Which hardware synth to complement Komplete 5?

[nicolasmasset]

Hi fellow electronic slutz!

I own komplete 5 and kore, but would like to get a hardware synth cause I'm getting pretty bored at staring at my screen the whole time, and I just don't like the kore hardware. Software is fine though. I also have a tiny gut feeling that the NI synths lack a little bit of bite. Alot of the presets just aren't inspiring.

So anyways, I feel I'm in need of a bit of hardware that encourages me to tweak, where the buttons stay the same each preset (i'm looking at kore!) and that doesn't have 12000 presets, so I can finally begin to make my own instead of wading through to find the perfect preset until I just get demotivated and quit! Or until I quit because of all the uninspiring filler presets I just heard in search of the good ones! So any suggestions as to which synth or combination of synths?

A bit of background: I like arpeggios, pads, warm plucked sounds that you can filter open but that don't turn into that typical trance sound, warm bass sounds, not too sawtoothie where the high frequencies dominate the mix and crackle open your eardrums. Think those drum'nbass presets. I just want warm fundamental bass sounds with a little bit of fuzz and filterability to make moody house music. I also like filler glitch fx to litter my mixes with. Just think progressive trance like Sasha (Airdrawndagger, Involver...), Renaissance Recordings, John Digweed. The sound absolutely love is Sasha's airdrawndagger and involver cd's. On the software side, I have a couple of waves plugs, and Stillwell and Soundtoys bundle. My fave NI plugin is pro-53 cause of all the tweakable buttons and the warm sound.

I demoed a virus ti and while I really dug the front panel and playability, I think I encountered the same problem that I had with komplete: too many presets to wade through to get to the good ones that you eventually leave with an impression that the whole is a bit flawed. Also, the knobs sometimes had this latency. And most importantly, I heard so many bloody trance leads that my eyes started to roll!

I demoed the blofeld which I really dug the sound and simplicity and especially the visual feedback of what I was tweaking. Really handy to learn synthesis!

I demoed a moog phatty a year back and remember it's just a super fun synth to tweak. But maybe a bit limited in sounds and only mono. Perhaps a contender for a combination of two synths? But does it reeeally sound that much better than say an minimonsta etc etc...

My concerns are:
- will va synths like a virus/blofel/nordlead really sound that much better than komplete? Or is it comparable and will as such be a bit overkill to have both?
- Should I maybe buy outboard gear instead and fatten up my sounds that way?
- I'd maybe want an analogue synth but the one I've heard recently: evolver, seems to sound just plain acid like and a bit too sawtoothie, although I haven't demoed it thouroughly.

I just want to be inspired again, and turn some knobs. They don't have to be alot of knobs, as the blofeld proved, but just knobs, and the audio quality has to be a step up to justify the cost!

Any suggestions?

Kind regards,

Nicolas

[zebastian21]

I just got an Elektron MonoMachine and I really enjoy having six mono synths with a sequencer built in for each voice.
Also a great synth you would enjoy is the Alesis andromeda, a little bit deep but very modern sounding analogue synth

[nicolasmasset]

Originally Posted by zebastian21

I just got an Elektron MonoMachine and I really enjoy having six mono synths with a sequencer built in for each voice.
Also a great synth you would enjoy is the Alesis andromeda, a little bit deep but very modern sounding analogue synth

But the andromeda is just so darn huge!!!! Hadn't heard of the monomachine.
The virus ti would be the most practical choice, not too big and lots of knobs, I just have this gut feeling that I'll have lots of overlap with my komplete 5 sounds.

[zebastian21]

Originally Posted by nicolasmasset

But the andromeda is just so darn huge!!!! Hadn't heard of the monomachine.
The virus ti would be the most practical choice, not too big and lots of knobs, I just have this gut feeling that I'll have lots of overlap with my komplete 5 sounds.

I love the Virus, but if you really wanna hear a big difference of sound to complement K5 then go analog route.... I would take an SE-1X, Pro-1 or even a Mopho if space is an issue

[nicolasmasset]

Originally Posted by zebastian21

I love the Virus, but if you really wanna hear a big difference of sound to complement K5 then go analog route.... I would take an SE-1X, Pro-1 or even a Mopho if space is an issue

Yeah, I thought of that too, but then I'd have external knobs for only bass and lead sounds. I'm beginning to think that I should get a virus, even if the sounds'll overlap, but just to have those knobs and playability, and seeing as a mopho is so cheap, get one of those a bit later to get the analogue bass covered too.

