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

[BONES]

How does Atomika compare to Ivoks by Red Rock Sound? Which one is closer to the original?

Why does that matter? Surely it is more important that it sounds good?

[biberact]

How does Atomika compare to Ivoks by Red Rock Sound? Which one is closer to the original?

Why does that matter? Surely it is more important that it sounds good?

I agree that sounding good is more important but both plugins try to emulate an old classic so I think the question should be allowed.

That being said Atomika sounds great to my ears.

[aMUSEd]

How does Atomika compare to Ivoks by Red Rock Sound? Which one is closer to the original?

Why does that matter? Surely it is more important that it sounds good?

I agree that sounding good is more important but both plugins try to emulate an old classic so I think the question should be allowed.

That being said Atomika sounds great to my ears.

Not tried Atomika but the IVOKS sounds very generic to me

[Introspective]

I'll say it, and get canceled, but so what?

I don't like Atomika, I don't think it sounds particularly "analogue," and I am unimpressed.

It is Cherry Audio's best yet, but I do feel like they have a long way to go before getting to the level of Softube, or UVI, or U-He, or Arturia's latest batch. I wish them well, and will pay attention to their next few releases, as they seem to be on an upward trajectory, but for me, Atomika isn't there yet.

[seafire]

How does Atomika compare to Ivoks by Red Rock Sound? Which one is closer to the original?

Why does that matter? Surely it is more important that it sounds good?

Unfortunately, it doesn't.

[elassi]

I'll get it for sure when it goes down to $29 again (think it will be around BF).

For my needs it does certain sounds perfectly. But that's only my opinion. Ymmv.

An example: I run ABL Pro, a mostly forgotten synth, just for one specific color it produces (made a patch long ago that I love until today). For any other use case I won't open it. Too difficult to tame, and it always has that signature sound.

[BONES]

I agree that sounding good is more important but both plugins try to emulate an old classic so I think the question should be allowed.

Absolutely it should be allowed but I wonder why it would be important in this specific instance, as it isn't going to matter in the way it might for a MiniMoog or Oberheim emulation, in that it's not a synth very many people would be so intimately familiar with.

I'll say it, and get canceled, but so what?

If I am going to cancel you for anything, it would be spelling "cancelled" with one "l"!

I don't like Atomika, I don't think it sounds particularly "analogue," and I am unimpressed.

What do you mean by "analogue" in this context? I think it sounds as analogue as any other top-notch emulation and better than a lot of them by virtue of the fact that it's got an even fatter sound than a lot of other synths.

It is Cherry Audio's best yet, but I do feel like they have a long way to go before getting to the level of Softube, or UVI, or U-He, or Arturia's latest batch.

There was definitely a time when that was completely true but some of their latest efforts have been as good as anything else out there. Have you spent any time with their Pro Soloist? It sounds absolutely amazing, especially when you consider that it is just a single oscillator per layer. It's capable of massive sounds that put a lot of other well regarded instruments to shame.

Unfortunately, it doesn't.

Which one? "Doesn't" sound good or "doesn't" matter? If it's the former, you have ears of cloth or are just plain crazy.

[stoopicus]

I'll say it, and get canceled, but so what?

I don't like Atomika, I don't think it sounds particularly "analogue," and I am unimpressed.

Perfectly valid opinion! I happen to completely disagree, but this synth was never going to be for everyone.

[EnGee]

I really don't care what synth or instrument kind is or what components is built from, software or hardware, digital or analogue. The most important thing for me is how inspired I feel when playing with it and, second, how stable it is on my system.

For Atomika, I give it 10/10 like Korg ARP 2600 and ARP Odyssey (software). Actually, now I solved the puzzle that made me wonder. What this 'missing' synth that Depeche Mode was using in some of the songs of their albums "Black Celebration" and "Music for the Masses"! I know I have read once that they used Polivoks but couldn't understand why and what's for. Now I know It matches very well their dark mode of those two albums. It inspires me in my dark mode as well (the normal natural mode for me! )

Here is Starsky Carr's review:

[seafire]

Which one? "Doesn't" sound good or "doesn't" matter? If it's the former, you have ears of cloth or are just plain crazy.

Or maybe just a different opinion

[BONES]

No. An opinion would be "I don't like the way it sounds", which is completely valid, but if you want to say that it doesn't sound "good", you need some evidence to back that up. e.g. You probably know that I think that the ladder filter in a MiniMoog is complete krap and I can back that up by pointing out how raising the resonance attenuates the bottom end, ruining all the good work it's huge oscillators are trying to do. So what can you point to that makes Atomika sound bad?

[BONES]

For Atomika, I give it 10/10 like Korg ARP 2600 and ARP Odyssey (software).

I think those two are just about as good as it gets, along with GForce's SEM. If SEM had unison it would be my perfect synth. As it stands, Korg's ARP 2600 takes the cake for me, thanks to their inclusion of a SEM-like filter. The sheer sound quality it offers is unbeatable.

I'm also quite a fan of Cherry's Pro Soloist. If you have looked at it, it's well worth checking out.

[EnGee]

For Atomika, I give it 10/10 like Korg ARP 2600 and ARP Odyssey (software).

I think those two are just about as good as it gets, along with GForce's SEM. If SEM had unison it would be my perfect synth. As it stands, Korg's ARP 2600 takes the cake for me, thanks to their inclusion of a SEM-like filter. The sheer sound quality it offers is unbeatable.

I'm also quite a fan of Cherry's Pro Soloist. If you have looked at it, it's well worth checking out.

Yes GForce SEM and OP-X are great also.
I will check Pro Soloist out. I’m also interested in their emulation/version of CAT.

[seafire]

You probably know that I think that the ladder filter in a MiniMoog is complete krap and I can back that up by pointing out how raising the resonance attenuates the bottom end, ruining all the good work it's huge oscillators are trying to do.

That's a technical fact, doesn't mean its good/bad. It just so happens you don't like that.

Its not a competition. If you like something, use it. If you don't, don't. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

[stoopicus]

For Atomika, I give it 10/10 like Korg ARP 2600 and ARP Odyssey (software).

I think those two are just about as good as it gets, along with GForce's SEM. If SEM had unison it would be my perfect synth. As it stands, Korg's ARP 2600 takes the cake for me, thanks to their inclusion of a SEM-like filter. The sheer sound quality it offers is unbeatable.

I'm also quite a fan of Cherry's Pro Soloist. If you have looked at it, it's well worth checking out.

Yes GForce SEM and OP-X are great also.
I will check Pro Soloist out. I’m also interested in their emulation/version of CAT.

I think PS-20 is the best MS-20 emu I have heard. Side-by-side reviews back that up, it's very close. I think it is better than Korg's.

And the price - $29 - is incredible.