Cherry Audio's next synth is (probably) a Polivoks on steroids

[wvshpr]

Are there plans to bring this to Voltage Modular?

[machinesworking]

Lol I'm usually a Cherry hater, I'm still a bit upset at how bad the Memorymoog emulation is, but this thing is amazing, I did exactly what Bones posted within the first ten minutes of playing around with it, a unison patch with filter madness, and was sold. Life is complex and getting into camps about products unless you personally know the developers is just weird to me.

I don’t get it either. I’ve got plenty of criticism for almost any product, but I don’t really ever write a company off. Even during Arturia’s dark times, I found myself getting some great sounds out of some of their software, and I was first in line to praise them when they started turning things around.

Cherry Audio’s just a bit hit or miss. More misses than hits, but that’s not going to stop me from buying something that’s good. I got that Humble Bundle deal, and GX-80. I especially like Dreamsynth, though I get the feeling that it could be optimized a bit better. I’ll definitely check this out, as aggressive sounding synths are always welcome here.

Yeah I also got the Humble bundle and besides the free SEM was the first thing I bought from them, I had demoed the Dream synth and was convinced they could do good non emulations, but I think again it's obvious it's down to the developers who sometimes come and go at these companies with dozens of products to maintain.

I can get behind people like Aly James, because it's one guy and he makes good stuff, you have to love that dedication. I also met Urs Heckman from U-He decades ago when all he had was a few AU audio plugins so I'm biased towards them a bit. In both cases though I don't own every product they make, not because I hate them, but because not every product they make works for me. I love what Akai is doing with the MPCs, InMusic is a bit shady and Air who are also owned by InMusic have some shady behavior, but they also make embedded plugins for the MPC, and some of them are fantastic. Life is too complex to pretend that audio software companies are akin to political allegiance.

That brings it back to the developer, these 15-60 people software companies developing audio plugins aren't a monolith, developers can join a company and change everything.

[stoopicus]

Cherry Audio’s just a bit hit or miss. More misses than hits, but that’s not going to stop me from buying something that’s good. I got that Humble Bundle deal, and GX-80. I especially like Dreamsynth, though I get the feeling that it could be optimized a bit better. I’ll definitely check this out, as aggressive sounding synths are always welcome here.

I only own three of their synths but two are outstanding (Atomika and PS-20) and one is great (Dreamsynth). I'm not a fanboy but I am super happy with all three of those.

I do love their pricing. $29 for the best MS-20 emu I have seen yet? Yes please.

All I care about is the sound and I am not a stickler for absolute fidelity to the original. That said, in the side by sides I have seen, both PS-20 and Atomika are very close.

[machinesworking]

All I care about is the sound and I am not a stickler for absolute fidelity to the original. That said, in the side by sides I have seen, both PS-20 and Atomika are very close.

Therein lies the rub though, there's a world of difference between plugins like the Microwave or Dexed that can actually load the hardware presets and they sound the same, and things like Cherry's Memorymoog plugin where it sounds so far away from the actual hardware it's modeling it's just weird they tried to pass it off as a Memorymoog at all?

One allows owners of the hardware to use the same sounds without hardware, and maybe even sell the hardware if they want. The other is just there to fool buyers who haven't heard the original hardware into purchasing. Sure it might be a useful synth for some of you, but it's literally built on a lie. I fully do not support the stance that it doesn't matter, companies are using GUI's of classic synths to fake quality to people that don't know any better, and it's typical ugly consumerism at the core.

[BONES]

Therein lies the rub though, there's a world of difference between plugins like the Microwave or Dexed that can actually load the hardware presets and they sound the same[/quote]
But who would need that? Only someone who had an actual Microwave or DX-7, with their own custom patches, so they could use them in software. That would be a number of customers you could count on your fingers. The rest would be users who want an experience they never had first-hand and, let's be honest, they are mostly clueless idiots who wouldn't notice any of the differences anyway, if it wasn't for talentless anoraks on YouTube.

One allows owners of the hardware to use the same sounds without hardware, and maybe even sell the hardware if they want. The other is just there to fool buyers who haven't heard the original hardware into purchasing.

Or for people who like the way it sounds and/or the workflow and don't give a flying fig what it's modelled on.

