A wavetable synth plugin replacement for my beloved Microwave?

[pdxindy]

Oh, btw, the Microwave is my favorite synth of all time. It truly is my "desert island" synth. Just put a halfway decent chorus and hall reverb on the Microwave and expect to have your mind blown. It's that good, IMO.

Nothing in software is quite like the Microwave...

[kritikon]

I'm generally not a fan of anything wavetable, especially all the supposedly mega VST releases in recent years. But impOSCar3 was mentioned and it's probably the nearest you're going to get wavetables approaching good-sounding in the sw world. Only because impOSCar has superb filter and drive so it can force nasty tinny wavetables to sound better.

Korg Modwave is probably another option. Either hw or sw. I really like the hw controls with XY pad etc, but never bought it because...wavetables. The Modwave plugin is def an option. Big caution here though - PLEASE demo it before considering buying. I bought both Opsix and Wavestate in hw, then got the plugins when they came out. They were both broken to unusable shit almost because of massive and random CPU hit. They fixed Wavestate enough to use now (though still not in multiple instances) and I use it a lot, but Opsix is still utterly broken on my system. Brings it to its knees the moment I play it in any full project. On its own it's just about usable, but I basically haven't touched it since I bought it. Modwave sounds like it's been OK but who knows - Korg have been a bit dodgy in plugin releases recently, and I'm a huge Korg fanboy. I approach their sw with extreme caution (but love their hw)

Addit - the filters on all korg digital synths nowadays are lovely and can be quite aggro MS flavour. And their FX are really good.

[Supercollider]

Why did you buy a bunch of synths that sound terrible?

Here's "one" last remark on "a bunch of synths that sound terrible":

I got suckered into buying Serum before even listening to it by a bunch of fellow "synth fetishists" who should have known better. They were all telling me how "amazing" Serum sounds and that it was basically the shiny new thing. So I bought it without even taking the time to listen to it. Although in my defense, I'm not even sure if there was a demo version that early on.

What a complete POS. Serum has to be the most overrated synthesizer (hardware or software) in the history of synthesis. It sounds horrible! The "VA" side of it is so cheap and 1990's "Trance" that I just laugh. It's absolutely ridiculous that people were claiming with a straight face that Serum was a "Virus killer." Where's the "facepalm" emoji when you need it?

I'm sure I've said enough on the topic for people to grok my opinion on the matter. But I just can't begin to describe what a blight Serum has been on modern music. It has literally ruined the sound of thousands of what otherwise would have been perfectly acceptable Pop/Dance records. "Atrocious" doesn't even begin to describe Serum.

And Avenger, Phase Plant, Vital, et al are just more of the same. Maybe even worse if that's possible.

Anyway, end of rant.

[Rivertropic]

I agree with you, Serum is not an impressive synth, it looks like a poor imitation of Waldorf Nave.

[Supercollider]

That said, your claims of various plugins, including Waldorf’s PPG 3, sounding “shrill” or “unmusical” is nonsense. I recently posted a few comparisons between it and my 3rd Wave and only one person ventured to guess, and they couldn’t pick out the hardware. There’s also a good PPG Wave 2.2 vs PPG 3 comparison on YouTube that shows how remarkably close the software gets. Where it misses is that the software sounds a lot cleaner on lower notes. In a sense, I’d argue that the cleaner sound is more to my liking.

I still think the closest you are ever going to get to a "software Microwave" is probably Waldorf's own Largo plugin because it's basically "just' a Blofeld. I actually have a set of Largo patches that someone apparently painstakingly recreated from the Blofeld that sound surprisingly Microwave-like. Not like a PPG, but like an actual Microwave.

This person apparently spent months and months creating this free (!) Largo patch set. It was truly a labor of love. I guess I'm a lazy f***er because I would never invest that amount of time and energy into "proving" that Largo can sound "just as good as" a Microwave. But still, these patches are pretty damn impressive.

Sadly, any time I've tried to program sounds in Largo I've given up in frustration because Largo does sound "thin, weak, and shrill" to me. The "base sound" just isn't pleasing to my ears.

I do own the following Largo patches which sound amazing to me even though they don't sound anything like the Microwave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6PpN2ZBi_E

[Supercollider]

I'm generally not a fan of anything wavetable, especially all the supposedly mega VST releases in recent years. But impOSCar3 was mentioned and it's probably the nearest you're going to get wavetables approaching good-sounding in the sw world. Only because impOSCar has superb filter and drive so it can force nasty tinny wavetables to sound better.

I'm a big fan of the GForce plugins. Plus, Dave Spears is a super smart guy. So I like to support intelligence and integrity whenever I can.

Having said that, impOSCar3 is maybe the ONLY GForce plugin I don't own. So I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!

[seafire]

I agree with you, Serum is not an impressive synth

I would kinda agree, in as much as i wasn't impressed. Not a WT fan overall tho.

[Supercollider]

I agree with you, Serum is not an impressive synth

I would kinda agree, in as much as i wasn't impressed. Not a WT fan overall tho.

Sorry, my Serum rant was totally over-the-top. Serum can sound fine with the right wavetables. It's just that people routinely use it for the most annoying shit imaginable.

