2025: The Year of the Monster Synth

[IvyBirds]

We got Serum 2, Omnisphere 3, Absynth 6, Zebra 3, Falcon 2026. Even Massive X got updated. I probably forgot things too. Pigments 6 and Current 2 were this year, I think.

2025 killed it, people. What's next?

We have the Zebra 3 Beta not the actual finished product that's for 2026

I have all of them however

U-he’s betas are more stable than most companies’ final releases.

Surr but even Urs said to expect issues and bugs

[parma]

So the "I can't talk about it" was about Pigments 7?

Bummer

[shonky]

One of the misconceptions, and a very persistent one, is that there’s some duty to use as many features as possible on any given instrument. That’s as silly as being expected to eat everything in a chafing dish at a buffet. Maybe you could, over the span of many visits, but a “monster synth” can be about having a variety of features available, not necessarily having to use them all for every occasion.

Yep, most of these can do relatively simple sounds, but unlike more simple synths, you don't have to fret if you also need an additional synthesis style for a patch that they can't facilitate.

[zerocrossing]

You're right. I prefer to look at it like this- I think people have the misconception that more is better and buffets are optimal, that spreading oneself with a plethora of tools is optimal, and spending time at said buffet, if one is visiting one, is optimal.

Sure, but it depends on the context. Should you load up Omnisphere when all you want is an analog sounding PWM pad? No. Repro would be plenty, and do a better job, but sometimes you just feel like playing around and experimenting. Repro will bump up against its limits pretty quickly. I like having a wide range of instruments with varying degrees of complexity that suit my needs.

[zerocrossing]

One of the misconceptions, and a very persistent one, is that there’s some duty to use as many features as possible on any given instrument. That’s as silly as being expected to eat everything in a chafing dish at a buffet. Maybe you could, over the span of many visits, but a “monster synth” can be about having a variety of features available, not necessarily having to use them all for every occasion.

Yep, most of these can do relatively simple sounds, but unlike more simple synths, you don't have to fret if you also need an additional synthesis style for a patch that they can't facilitate.

Sure, but it’s been my experience that, like a food buffet, the overall quality of some things isn’t as good as a simple made to order dish. A curry will do fine on a buffet, but that tandoori chicken is getting dried out under the heat. Even the Moog ladder filter in Dune isn’t as good as the one in The Legend, even though it’s from the same developer. It makes sense when you consider how much more modulation is possible in Dune. More modulation, more CPU.

[twal]

You're right. I prefer to look at it like this- I think people have the misconception that more is better and buffets are optimal, that spreading oneself with a plethora of tools is optimal, and spending time at said buffet, if one is visiting one, is optimal.

Sure, but it depends on the context. Should you load up Omnisphere when all you want is an analog sounding PWM pad? No. Repro would be plenty, and do a better job, but sometimes you just feel like playing around and experimenting. Repro will bump up against its limits pretty quickly. I like having a wide range of instruments with varying degrees of complexity that suit my needs.

Oh, I agree with this. I meant with the other gent about supersynth overload in particular. I don't find it interesting to me to have so many of this archetype, loosely speaking. Having Falcon, Halion, and Msoundfactory for instance ready at my fingertips makes me wonder if I am well versed enough at any of them...

[Albert.VST]

So the "I can't talk about it" was about Pigments 7?

Hope the one that posted this cleary says “no”, so we can expect another one soon…

[whassup]

So the "I can't talk about it" was about Pigments 7?

Hope the one that posted this cleary says “no”, so we can expect another one soon…

[kv331]

So the "I can't talk about it" was about Pigments 7?

Yes it was. Confirmed with Tom yesterday.

[aMUSEd]

So the "I can't talk about it" was about Pigments 7?

Hope the one that posted this cleary says “no”, so we can expect another one soon…

Sorry it was Pigments 7 but there is a nice update for Massive X still to come although not sure if it will be this year

[DCrown]

Avenger is my "monster", don't need one more "monster".

[jules99]

What would be the anti-monster synth? Sylenth1?

[whassup]

Yeah, good for Pigments users then.
Any phoning home, eyelogg, Challenged response, Software license control manager center that broke in the past, dongles that broke, etc. solutions are banned from my system.
My interest these days is in desirable characteristics that I can add to my tool box.
This I weighed against usability issues of GUIs and workflow concepts that are against what has been proven to be used by me over the decades.
Interesting enough is that Vital has one of the best synth GUIs for me to work with.
So I would like to have all the cool sounding new stuff from Z3, SM3, S2 inside of V2.
That would be my monster synth.
And I don't hold my breath for that.

[andypryce]

What would be the anti-monster synth? Sylenth1?

This Plugin

[Examigan]

Was Icarus 3 mentioned? It was released last year, but still a monster.