New Cherry Audio synth- SH-MAX!

[ramseysounds]

I always check how many presets I like
SH-MAX: 14 presets
and they are not so good that they make me wanna dance.
I am not willing to pay more than 1,5 USD per good preset. So in my world synth is not worth more than 21 USD.

This probably qualifies as the most nonsensical reason ever for not buying a software synth.

[Echoes in the Attic]

I always check how many presets I like
SH-MAX: 14 presets
and they are not so good that they make me wanna dance.
I am not willing to pay more than 1,5 USD per good preset. So in my world synth is not worth more than 21 USD.

This probably qualifies as the most nonsensical reason ever for not buying a software synth.

Unless you are only a preset user. Which some people are. In that case it’s really the only reason not to buy a synth.

[twal]

He wants to dance from the presets and not from the sound design (says he has 3 other synths to do this in), so yeah, that makes sense; especially since he doesn't like the presets nor appears to have the desire to purchase more. But danceability is predicated usually on the performance of sound, not the sound itself unless the sound is some kind of cinematic or soundscape type of sound. This synth has many great non-atmospheric or strange sounds like an Abysnth, so it's either a lack of playing ability or creativity if one can't "dance" to this synth. I can dance to an arp if it has a nice groove. Perhaps he is channeling what he believes Prince could or would of liked to dance to in a 80's tune. Criticality can be a form of resistance formed out of diva-like tendencies fueled by insecurities (not saying it is the case here) and can be seen in non-professionals in the music industry as well as others such as the Magic: the Gathering community.

[Cuauhtli]

Maybe he should have posted, 'the presets don't sing to my soul.'

[DCrown]

I always check how many presets I like
SH-MAX: 14 presets
and they are not so good that they make me wanna dance.
I am not willing to pay more than 1,5 USD per good preset. So in my world synth is not worth more than 21 USD.

This probably qualifies as the most nonsensical reason ever for not buying a software synth.

That's why one of the most successful artists called Prince used presets only lol
What are you trying to say?
Probably creating own presets is the key to good songs? Really, do you think so? lol
Pretty strange I can remember many famous songs that just used some DX7 preset, maybe these songs very successful cuz they didn't waste time on sound design!

[DCrown]

He wants to dance from the presets and not from the sound design (says he has 3 other synths to do this in), so yeah, that makes sense; especially since he doesn't like the presets nor appears to have the desire to purchase more. But danceability is predicated usually on the performance of sound, not the sound itself unless the sound is some kind of cinematic or soundscape type of sound. This synth has many great non-atmospheric or strange sounds like an Abysnth, so it's either a lack of playing ability or creativity if one can't "dance" to this synth. I can dance to an arp if it has a nice groove. Perhaps he is channeling what he believes Prince could or would of liked to dance to in a 80's tune. Criticality can be a form of resistance formed out of diva-like tendencies fueled by insecurities (not saying it is the case here) and can be seen in non-professionals in the music industry as well as others such as the Magic: the Gathering community.

If a synth makes me dance first and foremost depends on the playabiltity and response, the feel I get from a synth and it needs to be funky feel.
That's not even the problem with SH MAX, it sounds just like a lot of other Cherry synths with the same preset categories, similar parameters, it doesn't stand out from their other synths, just some Roland again.
And I am not limited to Prince or funk genre only, Zappa, Miles Davis, Al Green etc can give me just as much inspiration.
If you want SH Max for sound design , why not, but you could as well take any other Cherry synth.
I hope you don't waste too much time on designing sounds and forget that the most important thing is the song itself, the vibe, arrangement, lyrics and originality.
You can create a lot of own sounds, but they won't help you to turn a bad song into a good song.

[DCrown]

I always check how many presets I like
SH-MAX: 14 presets
and they are not so good that they make me wanna dance.
I am not willing to pay more than 1,5 USD per good preset. So in my world synth is not worth more than 21 USD.

This probably qualifies as the most nonsensical reason ever for not buying a software synth.

That's what I always do and always will do.
If a new softsynth doesn't offer more than 25 good presets, what does it tell you?
That even the developer was not able to create and offer a good synth with good, original presets.
So 14 presets that are nice, not even outstanding, just sounding similar to other Cherry synth presets, well, that is poor!

[DCrown]

Maybe he should have posted, 'the presets don't sing to my soul.'

I couldn't have explained it better, thanks! Almost every preset like a sleeping pill, every preset sounds like a preset I already heard similar from some other Cherry synth.
Only their preset manager shows you that' it's very similar in every synth they release. I don't need another bells if the synth isn't able to create good bells! Not every synth is a nice bell-synth.
It was annoying to listen to the crap bell and pluck sounds and more.