Sure it might be a useful synth for some of you, but it's literally built on a lie.

That works a treat for Apple. But it only matters if you bought it based on that expectation.

I fully do not support the stance that it doesn't matter, companies are using GUI's of classic synths to fake quality...

What quality? How many people chose a MemoryMoog over a Jupiter 8 or an OB series back in the day? Nobody, even though it was cheaper than either. It was the synth that sent Moog into bankruptcy. Its "popularity" today is based on it's rarity, and that's because nobody actually bought it new. It has nothing to do with the synth itself, which was unreliable and had half-arsed MIDI implementation. Of course, you can get it upgraded but LAMM have to replace more than 1700 components to make it worth using which, in reality, makes it a whole different synth from the original. The surprise to me is that anyone would bother even trying to emulate it.

None of which is to say that some of Cherry's "emulations" aren't pretty poor. But you know what? Sometimes just having the same controls and the same workflow/layout can make for a really usable synth. e.g. FBM's Mono/Fury doesn't sound anything like the way I remember my Mono/Poly sounding, nor does it sound like Korg's own VSTi Mono/Poly, but it's still a great little synth that I use a helluva lot more than Korg's more accurate sounding emulation.

[machinesworking]

What quality? How many people chose a MemoryMoog over a Jupiter 8 or an OB series back in the day? Nobody, even though it was cheaper than either. It was the synth that sent Moog into bankruptcy. Its "popularity" today is based on it's rarity, and that's because nobody actually bought it new. It has nothing to do with the synth itself, which was unreliable and had half-arsed MIDI implementation. Of course, you can get it upgraded but LAMM have to replace more than 1700 components to make it worth using which, in reality, makes it a whole different synth from the original. The surprise to me is that anyone would bother even trying to emulate it.

Look, you don't own one, probably never even seen one in real life, and that's fine, but it gives you absolutely no reference for your pisstake here. Meaning it's all shit. Just like the Polivoks the Memorymoog is a truly unique beast that wasn't some treasured synth at the time, it's popularity was killed by an unreliable voice tunning issue and the introduction of the DX7 at roughly the same time. In my band at the time I played guitar, the keyboard player would whinge about wanting a DX7, but now he's 100% the opposite, thinking himself a fool back then, because he grew up.

The Polivoks emulation this thread is about is a dead on emulation with modern plugin features, which is exactly what would be fantastic about a solid plugin emulation of a Memorymoog. Your whole point is just a "pick me!" for an argument, you're making "points" the subject at hand refutes.

Plus, just shut the f*ck up with your OCD anti mac BS in threads that it serves not a stitch of purpose in. It's more than tiring, it's as idiotic and stupid as any fool who claims macs are "better". You can't help but make every thread about you can you? That, is the definition of a troll, so great, our own very special KVR troll mascot Bones needs a fix. Sorry I fed you.

[BBFG#]

It's more likely that it's ODD over OCD.

More OT: I owned a Memorymoog and chose it over a Prophet5 or an Oberheim. As far as the CA software version, I find some patches very accurate while others, not as much. Generally feel there's a presence missing in the bottom end, even though the sound is close enough otherwise. Sure, it can be improved, but it doesn't warrant a complete dismissal unless that's all you want to do with it anyway.
The problems I remember the Moog had with them were 1. The first run had a problem requiring a recall to replace the solder they used. 2. The first ones had no MIDI and when they made kits for them, they didn't make enough. 3. The tuning issue, which only effected a percentage of them. Mine fortunately never had that issue. Perhaps because I followed the manual's instruction of allowing it to warm up for two minutes before pushing the tune function.
Now all this during the time when Prophet 5's were known for losing their memory, Prophet 600's were really the worst for tuning problems, especially due to stage lighting, and other SC's being shipped with known issues they hoped no one would notice.

Many of those synths in those days had their pros and cons. Software removes most of the cons.
It's definitely worth the $4. I paid for it.

More on the real topic; this synth, isn't my particular tastes, but if pops up in HB cheap enough, I wouldn't avoid owning it.

[IvyBirds]

How many people chose a MemoryMoog over a Jupiter 8 or an OB series back in the day? Nobody, even though it was cheaper than either.

