The "I don't get it" or your 3 overrated synths thread

[spritex]

this thread seems to be a default presets comparison instead of a synth comparison

There might be some truth in that.

[John Vulich]

Ya think?

[laputa_sync]

Ya think?

presets are not true analog?

[eduardo_b]

this thread seems to be a default presets comparison instead of a synth comparison

Unless someone is naturally talented with sound design and has an intuitive feel for complex synths, the greater likelihood is that presets are how synths are evaluated and, to some degree at least, how they are used. The suggestions by some that using simpler synths yields better results makes sense because the number of variables isn't overwhelming. Ian's suggestion about randomizing the settings really works better more often than not than trying to coordinate the many settings on complex synths. Keeping track of what was changed to get what result becomes almost impossible anyway, and saving dozens of variations as patches means keeping track of those as well.

[shamann]

this thread seems to be a default presets comparison instead of a synth comparison

Yeah, I got the same exact feeling myself.

I don't think that everybody here is talking about presets, but for a lot of people, synths are the presets.

[laputa_sync]

this thread seems to be a default presets comparison instead of a synth comparison

Yeah, I got the same exact feeling myself.

I don't think that everybody here is talking about presets, but for a lot of people, synths are the presets.

presets are our friends!

[bmanic]

Hmm.. well, maybe I'm alone here then but I definitely meant the sound character of Zebra.. not it's presets (which I also thought were quite bad for the most part).

Cheers!
bManic the preset pimp.. now use my whores! Bitches!

[stanlea]

I insist... why do some people dislike WusikStation ? (well, I'm not affiliate with William...you can talk)

[foosnark]

The way I evaluate a synth is to listen to the presets, then tweak them. I'm unlikely to bother with a synth with no presets at all, unless it's a very simple one.

Z3ta was my first bought synth, and, TBH, it initially underwhelmed me. However, the Virus mod really showed off its potential, and it is a go-to synth for me now...

Heh. I like z3ta+ myself, and actively disliked the Virus mod. I tend to roll my own patches or tweak from the "factory" presets.

[fmr]

... A good measure of the ultimate complexity of a synth is to put it in Chainer and use the randomise patch feature.. Just see how many useful patches to bezerk ones that you get as a percentage.

The more complex a synth is, the less probability you have to get something useful out of a randomization routine.
So, following your rule, wll end up with plain subtractive synths with two oscillators, filter and amplifier. Add to this just a matrix modulation with say, 10 slots, and the possibility to get useful results out of a randomization process will fall drastically.

[fmr]

For me it's all those FM synths.
They are always seen as the cat's pijamas, or Tarzans mother; but no matter how much i try to like them they all sound like cheap background music for some second rate beauty pagent.
It's that glassy cheesiness that i really can't stand! I hate Fm e-pianos, and i loath any fm bell sounds. Add to that the complicated nature of programming them and forget it!

I don't want no Sytrus, i don't want no FM 7 or 8 or 9 and you can also keep toxic.

Seems like you hate FM synths. Perhaps if you try to study a little in order to understand them, you would change your mind. I am currently reviewing the major FM synths available (FM8, Blue, Octopus, Rhino, Sytrus, Toxic III), and found all of them to be great synths, although very different. All of them go way beyond plain and simple FM, too, adding resynthesis, additive, Ring Modulation, Waveshaping, etc.
They are complex, true, and we can easily get lost, but what we can get out of them is fantastic. So, I think you should pay a little more attention to FM itself, and the FM synths out there. There is a world beyond subtractive waiting for you.

[musikmachine]

Someone really hit the nail on the head earlier with regards to complex synths like Zebra 2. Just because there are a million features doesn't mean that you have to feel compelled to use them all. When the possibilites are that vast, I think a lot of people get carried away and invariably end up in outer space before too long. When you look at a lot of the included sound banks, many of the patches look like as though the author was trying to use every kind of oscillator, filter, LFO, fx and envelope type simply because they could and not because they were trying to produce a musical sound. There's this tendency to want to create 1-finger wonder patches instead of something someone might actually want to use in a tune. Not everyone composes ambient space music.

you can make it as complex or as simple as you want.. and no matter how you look at it, a zebra patch with just one oscillator and a filter can blow your head off. It just takes some basic programming skills and a few minutes of your time

this thread seems to be a default presets comparison instead of a synth comparison

Thats why i didn't say absynth3 but in my case i got it in the niversary sale.Abs has a lot untapped potential but for me it's a pita to program! i like to get hands on with a synth!
Well as hands on as possible with my midi controller

I buy a synth for what it's capable of,not the presets that come with it apart from wusikstation which has got a lot of good bread and butter sounds and i can find the sound i want with it FAST!

Oh and the legacy cell

Peace

[spaceman]

this thread seems to be a default presets comparison instead of a synth comparison

Yeah, I got the same exact feeling myself.

I don't think that everybody here is talking about presets, but for a lot of people, synths are the presets.

well, then you can't say "a synth that dissapoints" but instead "a synth with dissapointing presets"

That's like saying a ferrari is crap because your 5 year old nephew can't drive it

[shamann]

but for a lot of people, synths are the presets.

well, then you can't say "a synth that dissapoints" but instead "a synth with dissapointing presets"

But if for a lot of people a synth is its presets, the two statements are roughly the same thing.

And didn't the Imperial Government of the Holy Interweb pass a law banning car analogies?

[The Chase]

I insist... why do some people dislike WusikStation ? (well, I'm not affiliate with William...you can talk)

I assume some might not like the interface, but other than that I dont see how anyone could not like it (same for absynth). They do friggin EVERYTHING and do it well, imo.