Massive X or Twin 3

[fisherKing]

i love how someone asks a question, ie 'massive x or twin 3', then people dive in to offer unrelated plugins, explanations of why neither is good (often from people who use neither one), discussions and arguments over other gear, or just arguments over points-of-view, regardless of the OP topic. fun times

[Lbdunequest]

Twin 3. Easy to use, low on CPU and sounds great.

Massive X sounds amazing, possibilities are awesome, but GUI is sluggish and really uninviting to use.

I have them both and i prefer to use Twin 3

Or better yet Vital - free and sounds great
OsTirus - if you have a rom also free and sounds amazing

Vital has basically been abandoned. Surge XT sounds great too, is FOSS, and doesn't have that problem.

If vital has been abandoned so does Massive X and Twin, when was their last update that was not a maintance update?

[Alexander_D]

twin 3's ok, but it's such an outlier for fabfilter. i love their eqs, comps... the R2 reverb. but twin 3 is just ok. massive x, on the other hand is amazing; there's no contest.

R2 reverb is below average to my ears - especially for the cost, and Massive X needs another redesign to be competitive (the sound isn’t the issue). Just depends on what the goals are, sonically, between the synths and then which interface you can best withstand.

R2 is really nice and warm reverb. And it's a musical. For me it's an important thing...
And what the reverb that you are thinking is a high quality? Just interesting

R2 is pretty cold and metallic to me (again, reverb is subjective and my ears are definitely not the same as yours and I'm not saying I'm "right" and you're "wrong").

My favorite reverb of all time, and I've tried most plugins out there I feel, at least within the last 5 years, is Cinematic Rooms Pro. I also really enjoy my Mercury X pedal, which is my close second favorite. The UAD 224 is excellent as well.

I was excited when R1 came out, only to try it and strongly dislike it. Same for R2, though it's better and I don't dislike it I didn't particularly like it, either.

Massive X: I tried it when it came out and hated using it and never went back. Also, I also won't pay for anything (except Kontakt that I need/use regularly) from Francisco Partners.

was tested Cinematic Rooms. It's a really nice reverb. But honestly I don't think that 400 USD is a good price for this reverb. Just IMHO of course... I am waiting the sale for this one... don't know, does they do the sales for their stuff...
Valhalla is a king regarding price/quality...

I think I paid $170 or so for CRP based on having most of the other reverbs + BF sale. That said, I'd easily have paid $400 for CRP and saved money on all the other reverbs from various companies over the years - most of which are barely comparable to me now - and felt I was getting a bargain. I spent years trying to find the right reverb and finally did. I could've saved more than I spent if I'd known (oddly enough, it was Hans Zimmer recommending it to me in a reply on VI-C that got me to finally try it, because even $170 on a reverb was a lot of money). For me, $400 would've been a deal. I was tired of all the disappointing reverbs and was on a quest to find one that I actually loved, no matter the cost.

When you've been unhappy with a majority of tools, which can include synths, for years, and have spent a lot of time and money searching for one or ones that work best, when you find it, it's worth the savings and the investment.

Out of dozens of synth emulations, unless I know in advance that I want a specific emulation sound, then I reach for Twin3 now when I want "analog" but don't want to power on the ol' hardware synths - or am looking for something to go with them. I do think the MX filters may be better sounding, and the filter in the UAD synth is quite excellent, but, overall, the virtual oscillator tone of Twin3 is impressive for software. It's kinda fun, too, to have this ultra-modern UI and a very vintage-like sound.

Right now LiquidSonics hasn't any sales....

[billinder33]

Simon at NI recently said they have big plans for Massive X. I’d take that with a grain of salt but it’s something at least

I hope a better UI is party of those "big plans". I have no idea why some people love this thing so much.

Great sounding synth for sure, but absolutely shiat-tier UI. Grabbing and adjusting the numerics with the mouse is fiddly AF. Worst-in-class modulation assignment system. The MSEG is a total PITA compared to Serum, Phaseplant, Current, anything really. One of the few modern synths that requires the manual to accomplish even the most basic things.

Maybe its appeal is to the preset-hunting crowd. But as someone who configures patches from init, I find it a nightmare for even basic sounds. The OP asked for a "desert island synth", to me, that means lots of oscillator types (wavetable, granular, additive, subtractive, sample, etc), easy to configure, easy to see what is configured, extensive and ideally novel FX. IMO MX fails all those basic desert island requirements.

