Tone2 Saurus2...The Great Underrated?
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- KVRAF
- 22873 posts since 8 Oct, 2014
FTR, I love the sound of Saurus 2. I haven't purchased it simply because I don't see any business upside and I already have a ton of analog synth emulations. But if I didn't own any of them and needed something to give me these sounds, I would buy it, even though I do think it is a little overpriced. But then I think all Tone 2 synths are a little overpriced which is why I only own 3 of them.
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- KVRAF
- 9843 posts since 15 Sep, 2005 from East Coast of the USA
About the upgrade, here is what Markus said on their forums a while back:
"All customers, who purchased Saurus1 between February 2015 and the release of Saurus2, are able to upgrade to Saurus2 for free. I sent out emails with a download link to the grace period customers."
"All customers, who purchased Saurus1 between February 2015 and the release of Saurus2, are able to upgrade to Saurus2 for free. I sent out emails with a download link to the grace period customers."
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- KVRist
- 179 posts since 29 Nov, 2012 from My home is my castle
There seems to be a lot of missinformation within this thread.
There was a 12 month grace period for Saurus2. The optional upgrade to v2 was free for everyone who purchased it within this time.
from their homapage:
http://www.tone2.org/forum/index.php?topic=2302.0
The ilok incompatibilty was already solved 3 years ago. There is a free patch available here:
http://www.tone2.org/forum/index.php?topic=1892.0
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What's new in Saurus2?
Summary:
- Enhanced sound quality because the synthesis engine has been completely reworked.
- Over 260 additional patches.
- Completely reworked all existing factory sounds.
- Added a comfortable patch browser.
- More detailed emulation of the 'analog' sound. The degree of analog behavior is now selectable.
- Enhanced graphics.
- More comfortable user interface.
- A large number of further new features and enhancements.
- Saurus2 is 100% downward compatible with all previous versions.
What's new in Saurus2?
Details:
New features:
- Added a comfortable patch browser with a keyboard which can be opened by clicking 'BROWSE'.
- Added a 'Config' menu which allows to set the degree of analog behavior.
- Additional LowCut equalizer.
- Additional HighCut equalizer.
- Added a new play mode 'Stack' which plays the autochord defined in 'Arp Key Mode'.
- 14 additional 'Sine' LFOs as matrix source.
- 4 additional chord modes which play thirds for the arpeggiator.
- The patches can be ranked by clicking on the stars in the patch browser.
- Keyboard can be hidden with 'Config->hide keyboard'.
- The degree of analog noise modeling can be selected between 'none' and 'extreme'.
- The degree of analog drift can be selected between 'light' and 'extreme'.
- Added a smart microtuning algorithm. 'Fat tune' delivers more harmonic and transparent chords.
- The degree of analog saturation can be selected between 'linear' and 'extreme'.
- The degree of analog OSCs damping can be selected between 'light damp' and 'heavy'.
- An analog sounding default patch can be initialized with 'File->Init analog patch'.
- A digital sounding default patch can be initialized with 'File->Init digital patch'.
- Modwheel and pitchwheel are auto-assigned on patch initialisation.
Enhanced sound:
- The OSCs and filters can emulate the noise created by analog circuits.
- The OSCs can emulate the saturation of analog amplifiers.
- The voices and filters can emulate drift and voice detuning.
- Replaced oscillators with more 'analog' sounding ones.
- Boost mode sounds more 'analog' and smooth.
- Replaced Reverb with a better sounding algorithm.
- More accurate high frequencies of 'Delay' and 'PingPong' effect.
- More 'analog' behavior of 'drift'.
Enhanced GUI & interface:
- Information about the current patch is shown in 'info' tab of the patch browser.
- Rendering with ambient occlusion for a more realistic look.
- More comfortable saving of patches on PC.
- LCD displays have more contrast and are more easy to read.
- Keyboard is now animated.
- Added mouseover support: Values are displayed when mouse is hovered over them.
- Mousewheel support (if host supports it).
- Mac version now also supports waveform selection by clicking on diodes.
Further enhancements and changes:
- Better host compatibility.
- A large number of small enhancements.
- More robustness.
- More comfortable installer.
- Less demo restrictions. Patches can be initialized. Extended demo timeout.
There was a 12 month grace period for Saurus2. The optional upgrade to v2 was free for everyone who purchased it within this time.
from their homapage:
http://www.tone2.org/forum/index.php?topic=2302.0
The ilok incompatibilty was already solved 3 years ago. There is a free patch available here:
http://www.tone2.org/forum/index.php?topic=1892.0
------
What's new in Saurus2?
Summary:
- Enhanced sound quality because the synthesis engine has been completely reworked.
- Over 260 additional patches.
- Completely reworked all existing factory sounds.
- Added a comfortable patch browser.
