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Neon

Reviewed By Ayavaron [read all by] on 17th April 2013
Version reviewed: 1.2 on Windows
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.
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According to Wikipedia, Neon was literally the very first VST synthesizer, not the first software synthesizer but the first one made using the Steinberg VST standard. I don't know how well it compared to the competition in '98 or '99 but the synth is now freeware as part of the Steinberg Classics Pack Vol. 2.

Sound-wise, it's a thick and bland sound, not necessarily bad-- in fact, I'm sure you could imagine places to use it but with such a wide variety of free synths out there, why would you? The timbral variety offered by the Neon is paltry, mostly due to a filter that doesn't filter very much and a hard-to-hear LFO.

PROS:

  • Historical curiosity.
  • Capable of a count-them-on-one-hand number of appealing sounds.
  • Unbelievably low CPU usage. On my laptop which is from 2008, it used 0.1% of my CPU.

CONS:

  • Badly implemented skeuomorphic knobs require you to point your mouse in the actual direction you want to turn your knob.
  • Filter and LFO are both difficult to hear.
  • Extremely low timbral variety.

If you're actively looking for an uninspiring synth, you've found one. Otherwise, the value of this VST is extremely limited.

RoomReverb

Reviewed By Ayavaron [read all by] on 15th April 2013
Version reviewed: 1.1 on Windows
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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PROS:

  • Incredibly direct, non skeuomorphic interface.
  • Low system requirements.
  • Output sound is useable, not mind-blowing but perfectly acceptable-sounding.

CONS:

  • Just not as good-sounding as other freeware reverb plugins. When you could use the likes of EpicVerb or Ambience, it's kind of like "Why use anything else?" It's a shame though because this probably has my favorite UI of any reverb plugin I've used. I wish Ambience looked more like this.

KeroVee

Reviewed By Ayavaron [read all by] on 13th April 2013
Version reviewed: 1.6.1 on Windows.
Last edited by Ayavaron on 21st October 2018.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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There are several freeware automatic pitch-correction plugins and I've tried them all. By far, the one with the most arrestingly good effect is KeroVee's. It's the best-sounding and its GUI is arguably the best-looking. It makes lovely R&B warbles, strong pop-vocals, the characteristic T-Payne effect, absolutely all of that good stuff one would want from an automatic pitch-correction plugin. I whole-heartedly recommend this to anyone looking to manipulate or correct vocals.

(For bonus fun, try sending all your reverb to a track with this on it. It results in something that sounds like a glitchy string section.).