What is it about Sylenth1 ?

[pdxindy]

I think Hive is better

The low end on Hive definitely sounds better. I find the Sylenth low end rather weak sounding. The hi end, I think I prefer Sylenth. Of the two, I would pick Hive because it's ongoing creative development. For example, it has just had the wavetables added, including user wavetable import. It also now has the Uhm scripts, which have a lovely and unique kind of quality. It also has the new u-he preset browser, plus some excellent new modulation options.

So for no additional upgrade cost, Hive now has a vast landscape of new sound possibilities that Sylenth cannot replicate. So suddenly, Hive is much more interesting!

[BONES]

Well, from the consumer's point of view (unless you're rolling in dough) it makes no sense to pay more. Now if that makes me sound like a cheap SOB, so be it. But I don't have money to throw away. I barely get by as it is.

The word is selfish. Don't you think someone who makes something that gives you hours of pleasure deserves to be fairly compensated for their work? I mean, you don't need to be stupid about it and wait until a sale ends if you want something but you should be willing to pay a fair price.

The perfect place to test this is BandCamp. How many times have you paid more than the minimum amount being asked for? I always do when it's an artist's own page, but not often if it's a label's page. Like you, I'm not made of money but paying an extra dollar or two for something you like isn't going to see you thrown out of your home, is it? But it might encourage the artist/developer you like to keep at it and produce more of what you love. Can't put a price on that.

[BONES]

I'm guessing it's because of the sound and workflow / ease of use. Personally I prefer u-he Hive, though I do get why people like Sylenth1.

Really? I don't, not at all. There is nothing special about the sound and it is quite poorly made. I've demoed it a few times and on each occasion it has left me flat. Why anyone would choose to spend that much money on it when there are at least a dozen better synths in the same price range is totally beyond my comprehension.

What's not to like?

1. The sound - I don't hate it but there are plenty of others I like a lot more.

2 . The way it's made - e.g. If you want to modulate the filter cutoff from fully closed to fully open, you need to apply the modulation in two separate Mod Matrix slots because you don't get the range to do it in one. That's terrible product design/engineering.

3. Price - it probably costs twice what it's worth. Realistically, it could probably compete with things like discoDSP's Discovery or ReFX's Vanguard, although I'd probably still prefer either of them to it. But nobody in their right mind would suggest it can hold a candle to the likes of DUNE or The Legend or Diva or RePro or Massive or Thorn or Synthmaster or Predator or anything else in it's price range.

Are three things enough?

And 99% of people outside of KVR who actually make music couldn't give a toss about Reaktor.

I think that would apply far more to Sylenth 1 than to Reaktor, if for no other reason than you don't have to know how to use Reaktor to use Reaktor - there are amazing ensembles you can buy like TRK-01, which is a way better synth than Sylenth 1. You can also buy Reaktor from actual bricks and mortar shops and it's made by a company absolutely everyone in the industry knows and trusts. After all, it's part of Komplete and you can't possibly believe that more people in the industry own Sylenth 1 than NI Komplete, can you?

[acYm]

modulators not being exactly tuned to the full range of the parameter is something I imagine is common in the analog world, could be wrong though?

[parricide]

Price - it probably costs twice what it's worth.

i agree, the price seems too high for what it can do. its such a hyped up synth that people will buy it anyway, so i see why they charge that price, i would do the same

anyway, we now have vember audios 'surge' for free! so we dont need any more synths

[chk071]

Price - it probably costs twice what it's worth.

i agree, the price seems too high for what it can do. its such a hyped up synth that people will buy it anyway, so i see why they charge that price, i would do the same

Yep. Can't argue with that really.

[pdxindy]

modulators not being exactly tuned to the full range of the parameter is something I imagine is common in the analog world, could be wrong though?

What does that have to do with a digital synth? Especially one that is not in any way modeling an analog synth? Sylenth is a digital synth. It's main selling point was the supersaw, which is a digital creation and was emulating the Virus.

Other than being a subtractive synth, there is nothing analog like about Sylenth. It doesn't even have the most basic analog features like Pulse Width Modulation and Osc Sync. Most analog synths also have at least one of Osc FM, Cross Mod, Ring Mod, Filter FM. None of them in Sylenth.

[fluffy_little_something]

That parameter range thing might have to do with the double cutoff control design. If you want more extreme cutoff modulation, what is the problem with using both slots, or even 4 or 8 slots via the mod matrix? You can do cutoff modulation that is not possible with Diva etc.