- More detailed emulation of the 'analog' sound. The degree of analog behavior is now selectable.
- Enhanced graphics.
- More comfortable user interface.
- A large number of further new features and enhancements.
- Saurus2 is 100% downward compatible with all previous versions.
What's new in Saurus2?
Details:
New features:
- Added a comfortable patch browser with a keyboard which can be opened by clicking 'BROWSE'.
- Added a 'Config' menu which allows to set the degree of analog behavior.
- Additional LowCut equalizer.
- Additional HighCut equalizer.
- Added a new play mode 'Stack' which plays the autochord defined in 'Arp Key Mode'.
- 14 additional 'Sine' LFOs as matrix source.
- 4 additional chord modes which play thirds for the arpeggiator.
- The patches can be ranked by clicking on the stars in the patch browser.
- Keyboard can be hidden with 'Config->hide keyboard'.
- The degree of analog noise modeling can be selected between 'none' and 'extreme'.
- The degree of analog drift can be selected between 'light' and 'extreme'.
- Added a smart microtuning algorithm. 'Fat tune' delivers more harmonic and transparent chords.
- The degree of analog saturation can be selected between 'linear' and 'extreme'.
- The degree of analog OSCs damping can be selected between 'light damp' and 'heavy'.
- An analog sounding default patch can be initialized with 'File->Init analog patch'.
- A digital sounding default patch can be initialized with 'File->Init digital patch'.
- Modwheel and pitchwheel are auto-assigned on patch initialisation.
Enhanced sound:
- The OSCs and filters can emulate the noise created by analog circuits.
- The OSCs can emulate the saturation of analog amplifiers.
- The voices and filters can emulate drift and voice detuning.
- Replaced oscillators with more 'analog' sounding ones.
- Boost mode sounds more 'analog' and smooth.
- Replaced Reverb with a better sounding algorithm.
- More accurate high frequencies of 'Delay' and 'PingPong' effect.
- More 'analog' behavior of 'drift'.
Enhanced GUI & interface:
- Information about the current patch is shown in 'info' tab of the patch browser.
- Rendering with ambient occlusion for a more realistic look.
- More comfortable saving of patches on PC.
- LCD displays have more contrast and are more easy to read.
- Keyboard is now animated.
- Added mouseover support: Values are displayed when mouse is hovered over them.
- Mousewheel support (if host supports it).
- Mac version now also supports waveform selection by clicking on diodes.
Further enhancements and changes:
- Better host compatibility.
- A large number of small enhancements.
- More robustness.
- More comfortable installer.
- Less demo restrictions. Patches can be initialized. Extended demo timeout.
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- KVRian
- 512 posts since 6 Dec, 2014
I was considering buying this or the legend.
I've just bought it after demoing.
I'm shocked this isn't popular.(that's why i bought it, this late.)
Very nice analogy sound while low cpu hit.
I really like it!
I've just bought it after demoing.
I'm shocked this isn't popular.(that's why i bought it, this late.)
Very nice analogy sound while low cpu hit.
I really like it!
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- KVRAF
- 35671 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
It's a fun synth, no doubt. Lot of saturation, and drive options too, to fatten up the sound. Actually, i always belittle its sound a little, but, when i demo'd it a couple of months ago, it sounded really good to me. Nice synth. The only thing which is a bit of a shame though is that the update rate for the modulation seems to be quite low. With fast pitch modulation, for example, it doesn't sound too well.
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- KVRian
- 512 posts since 6 Dec, 2014
FYI, I don't do edm stuff.
I make RnB songs, Funk songs...like stevie wonder, MJ, jamiroquai...
For my purpose, it is definately better than some big competitives IMO.
I really like synth bass sound of saurus.
Actually I've been looking for the bass sound like this for a long time in vst area.
Chew, gummy, sticky, deep, organic, moog-ish...haha.
I'm really saisfied!!
I make RnB songs, Funk songs...like stevie wonder, MJ, jamiroquai...
For my purpose, it is definately better than some big competitives IMO.
I really like synth bass sound of saurus.
Actually I've been looking for the bass sound like this for a long time in vst area.
Chew, gummy, sticky, deep, organic, moog-ish...haha.
I'm really saisfied!!
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- Banned
- 697 posts since 29 Oct, 2016
I bought Saurus just a little before Saurus 2 was released, just missed the time window by a few weeks for free upgrade. After seeing the upgrade price to Saurus 2, I rejected it and took Saurus off my instrument plugin list and I also decided not to buy Icarus when it came out as a result. I went with U-he and Synapse releases instead, and now I very rarely use any Tone2 instruments I own. Every now and then I go through all my synths and listen to them all for comparison and quality. I also compared a demo version of Saurus 2 to Saurus 1, and I found not only did I not care about the changes, I found I lost interest in both Saurus 1 and 2. Tone2 has some interesting ideas for unique synthesis without a doubt, but I tend not to use most of the built-in effects on their instruments, if at all. I would say that the character of Saurus and many Tone2 synths, tends to be hit and miss as analog feel goes, and there is like a digital type signature their synths have that you either have to work around or embrace. I have placed all their synths mentally in 2 folders called 'once in a blue moon' and 'bored and in a mood for random sounds', which my plugin selection list reflects perfectly. For the 'real' analog-feel, I use either a real analog hardware synth, or one of the current champion analog soft synths (Diva, etc).
