Minimonsta reviews for those who are awaiting download...

[tkmattson]

Okay, didn't realize that once it got to 50%, that meant it was installed - slightly counterintuitive for the OSX perhaps. Other than that, I've got to say this thing, while maybe not the best thing since sliced bread, may be the best thing since garlic bread - and for a fan of Italian food, that's saying a great deal. About the humongo patches, um, under what circumstances would I really want 8 voice 3 osc. mono unison (24 voices)? Sounds good, but literally bring my computer to it's knees. As for CPU handling otherwise, it's pretty good, insofar as it doesn't take ANY power at all to sit idle - good doin'. As for the Melohman features, real cool. Knobs turn like they are real, and are extremely responsive, that's the GUI pluses. The minus is somehow, it's ugly. Okay, now kill me. Sound - GRRRR8, although I'm not exactly sure realism (as in like a Moog) is the right way to judge this animal. It's almost as if we should pretend that there NEVER WAS a Moog before, and it's a new synth being introduced, and on those merits, it kicks arse.

[MaxC]

Sounds good, but literally bring my computer to it's knees.

Interesting, I didn't realize you could put knees on a computer. Is that some kind of custom mod?

[autoy]

Got to agree with most said. In practice I should be using more impOSCar, as it's very CPU efficient and doesn't sound worse at all. I must add the modulation possibilities are almost endless, so you actually get more sound palette than Arturia's. I love the pads too, some sound very sweet but others just loose themselves in a very wet delay. Melohman does a great job too, but I can't get the auto-morphing feature working, it just switches sub-patches instantly, no matter how much time I put in the parameter.

I can get around 20 voices in my Centrino, but with an average of 30% usage, it's just too much in a multitrack enviroment. Shame.

[smart]

it just switches sub-patches instantly, no matter how much time I put in the parameter.

Are you hitting the numbered buttons or the actual Melohman Octave? If you click and hold on keys in the Melohman Octave it will morph, but if you hit the numbered buttons, then it will always change instantly.

When your holding down a key in the octave, you should see the LED's on top of the keys fading as the sound morphs.

Hope this helps

[autoy]

Ok, so I got to play like legato style to make morph, I will try this, thanx

[VitaminD]

I'm sure I'm alone in this..

but to my non-vintage-VA-loving ears.. I'd say it sounds like a rich, warm, and clearer Pro-53 and I'm not really kidding either...

it has a great bottom end though.. VERY VERY deep.. this thing would be perfect for angry DNB basses..

I like the bubbleblurpy ability of the filters too.. makes a some what common sound in psy trance that I love..

overall.. I like it more than I thought I would.. However, if someone gave me 200 dollars and told me to pick a vsti.. I think I'd skip this one..

[Kingston]

I'd say it sounds like a rich, warm, and clearer Pro-53.

it has a great bottom end though.. VERY VERY deep.. this thing would be perfect for angry DNB basses..

I still didn't bother to try it. I'm gonna wait for the first after-the-hype-but-still-using-monsta threads. If there's anything I've learned about KVR and hype is that you might be among the first with some sense here.

If it turns out you're anywhere near the ballpark with that comment I'm quite sure I'll stick with my new beloved AAS Ultra Analog.

[Lawnmower Of The Damned]

Sounds good, but literally bring my computer to it's knees.

Interesting, I didn't realize you could put knees on a computer. Is that some kind of custom mod?

Yup, the mod is pretty easy to install. All you need is a host, some plugins and the masochistic desire to try to write music.

Not only will your computer have knees, but it'll be on them more often than a drunken cheerleader.

No offense to any drunken cheerleaders out there who happen to be reading reviews of VST instrument demos.

[Kingston]

Ah well, took the plunge to test it. And hell yeah was I positively suprised.

