Tone2 will release Icarus - 3D WaveTable Synthesizer

[aMUSEd]

@TheoM,

This is kind of OT, but .. Would you recommend Tone2 Nemesis for FM Synth, since you seem to like it a lot. ?

I kind of get the impression that Nemesis is not very popular, since I don't see much discussed about it here at KVR, or other forums, but I was always tempted to get it, and think it is a very sophisticated FM synth.

Any feedback, on this ?

I could start a new topic about Tone2 Nemesis, or pick up an existing one to bring some more discussion to it.

Thanks,
Muziksculp

well i have no real knowledge of fm programming to be honest, and nemesis is physical modelling combined with fm afaik.

i just think it sounds outstanding!

i recommend it without reservation, honestly.

Thanks. I will check it out.

Nemesis and Elektra are pretty much my two "go-to" synths. Something about the sounds just seems to work in most of my stuff, and I find inspiration in the presets in a way that lets me just run with an idea.

I don't know how great Nemesis is as an "FM synth", since it was designed to do a lot more: it can do 22 types of synthesis, according to Tone 2. But it does FM very well, and there was even an FM-specific soundset released for it, which focused more on that type of synthesis.

Steve

I have Nemesis and I think now this is another example of their website blurb tending to exaggerate, many of these synthesis types are just variations on the same type eg NeoFM softsync and hardsync or phase distortion with a saw or square wave and also some combo modes are all counted as separate synthesis types. This is why I would prefer more details and less exaggeration as it's hard to actually know this from the website, you can of course demo it, which I did and I bought it as I still like the sound.

btw the NeoFM bank you refer to is another example, quite a few patches don't actually use the NeoFM mode, that was disappointing as it's not a cheap bank.

Your first point about the "marketing" is valid, and you'll note I didn't say these were 22 different types of synthesis.

I did

[Spitfire31]

…How a synth makes its sounds isn't as important as whether or not it makes sounds you like.

Steve

And that is the acid test.

That is why I love Zebra 2 and Dark Zebra, for example. I'm not that attracted by 'The T2 Sound', if there is such a thing, but Icarus seems to be a high flier and I'll definitely demo it.

/Joachim

[Ingonator]

FWIW currently more than 300 Icarus presets are made by Markus from Tone2 himself and as the developer he knows for sure how to use the synth properly.

With quite a lot of presets (around 1000) and many different sound designers chances are higher that most of the synths features were used with those. The current selection of around 1000 presets were selected from a much bigger amount that was submitted.

Anyway Icarus seems to be as versatile that there will be lots of new stuff to explore for sound designers in the future. As i already mentioned i want to do a 200 presets soundset too (besides my factory presets).

A few more comments related to what i already posted (see above):

while Icarus is capable of lots of complex stuff with using multiple wavetables, Morph modes the dual filter with many modes, multiple mod sources etc. it could also do some nice stuff that i would call "bread & butter" like e.g. Synth Brass and Synth Strings. For example i made a few Synth Brass sounds that use custom waveforms (e.g. based on samples of analog synths) and the stereo Hypersaw modes (that in Icarus work with all waveforms, not just a Saw). Waveforms were based on e.g. a Korg DW-8000 or a Moog slim Phatty.
I also used the "LP Butter 24dB" for those which is based on the Saurus 24dB LPF and sounds quite nice IMO (and like in Saurus it should be a zero delay feedback filter).
Overall Icarus includes 16 LP filter modes including some analog models (e.g. 2 different 303 based models).

I also made a few PWM Pads/Strings that use wavetable scanning for doing the PWM. With the wavetable editor you could also do your own PWM wavetable using custom waveforms and using the "crossfading" feature in the editor. Of course you could also craeate the waveforms used for this from scratch using the waveform editor and/or edit imported waveforms.

As Icarus offers different Hypersaw modes and also a dedicated Supersaw mode of course it is also capable of lot of those typical and/or (in)famous sounds relataed to that. With one of my factory presets (and also another one not included yet) i was "infected" by this option too...

Such sounds could sound quite big and/or fat in Icarus which is also based on a combination of features like e.g. custom waveforms, up to 3 oscs, Stereo Hypersaw modes (up to 10 detuned waveforms with stereo spread whie in many cases 4 detuned waves are enough), using one of the analog models and also using the EQ and bass boost feature (called "DBass").

[ObsoleteAcc99]

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[recursive one]

For example i made a few Synth Brass sounds that use custom waveforms (e.g. based on samples of analog synths)

I'm sure it has been already discussed but the thread has too many pages now . Can Icarus import wav files or only wavetables prepared by some specialized tools like audioterm?

Another question: does it have some kind of filter drive and/or saturation that can applied after the filter? Not an obvious disctortion but rather something subtle to make the sound slightly more "warm", "roudned" etc (sorry for these vague definitions, I'm talking about something like, e.g., Virus "analog boost", Sylenth "warm drive", Spire "warm/soft" etc).

I'm listening to the Mac's teaser again, too clean sound ... Sometimes this is what is needed, sometimes you want it dirty

[fisherKing]

i think demos should be online soon (turned mine in monday). worth checking them out (not just mine, of course... ). and, of course, the synth itself when it's available. always the best thing, to decide for yourself. if we believed everything we read on kvr...every plugin is equally great and awful.

[Sim.Sky]

Don't know if it has been brought up here, but will one be able to import and convert images (png) into Icarus or wavetables rather? Serum just got this feature, Falcon can do it as well I guess so it would be great if Icarus would provide this feature too.

[recursive one]

Don't know if it has been brought up here, but will one be able to import and convert images (png) into Icarus or wavetables rather? Serum just got this feature, Falcon can do it as well I guess so it would be great if Icarus would provide this feature too.

What are the practical uses for this feature?

[Sim.Sky]

Don't know if it has been brought up here, but will one be able to import and convert images (png) into Icarus or wavetables rather? Serum just got this feature, Falcon can do it as well I guess so it would be great if Icarus would provide this feature too.

What are the practical uses for this feature?

Well... Practically none, I guess But I think it can be fun(ny) to use literally unique wavetables maybe nobody else has. If that feature is built into a "proper" synth I imagine using it a lot more than I would do with a rather unconventional synth like Photosounder, for instance

[recursive one]

FL Studio has a thingy doing this but I don't remember if I managed to come up with anything other than random noice. Maybe some special kind of images is needed, dependning on the law accoridng to which the colour information is converted to sound

Still, probably it could be indeed an interesting thing to experiment with.

[ObsoleteAcc99]

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