I actually own the "Vintage Waves" Serum preset pack from Swan Audio which is excellent (if a tad "glossy"). But that's more the exception to the rule, IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmULbV3xm4

[audiouser720]

Have you tried Massive X?

The best sounding soft synth IMO. It has a "hardware digital" type of sound.

The browser is BS and you can't automate every parameter, but sound wise it is the tits.

Thank you for your kind suggestion. I mean that sincerely. But I am being exceedingly polite when I say that I am not a fan of Massive X. Like all Native Instruments plugins, it sounds really cold and sterile to me.

If it counts for anything, I do love the look of the Massive X UI. But its usability is actually pretty piss poor, IMO. I honestly wish NI had just updated the original Massive to make it sound better than waste Lord-knows how much time and money developing Massive X.

Having said all that, I don't write/produce the kind of music that Massive seems designed for. So I'm not a good judge of whether it sounds "good" or not.

One of my favorite-sounding "Synth Pop" albums is Depeche Mode's "A Broken Frame" which uses Martin Gore's newly acquired PPG Wave 2.3 all over that record. That's the kind of sound I'm aiming for. Massive X seems to occupy an entirely separate sonic universe.

Oh, I forgot about Korg's modwave native plugin which I own. It's okay as far as it goes. It doesn't sound awful to me the way Serum and Phase Plant do. But modwave is still super thin and digital-sounding to me.

Try UA Opal. It sounds warmer than Massive X, but has similar quality audio rate modulation and polyphonic distortion

[BBFG#]

I'm generally not a fan of anything wavetable, especially all the supposedly mega VST releases in recent years. But impOSCar3 was mentioned and it's probably the nearest you're going to get wavetables approaching good-sounding in the sw world. Only because impOSCar has superb filter and drive so it can force nasty tinny wavetables to sound better.

I'm a big fan of the GForce plugins. Plus, Dave Spears is a super smart guy. So I like to support intelligence and integrity whenever I can.

Having said that, impOSCar3 is maybe the ONLY GForce plugin I don't own. So I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!

I like the GForce plugins as well, although not enough to buy unless the price is so cheap I can't argue against them. This last demoing of Imp3, which timed out on me and left me with my $5 Imp2 has given me an increased love of u-He Hive2 and Repro5/1 though. For this topic though, Hive2 may fit in certain regards, but not sure how it or most of the synths recommended do what fills the search.

[Supercollider]

I like the GForce plugins as well, although not enough to buy unless the price is so cheap I can't argue against them. This last demoing of Imp3, which timed out on me and left me with my $5 Imp2 has given me an increased love of u-He Hive2 and Repro5/1 though. For this topic though, Hive2 may fit in certain regards, but not sure how it or most of the synths recommended do what fills the search.

u-he's Hive is a great-sounding synth plugin, IMO. That's actually surprising because I initially wrote it off as just another lame "Trance" synth meant to compete with Sylenth, Spire, Dune, and others in that mold. In fact, I believe that's how u-he themselves originally marketed and positioned Hive.

But Hive has turned into something far more impressive than that (even though I also still like and use Sylenth, Spire, Dune et al on a regular basis - maybe even more so than your standard issue analog synth emulations).

I still haven't quite figured out all of the "wavetable" capabilities of Hive because there are only so many hours in a day. But I can most definitely tell you that I would much rather invest time in exploring Hive than in Massive X or even Pigments (not that they are all the same).

[sergiofrias]

Vavra (microQ) and upcoming Xenia(mWxt) is your best bet.

[osiris]

I can't add my two cents because I'm not allowed but good things will come to those who wait.

[TechnoManiac]

I still haven't quite figured out all of the "wavetable" capabilities of Hive because there are only so many hours in a day. But I can most definitely tell you that I would much rather invest time in exploring Hive than in Massive X or even Pigments (not that they are all the same).

But Massive X has its own character. I think each of them is good in its own way.

[Supercollider]

Vavra (microQ) and upcoming Xenia(mWxt) is your best bet.

I'm only vaguely familiar with this synth "emulator" program (?). I have seen screenshots of the Virus C running in this environment (?) and people reliably claiming that it is a perfect reproduction of the Virus. As someone who is considering parting with my Virus TI2 keyboard in order to make room for a Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave keyboard, I'm obviously intrigued.

But aren't there a whole host (no pun intended) of legal issues surrounding something like this? It seems a bit "shady" on the surface. I suppose no shadier than cracks but still something that might give one pause.

Of course, in the case of a Microwave II/XT "emulation" (for lack of a better word,) this isn't a current product. So what's the harm? I highly doubt an emulator of this sort would impact sales of the current Waldorf M or Iridium.

But the Virus TI2 is still nominally a current product. But then again, the current emulation is of a Virus C which isn't a current product.

But it stills seems a bit suspect that you need to go to a separate site to download a Virus "ROM" in order to make use of the emulator.

But whatever. I've read that there are plans for a Nord Lead 3 emulation as well as the others mentioned. I currently own a Nord Rack 3 that I will NEVER sell. Not even to feed my children. LOL. It's the most enjoyable synth I've ever programmed even if the sound can be a bit thin and digital-sounding at times. Just being able to take my Nord 3 sounds with me on the road would be amazing.

So yeah, bring this on. I hope that doesn't run afoul of KVR guidelines. I'm not trying to "steal" anything.