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VPS Avenger

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VPS Avenger 2

VPS Avenger has an average user rating of 4.07 from 15 reviews

Rate & Review VPS Avenger

User Reviews by KVR Members for VPS Avenger

VPS Avenger

Reviewed By moonchunk [all]
December 13th, 2016
Version reviewed: 1 on Windows

I'm overall very satisfied. I was choosing between Parawave Rapid and this. While Parawave Rapid offers the ability to import MIDI Files (Great!) it isn't yet about allowing a user to import their own wave files. What made me purchase Vengeance (Sound) Production Suite Avenger was not the long name (although it is clever - helps searchers find it on Google and Youtube).

What made me purchase it was the ability to import my own waves. But I found a lot of other reasons that it is a good choice. I still may get Rapid one day, and Serum one day (I got Amaranth Cycle instead, which allows me to draw and drag my 3D waves while recording them - which might be one of the cooler things out there - but its not as well supported as Serum - in fact, I don't know if its supported at all, please send its developer a check so he can afford to continue!).

But this newcomer Avenger is one of a few dozen truly monster synths out there that are clear workhorses, and it is one that is not only flooded with usefulness, that screams, "work with me today", but one that comes with hundreds of great well-crafted patches that are not, as some of the nexus patches may be, so finalized as to be the inverse of inspiration.

There will definitely be some work needed to nearly "perfect" this softsynth workstation, adding many additional desirable tools to it. But its combination of features is unique, and compared to synths of several years back, it can just seem rather boundless; providing less frustration, more ease, more good compliments from others... In fact this is really such a good effort that its hard to be nitpicky. Just the fact that it is a great synth that already has a great sounding drum machine and sequencer built in is a hard one to match. (But getting it to play your song with you, that's not one of its more perfected applications... How do you make it switch to the next earliest or next latest drum sequence, or MIDI trigger drums while in drum sequence playback mode?)

I would say that it should be possible with a few enhancements to give a lot of other companies a total run for their money. In the mean time it is cutting edge and probably will get a lot of traffic but won't truly dethrone anyone.

But still, if you're into owning more than one heavy-hitter virtual synth, particularly if you like playing in some amount of EDM, this may truly deserve your consideration. Because if you have another synth, no matter what it is, I doubt if you will find this combination of both useful EDM or experimental sounds, AND inviting editing tools.

I'm not easy to please. When I first listened to a couple of sounds in their preset library I did not think it sounded very good. I really had expected "something", and did not hear that "something" right away. Which initially turned me off.

But later, after enjoying the layout and synth editing features, arp, step, mod, drum, and keymap pages, when I finally actually began going through the included library, (which is well demarcated and fairly searchable), it immediately flipped to a reaction 180 degrees from that one. (As the other reviewer pointed out, there are slightly less sounds than was stated on their promotional page - really? did they decide that a few of those "included" ones were keepers for inclusion in a later package :) But nevertheless, there are some very good ones here, including some very useful guitar-ish sounding and keyboardish sounding ones.)

After I adjusted my volume (read LOUDER) I realized that because this synth is more designed for a certain style, EDM, it needs to be a heard a little differently than my other large library synths - the dynamics interplay such that they belong, well, in your face. Not that EDM is all this synth is good at, but my point is just that really good sound designers all produce work that is original. It can take a moment to get used to it. I haven't been particularly focused on EDM, but am planning to incorporate a bit of the feel here and there in my work, and am looking forward to using some of these sounds right away.

But many original sounds are included. While it is possible that they are original to me only because I do not own Nexus, and only have about 5 Spire libraries, I still think there are very definitely some gems in the library that you will probably not have from elsewhere, and will probably want.

Yes, I do own Spire, and even though i purchased a number of the 3rd party expansions, it hasn't completely filled my need for such sounds (I guess it wouldn't be doing its job unless it made me feel like acquiring more anyway.) But I'm more interested in creativity, rather than using or exploring other people's work. Spire hasn't been a synth I've really enjoyed doing editing in, the way I do it in Falcon or Omnisphere.

The setup of synth tools in Avenger, like in Falcon, is a more up-to-date entry, with a certain amount of wave table synthesis, and wave table user creation (but less than 256 as in Serum, much less than the 600 + that Waves Codex allows), combined with virtual analog synthesis. It doesn't combine this with physical modeling and granular synthesis as Falcon does (unless I'm mistaken). The filters are decent - not the best in the world. But it is good to have a modulate-able pitch edito, r a reasonably concocted step sequencer, arppegiator, and a very nice included 16 measure drum sequencer. (But why are there less than 5 modes of arpeggiation - that's a lack - this is not up to Kirnu Cream).

