Synthmaster for $10

[bronxsound]

^same as above i have just got mine too. thank you kv331 and GC great stuff.

[shonoob]

Still awaiting my license in Canada.

[wickfut]

Damn this download is taking far too long. 240mb taking longer than I can download 20GB.

[ghettosynth]

On synthmaster's website it comes in 3 options: academic, standard bundle and everything bundle. Is this guitar center offer any of them or yet something different?

Based on the price it went up to after the sale, I would guess Standard.

Sounds right, not like I would know. In any case, I didn't realize that there were any upgrade advantages for particular versions.

[wagtunes]

On synthmaster's website it comes in 3 options: academic, standard bundle and everything bundle. Is this guitar center offer any of them or yet something different?

Based on the price it went up to after the sale, I would guess Standard.

Sounds right, not like I would know. In any case, I didn't realize that there were any upgrade advantages for particular versions.

All the upgrades have to do with purchasing extra sound libraries.

The base synth comes with X number of presets. There are they a number of expansions that you can purchase. In fact, tons of them. Or you can just get the complete package which is all the expansions. This is the cheapest solution on a per library basis if you do the math.

Ultimately this is what they're counting on which turns a $60 synth into a $200 synth ($140 for all the expansions)

That's what I did when I got mine in 2013. So with the $10 deal currently, if you get all the expansions, you're still looking at $150.

[thomekk]

Interesting - too complicated for me as it seems. Saved presets have to be found. Overall lots of tweak possibilities, but not easy to get a grip here. Seems good for trance? More on the harsh side.
I don't know, some presets are nice - but fun is another thing.
Will have to find out more when there is time and willingness.

[trusampler]

The serial # Guitar center provided me with today doesn't work WTF! This is becoming a nightmare already!

[wickfut]

The serial # Guitar center provided me with today doesn't work WTF! This is becoming a nightmare already!

The serial they send is what you use to register at http://www.synthmaster.com/

Once you register they send you an email with another serial number which allows you to download the synth and the key file they send you to place in a specific folder.

.. mine didn't go through first. I just clicked resend a few times and I got the email.

[trusampler]

got ya, thanks

[liquidsound]

On the subject of modular, I too ignore most of what's called modular or semi modular these days. To me, if I can't stick modules together in any manner, shape or form that I want, it's not modular anything. Semi modular? Don't really care. If I can't add an oscillator and route it to anything I want, it's just another synth to me.

So I guess I'm even more rigid on this "modular" stuff than ghetto is.

IMO, I own only 4 modular synths.

MUX
KarmaFX
Softube Modular
Reaktor

And Softube, right now, is still limited because there are only so many modules available and it's not like I can go and get more. They don't exist. And it's not looking like there's going to be any new modules for a long time.

And the truth is, all these synths are limited because they can't connect to other things that they're not compatible with unlike hardware that I can pretty much get stuff from wherever and stick it wherever. That's modular.

Softube has the potential to be that kind of modular if other developers will jump on and make stuff. But right now, it's not happening other than the few modules that have come out. So I'm hoping this changes soon though I'm not going to hold my breath.

One last thing.

Bazille

Yeah, I can stick anything anywhere, just like ACE. But it's a fixed architecture. The number of filters it has is all the filters it's going to have. I can't add any. I can't add any LFOs. I can't add anything. You want to call it semi modular? Fine. I call it a very flexible synth.

So yeah, I'm super picky about this stuff.

I agree.

In your list of true modular synths I would just add Tassman which contains 104 modules that you can select (as many of each one as you want) and can connect in any manner you want, without any fixed structure. And I would add also... Synthedit. There are many things to tell about the quality of the results and about the fact that it is only Windows compatible and only 32-bit, but yes it is in fact indeed a true modular synth if one uses it for personal purposes. It is even so modular that one can create one's own modules with a good knowledge of C++.

That said, I totally agree with you. All the other synths currently qualified as "modular" are in fact based on fixed architecture where you just choose the connections you want but where you can't remove or add a module. And today the only brand I know having a good wide reputation in true modular hardware synths is Doepfer. In the old ages of the 70's (I began the music at the end of the 60's) there was not a lot of brands making true modular synths. I know only Moog and ARP (their ARP Tonus and its declination ARP-2500 which has been better known), and Roland (their "System 700") which were available to make your own specimen... and some smaller "regional" attempts without any real worldwide success.

Now the term "semi-modular. The term "semi-modular" doesn't have any sense any more today. I think that almost everybody lumps together the terms "semi-modular" and "subtractive synthesis" because in the mind one is generally also at least the other. In fact, semi-modular stricto sensu have disappeared in the hardware world when the last MS-20 has been sold. Semi-modular was a term to qualify synths having a predefined architecture based on old modular structure but with a predefined architecture with just the ability for the musician to connect differently some of the modules (without any possibility to add or remove one) using a set of cables to make a "patch". The goal was originally to bring a synth on a stage, thanks especially to ARP (2600) and Moog (not the Minimoog but the "Modular 15", a very simple "modular" called "semi-modular" to be transportable, made in 1974, 5 years after the subtractive (but not really semi-modular) Minimoog) for this excellent idea. Then Roland made another one (the "System 100" qualified as modular while it was in fact a kind of transition between modular and semi-modular because the room for adding modules was way too small to make it really modular), and finally Korg with their MS-20. All the other synths were subtractive, indeed, but not really "semi-modular" since the architecture was fixed on the board and not patchable at all by cables to modify at one's wishes the path of the signal from the source to the output.

Since the discontinuation of the MS-20 (which was the last real one by the major brands having a worldwide fame), all the subtractive hardware synths (and now their software counterparts) are not semi-modular at all, they use the modules which where already in the old semi-modular synth (the traditional structure we all know) but with definitely a fixed architecture. Only some of the U-He synth as ACE and Bazille for example (and some very few other brands, even some very good freewares) are now true "semi-modular" in the sense that one can connect the modules with cables but always respecting the fixed architecture, in the same way than the old ARP2500-2600 or MS-20 which were the most famous.

I would also add OSCiLLOT by Max for Cats just in case working with Live is a possibility.

[BlackWinny]

I would also add OSCiLLOT by Max for Cats just in case working with Live is a possibility.

Very interesting! I had never heard of this one.

[jbuonacc]

hmm... first impressions are not too good.

shut it down and fired up the Xfer 'Serum' demo (which i've been meaning to try and finally just installed it tonight). found that to be pretty exciting right off the bat.

[nicksohn]

This situation is bad for dev.
Now, people tend to think 'SM is a 10 bux synth'.
Maybe SM Ver.3 is coming.

I'm sure that it is, where is the dev from? I'll be honest, I haven't paid too much attention to Synthmaster, I've never thought that much of the concept. I like a few things about it and it was worth $10, if he makes good choices on the next version I may upgrade, we'll see.

I already have SM and nothing to worry about this deal, since I will upgrade v.3 anyway. It was just great deal to me.
I said that cuz i've seen similar case in Air instrument deal.
There are many friends of mine who bought Air things at about original price. They are trying to sell their Air stuffs, and They said to me they will never buy Air instruments.
You are right. SM guys made a choice, and We will see.

[crevice]

thank you kv331 and GC great stuff.

Hey, what about me?!

[egbert101]

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