Sonic Academy new synth!

[tehlord]

Phil, you've put together an amazing sounding synth, and Bluff Monkey has coaxed incredible sounds from it! Congrats to both of you!
(could this be the Virus-Sylenth1-Synthmaster-Serum-Massive-Spire killer at last?!!)

To me, it's kinda like a culmination of the greatest hits of all those synths. As it stands it has no real weaknesses, even the CPU use is better than ANA1.

I was talking to Phil earlier, and I described it as Omnisphere Lite. The sample oscillators are so well implemented that it really does add a magical dimension that only samples can really expose.

It is THE perfect balance of feature and workflow. So easy to use, without ever referencing a manual. Really well designed.

[db3]

Stop teasing us Bluffmunkey...give the codemonkeys a poke

On that topic, I know Michael Olsen—of Sonic Timeworks fame—worked on ANA. @Phil, Any interesting details you'd like to share on the ANA2 dev?

[fmr]

I think ANA 1 took about 6 weeks to make. ANA 2 has taken over 2 years with a 3 times more people working on it. So you are right it will cost a bit more... but we will still make it the best value vs features synth out there.

Which is... how much? Can't you tell already?

[recursive one]

Phil, you've put together an amazing sounding synth, and Bluff Monkey has coaxed incredible sounds from it! Congrats to both of you!
(could this be the Virus-Sylenth1-Synthmaster-Serum-Massive-Spire killer at last?!!)

To me, it's kinda like a culmination of the greatest hits of all those synths. As it stands it has no real weaknesses, even the CPU use is better than ANA1.

I was talking to Phil earlier, and I described it as Omnisphere Lite. The sample oscillators are so well implemented that it really does add a magical dimension that only samples can really expose.

It is THE perfect balance of feature and workflow. So easy to use, without ever referencing a manual. Really well designed.

TBH, it's sort of frustrating that you are talking about the sample oscillators as the main strength of the synth. From what Phil said earlier they appear to be very basic, no granular stuff, basically no way to shape the waveform anyhow. I assume that sync and FM modifiers are not applied to them. So I don't see how they could add any "magical dimension" other than relying on a great sample content which would have very limited possibilities for further tweaking. I liked all the demos posted in the thread, but I'm expecting a synth having great engine such as smooth wavetable transitions, good sounding FM, juicy filters, high quality effects, not a glorified sample player.

[Phil Sonic Academy]

Our initial approach with ANA 1 was always focused on building the most useful synth for our users who take our courses... something that can make as many of the sounds as possible that get used in our courses without breaking the bank.

Since we've moved our tutorials to almost exclusively to Artist led courses... it really has to be something top artists can use without compromising their sound.

So we kind of have to be an allrounder... which i think ANA2 really is.

[Phil Sonic Academy]

Stop teasing us Bluffmunkey...give the codemonkeys a poke

On that topic, I know Michael Olsen—of Sonic Timeworks fame—worked on ANA. @Phil, Any interesting details you'd like to share on the ANA2 dev?

its not Michael Olsen on this one.. its the same team that did Kick 2 + Ivan Cohen who is a PHD in circuit modelling who did the filters.

[tehlord]

Phil, you've put together an amazing sounding synth, and Bluff Monkey has coaxed incredible sounds from it! Congrats to both of you!
(could this be the Virus-Sylenth1-Synthmaster-Serum-Massive-Spire killer at last?!!)

To me, it's kinda like a culmination of the greatest hits of all those synths. As it stands it has no real weaknesses, even the CPU use is better than ANA1.

I was talking to Phil earlier, and I described it as Omnisphere Lite. The sample oscillators are so well implemented that it really does add a magical dimension that only samples can really expose.

It is THE perfect balance of feature and workflow. So easy to use, without ever referencing a manual. Really well designed.

TBH, it's sort of frustrating that you are talking about the sample oscillators as the main strength of the synth. From what Phil said earlier they appear to be very basic, no granular stuff, basically no way to shape the waveform anyhow. I assume that sync and FM modifiers are not applied to them. So I don't see how they could add any "magical dimension" other than relying on a great sample content which would have very limited possibilities for further tweaking. I liked all the demos posted in the thread, but I'm expecting a synth having great engine such as smooth wavetable transitions, good sounding FM, juicy filters, high quality effects, not a glorified sample player.

