I have $200 to spend - should I upgrade to Reaktor 5 + Absynth 4? or FM8 instead of Absynth?
which is best out of FM8 and Absynth 4?
or should I forget NI and update Metasynth
the downside of Metasynth OSX isn't my main OS so it might be a little inconvenient, but I have been wanting it for a while
what are your faves?
which NI product should I upgrade - or maybe Metasynth?
Im a big fan of FM8 myself. It's a really flexible synth.
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Re: which NI product should I upgrade - or maybe Metasynth?
take a risk on metasynth, if it's up your alley there is nothing else like it really...forge wrote: the downside of Metasynth OSX isn't my main OS so it might be a little inconvenient, but I have been wanting it for a while
also there's some interesting & dirt-cheap addons for making your metasynth usage a little easier. There's one called meta-cycle or something. It takes your REX files and imports them into metasynth, to have all kinds of madness imposed on the timbres & timing.
it's kind of annoying that it hasn't been optimized for intel-macs yet, it chews cpu headroom. As a result you preview less realtime voices before it crackles up. However, it's pretty quick & easy to render off whatever you're working on.
edit: wait, you said update metasynth....do you already have version 2 ?
spreader of butter
Re: which NI product should I upgrade - or maybe Metasynth?
I'd say go for Reaktor.. most to gain when updating just one plug..
I assume you still have R4 so you haven't touched the new stuff in the user library..
Sound quality wise there are loads of very good R5 instruments..
Meta synth; if you dig it.. very niche i.m.o.
FM8; great synth but Reaktor also offers very nice FM ensembles.. tho not 1:1 substitutes..
Absynth; one of a kind, cannot be compared..
I assume you still have R4 so you haven't touched the new stuff in the user library..
Sound quality wise there are loads of very good R5 instruments..
Meta synth; if you dig it.. very niche i.m.o.
FM8; great synth but Reaktor also offers very nice FM ensembles.. tho not 1:1 substitutes..
Absynth; one of a kind, cannot be compared..
cool - everyone has pretty much recommended every option! 
@b0unce - yeah I have the old one but by weird disjointed series of events I got to use it about twice before I never again had access to OS9 so it's like a big frustration of a license that's never been used
@poster - yes I think Reaktor is the closest to certain but for an extra $20 over budget I could probably upgrade Absynth or Fm7 as well
I have the Komplete 2 bundle so yes I have R4 but I've barely used it - partly because I've just never put in the time to learn to use it properly, but also because R5 came out and I got left behind
everyone is always sharing R5 ensembles now! apparently it's way more stable though, people say, and I'd quite like to dig into it
if I get accepted on to my MMus I may buy the full Max/MSP/Jitter bundle for it though - at a whopping $699! - but that depends on a lot of things, so that might be next year - R5 may even be good practice in a way....
decisions.... nice to be able to even think about this after so long without buying new toys though (not counting Live of course)
I stuck an extra GB of ram in today and that was a new lease on life, so a new toy or two might be a nice extra!!
@b0unce - yeah I have the old one but by weird disjointed series of events I got to use it about twice before I never again had access to OS9 so it's like a big frustration of a license that's never been used
@poster - yes I think Reaktor is the closest to certain but for an extra $20 over budget I could probably upgrade Absynth or Fm7 as well
I have the Komplete 2 bundle so yes I have R4 but I've barely used it - partly because I've just never put in the time to learn to use it properly, but also because R5 came out and I got left behind
everyone is always sharing R5 ensembles now! apparently it's way more stable though, people say, and I'd quite like to dig into it
if I get accepted on to my MMus I may buy the full Max/MSP/Jitter bundle for it though - at a whopping $699! - but that depends on a lot of things, so that might be next year - R5 may even be good practice in a way....
decisions.... nice to be able to even think about this after so long without buying new toys though (not counting Live of course)
I stuck an extra GB of ram in today and that was a new lease on life, so a new toy or two might be a nice extra!!
I'm a bit late into the suggestions (as usual 
), but FWIW Forge, I can really recommend updating from Reaktor 4. It's a big upgrade, particularly the core modules, which extend the whole thing dramatically. I don't whether others will agree, but I thought I noticed a significant difference in overall sound 'quality' from 4 -> 5 too.
