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

[Topiness]

1) Massive, because it doesn't sound all that special.

2) Massive, because you need to buy a new computer if you want to play chords.

3) Massive, because they called it 'Massive'.

[smart]

All the Arturia synths. I hear many like them, professionals use them, they must certainly be good in some way but *I* don't get it. They sound flat and boring in my opinion...

I feel the same way exactly.

I agree, I have never been able to like anything Arturia does for some reason. The synths just sound crappy to me, the UI's are clunky, and each one has given me bugs. I just don't get it why some people go crazy for them - is it because they're emulations? For some real emulations check out Oddity, ImpOSCar and especially Minimonsta!

[advaya]

Zebra - I hate to say it, but I just don't like the sound. Yes, I played with it for a few hours after being dissappointed by the presets just to double-check... I think the problem is I don't get excited over pads...





-Ido

if you think all zebra 2 can do is pads obviously you need more than "a few hours".

When playing with Zebra, pads are the ***best*** sound I could get out of it. I didn't like the leads that I got out of it. I'm sure the sound is right for others.

I don't think you need to justify your dislike of z2. If someone cannot accept that other's opinions may differ from their own, that's their problem.

For what it's worth, I feel the same way about z2. I just couldn't find enough to like about it to keep me wanting to invest a lot of my time to learn it thoroughly.

I also feel that way about the Kjaerhus Spectra... It's an interesting concept, but again, just didn't offer enough of what I liked to keep me interested.

[idobs]

There is no overrated synth. The problem is the user. Everybody has his or her skills, tastes etc. Some people only use presets, others like to do their own patches. Some people are patient, some not... .
Massive and Absynth can be great experiences, if you take your time to explore them. They're quite flexible, but not easy to handle. And the sounds are quite organic, much more lifeful than most of our beloved multisamples.

Actually, I think these threads where people list synths they DON'T like are quite useful. These are people that spent good hard-earned money (assuming they're not free synths on this thread), and STILL don't like the synth. That takes guts.

That tells me a LOT more than a thread where someone asks people to recommend their favorite synth, and everybody chimes in with their recent purchases.

People will 99% stand behind their purchases because they don't want to admit making a mistake, especially over money spent. Worse yet, they need to justify spending that money, ESPECIALLY when the synth is actually bad!


Anyway, that means that there are really only three ways to find out valid opinions on synths on KVR:
1) Ask people for the synths they hate but purchased (like this thread)
2) Ask people which synth of two they like better, and make sure that everyone that answers owns BOTH.
3) Ask people about comparing free synths




-Ido

[BERFAB]

2. FM8 - is there anything that justifies upgrading from FM7, and getting used to a different GUI? I dont see it

Several things, IMHO: 1. New, usable multi FX. 2. The browser system makes finding any sound a breeze. 3. FM8 now includes all the prior extra FM7 soundbanks, plus some great new presets (I forget the exact number, but it ships with a ton of presets). 4. General usability improvements. 5. The GUI is actually much easier to navigate and makes programming very simple (again, IMHO).

I was a moderate FM7 user, but FM8 is now my top go-to instrument.

Note that Absynth 4 has many of the same improvements with browser and GUI, but I tend to agree with most of the posters above. Abby just doesn't seem to give me anything USEABLE.

-B

[androidlove]

i've tried a lot of demos and found nothing (yet) to beat freeware. however, i did buy 1 synth, agonyx, for a small donation (and it's se)

i have microtera and like it. i'm guessing i'd like tera (if i had that kind of money)

[bduffy]

Karnage - I could never figure out why the locals got so excited over this SE yawner.

Massive - you know why.

USB Plugsound series - crap sounds, crap interface. Why do I still hear about these?

[mellotronaut]

ad idobs:
In a way, you're right. Better a thread with 'overrated synths' than with 'favourite synths'.
But i'm sure, most of the NI-or Massive-dislikers don't own it. They had the 30 min fully-working demo with all the factory-presets on their pc or mac and zapped from patch to patch. I also have this demo, but i tried to get more into it (it's not easy, even when you use the demo, because it quits after 30 min and you can't save, but it's worth the pain) and found out more about the potential of this synth beyond the factory-presets. It's quite flexible and the sounds can be very organic. The only mess is the high cpu.

[smart]

John Vulich has a point, most SE stuff really isn't anything special.

But then there are things like Majken's Chimera

Tweakbench stuff

etc..

[stdietmar]

2) Massive, because you need to buy a new computer if you want to play chords.

How do you manage to play a chord in Massive? I only could play two voices, otherwise it resulted in CPU overload

[shamann]

But i'm sure, most of the NI-or Massive-dislikers don't own it.

I own Reaktor 5, yet it still made my top 3. The only one of my top 3 that I don't own is Vanguard, because for all of Reaktor's shortcomings in general, it still is a fairly useful thing. Just overrated in the extreme. Vanguard would have less than zero use for me.

[vespers75]

I own several NI products....and at this point in life, I HATE the crap they make. They sound thin and weak...too many stability issues.....and they charge WAY too much money for their junk. I have made it a personal point not to buy any more of their products ever again, as every time I bought something from them, I feel cheated...like I surely didn't get my money's worth from my purchase.

There are alot more than 3 over-rated synths out there, but to be fair, I will list ones I own/have experience with that I dislike:

1. Absynth
2. Wusikstation
3. Vanguard

I could of listed just NI products, but I figured one example of their trash was enough.

[foosnark]

1. Cameleon 5000. To me it sounds muddy and dull, and the distortion effect frankly sounds like ass. Maybe that's "analog warmth" or something. There are a handful of presets out of the thousands available that I have any respect for.

2. Sytrus. To me it just sounds "sort of okay," not "OMG YOU MUST HAVE THIS NOW!!!!!" as many of its fans insist. But then, to me it's similar to Rhino, and I don't use Rhino very much either despite thinking some of its patches sound pretty sweet. Something about the overall layout or something just doesn't grab me.

3. Not a synth exactly, and I know this is just asking for flames, but what the hell: Tim Conrardy's synth presets. He's prolific, to be sure -- but the ratio of TC presets that I like to ones I don't is something like 1:850. (And the ratio of TC presets I like to TC presets named "Galaxy" is probably 1:100... ) I don't even listen to them anymore, it's not worth my time.

(OTOH I have no quibble with his effect presets. )

[bullshark]

Massive: cold and digital sounding osc + cold and digital sounding filters = cold and digital sounds with no justification for the massive CPU hit.

Absynth: Proof that complexity doesn't equal good sounds.

z3ta: Should be nice and versatile by design, but every single patch I've heard, including my own, sounds the same.

[Voidoid Surrealist]

1. Your Favorite Synth
2. Your Second Favorite Synth
3. Your Third Favorite Synth