Let's not kid the kiddies with revisionist history

Moog came out with the Memorymoog in 1983. When it came out people already had analog polys . The Jupiter 8 came out in 1981 two years earlier, The Oberheim OB-X came out in 1979, and the OB-Xa came out in 1981

When the Memorymoog came out it cost $4800, and you could easily get brand new Jupiter 8, or OBXa's cheaper than that. On the used market they were even cheaper and still only a few years old

The Juno 6, Juno 60, the Korg Monopoly and Polysix were also way cheaper than any of them, even the Prophet 5 was cheaper

The problem is that by 83 the analog synth market on the high end was saturated and dead. People wanted the Fairlight CMI, the Synclavier, and the Yamaha DX7, and once the DX7 hit for $1999 in 1983, and E-MU came out with the Emulator II in 1984 for $7999 no one gave two shits about Analog polys for 5 grand. In fact people were selling them in droves to buy DX7s

By the mid 1980s all the Analog Synth Companies went bankrupt and you couldn't give them away

then Roland came out with the D50 and saved the company, Korg had to sell itself to Yamaha and was redeemed by the M1, the engineers from Sequential went to work for Yamaha, while Tom Oberheim did work for Roland and Akai

By the mid 1980s all the Analog Synth Companies went bankrupt and you couldn't give them away

The Memorymoog was the wrong synth at the wrong time, digital killed all the analogs first with the high end, then with the budget end

It occupies a place in history, just as much as anything else and people love it as a result, it might not be your cup of tea, but not everyone cares if they are on the East German Industrial Chart

[seafire]

Pretty sure Germany is unified these days.

[IvyBirds]

Pretty sure Germany is unified these days.

Sure but Bones had a minor hit on the East German Industrial Chart decades ago

[Tj Shredder]

I just know that Hans Zimmer gave his Memory Moog away to Urs with the promise that he would never emulate it because he hated its sound.

In the end its just a matter of taste, nothing to be excited about, nothing to convince anybody to agree to your personal taste…

[stoopicus]

Therein lies the rub though, there's a world of difference between plugins like the Microwave or Dexed that can actually load the hardware presets and they sound the same, and things like Cherry's Memorymoog plugin where it sounds so far away from the actual hardware it's modeling it's just weird they tried to pass it off as a Memorymoog at all?

Yep, sure, I get that. I was just speaking for me there; what's important to you is all that matters for your own opinions of course.

FWIW there are times where it is important to me. It was very much important to me that SQ-80V sounded as close to my old ESQ-1 as possible, and that it correctly loaded the SYSEX. So I get it completely

[machinesworking]

I just know that Hans Zimmer gave his Memory Moog away to Urs with the promise that he would never emulate it because he hated its sound.

In the end its just a matter of taste, nothing to be excited about, nothing to convince anybody to agree to your personal taste…

The only story I recall about Urs and the Memorymoog was him getting one with that promise not because the owner hated it, but because he wanted that filter sound to be his secret weapon.

[machinesworking]

It's more likely that it's ODD over OCD.

More OT: I owned a Memorymoog and chose it over a Prophet5 or an Oberheim. As far as the CA software version, I find some patches very accurate while others, not as much. Generally feel there's a presence missing in the bottom end, even though the sound is close enough otherwise. Sure, it can be improved, but it doesn't warrant a complete dismissal unless that's all you want to do with it anyway.

I currently own a Memorymoog. I can A/B the demo, and there is massive differences in anything like a complex sound, using the voice modulation at all and the Cherry audio sounds like an emulation from 25 years ago, just white noise and artifacts. The filter is so far away from the Memorymoog filter that it's embarrassing etc. etc. There are always some synth sounds that can be close when you model the layout parameter wise of a synth, but when each circuit is obviously not that close and the sum of those circuits sounds like a cheesy Reaktor attempt from 2003.

I've mentioned it before in this thread, my initial impression of CA was so bad that I was shocked with how close the Polivoks sounds to any demo I've ever heard of it. It's a great emulaiton, I wish the time had been spent on the Memorymoog emu..

[seafire]

Weren't Synapse doing a memorymoog?