It does provide 7-Voice/4 Octave "V-Saw", which is killer, in each of the 8 OSC sections.

It can use quite a bit of CPU but that doesn't mean it isn't programmed well. I experienced no crashes or weird behavior whatsoever, and from what I tested the CPU usage appears to be reasonable for the amount of processing.

At this point, in addition to Spire, Twin 2, Omnisphere and Falcon, and was not expecting something particularly game-changing (ALL of these can sound really good and have their own uses). But after a day or two I was actually grateful I made this purchase. It is different and workable, both in enough quantity and quality to make the overall grade.

Possibly off on a complete tangent here, by Vengeance Sound calling their synth Avenger, they remind me of Judas Priest's album, Screaming For Vengeance, with what looks like a metallic falcon on the cover, which is coincidental because Falcon is one of the more recent synths that this one is competing with. I think they are giving UVI a run for their money. I want to continue to see this kind of competition and we as users are definitely benefiting.

As I have stated, some of the cons for this include a less than stunning filter library, an Arp toolset that is not quite top-level, and less than full-blown competition for some of the other Wave Table players. And it appears true that there are only 4 AMPs modules, although I haven't explored this situation. (Omnisphere has two AMP modules per 8 patches).

There is some confusion to be had when you try to figure out where to turn things on or off, and how the routings work. The videos are helpful, but a little too quick in some places. I found myself loading random patches to try and find some that could help me understand such basic features (as turning things on and routing).

So, to get my 10 stars, it needs a few optional enhancements, not necessarily one specific one. I recognize this is a creative, very time consuming creation. it will never be all things to all people. But make it excel in at least one more area.

What could it use first? These are just some ideas that came to me:

1) More than 5 or 6 Arp modes.

2) MIDI import into arp and drum patterns.

3) Might be overboard, but I would love this: Equivalent of Groove Lock within Omnisphere and Stylus RMX. Groove modifying of such arp and drum patterns (use of non-quantized MIDI timing) so that a composer can get one or both of them matching a groove, rather than just simply swinging. Moving samples early & late relative to the grid is a start, but can also be implemented on the pattern itself, triggering patterns (relative to their chosen start point but also relative to pattern groove shifting - see Geist).

4) Groove import (from MIDI) into Arp and drum patterns (selecting to use groove from drum pattern groove for Arp, or vice versa). (If MIDI file is too short, groove is repeated in the 4 arps, or in the full length of the drum pattern.)

5) Another mode or two of portamento.

6) Trigger mode by 16th note, not just beat and bar (usually 16th note is included - why not here?)

7) Ability to load more drum sequences/patterns on the fly, and use MIDI key switches to trigger them.

8) Ability to simultaneously play drums from one keyboard layer, while in drum sequence playback mode (I couldn't figure out how to do this...).

I probably missed a lot of ideas that other users have mentioned elsewhere. But in summary, I'm excited for this product and a happy customer, because its design incorporates a combination of great tools that differ enough from other products out there, in a useful way, that I will turn to it regularly for inspiration.

Falcon usually has a sale going. (For me, I received a $100 voucher and was able to use that to pick up the Synth Anthology 2 for only $4 dollars - which is a great library. Twin 2 (think insanely smooth filtering - modifiable and modulate-able and drag-editable) is I think less than $150 at this moment.

There are definitely some other great buys. But I think this one is a close contender if not a winner for many of us.

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Comments & Discussion for Vengeance Sound VPS Avenger

Discussion
Discussion: Active
tripleflows
tripleflows
7 December 2016 at 12:14pm
lagardino
lagardino
8 July 2017 at 12:10pm

Hello I have a question I have been asking to vengeance directly,
"hello, I am trying to figure out if in a arp avenger sequence ABCD, if it's possible to extend it to EFGH.. or to continue to link the ARP 1 with an ARP 2, and ARP 3... to have a longer progression of an arps not limited to only 4 block ABCD? Thank you"

I have been answered :
"No this is not possible. The ARP should not and can not replace your DAW for sequencing a complete song. However you can use the StepSQ as a modulator for the patterns. So you can play AAAB, ABDDABBC or whatever pattern you like"

then I said :
" I have been trying your suggestion, or there is something I didn't understand or this is not possible. I know you don't have as vocation to train the people but if you could me more specfic to understand how to make it working, I would be thankful"

I have answered :
"just drag and drop the Step Seq "6point" handle on the StepSQ tabs onto the ARP: ABCD index to establish a mod matrix assignment"

But despite all those recommandations it's still chinese for me. Can someone has an idea how to make it working, I don't want be asking Vengeance all the times to be more specific. It's probably very easy for them are they are using it daily but not for me for sure .

