do all NI presets sound the same?

[mr.ergonomics]

No flaming here, I like the NI synth, but do all their presets have the same sound signature? I think so. It's really rare that I like one of their preset sounds.Not musical useful and very few "beautiful" sounds. Just out of curiosity I took a look at the new massive sound pack and there it is again, the typical NI preset sound. I like to make sounds with absynth for example, but I don know if I ever used a preset...

Just wondering if I'm the only one...

[d-track]

randomizer!

[john doe by choice]

That's the way with all preset libraries/sound libraries - 90% shit you can't use, while 10% sounds great. Anyway, using factory presets unchanged is rarely a good idea - you should look at them like a starting off point. I bet if you go into some of the presets you think are boring and start tweaking, you may find a lot of great sounding, unique material. Main point is, don't take that sort of stuff at face value - take it, be creative with it.

[JuanSOLO]

Strange, because the presets bait me for NI synths, but then I get them and hate the presets. I agree, they sounnd very "NI."

However I do use them as starting points to get some killer stuff.

Lately though I prefer Operator for heavy bass sounds, and some ambient textures.

[Jarvisimon]

Just wondering if I'm the only one...

I reckon you must be. I use Massive/Absynth/Fm8/Reaktor and am impressed by the array of sounds I can achieve.

Massive on its own is capable of an enormous pallette (try the random function) and it's certainly not their most powerful instrument.

Perhaps this "similarity" you're on about is down to your hardware. However, even on the most basic monitors and through the cheapest amp, I can tell the difference between a saw, a square and a sin wave and the difference is quite huge.

Can you be more specific about which sounds are the same and give us some audio examples or point us to the presets? I really would like to know why you're unable to achieve variety.

Then and only then can anyone know what you're on about.

[mr.ergonomics]

john doe, I agree, and I'm not a preset user too, it's just about a feeling I have with most NI preset sounds. Take EMU for example...ok sampler/rompler... but I think most of their presets are great.


Jarvisimon, you got me wrong. I think the synth are fine, I have no real problems with them, it's just the sound design from their presets I'm talking about.

again, I don't want to flame, is't just a subjective perception.

[mescalin]

Just wondering if I'm the only one...

I reckon you must be. I use Massive/Absynth/Fm8/Reaktor and am impressed by the array of sounds I can achieve.

Massive on its own is capable of an enormous pallette (try the random function) and it's certainly not their most powerful instrument.

Perhaps this "similarity" you're on about is down to your hardware. However, even on the most basic monitors and through the cheapest amp, I can tell the difference between a saw, a square and a sin wave and the difference is quite huge.

Can you be more specific about which sounds are the same and give us some audio examples or point us to the presets? I really would like to know why you're unable to achieve variety.

Then and only then can anyone know what you're on about.

where's the random function in massive, have i missed a trick?

[mescalin]

oh wait wow i found it, that is amazing, i swear randomize wasn't there last time i looked!

[Saxer]

i dont like most of the ni presets as well... exept the kontakt sample library (very useful) and reaktor, which surprises me since years.
but this core sounds, massive, fm8 and absynth sounds are not my world. too proprietorial in a mix or just too heartless. anyway, its a very personal opinion.

[Khazul]

Mostt sounds on any specific synth have a common sound signature - its usually the reason people love/hate a synth.

Massive allways sounded plastic (for want of a better term) to me. Extremely capable and very versatile, great sound etc, but no real character that I can identify with it, so nothing to really love or hate (like virus for eg).

To me itts a very good workhorse synth, but despite all its capabilities, its not a signature sound synth.

[siliconarc]

Massive... To me itts a very good workhorse synth, but despite all its capabilities, its not a signature sound synth.

20 billion dubstep/break/d&b wobbawobba basslines out there suggest otherwise, i'd say.

[mholloway]

I know exactly what you mean.....I listened to the previews of the new massive pack and was completely like, Yawwwwwn....which is a good thing, because why spend 59 bucks on 200 presets for Massive when it already comes with a billion and from there you can just program your own? I'm not against preset use at all, but there's a point where shelling out more money for new presets seems just silly, but NI is very, very into this...or wants our money to be, anyway

I think absynth presets are often, for example, way too involved and textured to ever be musically useful. Great I guess if you want to make droney space-pad music, but it can be damn hard to actually integrate that shit into a broader song concept.

Massive though still remains my favorite synth for programming from scratch. Just wonderful...though it has that kinda "sharp digital" sound if ya know what I mean.

-M

[d-track]

Mostt sounds on any specific synth have a common sound signature - its usually the reason people love/hate a synth.

Massive allways sounded plastic (for want of a better term) to me. Extremely capable and very versatile, great sound etc, but no real character that I can identify with it, so nothing to really love or hate (like virus for eg).

To me itts a very good workhorse synth, but despite all its capabilities, its not a signature sound synth.

new virus ti presets are very useful and uncomparable to any ni synth presets, but usually still need some tweak to get the taste i want.
absynth presets are great for ambient layers, textures and film music
(+ again: randomize often!:)

[gurumonkey]

That's the way with all preset libraries/sound libraries - 90% shit you can't use, while 10% sounds great.

have you heard Zebra's presets? i personally think they sound awesome.

[john doe by choice]

That's the way with all preset libraries/sound libraries - 90% shit you can't use, while 10% sounds great.

have you heard Zebra's presets? i personally think they sound awesome.

I haven't heard Zebra's presets - while I hear good things about Zebra, not really in the market for another soft-synth. I have, however, heard tons of NI's presets, as well as scouring tons of Big Fish Audio and East West sound libraries, and I always find myself really digging to find anything that I like.