If you could add one synth to a Live setup...

arkoenig · Post by **arkoenig** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:39 pm

...would it be a Virus TI?

Pro: Most people seem to love its sounds and flexibility, and in theory it should be possible to use it as a VST instrument. Also, it looks like it should be possible to use its knobs as a control surface.

Con: It's expensive (for example, twice as much as the Korg Radias), and people have complained on this forum about problems getting the VST features to work. It is possible that these problems have been fixed -- can someone with actual experience say something about that?

Other comments?

Lo-Fi Massahkah · Post by **Lo-Fi Massahkah** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:42 pm

That synth doesn't call my name.

I'd go for one of the "new" Moogs - for sound pleasure rather than versatility. Or a Clavia G2 for flexibility, fun and geek factor.

But what the hell do I know? I've sold all my hardware synths - a G2 amongst them.

-M

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:42 pm

for a live setup the nord rack3 dominates, awesome interface, great sound, a real performance instrument. ...it's just raw synthesis tho, no included effects like reverb/delay etc.

food for thought, I dunno what's right for you but I'd look into the nord

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:48 pm

hand's down the Moog

kuniklo · Post by **kuniklo** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:50 pm

The TI is a great synth and a good live option because it can do so much at once but the VST stuff is still not 100% ready for prime time. It works pretty well as a regular external midi synth though and the new external instrument feature in Live 7 makes it fairly painless to use.

Khazul · Post by **Khazul** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:09 pm

You could wait for the Virus Snow.

I would never use it as a VST Live though - latency messes up my playing too much.

arkoenig · Post by **arkoenig** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:24 pm

sweetjesus wrote:hand's down the Moog

Interesting. Even though it's not polyphonic? How come?

Drake44444 · Post by **Drake44444** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:42 pm

definitely would be Virus TI

bosonHavoc · Post by **bosonHavoc** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:38 am

i think i finally decided on the moog little phatty.

Interesting. Even though it's not polyphonic? How come?

cause it just sounds so sick....

my band's future has 2 people using ableton live and real instruments.
i have a girl on vocals/keys/clarinet and ableton and my main job, love and passion is Bass plus drums. so for me the moog is what i feel i need.

i'm going to go to the store and play it some more these week..ahhhh. i think i like it almost as much as the sound of bowing my upright with slight overdrive and wah. plus i can run my basses through it ..

at present our only outboard synth is a korg triton le.

aqua_tek · Post by **aqua_tek** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:45 am

i love my TI as a synth but as a performance controller it kind of sucks.

if you want a synth/controller combo that's decent on both aspects maybe look into a Novation X-Station

or get a synth that you really like and get a separate controller.

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:59 am

sweetjesus wrote:hand's down the Moog

Kodama · Post by **Kodama** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:46 am

But there is so much you could have in that price range:

- Mono Evolver Keyboard

- Blofeld

- A real Korg MS-20

And a plethora of vintage synths.

The moog has a real nice build and the filter distorts nicely.

But - It's not as hands on as it could be, is mono, and seems not very flexible for the money.

bosonHavoc · Post by **bosonHavoc** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:05 am

my moog fascination has mostly to do with the fact that i can go play one down at the music store. i guess every time a new synth rolls through the store i fall in love hehe

Oscar F · Post by **Oscar F** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:24 pm

I couldn't pick one but I could give you a definitive three.

Machine Drum

MonoMachine

PolyMorph (if I could get my grubby mitts on one again).

Second Mention would be .... Blofeld & Evolver.

3rd would be a Korg MS50 or Arp2600.

Oh yeah and can i add a Fender Jazz Bass (fretless) in that lot also.

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:35 pm

Oscar F wrote: PolyMorph (if I could get my grubby mitts on one again).

oh ya, I loved that synth...and sequencer , although controlling 16 steps with 8 rotaries that aren't endless was a perpetual annoyance for me. I searched polymorph resources high & low and I never managed to controll the sequencer steps with an external fader box - which would mean you could take your polymorph out, rack it where it's safe, and do the performance externally. I regret selling it now, but it was essentially a trade for a 777 which suited me more. because, essentially, I don't think it's suitable for a live performance....the knobs are not surface mounted, they're on the pcb and nothing more so they are flimsy - I mean especially flimsy, OK for the studio tho...no way could a stray elbow whack into one without major destructive damage, imo. from my understanding it's no walk in the park to repair a polymorph. if you break it, you pretty much break it. I've heard of enough horror stories of folks having their polymorph's dsp FRIED by a power surge, again...nigh on impossible to fix short of buying a new polymorph. Too risky to take out of the studio, imo.

oh, and one more thing, I lost $0.00 between buying it and selling it, although it went up in price as the buyer paid all subsequent transaction fees etc. They are holding their value very well it seems. Buying vintage gear isn't without it's risks, but if you do it right you can experiment without losing money. But when you buy something new, you're almost certainly going to lose a couple of hundred bucks if you're not happy with it.