FM 7 -> FM 8 was also a big leap, but maybe not so much if you've already got Operator.
I love Absynth, it's one of my all-time favourites, but it took a while to appreciate Absynth 4; I'm still not sure it was as good as I'd hoped. That Absynth sound is what I love about the instrument, and that's still there for sure - but the extras don't really seem to be much of an enhancement (I'm prepraring to be proved wrong by about a hundred replies to this
).
If it were me, I think I'd go Reaktor 5 + FM 8, but I suck at giving advice (as everyone's prolly gathered by now
).
Cheers,
P.
), but FWIW Forge, I can really recommend updating from Reaktor 4. It's a big upgrade, particularly the core modules, which extend the whole thing dramatically. I don't whether others will agree, but I thought I noticed a significant difference in overall sound 'quality' from 4 -> 5 too.FM 7 -> FM 8 was also a big leap, but maybe not so much if you've already got Operator.
I love Absynth, it's one of my all-time favourites, but it took a while to appreciate Absynth 4; I'm still not sure it was as good as I'd hoped. That Absynth sound is what I love about the instrument, and that's still there for sure - but the extras don't really seem to be much of an enhancement (I'm prepraring to be proved wrong by about a hundred replies to this
).If it were me, I think I'd go Reaktor 5 + FM 8, but I suck at giving advice (as everyone's prolly gathered by now
).Cheers,
P.
Tone Deft wrote: it's hard to code Python when you're knocked up on morphine with your dick in a sling.
May I ask why not upgrade your komplete 2 to komplete 5?
I guess that may be a little more than 200 dollars, but only a bit more. That would be my ultimate advice. You'd get not only the absynth 4, fm8 and reaktor 5 upgrades, but also battery 3, kontakt 3 and a few other goodies.
If that's not an option though, Reaktor 5 is the most worthy update. The difference between 4 and 5 is quite something. The new ensembles are excellent (factory and user libraries), but also it is definitely more stable and much more responsive. It's just smoother, without the hiccups and sluggishness V4 used to have. Also lower cpu on the older ensembles.
As for absynth vs. fm8; check out the fm8 features and see if they tickle your fancy - new arpeggiator/step sequencer is very cool and lots of great effects. Those are the main additions (which stand out from absynth). Also better layout, the XY hybridizer thingy (like cameleon5000) and the kore browser, which is actually quite cool. Absynth got that too, along with new master envelopes, more freedom in module arrangment and more macro controls. It's kinda still the NI king synth IMO. In the end, that ones a personal preference between fm8 and absynth.
Hope that helps!
I guess that may be a little more than 200 dollars, but only a bit more. That would be my ultimate advice. You'd get not only the absynth 4, fm8 and reaktor 5 upgrades, but also battery 3, kontakt 3 and a few other goodies.
If that's not an option though, Reaktor 5 is the most worthy update. The difference between 4 and 5 is quite something. The new ensembles are excellent (factory and user libraries), but also it is definitely more stable and much more responsive. It's just smoother, without the hiccups and sluggishness V4 used to have. Also lower cpu on the older ensembles.
As for absynth vs. fm8; check out the fm8 features and see if they tickle your fancy - new arpeggiator/step sequencer is very cool and lots of great effects. Those are the main additions (which stand out from absynth). Also better layout, the XY hybridizer thingy (like cameleon5000) and the kore browser, which is actually quite cool. Absynth got that too, along with new master envelopes, more freedom in module arrangment and more macro controls. It's kinda still the NI king synth IMO. In the end, that ones a personal preference between fm8 and absynth.
Hope that helps!
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starving student
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Reaktor 5. And No they don't. Session was discountinued at V4 and only works with V4 ensembles.starving student wrote:what's the latest version of Reaktor and do those instruments work in Reaktor session?
aka glitchrock-buddha
303 posts as Winston
Macbook pro C2D 2.16, Firepod, rubber band and a stick.
303 posts as Winston
Macbook pro C2D 2.16, Firepod, rubber band and a stick.