What's top of your VSTi shopping list?

DJ Release · Post by **DJ Release** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 9:22 am

...now that we will soon be able to run them in Live 4

I fancy getting hold of one of those programs that play samples like a synth patch and also morph different samples together etc. sorry I can't think of a specific example, i'll have to check back over my CM mags, i've read about them in the past!

Will also have to check out a couple of the big synths - Absynth or Albino 2 both sound cool.

What you all looking forward to using?

Release

Fernando Carvalho · Post by **Fernando Carvalho** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 11:07 am

Tassman and/or Reaktor. Probably Tassman cause it is cheaper, but Reaktor is amazing.

didg19 · Post by **didg19** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 12:52 pm

Arturia Cs-80 is pretty sweet.

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 1:39 pm

Yay, wish lists -- what fun! To heck with budgets, exercising the imagination doesn't cost. Let's see...

First off, I own Tassman 3 and Reaktor 4 -- both astounding; must update the former soon. The Tassman isn't nearly as comprehensive as Reaktor, but its physical modelling modules are rich and extremely powerful -- in my opinion they make up for the difference. Wonderfully thick, solid-feeling music comes from the Tassman in response to a little patient coaxing.

My VSTi want list -- instruments I'll almost certainly buy -- currently runs like this:

1) Cameleon 5000
2) Arturia CS-80V
3) NI Absynth

The order shifts about depending on what kinds of sounds I want to make at a given moment. :-D Poor Absynth has sat on this list since version 1, getting bumped down by every new wonderbox that came out. *sigh* Eventually...

Others I probably won't get but would kinda-sorta like to have, in no particular order, along with my reason for not putting them on the "future purchase is inevitable" list above:

GMedia Oddity (I love the sound but am something of a Moog partisan)
SampleTank XL (Reason's NN-XT and the DXi version of VSsampler do a good job so far)
Arturia Minimoog (already have Arturia Moog Modular V :-D)

That Korg legacy package looks pretty good too (except the PolySix, heh). But I don't really want to buy a miniature MS-20 controller along with... even though it would fit my small paws better than a "real" keyboard. Maybe some day! :-)

Meffy

[edited to fix a typo]

Notron Fan · Post by **Notron Fan** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 2:16 pm

Virsyn's Tera 2 synthesizer is mindblowing. It's a semi modular synth that doesn't emulate hardware--it transcends the idea of virtual analog and incorporates stuff that can only be done with a computer.

Tera 2 is my desert island vsti.

Tera 2

I'm waiting on Zebra 1.5, mac users can use it right now...but win users need to wait until it is ported sometime this summer. Should be up there in tera territory.

Imposcar's on the to buy list.

NI's Komplete package could still be at some retailers. It comprises 11 NI instruments/effects (Reaktor, Kontakt, Kompakt, Intakt, Absynth2, FM7, PPG 53, Battery, Spektral Gate, Vokator) all for $499 us. The catch is you need to have at least one license for an NI product included in the package. That license then gets incorporated into the Komplete license.

This was a time limited deal that the website stopped selling on June 1st. Dunno if places like GC still have them.

There is also great some free stuff out there.

Polyiblit, synth1, etc.

Mbazzy · Post by **Mbazzy** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 2:25 pm

Ohmforce Symptohm Melohman

Kodama · Post by **Kodama** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 5:06 pm

I've been playing around with a bunch of softsynths for OS X(although most of these are X-platform). I've been trying out mostly just synths (not samplers/romplers). I've tried pretty much anything that has a VST or AU demo for OS X. (excludes Korg, emagic, Waldorf, Steinberg, and NI- I guess they thought it was unimportant that people try out their $$$ software???)

As far as commercial synths, my faves for sound, interface, and value were Cronos($59) and Zebra($199).

Zebra takes some playing around, but now it's one of my favorite synths! It's got an awesome sound and interface and is very versatile. The developer is super nice, and they are also coming out with a PC VST version.

There is going to be a big update to Cronos soon.

FM Heaven($80) is a really nice FM synth with filters at a decent price, it has a few interface issues, but I would still get it!