[vitocorleone123]

R2 reverb is below average to my ears - especially for the cost, and Massive X needs another redesign to be competitive (the sound isn’t the issue). Just depends on what the goals are, sonically, between the synths and then which interface you can best withstand.

R2 is really nice and warm reverb. And it's a musical. For me it's an important thing...
And what the reverb that you are thinking is a high quality? Just interesting

R2 is pretty cold and metallic to me (again, reverb is subjective and my ears are definitely not the same as yours and I'm not saying I'm "right" and you're "wrong").

My favorite reverb of all time, and I've tried most plugins out there I feel, at least within the last 5 years, is Cinematic Rooms Pro. I also really enjoy my Mercury X pedal, which is my close second favorite. The UAD 224 is excellent as well.

I was excited when R1 came out, only to try it and strongly dislike it. Same for R2, though it's better and I don't dislike it I didn't particularly like it, either.

Massive X: I tried it when it came out and hated using it and never went back. Also, I also won't pay for anything (except Kontakt that I need/use regularly) from Francisco Partners.

was tested Cinematic Rooms. It's a really nice reverb. But honestly I don't think that 400 USD is a good price for this reverb. Just IMHO of course... I am waiting the sale for this one... don't know, does they do the sales for their stuff...
Valhalla is a king regarding price/quality...

I think I paid $170 or so for CRP based on having most of the other reverbs + BF sale. That said, I'd easily have paid $400 for CRP and saved money on all the other reverbs from various companies over the years - most of which are barely comparable to me now - and felt I was getting a bargain. I spent years trying to find the right reverb and finally did. I could've saved more than I spent if I'd known (oddly enough, it was Hans Zimmer recommending it to me in a reply on VI-C that got me to finally try it, because even $170 on a reverb was a lot of money). For me, $400 would've been a deal. I was tired of all the disappointing reverbs and was on a quest to find one that I actually loved, no matter the cost.

When you've been unhappy with a majority of tools, which can include synths, for years, and have spent a lot of time and money searching for one or ones that work best, when you find it, it's worth the savings and the investment.

Out of dozens of synth emulations, unless I know in advance that I want a specific emulation sound, then I reach for Twin3 now when I want "analog" but don't want to power on the ol' hardware synths - or am looking for something to go with them. I do think the MX filters may be better sounding, and the filter in the UAD synth is quite excellent, but, overall, the virtual oscillator tone of Twin3 is impressive for software. It's kinda fun, too, to have this ultra-modern UI and a very vintage-like sound.

Right now LiquidSonics hasn't any sales....

They have one sale per year starting Thanksgiving Day in the US and lasts a week. You get a loyalty code for each purchase, and they stack - including with the sale price.

[pdxindy]

The MSEG is a total PITA compared to Serum, Phaseplant, Current, anything really.

It's not even an MSEG as it's only global, not polyphonic (per voice). That's why they call it a Performer.

Plus the LFO's are surprisingly limited so there are lots of shapes/uses that aren't possible per voice.

[Penguin Classics]

I don't find Massive X hard to use personally.. I think it is pretty well laid out and looks stunning although I find the oscillator modulations are fiddly to use - too many clicks to change things.
Even though the FM or PM whatever it is is super smooth and the filters are top quality after a sound design session going back to Massive-X I am often not that into the sounds I made as much as I thought at the time.. there is a bit of a Massive -X sheen to everything I don't find that appealing.

On the other hand even though I think MX has nicer sounding Oscillators, filters, FX than Phaseplant (randomly comparing as I have recently bought PP and spent a fair bit of time making sounds) I go back to the sounds a few days later and really like playing them again - I would keep Phaseplant 100% over MX and not because the sounds fit better in a mix or whatever just I find what I have made more interesting ( I know it has granular etc so not fair to compare ).

Also the bit where I get excited making a sound which is turning Unison on I don't get that buzz with MX - sounds a bit off somehow.

Note: My opinion is useless as I think Logic ES-2 is one of the best sounding synths ever made.

[Penguin Classics]

Sorry never used Twin 3 to compare - I've actually never heard of it which is unusual for me..

[Alexander_D]

R2 is really nice and warm reverb. And it's a musical. For me it's an important thing...
And what the reverb that you are thinking is a high quality? Just interesting

R2 is pretty cold and metallic to me (again, reverb is subjective and my ears are definitely not the same as yours and I'm not saying I'm "right" and you're "wrong").

My favorite reverb of all time, and I've tried most plugins out there I feel, at least within the last 5 years, is Cinematic Rooms Pro. I also really enjoy my Mercury X pedal, which is my close second favorite. The UAD 224 is excellent as well.

