New Monark video

[Echoes in the Attic]

I have to admit that I've been skeptical, but this video did peak my interest somewhat. It sounds like it will be fairly authentic and those classic presets are definitely cool just to have for fun. ALthough I think that making it monophonic is strange, I'd never use polyphony anyways (cpu would be too much). But the one thing that bugs me is not having velocity sensitivity and I don' think this does. That is one really rediculous limitation that there is just no purpose for at all. It doesn't save cpu, it doesn't "unclutter" an interface or anything else remotely good or efficient. Non-velocity keys is something that should never be adhered to when going for authenticity.

[pdxindy]

Sounded good in this video... though the guy spent way too much time talking and played very little, but then I already understand all the functionality and don't need explanations for beginners. And when he set up the filter self resonance, he did not sweep the cutoff!

I have a little suspicion from the demos I have heard that the bass is quite good but that the highs are a touch weak. This is nothing like a conclusion yet, just a tentative first observation. This guy also mostly stayed in the bass end and like I said, did not open the filter with self oscillation.

Look forward to hearing more when it is released...

[Aiynzahev]

So does the free version of reaktor allow you to save presets now or do they disappear when you reload your daw?

[PAK]

At the same time it's still not a perfect emulation of everything analogue by any means. If that doesn't matter to someone then I'm not sure what they're doing reading Monark threads ( ..looking for trolling opportunities or excuses to post more cat pics? )

neither looking to troll nor post any pics

I know.. That comment wasn't aimed at you, and my apologies if you read it that way.

It was a general comment about some critics who always appear in certain threads moaning about "yet another" emulation of a synth. They'd have a point if it weren't that "emulations" are usually crude caricatures of what they claim to emulate.

Even stuff like Monark will be a huge (massive?) simplification of the hardware. So it will rely on a lot of ear tweaked code from the dev, and that introduces lots of opportunity for something which will be sonically different from other emulations which have came before. Anyone who likes the hardware's character can only hope those differences involve improvements on how closely it follows the hardware.

Those who complain about features have a point. It wouldn't have been that hard to add polyphony. The fact that it doesn't shouldn't need someone to spell out the obvious though. Monark is about making a statement about the authenticity of what's emulated, and limiting the features is all part of making that statement.

But it's software. It's not like it's the end of the story - it's only the beginning of one. What's been done here will likely be taken and built on in various ways with other NI products..

[pdxindy]

But it's software. It's not like it's the end of the story - it's only the beginning of one. What's been done here will likely be taken and built on in various ways with other NI products..

So NI withheld polyphony so that they can sell it to you later...

[EvilDragon]

So does the free version of reaktor allow you to save presets now or do they disappear when you reload your daw?

Whatever you made within your DAW with Reaktor Player will be recalled correctly.


You can also save the whole Reaktor Player state into .nrkt presets, I think.

[PAK]

So NI withheld polyphony so that they can sell it to you later...

Haha. Maybe Depends how locked down the stuff is in Reaktor I suppose. Maybe they'll leave it so anyone can add polyphony if they really want to. I expect that's what'll happen at some stage or other.

Otherwise I think it'd be more surprising if they didn't include things like Monark's filter work in products like a Massive 2 or Kontakt eventually.

[MetroSonus]

Sounds really good on its own. The famous presets are way off though.

[mholloway]

Here's what I genuinely don't get about excitement about a product like this-- ok, so (maybe) it sounds great, but seriously, this demo shows this guy playing the same sounds we've been hearing from instruments like this for literally decades now.

The guy talks about how the clean, simple interface makes it perfect for getting in and programming from scratch right away, yet, I am genuinely curious, is it really so exciting to be programming the same moog-funk synth bass and blippy leads and mono portamento bending pads that we've been hearing constantly since we were children? Do you really say to yourself, "FINALLY I can program a moog funk bass patch that sounds EXACTLY like its from a MINIMOOG, meaning it's 7 to 8% more authentic than the one I programmed a hundred times already on Minimonsta, or Arturia Minmoog V, or god knows what other thousand emulations..." Nope, I truly don't get the excitement over any of this.

If there are actualy exciting, new, *original* sounds to be coming from an instrument like this, then I'd be genuinely interested in hearing them. But all this emulation stuff keeps getting released, and at least based on all the demos and vids out there, everybody is using them to just keep recreating and playing the exact same sounds, over and over! but "this time" that exact same sound is, at long last, "truly authentic." Hooray?

[jsd]

sounds great, though i can't think why i would ever choose to buy this over diva

i already have komplete 8. for $150 i can upgrade to k9 and get this, battery 4, the solid plugins, plus a couple of other sound libraries. or i can get just diva for $180.

i've pre-ordered k9.

[Sampleconstruct]

This must be the most boring NI release ever...

[MetroSonus]

I complain about that too. The same BS jazz or progressive rock hit sounds.

You have to listen to what's on the outside, in manner of speaking, of the sound. VSTs sound very tight through the center of their sound and then it drops off quite dramatically. Hardware synths, regardless of their nature, have much more timbre and power in the outer edges of their sounds. That's what you want to listen for, other wise yes, what's the difference in all of these VSTs? Not much for the most part.

Monark did very well in that regard to me. Diva is very consistant and strong in sound, but I didn't like it out there on the edges.

[aMUSEd]

Just got an email saying K9 is coming in the mail on the 27th!!

[pdxindy]

sounds great, though i can't think why i would ever choose to buy this over diva

i already have komplete 8. for $150 i can upgrade to k9 and get this, battery 4, the solid plugins, plus a couple of other sound libraries. or i can get just diva for $180.

i've pre-ordered k9.

Your loss...

[Aural Chaos]

sounds great, though i can't think why i would ever choose to buy this over diva

Only took 6 posts for someone to bring up Diva!