UAD Anthem - Very Good Sounding

[SebAV]

It has a great sound no doubt ! I wish they had parameter modulation in the sequencer and separate pitch modulation of the oscillators.
Some parameters are missing in DAW remote : all the « little » switches (lfo / fenv) and some of « light » switches.

[_leras]

The more I use this synth and the more I like it. Has a good range for such a simple synth. Can sound quite acidy too.

Needs a bit of tweaking at times, but worth the patience to dig into the sweet spots. Really has quite a unique sound too.

I'm kinda surprised it's not had much talk here as tonally it's def AAA to my ears.

[audiouser720]

I think UA synths do not have the best reputation here due to the lack of proper MIDI mapping and lack of MPE or what have you. People here tend to prefer more nerdy synths. In my opinion all UA synths including Polymax, Opal and Anthem sound absolutely incredible and far better than most software synths. They are the only ones that occasionally make me forget I am not playing my hardware analogues if I focus purely on the sound. The only other soft synth that comes close sonically is Massive X which is of course a very different beast with much more flexibility and sound design potential but UA synths sound warmer straight out of the box. Big sweets pots they are

[_leras]

Yes those complaints do get raised, also lack of LFOs and modulation mapping, and it's true this could be better. Opal in particular is quite clunky to program.

But for sure these are among my best sounding soft synths, and I agree Massive X is also great sounding (also a bit of a pain to program at times). All top tier for sure.

edit: I changed the thread title to be more accurate

[Uncle E]

My understanding is they just got midi mapping.

[zerocrossing]

I think UA synths do not have the best reputation here due to the lack of proper MIDI mapping and lack of MPE or what have you. People here tend to prefer more nerdy synths. In my opinion all UA synths including Polymax, Opal and Anthem sound absolutely incredible and far better than most software synths. They are the only ones that occasionally make me forget I am not playing my hardware analogues if I focus purely on the sound. The only other soft synth that comes close sonically is Massive X which is of course a very different beast with much more flexibility and sound design potential but UA synths sound warmer straight out of the box. Big sweets pots they are

I agree with all that, and I do own and use them all, but that doesn't stop me from requesting stuff that I feel is important. It's not 2010. We now have quite a few keyboards and controllers that feature polyphonic aftertouch. Supporting the full MIDI spec. isn't really a huge request.

[rod_zero]

In my opinion all UA synths including Polymax, Opal and Anthem sound absolutely incredible and far better than most software synths. They are the only ones that occasionally make me forget I am not playing my hardware analogues if I focus purely on the sound. The only other soft synth that comes close sonically is Massive X which is of course a very different beast with much more flexibility and sound design potential but UA synths sound warmer straight out of the box. Big sweets pots they are

LOL I found them super generic, boring, uninspired, like something that would have came out 20 years ago.

They don't even touch diva.

[audiouser720]

In my opinion all UA synths including Polymax, Opal and Anthem sound absolutely incredible and far better than most software synths. They are the only ones that occasionally make me forget I am not playing my hardware analogues if I focus purely on the sound. The only other soft synth that comes close sonically is Massive X which is of course a very different beast with much more flexibility and sound design potential but UA synths sound warmer straight out of the box. Big sweets pots they are

LOL I found them super generic, boring, uninspired, like something that would have came out 20 years ago.

They don't even touch diva.

Well we’re all different and that’s fine. I find Diva sounds a bit artificial and difficult to mix. It feels like a frankenstein analogue, trying too hard to sound vintage. The originals it models often have broad sweet spots and just sound good (apart from the MS-20), whereas Diva lacks that immediacy to my ears. It doesn’t respond like my real analogue synths, but it’s still good for what it is. I find UAD more immediate.

[martinjuenke]

... I find Diva sounds a bit artificial and difficult to mix. It feels like a frankenstein analogue, trying too hard to sound vintage. The originals it models often have broad sweet spots and just sound good (apart from the MS-20), whereas Diva lacks that immediacy to my ears. It doesn’t respond like my real analogue synths, but it’s still good for what it is...

Heretic!
Where are the pitchforks when we need them?

