With All These Emulations Coming Out...

[zvenx]

Vst2 doesn't work on apple silicon in cubendo for a few years, once sb made an apple silicon version of cubendo 11? (unless you run it in rosetta mode).
rsp

[EvilDragon]

Ain't it good being a Windows user for once.

[Cuauhtli]

I just want a hardware Andromeda because of its name. Why the hell would I care what it sounds like? Look at what Vangelis did with that turd of a synth everyone lusts after?

Obviously joking. My interest was due to the specs at the time plus I was new to synths when it came out.

[kraster]

I have an A6 and it's an absolute monster of a synth.

It's effectively 16 monosynths in one.

Each voice has two oscillators but each oscillator enables you to have multiple waveforms simultaneously. Each oscillator also has a sub control.

Two types of FM, a noise generator, a multimode SEM style filter (again you can have simultaneous modes on the filter), a moog style ladder filter. Filters can be run in series or parallel. Three multistage envelopes. Post filter mixer. An arpeggiator AND a sequencer per voice. Ring modulation. Hard and soft sync. Filter FM. Three LFOS and a sample and hold. Again all of this is per voice. You can actually run the andromeda as 16 separate voices and each voice has its own individual output.

The thing about the Andromeda is that every aspect of it is honed to an almost ridiculous level. Like the envelopes have multiple different speeds depending on what sound you want. It has two types of background tuning.

The mod matrix would make your eyes bleed! Even the ribbon controller can be split into two zones.

I do think they kind of screwed up with the signal path in terms of level. I think one of the reasons the Andromeda is a often dismissed is because it's very easy to overload the signal path going into the filters. Past 10 O' clock the oscillators start to sound a bit flat and have a certain fizziness. The trick is to never exceed 1/3 of the oscillator level knob. The andromeda has buckets of level so the overall output doesn't suffer and it sounds way more open when you don't blast the oscillators.

It's by far the best synth I've heard for pads that I've ever come across. It can be quite CS80 like. It can do fantastic analog basses, searing leads and is extremely adept at going extremely weird.

In terms of emulation I think it sits in a weird place because in some ways the Andromeda itself is like a greatest hits of analog synths. I think Alesis set out to make the ultimate analog synth and crammed and absolute shed load of things into it.

There is something kind of obsessive about the design of it.

It's an incredible machine.

Matt Johnson gives a great showcase of it here:

[Teksonik]

Seems like if it was easy (and also not legally risky) to make an Andromeda emulation either Arturia or Cherry Audio would have done so by now since it's a bit of a cult synth.

I'd try the demo if anyone ever made one.

There is always:

" Syntronik 2 Galaxy by IK Multimedia is a dedicated virtual synthesizer instrument modeled after the legendary Alesis Andromeda. It combines deep, multi-sampled analog oscillators with a hybrid sample-and-modeling engine, offering stunning sonic accuracy alongside modern features like advanced filters, arpeggiators, and multi-part layering".

Of course everyone will turn their noses up because it has samples and certainly can't capture everything an A6 can do. I no longer have Syntronik installed so don't remember how Galaxy sounded.

EDIT: I just installed the Galaxy module and it has some very nice sounds, even more so when layered in Sampletank 4. Of course it's only going to do a fraction of what a real A6 can do but it gives you a taste at least. One could hold the position that a high quality sampled instrument might have a more accurate sound than a generated emulation but will most likely lack all the modulation capabilities.

[Seafire Mk2]

Buy one

https://ebay.io/m/aATADK

https://ebay.io/m/IzcTlr

[234north]

It's an incredible machine.

Matt Johnson gives a great showcase of it here:

OK so I watched that video and it left me asking myself what the big deal is. None of what he played sounded like it couldn't be done elsewhere. That isn't to say that its not capable of a lot but that certainly wouldn't be a demo that would push me over the edge to buy one.

[wagtunes]

It's an incredible machine.