I'm not implying the sample oscillators are the main strength. What I mean is that sampled oscillators add something on top of already excellent 'standard' oscillators that's either difficult or impossible to achieve without samples.

For example, when I was running a mainly analogue hardware setup, the Virus added something to the overall that the analogue synths just couldn't do. The sample oscillators are the 'Virus' to the main oscillators 'Analogue'. It's just nice to have them there!

[ATN69]

Now when I think about it, I didn't see anything from Sonic Academy in the annual KVR charity auction this time around ..are there any plans to join it?

[Phil Sonic Academy]

Now when I think about it, I didn't see anything from Sonic Academy in the annual KVR charity auction this time around ..are there any plans to join it?

Yeah sure... just get whoever to get in touch.

[ATN69]

Now when I think about it, I didn't see anything from Sonic Academy in the annual KVR charity auction this time around ..are there any plans to join it?

Yeah sure... just get whoever to get in touch.

That's sweet! Just talk to Sören at Luftrum. The link is here, viewtopic.php?f=1&t=492028

I remember last year Sonic Academy came up with really nice offerings

[Phil Sonic Academy]

Cool... sent him a pm

[recursive one]

Phil, you've put together an amazing sounding synth, and Bluff Monkey has coaxed incredible sounds from it! Congrats to both of you!
(could this be the Virus-Sylenth1-Synthmaster-Serum-Massive-Spire killer at last?!!)

To me, it's kinda like a culmination of the greatest hits of all those synths. As it stands it has no real weaknesses, even the CPU use is better than ANA1.

I was talking to Phil earlier, and I described it as Omnisphere Lite. The sample oscillators are so well implemented that it really does add a magical dimension that only samples can really expose.

It is THE perfect balance of feature and workflow. So easy to use, without ever referencing a manual. Really well designed.

TBH, it's sort of frustrating that you are talking about the sample oscillators as the main strength of the synth. From what Phil said earlier they appear to be very basic, no granular stuff, basically no way to shape the waveform anyhow. I assume that sync and FM modifiers are not applied to them. So I don't see how they could add any "magical dimension" other than relying on a great sample content which would have very limited possibilities for further tweaking. I liked all the demos posted in the thread, but I'm expecting a synth having great engine such as smooth wavetable transitions, good sounding FM, juicy filters, high quality effects, not a glorified sample player.

I'm not implying the sample oscillators are the main strength. What I mean is that sampled oscillators add something on top of already excellent 'standard' oscillators that's either difficult or impossible to achieve without samples.

For example, when I was running a mainly analogue hardware setup, the Virus added something to the overall that the analogue synths just couldn't do. The sample oscillators are the 'Virus' to the main oscillators 'Analogue'. It's just nice to have them there!

Fair enough. Actually I see how a sample oscillator could be useful withn a synth, e.g. for "deep house chords" or one may load a voice snippet, layer it with an oscillator and process it with the synth's effects, just off the top of my head. Not to mention adding noise to the sound, or a short plucky attack like Virus' "punch".

[Phil Sonic Academy]

I did actually study the virus punch... at one stage we had a punch control on the oscs... but i ended up just adding a set of "punch" samples in the sampler section.. seemed to be more versatile.

[tehlord]

Fair enough. Actually I see how a sample oscillator could be useful withn a synth, e.g. for "deep house chords" or one may load a voice snippet, layer it with an oscillator and process it with the synth's effects, just off the top of my head. Not to mention adding noise to the sound, or a short plucky attack like Virus' "punch".

There's definitely a lot of scope with a relatively simple set of features. All those delicious 80s/90s PCM synths had very basic and limited 'sample' features, but managed to extract some magic with them for sure.

Not to mention the ability to create some pretty decent vocal pads!

[chk071]

Just out of interest, not because i think it necessarily makes something superior/inferior, will ANA 2 have zero delay feedback filters?