Looking for VSTs similar to DIVA

[izonin]

Oh, and to clarify, #1 was the Cypher and #2 was the Andromeda in both examples.

This one got me fooled. In the first example #1 sounds more like an Andromeda.

[xamido]

Liking the blind test. Software is definitely already as good as analog. Tried a jupiter 8 before and honestly it doesn't sound much better than top VA softsynth.

I grew up in the digital era, so for people like me i think i won't understand that much about analog and digital comparison.

[musikmachine]

Cypher can do "modern", most definitely (with FM, waveshapers, dual drive units, filter FM, dual hard sync, rind mod, dual multimode filters...etc it has all the right to sound full-on), but it can do juicy vintage sounds as well:

Vintage Cypher

Starting with OBXa style brassy bad, some famous songs, and the last sound a milky pad (with no chorus in sight).

Some factory presets are not very good, agreed, and mine are rubbish I have to say (certainly not of the same quality as my current work. There is also a problem with some being saved at an octave too low). But Cypher has a very strong vintage analog flavour, which perhaps not shown in the factory set, is definitely there, just a few tweaks away.

Is Cypher the only VA with thru-zero FM? It sounds amazing!

Don't know if it is, Sendy, but like you I love its FM. It can do fantastic DX impersonations and more gentle, wacky stuff like this:

Cypher FM tweaks

I think, right now, there are some exquisite VA synths available, all offering something special, be it DIVA, Xils synths, Tassman, SynthMaster, DCAM, Gforce, plus many more etc. We can be like those musos from the 1970s/80s, who played live surrounded by lots of synths, each doing something else, so we can do the same with these VA synths.

Nice! Will you be releasing these?

[Uncle E]

And it's another case where I thought the presets weren't really hinting at the depth of the synth (apart from perhaps Amber).

I really made a mistake by not getting my presets included with DCAM on the initial release. I completed around 20-30 that all sounded equally on par with my Andromeda as these two and wanted to complete around 100 before making them public, and now, sadly, they're all gone, wiped away with the My Documents folder that FXpansion stores their presets in and that I don't back up.

[Uncle E]

Liking the blind test. Software is definitely already as good as analog. Tried a jupiter 8 before and honestly it doesn't sound much better than top VA softsynth.

Again, you have to keep in mind that those presets took a lot of work, around 20-30 minutes each. I can pull off those sounds in 30 seconds on a Prophet 5.

[zvenx]

have to admit as much as I gave the dcam synths a hard time... your examples Eric, put it in a really good light....they sound nice.

rsp

[musikmachine]

And it's another case where I thought the presets weren't really hinting at the depth of the synth (apart from perhaps Amber).

I really made a mistake by not getting my presets included with DCAM on the initial release. I completed around 20-30 that all sounded equally on par with my Andromeda as these two and wanted to complete around 100 before making them public, and now, sadly, they're all gone, wiped away with the My Documents folder that FXpansion stores their presets in and that I don't back up.

Oh noes! I meant to ask you the same thing.

[himalaya]

Nice! Will you be releasing these?

Thanks musikmachine.

Most of the sounds from the Cypher Vintage mp3 are already available in the Antiquity sound bank. That OBXa style brass pad is a new sound, which will be made available soon, together with that first mangled EP sound in the FM mp3 (the 'mangling' is done with the FM knob and pitch of both FM oscillators, the 3rd osc supplies the 'body').

[LeVzi]

Also, you may want to keep an eye out for the future release of Saurus from Tone2. It's an analogue modelled synth. 2 osc, 2 sub osc, not purely trance based at all. Lots of good modulation options, excellent filters.

CPU wise, it's very economical indeed.

Definately worth keeping your eye out for this.

http://tone2.com/Tone2_Saurus_Synthesizer1024.jpg

There is also a competition on these forums from Tone2, worth checking that out.

[Dan_E10]

Another vote for Poly-Ana. Really great sound and maybe closer to "modular" than "semi-modular" on the spectrum with the ability to modulate almost everything in the synth at audio rates.
Dan