Matt Johnson gives a great showcase of it here:

OK so I watched that video and it left me asking myself what the big deal is. None of what he played sounded like it couldn't be done elsewhere. That isn't to say that its not capable of a lot but that certainly wouldn't be a demo that would push me over the edge to buy one.

Okay, so what list of synths would you say sound better than this?

[exmatproton]

It's an incredible machine.

Matt Johnson gives a great showcase of it here:

OK so I watched that video and it left me asking myself what the big deal is. None of what he played sounded like it couldn't be done elsewhere. That isn't to say that its not capable of a lot but that certainly wouldn't be a demo that would push me over the edge to buy one.

Okay, so what list of synths would you say sound better than this?

that is the most subjective question... better? How? What terms??
I have heard way more intricate, interesting and better sounding sounds, to me.

Synths that have quite an overlap (and then some) i think of are Pigments, Multi/Poly, Falcon, to name a few. Which can sound whatever you want them to sound. Hyper modern to plinky plonky wonky analog

[234north]

It's an incredible machine.

Matt Johnson gives a great showcase of it here:

OK so I watched that video and it left me asking myself what the big deal is. None of what he played sounded like it couldn't be done elsewhere. That isn't to say that its not capable of a lot but that certainly wouldn't be a demo that would push me over the edge to buy one.

Okay, so what list of synths would you say sound better than this?

I'm not sure how that's relevant to what I said honestly but in the context of the video just about anything modern sounds as good or better on those types of sounds. That doesn't mean the Andromeda doesn't sound good, it does, but better than anything else? That's a pretty bold claim.

I guess I'd have to ask you what about the sounds in that video make you think its better than anything else of the same era or, more importantly, now?

[wagtunes]

It's an incredible machine.

Matt Johnson gives a great showcase of it here:

OK so I watched that video and it left me asking myself what the big deal is. None of what he played sounded like it couldn't be done elsewhere. That isn't to say that its not capable of a lot but that certainly wouldn't be a demo that would push me over the edge to buy one.

Okay, so what list of synths would you say sound better than this?

I'm not sure how that's relevant to what I said honestly but in the context of the video just about anything modern sounds as good or better on those types of sounds. That doesn't mean the Andromeda doesn't sound good, it does, but better than anything else? That's a pretty bold claim.

I guess I'd have to ask you what about the sounds in that video make you think its better than anything else of the same era or, more importantly, now?

I didn't watch that particular video. The video I did watch I thought some of the sounds were amazing. There is a bigness and lushness I don't find in VSTs in general. And no, I'm not a hardware snob. But in this case, the hardware wins even over the Oberheims which sound pretty damn good. I just think the A6 sounds better.

[234north]

I didn't watch that particular video. The video I did watch I thought some of the sounds were amazing. There is a bigness and lushness I don't find in VSTs in general. And no, I'm not a hardware snob. But in this case, the hardware wins even over the Oberheims which sound pretty damn good. I just think the A6 sounds better.

Not saying you're "wrong" or whatever, we've all got our preferences, but watch the video and then you might see what I mean. The thing is obviously an analog monster with Moog/Obie-inspired filters. It better sound big

[wagtunes]

I didn't watch that particular video. The video I did watch I thought some of the sounds were amazing. There is a bigness and lushness I don't find in VSTs in general. And no, I'm not a hardware snob. But in this case, the hardware wins even over the Oberheims which sound pretty damn good. I just think the A6 sounds better.

Not saying you're "wrong" or whatever, we've all got our preferences, but watch the video and then you might see what I mean. The thing is obviously an analog monster with Moog/Obie-inspired filters. It better sound big

So then how come so many people aren't impressed by it? If I could get an accurate VST emulation of this, it would absolutely be my favorite synth hands down. Right now, with all the VSTs I own, I can't say that any one is an absolute favorite.

[Seafire Mk2]

The vst wouldn't sound as good as the hardware, obviously.

[wagtunes]

The vst wouldn't sound as good as the hardware, obviously.

That's not necessarily true. As a Korg Wavestation owner. the VST sounds exactly like the hardware. At least to my ears.