Regarding Bones' comparison, many of those synths go beyond subtractive so you are comparing apples to oranges. Thorn is not even the subtractive/analog type if I am not mistaken.
Others such as Dune and Massive have wavetables, while I don't consider their subtractive/analog sound superior to S1's.

Sure, Legend and Repro sound better, not least thanks to the superior effects, but at the same time they are more limited. I can do things in Sylenth1 that I can't do in Legend or Repro. And for many people including me CPU load is still an important aspect. Repro uses like 10x as many resources as S1 while it doesn't even sound twice as good to my ears. Do I really need detailed circuit emulation? No, especially not if it comes at that price.

Yes, PWM, ring mod and such things are missing. Of course people who need that won't be happy with S1. But many people don't need those things. I am outright allergic to harsh sounds, so I don't even use such modulations when they are available.
Whether it sounds analog or not, who cares. It can sound similar to many of the 80's sounds I still like, whatever synths they were made with originally, I don't know, maybe even a DX7 I can live happily without the analog dirt and brutishness that I would only have to get rid of with effects.

Yes, it is overpriced. I suppose that's why LD offers the rental plan now.

Things I would appreciate are for instance a slight pitch deviation with every note instead of the perfect pitch, or an additional, softer envelope mode with a certain pick-up behavior, not a full restart, or velocity to envelope timing modulation.

[pdxindy]

Whether it sounds analog or not, who cares.

Funny coming from the guy who repeatedly claims Sylenth sounds like a Minimoog

[fluffy_little_something]

Whether it sounds analog or not, who cares.

Funny coming from the guy who repeatedly claims Sylenth sounds like a Minimoog

Except for the Minimoog sounds S1 simply can't make due to missing features, it does sound like a Minimoog to me. By that I mean that it can make sounds I know were made with a Minimoog (especially synth basses), and it makes them convincingly enough for my needs.

[Distorted Horizon]

I think Hive is better

The low end on Hive definitely sounds better.

When making psy bass, I prefer Sylenth but Hive is better in many ways.

[pdxindy]

Yes, PWM, ring mod and such things are missing. Of course people who need that won't be happy with S1. But many people don't need those things. I am outright allergic to harsh sounds, so I don't even use such modulations when they are available.

Such features don't sound harsh when implemented well... in fact they only sound harsh in poorly implemented digital synths (which are pretty much a thing of the past now). PWM is beautiful and sweet sounding... for example on string pads... and with Osc sync which can sound so emotional and lovely on lead sounds.

[fluffy_little_something]

Yes, PWM, ring mod and such things are missing. Of course people who need that won't be happy with S1. But many people don't need those things. I am outright allergic to harsh sounds, so I don't even use such modulations when they are available.

Such features don't sound harsh when implemented well... in fact they only sound harsh in poorly implemented digital synths (which are pretty much a thing of the past now). PWM is beautiful and sweet sounding... for example on string pads... and with Osc sync which can sound so emotional and lovely on lead sounds.

I only have the demo of Diva on my computer, just checked the PWM pad category. Most of those patches sound dated, like from the 70's, others are too much/dynamic, I wouldn't know what to do with those sounds. There is only one pad in that category I like, Ingo's Jupiter Low Strings. I will try to recreate it without PWM in S1.

I have like 400 S1 patches by now, but only 7 leads. There is no place for leads in the music I like. The 7 leads I do have are all rather subtle.
Maybe if I were a leads person, I would use ring modulation, osc sync etc., who knows...

[Examigan]

The way it's made - e.g. If you want to modulate the filter cutoff from fully closed to fully open, you need to apply the modulation in two separate Mod Matrix slots because you don't get the range to do it in one. That's terrible product design/engineering.

I tried it and it seems to work for me here with just the LFO controlling the cutoff. I didn't have to use two mod slots.

[fluffy_little_something]

The way it's made - e.g. If you want to modulate the filter cutoff from fully closed to fully open, you need to apply the modulation in two separate Mod Matrix slots because you don't get the range to do it in one. That's terrible product design/engineering.

I tried it and it seems to work for me here with just the LFO controlling the cutoff. I didn't have to use two mod slots.

With LFO's it's a bit different than with the envelopes. The LFO's have the gain control in addition to the mod amount knob per slot, they seem to do the same thing, though.