[zerocrossing]

In my opinion all UA synths including Polymax, Opal and Anthem sound absolutely incredible and far better than most software synths. They are the only ones that occasionally make me forget I am not playing my hardware analogues if I focus purely on the sound. The only other soft synth that comes close sonically is Massive X which is of course a very different beast with much more flexibility and sound design potential but UA synths sound warmer straight out of the box. Big sweets pots they are

LOL I found them super generic, boring, uninspired, like something that would have came out 20 years ago.

They don't even touch diva.

That's funny. Diva is great for a lot of things, but it can't touch the level of analog emulation of the UAD plugins, or even its sibling, Repro. Not that you need it to make great sounding music, but if you want it, Diva's weaker in that respect.

[grandmasterbird]

The UAD synths sound brilliant to my ears. Polymax is a little limited, and I find the mod matrix a bit fiddly in Opal, but to me they are among the best sounding in my collection. Opal in particular is a gem. Definitely need to check out Anthem and see what it's all about

[_leras]

Anthem is really good. It has some nice sweet spots on the filter, but they need to be honed in on.

Can be quite grungy, the sound is thick and it can do things from quite decent acid through to rich saws. FX simple but really good.

I find it doesn't always work for everything, but when it does it's great.

[BONES]

Well I'm judging it, based on everything else that's already out there To me this is a $120 synth absolute max purely based on the features.

Well, you'll be pleased to see it's only $99 at the moment. I think I will wait until it's $49.

UAd lacks imagination for making synths,

I'll take their sound quality over anyone else's imagination every day of the week.

To me, this is a $99 synth (if that) Plus you get the extra bonus of the iLok/Pace stuff. I always think (especially now) iLok is like buying a car and the dealer taking the keys and telling you, Okay. Anytime you want to drive it, come see me for the keys.

To me it's like keyless entry and ignition - all I have to do is walk up, open the door and start the engine. I never have to touch the key, as long as it's in my pocket I can go anywhere and do anything.

My iphone is a competent camera for EBay (so has arguably paid for itself anyway), connects me to all of my friends, can be used for music making, is an e-reader and a game system, a navigation system for my car, conduit to Bandcamp and Apple Music libraries for my car, podcasts for my commute and walks, etc..

A phone is worth the price.

The thing is, though, that you could buy a $200 phone that would do all those same things, mostly to the same standard. And you probably upgrade to a new one far more often than you need to, so you're likely spending thousands more than you need to over time. Yet you're only willing to pay $39 for a softsynth you can use for decades. I find that more than a bit weird.

Opal in particular is quite clunky to program.

Really? I think Opal has one of the best, most intuitive, easy to work with synth interfaces I have ever seen. Sure, it would be nice to have a few combined destinations in the MM on occasion but that's a minor issue, really, given that you can do so much without having to use the MM at all. I only got it a couple of weeks ago but I can see it becoming one of my most used synths.

Anthem sounds great and looks really easy to work with, but I don't need it so I'm happy to wait until it's $49. UA sort of shoot themselves in the foot with their sales and discounts, although I am sure a lot of pros just buy everything without giving price a second thought.

[mi-os]

To me, this is a $99 synth (if that) Plus you get the extra bonus of the iLok/Pace stuff. I always think (especially now) iLok is like buying a car and the dealer taking the keys and telling you, Okay. Anytime you want to drive it, come see me for the keys.

To me it's like keyless entry and ignition - all I have to do is walk up, open the door and start the engine. I never have to touch the key, as long as it's in my pocket I can go anywhere and do anything.

Other c/r copy protection systems, besides iLok, are exactly the same, the manufacturer keeps the keys on a chain. It feels like you don't really own the license. If there is no other way, i'd still prefer iLok rather than being dependent on the activation servers of smaller developers. Especially if the dev is a one-man show. Just imagine something happens to a dev. It's game over for your licenses too, at least if it's time to reactivate or reinstall on a new system.

[miloszz]

The thing is, though, that you could buy a $200 phone that would do all those same things,

Incorrect.

.

And you probably upgrade to a new one far more often than you need to,

Incorrect.

Yet you're only willing to pay $39

Realistically I’m willing to pay $0 for this VST that does nothing unique or special. A $39 intro price might have caught me on impulse.

for a softsynth you can use for decades.

Extremely unlikely.

I find that more than a bit weird.

I find it a bit weird to convince yourself this is worth $100 (on sale!) when TAL Noisemaker and U-he’s Tyrell N6 are free.