Thanks for your help.

tripleflows
tripleflows
8 July 2017 at 7:49pm

In the Step Seq section, you'll see the STP SQ1 organge button. This six point mean it is draggable to any other paramter, so it will modulate that. Just drag and drop from this orange to a knob, a line will appear. Then you can set the amount on the knob the line has been drawn to.

If it is still not clear just read the Modulation monster section of this article: https://synthmorph.com/blogs/news/vps-avenger-review-has-a-new-king-been-born.

lagardino
lagardino
8 July 2017 at 8:43pm

Hi tripleflows, .

thanks for you help, .

I have a little understanding of how works those draggable parameters, and I figured out what where those 6 dots points today and tried during hours to do what I have been explained by vengeance guys. But I am stucked nowhere...

If you figure out to what I have been explained and how to do it step by step, I pay you a pinte. Cheers.

Deist
Deist
19 October 2017 at 9:53am

I was a bit underwhelmed to discover in one of the review videos that, out of its 32 FX, it seems to only have... 1 Delay, period!!!
given the ridiculously enormous amount it packs of just about everything else (except maybe LFOs, which are "just" 4+1), it feels pretty weird and uncongruous to me that there's only one delay in this, delay being the single most important FX (apart from reverb) of them all -- for me anyways.

So I don't know... Maybe the one delay is so versatile that it covers mono/stereo/tape/multitap/what-have-you types, but somehow I kinda doubt it, seeing as how other FX are provided in several flavours.

So, just my usual critisizing 2 cents. Obviously this is a monster of a synth, I am just a bit puzzled by this "delay minimalism" which doesn't seem to make much sense, especially considering how everything else has been treated and implemented.

kokotron
kokotron
9 March 2018 at 1:48pm

I have been using Avenger for a while. It's brilliant and I love it, and because of that love I already have generated a few wishes and noticed a couple of issues that can be a bit disturbing during a workflow, so since I don't know where else to post about these, I post them here :)

1) When making a large pitch glide in the Pitch curve which 1/10 speed and 24 range, ranging from +100 to -100, I noticed the sound pitch kind of stalling while passing through 0. The glide wasn't entirely uniform. This actually sounds like a bug. I can offer more information if requested.

2) Mod Matrix should include an option to expand to the whole height of the right column, like Preset/Sound selection areas do. If you start using macros and automation to the mod matrix slots themselves, it can soon become a hell to see how they are affected.

3) A way to bypass all effects globally and persistently would be great. What I mean is having a "bypass" button that turns off all effects from any chain, send and master, which persists when changing Presets. This would greatly help when you're looking for a sound while using your own FX in the DAW or if you want to look for a good dry timbre and mess with it later.

4) When switching from simple oscillators to wavetables, it'd be great if we could lock the piano view and not switch to the wave view. It can help in sound tryout (sometimes in some occasions and spaces it's not possible to use a MIDI keyboard, so losing the piano view from the view makes trying out sounds when changing presets or oscillators irritating).

5) It'd be fun if we could stack more than one Pitch envelopes on a single oscillator :)

ScoreMan7
ScoreMan7
14 October 2018 at 3:17am

Has vps avenger made a guitar expansion?. www.eastboundsounds.com has an acoustic guitar pack that i bought.for a great price compared to vegeance-sounds pricing. EBS presets have better foundations, but vengeance sounds has more variety.

jaredf
jaredf
9 November 2019 at 4:49pm

Anyone know how to remove authorizations? Also anyone know of affordable presets? Not the $60 ones :(.

chrisg
chrisg
28 March 2020 at 7:36pm

50% off with "corona50" at.

https://www.encountersmedia.be/index.php?_route_=synth-presets/avenger-expansions-and-skins/vps-avenger-expansions

in my opinion these are so incredible good expansions for AVENGER. Check out "Prophet" and "FairVenger" = Fairlight. Absolute fantastic programming work !.

NOTE: if you buy separately, you can use the bonus points from one purchase for the next one, which brings price further down.

Claudiofp
Claudiofp
21 May 2023 at 12:04pm

Hay alguna configuracion para que los acordes de las secuencias sigan sonando una vez que quites los dedos?

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