The configuration and routing scheme of the synth, although very expressive for performing, only allows for the sounds of yesteryear, but boy does it deliver them well. Still sounds like a VA, no doubt, but solid as a gnats arse. This is the first VA where I didn't feel compelled to try it on extreme samplerates (96khz made very little difference). Good news for us lot who are anal about filter antialias and oscillators.

I would imagine this is one of the first synths that completely satisfy a certain friend of mine who always complains about envelope attack speeds, shapes and their tightness. Clickety click and pluckety pluck...


The only negative point that really sticks out (or rather doesn't) is the dark grey of the knob decription font. It gets buried in the otherwise top GUI.

I has a certain smoky 70s funk edge to the general tone (and no, I don't mean that the interface looks like it). That might prove a problem to some as this synth can only scretch so far. I didn't like the delay much either: too basic and gets in the way when evaluating the sound.

Oh and CPU usage couldn't have been optimized better. Very reasonable for this type of sound, and it's nice to see the CPU released immediately when a note ends.

FabFilter has a serious contender with this sound: similar quality filter antialias and oscillators, different and more lively somehow. Compared to AAS Ultra Analog (very similar quality) the sound is less ballsy but maybe a touch more solid.

[LOGAN]

So far I like the sound of the Arturia a little better.

Ill have to make my own patches and listen on something other than headphones to really make my final decision.

No offense to the developers of course! They seem pretty cool and I love my Oddity.

I like the Timewarp 2600 better than the Arturia version so there's no company bias here.

[Krakatau]

So far I like the sound of the Arturia a little better.

Ill have to make my own patches and listen on something other than headphones to really make my final decision.

No offense to the developers of course! They seem pretty cool and I love my Oddity.

I like the Timewarp 2600 better than the Arturia version so there's no company bias here.

For indication please : what it it's CPU consumption in your system ?

[BONES]

It lasted about half-an-hour here. The GUI is huge and virtually impenetrable - I actually had to RTFM to work out WTF was going on. The labels are very hard to read and, because they are all the same size/weight, everything blends into everything else.
Why doesn't it have a normal bank of normal f**king presets? Although I really like the meta-patch preset interface thingy that pops up when you want it to, its much f**king easier to use the scroll-wheel in MiniHost [how did I ever get by without this?] to preview sounds.
And talking about sounds, some of them were nice but, as mentioned, none of the bass patches were anything special and the're the first ones you come across. In fact, the first patch is utter krap. Unison sounds really nice but I ain't forking over several hundred bucks for it.
NEXT!


NOTE: Copied from the other thread.

[Kingston]

The labels are very hard to read and, because they are all the same size/weight, everything blends into everything else.

Everybody complained about this ever since the first screenshots came out. Makes you wonder why the hell it wasn't addressed...

[caganer]

So far I like the sound of the Arturia a little better.

Ill have to make my own patches and listen on something other than headphones to really make my final decision.

No offense to the developers of course! They seem pretty cool and I love my Oddity.

I like the Timewarp 2600 better than the Arturia version so there's no company bias here.

For indication please : what it it's CPU consumption in your system ?

With an Athlon 64 3800+ (2.4GHz)...I can do 32 voices at 90% CPU

[HHaynes]

minimoogV or Minimonsta...
Stradavarius or Guanarius...
Steinway or Boesendorfer...
post or make music

I have to say (uh-gain) that while I *don't* think it's as close to the original as the minimoogV, I'm not sure it matters. It's really a matter of splitting hairs (as well as what particular Moog you last listened to before you made your comparison). This is going to be another good quality VSTi with unique features and another viable choice for those that are looking for the analog sound without all of the wood, plastic, heft, dust, etc. As I said in my comments after NAMM, this thing has attitude to spare, and it will certainly find its adherents that will take it into directions that the original Moog could never go. KvR can sometimes read like the marketing wing of GMedia, and of course I've spent **WAY** too much of my life in trying to provide some form of balance - as if it matters. But now I say "if synths be the food of music, play on..."

apologies to Billy Shakespeare and all that.