[Teksonik]

I am just surprised reading comments where people think they do something better by not using presets.

Not better....just better for them. That's why most guitarists don't just run direct into an amp, they use effects in various configurations and here's the salient point: otherwise they would all sound the same. Certainly one could hear the difference between Stevie Ray Vaughan and Zakk Wylde even if they were playing the same song.

If you only use presets that's fine but many people like to make their own.

Is composition the most important thing? Sure, but the sounds that go into the composition are what sets one artist apart from another.

On the subject of SH Max, I like some of the sounds. Not enough to purchase at this time but if it ever makes its way into a Humble Bundle I'd gladly add it to my museum collection.

[DCrown]

Well, let us take a song where the piano is the main instrument. Pianos generally sound similar, no one cares whether Let it be was played on Steinway or Bechstein, it was played on a piano made in Leipzig Germany, forgot the name.
My favorite guitar solo is the Purple Rain solo. I know what it sounds like on album, but heard it wiith different guitars, sound and distortion played beautifuly by Prince. So it doesn't really matter what guitar or sound he used on an album, would he have used some different sound on album it would be still be great and unique and beautiful.
Sound is completely overrated imo.
Prince is a bad example, cuz he was a cameleon, every album completely different, even his haircut and dresses. So Around the world sounds completely different than 1999 completely different than Purple Rain, completely different than Parade album, even though some same synths might have been used.
It is great if you make your own presets, if you like doing it, great. I also do, but not that often, I get some great results very quickly (the most important thing "quickly!") with Avenger, OB-E and Elka-X, don't need more.

[wagtunes]

Well, let us take a song where the piano is the main instrument. Pianos generally sound similar, no one cares whether Let it be was played on Steinway or Bechstein, it was played on a piano made in Leipzig Germany, forgot the name.
My favorite guitar solo is the Purple Rain solo. I know what it sounds like on album, but heard it wiith different guitars, sound and distortion played beautifuly by Prince. So it doesn't really matter what guitar or sound he used on an album, would he have used some different sound on album it would be still be great and unique and beautiful.
Sound is completely overrated imo.
It is great if you make your own presets, if you like doing it, great. I also do, but not that often, I get some great results very quickly (the most important thing "quickly!") with Avenger, OB-E and Elka-X, don't need more.

I'm sorry but play Let It Be with the piano sound used for Lady Madonna and it would sound like crap. It would lose all the warmth and beauty that you get from a grand piano when played through whatever piece of crap that Lady Madonna piano was. And don't get me wrong. For Lady Madonna it works, along with Paul's Lady Madonna voice that he rarely used.

Sorry, sound matters a lot. Play Whiter Shade Of Pale with a Farfisa. Not the same at all.

[DCrown]

I don't agree, sound doesn't matter that much. Paul would play Let it be with every other piano, yes it would sound a bit different, but it would still be a great and successful song.

Farfisa? Maybe a too big difference to the original, but I am sure song would be still great with another instrument, too.You just think his choice of instrument or sound was the best, cuz it might be the only version you know or you are used to.
Guitar you play with the guitar you are used to and yes each guitar has some own character, but that doesn't matter. I could never play a Les Paul as good as a Strat, but not because of the sound.
I can't play a steel string acoustic guitar, but love nylon guitars, but that's two different instruments anyway, so not a good example.
Sometimes demo versions Prince recorded on casette Tape or Tape machine or some completely different versions of a song are released on YouTube and you will often find comments like Prince should have released that version I like it better. So a sound is replacable and not that important, the song is important!

You completely focus on unimportant things imo
sound or quality of a mix, but do whatever you want

[BBFG#]

I don't agree, sound doesn't matter that much. Paul would play Let it be with every other piano, yes it would sound a bit different, but it would still be a great and successful song.
Guitar you play with the guitar you are used to and yes each guitar has some own character, but that doesn't matter. I could never play a Les Paul as good as a Strat, but not because of the sound.

Fretboard radius can make a big difference on how we play.

[twal]

You trash Cherry and Roland and now say sound doesn't matter.

The quality and mix doesn't matter? Maybe once the song is popular and people know it like it's second nature, but if Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit was done Unplugged first then the Album version came after you can forget it ever being popular. Yeah different instruments, but synth in modern music rely on timbre because we aren't making songs like Smooth Criminal with soft basses and drums anymore. So unless you want to mimic 80's for fun, mix and sound selection is more important then ever.

But we are talking synths here, so sound matters otherwise we wouldn't hear all this trashing about how Oberheims don't "sound" good.

[DCrown]

Who actually used Roland SH-5 back in the day? Would be interesting.