Do you have a virus? Could you answer these questions please?
With the virus plugin, how do you write several midi tracks with virus sounds attached?
And how do you control another plugin like pro-53 with the control feature at the same time as using the virus plugin for virus sounds?

Regards, Nicolas

[memedesigner]

Some real analog, like a Juno 106 or Xpander, would give you sounds that are sonically different and complementing...and Juno's aren't that expensive even.

Or then route the Komplete synths out to Thermionic Culture Vulture and then to some old Lexicon or Eventide box ... or via tube amp and cabinet, mic'd ... def there would be a difference to sound

[zebastian21]

Originally Posted by nicolasmasset

Yeah, I thought of that too, but then I'd have external knobs for only bass and lead sounds. I'm beginning to think that I should get a virus, even if the sounds'll overlap, but just to have those knobs and playability, and seeing as a mopho is so cheap, get one of those a bit later to get the analogue bass covered too.

Do you have a virus? Could you answer these questions please?
With the virus plugin, how do you write several midi tracks with virus sounds attached?
And how do you control another plugin like pro-53 with the control feature at the same time as using the virus plugin for virus sounds?

Regards, Nicolas

Speaking of Virus Ti of course.
in order to use several midi tracks with the Virus plug in you will have to set up a multitimbral instrument in your Daw.
in order to control other plug ins you have to switch to "remote mode" which is by pressing 2 buttons in the Virus...in this mode you can have up to 32 templates for any synth you want....there are some templates but you can create your own easily with the Virus plug in itself...and if you wanna go back to the Virus Synth just press 1 button and voila!

[nicolasmasset]

Originally Posted by zebastian21

Speaking of Virus Ti of course.
in order to use several midi tracks with the Virus plug in you will have to set up a multitimbral instrument in your Daw.
in order to control other plug ins you have to switch to "remote mode" which is by pressing 2 buttons in the Virus...in this mode you can have up to 32 templates for any synth you want....there are some templates but you can create your own easily with the Virus plug in itself...and if you wanna go back to the Virus Synth just press 1 button and voila!

Dammit the virus seem like the ultimate controller!
I just have the feeling that I'm buying something double you know? Having komplete5 the virus seems like a really expensive controller with kindof the same sounds. I think I'm going to see what that prophet 08 is all about. It's got a good price.

[Jay-]

I have kore and komplete 5 with the controller.
I think you should stick it out, I know its a ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS to learn the kore way of things (so was my Kurzweil) only my ASR10 was easy!

Get the kontroller 2.0 USB and hell you can close your laptop and get busy.

Id suggest hay dont go ape shit and your not going to learn the features in 2 weeks or even two months!

I cant get the APR to work much but Spark has built in arps but I managed to get the midi files to play drums while I play synth and yes its hard!

Im sticking with massive for tweaking! Its going fine!
Just remember your on ground floor and learn and learn with time!

Im getting the A6 or the Voyager and using my ASR10 for kore keys.
Thats my portable live synth rig! (not getting it all working together is another story) so I play live mode on the ASR10 channels 1 to 4, channels 4 to 8 are Kore all pre mapped up with macros and the analog is stand alone no midi!



I am not good at running kore live but I watched a guy play for 2 hours with out a single hickup, I only wish I could have watched back stage.

[Swami Digital]

Originally Posted by nicolasmasset

Dammit the virus seem like the ultimate controller!
I just have the feeling that I'm buying something double you know? Having komplete5 the virus seems like a really expensive controller with kindof the same sounds. I think I'm going to see what that prophet 08 is all about. It's got a good price.

The prophet 08 certainly has its own character, different from soft synths, but it depends on whether you like its sound or not. I like it quite a bit, a good complement to my soft-synths.



It might also be worth it to check out an analog filter box. Some of them are very cheap, though really nice ones (Sherman, Schipmann) can be quite expensive. That would give you the option to add a different character to your soft synths. I actually quite like running Massive through my EuF sometimes.






-D

[Jay-]

Swami Digital, id love to see some of those on youtube.
Im doing something similar running massive into my asr10 effects.

