Dynamo

Reviewed By munchkin [all]
January 5th, 2003
Version reviewed: latest on Windows

I bought this a while back and I haven't used it since. The most annoying thing is the copy protection. There is a constant request for the cd which is extremely annoying. I found Dynamo unusable because of this.

Sound quality is good but CPU usage is very high. Its versatility is offset by the few instances my computer can handle. I think the included ensembles are quite versatile but the fact that NI have released only two more and have not updated Dynamo is not good enough in my opinion.

There are other more useful VSTi's out there which consume much less cpu. It's possible to buy a synth and drum machine/sample player for the cost of Dynamo and as other companies have a much better updating policy I can't recommend Dynamo if value for money is a consideration.

Dynamo is a product of its time but time and development in the soft synth world has moved on.

Reviewed By TeeLangSun [all]
January 1st, 2003
Version reviewed: 1 on Windows

1 0

I don't have much good to say about Dynamo. It's copy protection is so bad that after buying dynamo, I now give considerable thought to the copy protection scheme before buying any software. It asked for the cd so much that I eventually uninstalled it and forgot about it. It asked me for the copy protection even when I wasn't using it. If I loaded up the host sequencer, it sometimes asked for the cd. That was a waste of money. The standalone crashed everytime I opened it.

Reviewed By [all]
January 1st, 2003
Version reviewed: 1.0 on Windows

Reviewing Dynamo now is a little like reviewing a Mac Performa: it's so out of date as to be almost irrelevant. When it came out, Dynamo was a nice entree into the Reaktor thang for a reasonable price. Unfortunately the promised updates and additional downloadable synths essentially never materialized. Frankly, NI left Dynamo purchasers out in the cold; the long awaited Reaktor Sessions is supposed to be the (first significant) update for Dynamo, and we've been waiting for ages. The way NI has treated Dynamo users is shameful.

Reviewed By Deuce [all]
January 1st, 2003
Version reviewed: 1 on Windows

Well....its now 2003 and we still haven't had an update.
I think it sux. The CPU usage is the biggest in all my VSTi's and it crashes all the time. It needs an update just to be functional. While Reaktor users have seen engine updates and new ensembles we have had nothing. They have forgotten about Dynamo. Its a dead product so I recommend you don't buy it (well not at retail anyway). Don't be fooled...updates were promised but never came. Last summer they revealed Reaktor Sessions would be the update for Dynamo users and yes you've guessed it - we have to pay 99 euros for the privillege! Its irrelevant anyway because that update never materialised. My advice is too stay away from Dynamo and get yourself a few $20-$30 VSTi's instead of which there are plenty on the net. For example, ReFX JunoX2 is a much better Juno than NI Dynamos Junatic.

Reviewed By x_bruce [all]
December 30th, 2002
Version reviewed: 1.x on Windows

Dynamo is in essence a stripped down version of Reaktor with the sound engine of Reaktor 2.3 (Reaktor is currently at 3.06) and the premium library that is also available for Reaktor.

There is good diversity in the synths you get and when first introduced Dynamo was a reasonable value. However in 2002 it is poor value as it is based on the older Reaktor engine and has minimal support, nor did Native Instruments live up to the promise of new ensembles. A few were released but for the most part what you bought was what you got.

Admittedly the quality of sound and the diversity of ensembles are good ranging from several drum and synth sequencers, a few excellent subtractive synths - in particular the Uranus ensemble which has a smooth and big sound. Also, the hints of sampling and granular sampling are at times spectacular if somewhat abstract.

If you find the package priced around $100 get it and known you will be able to upgrade to Reaktor Sessions which allows import of all Reaktor 3.x ensembles, effects and instruments.

For most people this will amount to a substantial upgrade and a most worthwhile one. Many Reaktor users put together preset synths and hardly ever get into the depths of programming it.

So consider Dynamo if you can find it on sale. It will give you a taste of the Reaktor sound from a couple years ago and provide you with a reasonable upgrade path to the much smarter designed update.

Otherwise pass on this package and look for one of the better software synths such as z3ta+ or Albino. They are better synths and have substantial feature sets.