Novation V-Station($250) is sweet sounding. I do think it's overpriced for a simple virtual analog. If you have a Novation Remote Audio/Xtreme/XStation thing, you get it for free along with a dedicated controller/audio interface/hardware synth.

For freebies, the Computer Music instruments(especially the 505 drum synth), Zoyd, Phatmatik, MDA DX10(reminds me of my yamaha toy fm synth days!!!), Tau Free(y.a. 303), and of course the crazy Crystal wins the cake, a free modular that can randomize patches and wave sequence sound fonts!!!

I found all of those synths stable and fairly low cpu.

All of them are X Platform except Zebra(soon to be) and Zoyd.

Some that I found nice but awefully piggy were; Imposcar, CSV-80, Terra, Reaktor/Session, and Cycling 74 stuff.

Cube only works on a G4, so was not tested.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 9:42 pm

albino 2 from linnplug is very nice

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 11:26 pm

I plan on getting a bread+butter synth for orchestral-ish work.
Only just started looking at sampletank XL, but it does the job. Very expensive, though (499 €!!)
http://www.sampletank.com/Main.html?prod_ST_XL

hehe, this one got me drooling, though:
http://www.soundsonline.com/sophtml/det ... sku=EW-155

yikes, 2995$!

Andreas

hyerstay · Post by **hyerstay** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 6:11 am

Fernando Carvalho wrote:Tassman and/or Reaktor. Probably Tassman cause it is cheaper, but Reaktor is amazing.

Reaktor owners can get Tassman for $200, so you might want to get Reaktor first. I love them both!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 7:59 am

Meffy wrote

My VSTi want list -- instruments I'll almost certainly buy -- currently runs like this:

1) Cameleon 5000
2) Arturia CS-80V
3) NI Absynth

Good call on No.1 Meffy that's one of those morphing fellas I couldn't think of - i'm into the synths where I can conjur (is that a word) up sounds never been heard before, well potentialy atleast.

Thanks for the other replies guys!

Release

Meffy · Post by **Meffy** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 2:54 pm

Good call on No.1 Meffy that's one of those morphing fellas I couldn't think of - i'm into the synths where I can conjur (is that a word)

Close; it's "conjure." :-) You used it correctly.

up sounds never been heard before, well potentialy atleast.

Thanks for the other replies guys!

Release

There's a Cameleon 5000 group buy going on in the Logic User Group (yeah, I know, but this could save some money and nothing I found says you have to be a Logic user). Looks as if they've got 50 people so far, for a per-unit price of $149. If 60 sign up, it breaks to $139 each. It's over on July 12th.

http://www.kvr-vst.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=48884

I have no idea how these things are managed, and couldn't tell you how safe or dangerous it is. I'd imagine everyone sends their money to Camel Audio separately after the quantity is agreed on, perfectly safe, but if I were to join in I'd check the exact terms beforehand. :-)

Oh, to have about $150 right now! But I spent all this month's spare cash on... what was it? Ah, righty -- Live 3! :-D

Meffy

cryocon · Post by **cryocon** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 4:09 pm

Albino 2 is great, you really need to get into the editing and you can get some amazing sounds. Reaktor 4 is also on i use a lot, more for the effects than the synths tho.

hat · Post by **hat** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 4:32 pm

What do people think of Reaktor Session?

For $200, it seems like a good deal, same sound engine as it's bigger sibling, easier to edit and use if one doesn't need all that modular power.

I think I have a Future Music CD somewhere with a bunch of free VST instruments and effects. Good thing I kept it all this time, I just hope I can find it now!

Anubis · Post by **Anubis** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 4:59 pm

...of the free ones from those wonderfu UK mags. I've got V Sampler which lets you load all sorts of sample file types but I've only used it thru my sequencer which converts it to a Dxi. Some thing gets lost in the conversion process though so I'm anxious to try it out in L4. I'm new to Live and I found that when I opened my existing Vst plug-ins in it all of a sudden I coud automate everyhting which I couldn't do as a Dxi. It'll be nice to play directly in Live without having to rewire.

What's top of your VSTi shopping list?

What's top of your VSTi shopping list?

I've got a whole bunch