SLH - Yes, I am a woman, deal with it.
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- KVRian
- 512 posts since 6 Dec, 2014
Vertion wrote:I bought Saurus just a little before Saurus 2 was released, just missed the time window by a few weeks for free upgrade. After seeing the upgrade price to Saurus 2, I rejected it and took Saurus off my instrument plugin list and I also decided not to buy Icarus when it came out as a result. I went with U-he and Synapse releases instead, and now I very rarely use any Tone2 instruments I own. Every now and then I go through all my synths and listen to them all for comparison and quality. I also compared a demo version of Saurus 2 to Saurus 1, and I found not only did I not care about the changes, I found I lost interest in both Saurus 1 and 2. Tone2 has some interesting ideas for unique synthesis without a doubt, but I tend not to use most of the built-in effects on their instruments, if at all. I would say that the character of Saurus and many Tone2 synths, tends to be hit and miss as analog feel goes, and there is like a digital type signature their synths have that you either have to work around or embrace. I have placed all their synths mentally in 2 folders called 'once in a blue moon' and 'bored and in a mood for random sounds', which my plugin selection list reflects perfectly. For the 'real' analog-feel, I use either a real analog hardware synth, or one of the current champion analog soft synths (Diva, etc).
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fluffy_little_something fluffy_little_something https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=281847
- Banned
- 12880 posts since 5 Jun, 2012
It sure has more voices than Legendnicksohn wrote:I was considering buying this or the legend.
I've just bought it after demoing.
I'm shocked this isn't popular.(that's why i bought it, this late.)
Very nice analogy sound while low cpu hit.
I really like it!
You like Jamiroquai, too, I should put you on my friend list just for that, we are a rare species on this f**king EDM board
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- KVRian
- 512 posts since 6 Dec, 2014
The legend is also very nice. But it is monark + dune2 effects + additional feature to me.fluffy_little_something wrote:It sure has more voices than Legendnicksohn wrote:I was considering buying this or the legend.
I've just bought it after demoing.
I'm shocked this isn't popular.(that's why i bought it, this late.)
Very nice analogy sound while low cpu hit.
I really like it!
You like Jamiroquai, too, I should put you on my friend list just for that, we are a rare species on this f**king EDM board
I have too many synth(like..more thn 20 in vst area? I guess) including monark, so i passed it. But Saurus is a different story to me. High frequency could be kind of meh, but I like its mid low frequency texture.
It reminds me 90's roland synths. (And somehow.. yamaha-ish)
I'll use it for bass machine mostly.
My new funk bass machine in vst area!
(But I don't think it's suitable for aggresive sounds. Of course it is matter of taste.)
EDM stuff fine.. but never mine...
Oh you like jamiroquai.
I also like Earth wind and fire, TOP, Brand new heavies... etc..
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- KVRAF
- 8413 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
I think Saurus is a pretty good synth for Analog Brass sounds. It's low CPU usage makes it a great analog bread and butter synth.
I think it complements Diva, Monark, Repro-1 etc quite well.
I think it complements Diva, Monark, Repro-1 etc quite well.
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- KVRAF
- 9843 posts since 15 Sep, 2005 from East Coast of the USA
It's $119 on the Tone2 site, but Best of Service has it for $99.wagtunes wrote:FTR, I love the sound of Saurus 2. I haven't purchased it simply because I don't see any business upside and I already have a ton of analog synth emulations. But if I didn't own any of them and needed something to give me these sounds, I would buy it, even though I do think it is a little overpriced. But then I think all Tone 2 synths are a little overpriced which is why I only own 3 of them.
https://www.bestservice.de/en/saurus_2.html
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- KVRAF
- 3385 posts since 25 Apr, 2011
I don't believe it is "the great underrated". But i do think it is a fine synth. However, since the day i owned Diva, i rarely touched it. Not to say that the two are alike, but for the purpose i used Saurus, i use Diva since quite some time.
Still, it is a proper synth for sure.
Still, it is a proper synth for sure.
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- KVRAF
- 9843 posts since 15 Sep, 2005 from East Coast of the USA
I really like it. I have used many synth plugins, and its sound, controls, and ease of use (plus the useful items in mod matrix) make this a great buy for $99 (at Best of Service).