/wavetable hybrid sound.

I consider them equals overall, and they're not alone in that category of sounding great.

We hear things differently. To me Twin3 sounds sterile. I like the flexibility but the sound is too clinical.

Opal sounds like a nice analog poly. I can’t say if it sounds like a modern or a vintage synth. I don’t agree that vintage polys are saturated. Definitely not a Jupiter 8. It sounds ‘clean’ but warm. Prophet5 rev 3 is not a saturated sound either. Model D more likely.

Interesting.

You do know that the louder the oscillators, and the louder the output volume, the more that Twin3 saturates and eventually distorts, right? Just like many analog synths (gain staging).

I'd never in a million years call Twin3 "sterile" or "clinical". It's more analog sounding than many dedicated emulations trying to recreate the past. I've never read anyone else describing Twin3 that way. They may dislike the UX, or even the sound, but never describe it in those terms.

You are an outlier. Not saying you don't hear it that way, just don't want others to think it's a common perception.

And, yes, Twin3 sounds decidedly more "analog" than Opal. But "analog" doesn't mean better! Opal has become one of my favorite synths, generally replacing Hive2 for that brighter, crisper, more modern hybrid digital VA sound.

Well as I said we all hear things differently. Actually you can look at comparisons between actual analog polys. There is one on gearslutz between jupiter 8 and prophet 5 and you can see how different people hear completely different things. Some call Jupiter 8 to clean, crispy, some thinks it’s warm, cream and mellow. Same for Prophet. My ears just didn’t click with Twin3 it’s got that Fabfilter sheen - kinda all plugins same-ish sounding. It could be just me in the entire world. Could be placebo because of the UI. But I hear it.

Opal reminds me to Prophet rev4.

Of course I’m aware of gain staging. The moog grandma mixer is the most extreme example. 12 o’clock onwards the osc sounds completely different. It willl saturate your triangle wave to a square wave basically.

Opal doesn’t have this, PolyMax have prober VCA gain staging AFAIK

[audiouser720]

Maybe Twin3 is for you? That’s another great sounding synth.

Yes but Opal just sounds so so much better it’s not even funny.

I completely disagree that Opal sounds much better - they just sound different as they are targeted on different things.

Twin3 emulates a more vintage saturated analog sound.
Opal emulates a more modern clean analog/wavetable hybrid sound.

I consider them equals overall, and they're not alone in that category of sounding great.

We hear things differently. To me Twin3 sounds sterile. I like the flexibility but the sound is too clinical.

Opal sounds like a nice analog poly. I can’t say if it sounds like a modern or a vintage synth. I don’t agree that vintage polys are saturated. Definitely not a Jupiter 8. It sounds ‘clean’ but warm. Prophet5 rev 3 is not a saturated sound either. Model D more likely.

Interesting.

You do know that the louder the oscillators, and the louder the output volume, the more that Twin3 saturates and eventually distorts, right? Just like many analog synths (gain staging).

I'd never in a million years call Twin3 "sterile" or "clinical". It's more analog sounding than many dedicated emulations trying to recreate the past. I've never read anyone else describing Twin3 that way. They may dislike the UX, or even the sound, but never describe it in those terms.

You are an outlier. Not saying you don't hear it that way, just don't want others to think it's a common perception.

And, yes, Twin3 sounds decidedly more "analog" than Opal. But "analog" doesn't mean better! Opal has become one of my favorite synths, generally replacing Hive2 for that brighter, crisper, more modern hybrid digital VA sound.

Well as I said we all hear things differently. Actually you can look at comparisons between actual analog polys. There is one on gearslutz between jupiter 8 and prophet 5 and you can see how different people hear completely different things. Some call Jupiter 8 to clean, crispy, some thinks it’s warm, cream and mellow. Same for Prophet. My ears just didn’t click with Twin3 it’s got that Fabfilter sheen - kinda all plugins same-ish sounding. It could be just me in the entire world. Could be placebo because of the UI. But I hear it.

Opal reminds me to Prophet rev4.

Of course I’m aware of gain staging. The moog grandma mixer is the most extreme example. 12 o’clock onwards the osc sounds completely different. It willl saturate your triangle wave to a square wave basically.

Opal doesn’t have this, PolyMax have prober VCA gain staging AFAIK

Anyway I don’t like this conversation. Because of you I’m downloading Twin3 again

[vitocorleone123]

Twin3 and Opal both require some work by the user for some things that should be built in. Per note panning and also being able to increase tonal instability per oscillator (eg if you want it more “vintage”) - but both can be programmed to be that way, and saved as a preset. Twin3 is easier to customize than Opal.

I totally get the ears not clicking thing. I don’t understand the fascination some people have with the Prophet 5/10 - I just don’t hear the magic they do.

[Sinisterbr]

I do think Opal sounds more analog than Twin 3.

[Sinisterbr]

Twin3 and Opal both require some work by the user for some things that should be built in. Per note panning and also being able to increase tonal instability per oscillator (eg if you want it more “vintage”) - but both can be programmed to be that way, and saved as a preset. Twin3 is easier to customize than Opal.

Yes, I do think it's a common problem of these two synths: Their factory presets are very bland and uninspiring. And I already have so many great synths that I thought getting Twin 3 (and tweaking presets for my personal use) wouldn't be worth it.

[vitocorleone123]

Twin3 and Opal both require some work by the user for some things that should be built in. Per note panning and also being able to increase tonal instability per oscillator (eg if you want it more “vintage”) - but both can be programmed to be that way, and saved as a preset. Twin3 is easier to customize than Opal.

Yes, I do think it's a common problem of these two synths: Their factory presets are very bland and uninspiring. And I already have so many great synths that I thought getting Twin 3 (and tweaking presets for my personal use) wouldn't be worth it.

Unless I want the sound of a specific emulation, such as the wonderful Model 84, I'm in a place right now where I load one of these 3 software synths: Twin3, Opal, or PolyMax. Plus at least one instance of Kontakt. TBD on how long that lasts, but I'm trying to give them a nice, long-term go of it. All 3 sound great (can't believe they'd charge so much list price for PolyMax when it's soooo limited - sounds good within what it can do, but it's very basic).

[Aiynzahev]

Tried them both today. Lovely sounding synths. Clean but analog character. I actually like PolyMax a little more due to its simplicity and stereo unison.

[audiouser720]

Tried them both today. Lovely sounding synths. Clean but analog character. I actually like PolyMax a little more due to its simplicity and stereo unison.

If it had LFO per voice to imitate the poly mod on the prophet, it would be the perfect analog emu soft synth. Polymax I mean. Just beautiful.

[Aiynzahev]

Tried them both today. Lovely sounding synths. Clean but analog character. I actually like PolyMax a little more due to its simplicity and stereo unison.

If it had LFO per voice to imitate the poly mod on the prophet, it would be the perfect analog emu soft synth. Polymax I mean. Just beautiful.

Yes, I personally find both of them a little lacking in features and that’s especially frustrating given how good their character is. But seems to be a common trend and they are still very useful.