I was excited when R1 came out, only to try it and strongly dislike it. Same for R2, though it's better and I don't dislike it I didn't particularly like it, either.

Massive X: I tried it when it came out and hated using it and never went back. Also, I also won't pay for anything (except Kontakt that I need/use regularly) from Francisco Partners.

was tested Cinematic Rooms. It's a really nice reverb. But honestly I don't think that 400 USD is a good price for this reverb. Just IMHO of course... I am waiting the sale for this one... don't know, does they do the sales for their stuff...
Valhalla is a king regarding price/quality...

I think I paid $170 or so for CRP based on having most of the other reverbs + BF sale. That said, I'd easily have paid $400 for CRP and saved money on all the other reverbs from various companies over the years - most of which are barely comparable to me now - and felt I was getting a bargain. I spent years trying to find the right reverb and finally did. I could've saved more than I spent if I'd known (oddly enough, it was Hans Zimmer recommending it to me in a reply on VI-C that got me to finally try it, because even $170 on a reverb was a lot of money). For me, $400 would've been a deal. I was tired of all the disappointing reverbs and was on a quest to find one that I actually loved, no matter the cost.

When you've been unhappy with a majority of tools, which can include synths, for years, and have spent a lot of time and money searching for one or ones that work best, when you find it, it's worth the savings and the investment.

Out of dozens of synth emulations, unless I know in advance that I want a specific emulation sound, then I reach for Twin3 now when I want "analog" but don't want to power on the ol' hardware synths - or am looking for something to go with them. I do think the MX filters may be better sounding, and the filter in the UAD synth is quite excellent, but, overall, the virtual oscillator tone of Twin3 is impressive for software. It's kinda fun, too, to have this ultra-modern UI and a very vintage-like sound.

Right now LiquidSonics hasn't any sales....

They have one sale per year starting Thanksgiving Day in the US and lasts a week. You get a loyalty code for each purchase, and they stack - including with the sale price.

OK, thanks seems that I need to subscribe to their newsletter. Also they emulation of Bricasti looks good as well...

[billinder33]

i love how someone asks a question, ie 'massive x or twin 3', then people dive in to offer unrelated plugins, explanations of why neither is good (often from people who use neither one), discussions and arguments over other gear, or just arguments over points-of-view, regardless of the OP topic. fun times

Maybe because the OP asked for a "desert island synth" and neither MX or Twin are broad enough to fit into that category?

[audiouser720]

They are because my desert island criteria was core analogue sound and simple subtractive synthesis. Who wants to do frequency and phase modulation on a desert island.

Also please stop talking about reverb yay. These liquidsonics evangelists appear everywhere like mosquitoes. No offence to the company of course, but come on guys could we keep it strictly to MX and Twin 3 please. Some good contributions, please carry on

[fisherKing]

i love how someone asks a question, ie 'massive x or twin 3', then people dive in to offer unrelated plugins, explanations of why neither is good (often from people who use neither one), discussions and arguments over other gear, or just arguments over points-of-view, regardless of the OP topic. fun times

Maybe because the OP asked for a "desert island synth" and neither MX or Twin are broad enough to fit into that category?

and there you have it: MX and twin3 are not 'broad enough' for you, not for everyone (such as the OP...).

[vitocorleone123]

i love how someone asks a question, ie 'massive x or twin 3', then people dive in to offer unrelated plugins, explanations of why neither is good (often from people who use neither one), discussions and arguments over other gear, or just arguments over points-of-view, regardless of the OP topic. fun times

Maybe because the OP asked for a "desert island synth" and neither MX or Twin are broad enough to fit into that category?

I'd be satisfied using Twin3 exclusively.

[Alexander_D]

i love how someone asks a question, ie 'massive x or twin 3', then people dive in to offer unrelated plugins, explanations of why neither is good (often from people who use neither one), discussions and arguments over other gear, or just arguments over points-of-view, regardless of the OP topic. fun times

Maybe because the OP asked for a "desert island synth" and neither MX or Twin are broad enough to fit into that category?

I'd be satisfied using Twin3 exclusively.

Did you liked it? I think it's underrated synth for sure...Or maybe it hasn't any new and unique things...

[fisherKing]

inspired by this thread, am going to dive into twin3 this week (i've had it since FF released it, used it sparingly). but never really spent time with it, so... we'll see. (fwiw, i sold my MX license; nothing wrong with that synth either, just didn't use it much).


everything is opinion.............