CS80 V3 VS V4

[groumpf]

Hi,

I bought V4 because I believed it was better than V3 but now I played the V3 presets and tried to make them on V4, I must admit the result is not convincing. The V3 is loud, the saw is very powerful compared to the V4 that sounds thinner.
It seems also that the velocity response is much more dynamic in V3.
The bad thing is that many knobs have no more the same range and unit. It is almost impossible to copy precisely a preset from V3 to V4.

Is it just me ?

[mholloway]

Hi,

I bought V4 because I believed it was better than V3 but now I played the V3 presets and tried to make them on V4, I must admit the result is not convincing. The V3 is loud, the saw is very powerful compared to the V4 that sounds thinner.
It seems also that the velocity response is much more dynamic in V3.
The bad thing is that many knobs have no more the same range and unit. It is almost impossible to copy precisely a preset from V3 to V4.

Is it just me ?

I've had similar feelings for sure... fwiw, the range of the envelopes can be set back to the V3 mode in the settings menu opened up by the gear in the upper right. The V3 has muuuuuch longer possible times for the envelope, V4 drastically shortened them. But you can change the V4 to the V3 settings in that menu.

[groumpf]

Yes I saw this menu after posting. I should compare with env time in ME80.

[Sound Mechanics]

Funny enough, I am not convinced with V.4 at all.
I couldn't get the same filter resonance vibe and struggled to get V.4 sounding as good as V.3. It's as if they have cleaned up the signal path and lost some of the CS80 character. I just use V.3.
I think the the new Mini V.4 sounds better though. I do miss the really good motion recorder which I thought was well implemented in V.3.

[trovaire]

Sticking with V3 here too. Can't put my finger on whether it's just being more familiar with certain patches on V3 we used on some tracks, but it's hard to jump right to the same vibe on the new version. Which is interesting because I found the opposite true on the Model-D, where the newer version is more like our much-beaten-up physical unit (which now sits quietly in storage).

[melody_lm1]

Has that happened in the past with other Arturia products that an older version sounds better?

[c_voltage]

I still use some of old Arturia's too, in parallel with new. This is Prophet, ARP2600, Mini and Modular. All V2, that not most old though (v2.7 - 2.8, from 2015).
Not because sound (frankly did not compare directly yet), just because bunch of old interesting patches which was not migrate to new V, + some extra features like SoundMap lol, yes i know it rather rudimental, but sometimes interesting to experiment.
Additionally i actually had illusion that Prophet V2 sound a bit more interesting than his latest variant, but attributed it all to some self-hypnosis.

Well, maybe will make sense to check. Although on the other hand, for me it not critical, because again we can still use it in parallel, and UI size ok for me. Although yes, a bit offensive for these people who for example will buy it from scratch.
Haha the times of better sounding vintage software is coming.

Added: in the same time, i'm still sure for example that latest* Jupiter V sounds better than his old V2 (which double-layer, though) variant. Just note.
Upd: * "latest" i meant when it become to single layer and with declared improved osc's, V3 perhaps ? did not knew that already there is V4 (well hope it was not spoiled lol)

[mabian]

I still use some of old Arturia's too, in parallel with new. This is Prophet, ARP2600, Mini and Modular. All V2, that not most old though (v2.7 - 2.8, from 2015).
Not because sound (frankly did not compare directly yet), just because bunch of old interesting patches which was not migrate to new V, + some extra features like SoundMap lol, yes i know it rather rudimental, but sometimes interesting to experiment.
Additionally i actually had illusion that Prophet V2 sound a bit more interesting than his latest variant, but attributed it all to some self-hypnosis.

Well, maybe will make sense to check. Although on the other hand, for me it not critical, because again we can still use it in parallel, and UI size ok for me. Although yes, a bit offensive for these people who for example will buy it from scratch.
Haha the times of better sounding vintage software is coming.

Added: in the same time, i'm still sure for example that latest* Jupiter V sounds better than his old V2 (which double-layer, though) variant. Just note.
Upd: * "latest" i meant when it become to single layer and with declared improved osc's, V3 perhaps ? did not knew that already there is V4 (well hope it was not spoiled lol)

TBH, if the new versions are more faithful to the original this would be better for me, even if it sounds thinner or so... a pity they don't let the previous versions be available to new Collection owners too. Still, I understand it makes sense to only keep the latest incarnations up to date. Judging from the feedback, the problem is that the latest versions are sometimes less faithful...???

[c_voltage]

@mabian
Hmm idk. Btw one thing i noticed yesterday being dig into Arturia changelogs, that in latest times (about 1.5 year ago perhaps) was added limiter (seems globally, for most plugs), hard locked not optional i mean.
This line:

- Added audio protection on plugin output (Limiter at +12dB)

Although not sure if it could affect to sound (incl thinner\fatter), well just for note, but i had some a bit unsucesful experience with such approach in some other great plug. So i always voting for optionality in case of built-in limiters.

In the same time, yesterday i did install\check for example SynthiV latest version (my previous installed version was before added limiter, and i made some good presets in he, actually related with overgained at output trick in matrix, up to distort , which behavior theoretically could be affected by new limiting), so, fortunately i did not found any of worsing in sound. All went nice. (I even was surprising extra case how cool it sounds lol).
So, idk, maybe this theoretically worsing relevent only for some (very classic) Arturia models.

[c_voltage]

Recently came across this video comparison of SEM V first version with SEM V2, and did pay attention how differ a bit sounds the same preset in both (not in favor of V2), and did remember this topic lol.



I decided to figure what happens, so to speak at place.
Did install both SEM's, and found that this preset sounds really more punchy in V1.

Short example here if need https://www.mediafire.com/file/pcioe98d ... 1.wav/file (it's single wav, but i suppose it will be clear where which version is, without specifying)

Preset name is "Caspian" (BP_Caspian_SQ in old version).
In both all knobs has the same levels.
Started to dig, disabling module by module, ans fortunately the reason turned out to be in upper modulation panel, in step mod seq levels - they very different in both versions, see pic
(Mod destination is "Env1 Decay")

semv1v2.jpg

So after leveling steps near to as in v1 the punch finally appears in V2
(so maybe with some others new versions similar things idk)