[vixapphire]

Originally Posted by nicolasmasset

But the andromeda is just so darn huge!!!! Hadn't heard of the monomachine.
The virus ti would be the most practical choice, not too big and lots of knobs, I just have this gut feeling that I'll have lots of overlap with my komplete 5 sounds.

buy something analog. if you want to stare at it instead of your computer, it'll probably need more than a few knobs; the andromeda has a nicely sizeable lcd display (and lots of very tastefully arranged knobs too), for an analog synth.

if you buy a v.a., be prepared to face the realization that in the not distant future, perhaps within the next one or two cpu upgrades and "komplete" upgrades/versions, your komplete (or other) softsynths will be able to do everything your hardware dsp v.a. does.

for the foregoing reasons, and in the interest of frugality, spend the money once and buy a nice analog synth. you've more likely than not got virtual/digital covered already (or soon enough for loads less cash) with the softsynths. and if your softsynths aren't enough for you in the box, buy zebra.

[vixapphire]

Originally Posted by nicolasmasset

Yeah, I thought of that too, but then I'd have external knobs for only bass and lead sounds. I'm beginning to think that I should get a virus, even if the sounds'll overlap, but just to have those knobs and playability, and seeing as a mopho is so cheap, get one of those a bit later to get the analogue bass covered too.

Do you have a virus? Could you answer these questions please?
With the virus plugin, how do you write several midi tracks with virus sounds attached?
And how do you control another plugin like pro-53 with the control feature at the same time as using the virus plugin for virus sounds?

Regards, Nicolas

i have komplete 4 and 5, and the kore controller. if you want knobbability, find a used kore on ebay and get to it. that'll bring you lots of fun and inspiration for the komplete kit. at far less than the cost of a virus (although the polar is one sexy looking piece of gear).

get a kore and an analog synth. you'll be in high-knobbed heaven, with a nice broad palette of sound to paint with.

[nicolasmasset]

Originally Posted by vixapphire

i have komplete 4 and 5, and the kore controller. if you want knobbability, find a used kore on ebay and get to it. that'll bring you lots of fun and inspiration for the komplete kit. at far less than the cost of a virus (although the polar is one sexy looking piece of gear).

get a kore and an analog synth. you'll be in high-knobbed heaven, with a nice broad palette of sound to paint with.

Yeah, I actually have kore already, but I just can't get into it! I hate the fact that every preset you switch, the knobs change purpose. They also have all these stupid general names such as "brightness" etc, I want knobs that stay the same.

Anyways, going to demo the virus and little phatty today. Heard the evolver yesterday, quite a warm synth!!

[nicolasmasset]

My impressions from the store demo today:
Little phatty is really fun, but a bit limited in it's soundpalette. For that money, I'd much rather get an evolver, which I listened to yesterday. Anyways,

Demoed the blofeld and snow again, and came away with the same impressions as before:

- I rolled my eyes again with all the trance presets on the snow, so again I left with a dissapointed feeling. I'd really love to have the time and possibility to demo that synth at home, and find out where the lush pads and drones are hiding, if at all! Anyways, there were tons of presets where I thought: I can do this with komplete.
- The blofeld touched me again like it did the first time. Subtle, grainy warm lower mids, with a raw bite and really lovely attack on the arpeggios! Way more original sound imo.

I think I'm just going to get me a blofeld for the fun of it, it's too cheap not to, and then I'll continue my endless doubt about wether 2000 euros is worth the polar vs my komplete with kore.

Regards,

Nicolas

[greggybud]

Have you considered Dave Smiths PolyEvolver?

I have found this a great addition to most all of NI's software including Reaktor. For a hardware synth it is quite deep offering a lot especially in the FM sounds.

I believe I understand where you are coming from with KORE2 but don't give up. I have faith NI will implement the FXB FXP import process.

Right now, it is probably best to only import your favorite patches and ones you feel useful. Whatever you do, don't waste too much time tagging patches because ultimately over time your efforts will be a waste until the software is updated.

[nicolasmasset]

Hi guys, just to let you know, I bought the little blofeld and it's crazy fun! If a hardware synth is as fun as this, then I might just shell out for a virus after I get through the blofeld. Knobs are immensly more creative!