Sonic core Modular 4

[MonoBrow]

Pretty sweet.97 new modules added to the already over 500 existing ones(including 3 pv).

Welcome to SONIC CORE

Super Huge pic of the new Modules and the new look.

[Doktorfuture]

OK I'm buying the sonic core xite-1 thingie now!

[Entrainer]

Tempting... but man, it's expensive. For $5000 US, you can get a pretty nice modular system. Don't really need anything else, like the digital synths and FX...

Kyma Paca is only $3,000. That's 2,000 left for an Ebbe und Flut : )

I think $3k would be more in the ballpark.

[Doktorfuture]

Your logic is sound.

Lucky for me I've already got a lot of outboard modular, Pacarana, 2 Ebbe und Flut, H8000fw, etc....

So this should fit into the menagerie.

Originally Posted by Entrainer

Tempting... but man, it's expensive. For $5000 US, you can get a pretty nice modular system. Don't really need anything else, like the digital synths and FX...

Kyma Paca is only $3,000. That's 2,000 left for an Ebbe und Flut : )

I think $3k would be more in the ballpark.

[MonoBrow]

Originally Posted by Entrainer

Tempting... but man, it's expensive. For $5000 US, you can get a pretty nice modular system. Don't really need anything else, like the digital synths and FX...

Kyma Paca is only $3,000. That's 2,000 left for an Ebbe und Flut : )

I think $3k would be more in the ballpark.

Its not cheap.But you could buy 14 dsp pci cards used or new to use it.
Also the existing modules have a lot more to offer then in the analog modular world like granular-fm and several modules that just not exist in physical form.
Cant wait to try it out.

[Mr Arkadin]

i'll be getting this as i think it'll be €99 upgrade from ModularIII. thumbsup

[ignatius]

scope is powerful stuff. i knew a guy w/a top of the line scope system in 2001 and heard him play live w/it and it sounded incredible. spendy stuff and it requires a big leap and commitment to make it your 'everything' box. but it's quality stuff. sounds great. it's not for me though.

[clusterchord]

is there a way to get this and use it as some sort of "powered-plugin" system for synths, within my existing daw+audiocard setup?? or im forced to use their audio host card?

or, lets say i want to continue working with my fireface800, and want to add one of their DSP cards to run this Modular 4... how does this work, do their synths show up in my nuendo as plugins or what? can Nuendo even "see" two different manufacturers cards i.e. a Scope(14) and my FF800 ?


i've been reading a lot about creamware, but it was yrs n yrs ago, so it kinda vaporized what the basic technical aspects are.. sorry for a barrage of questions, but i always thought about getting a ModularIII with FlexorII modules.. and now this new version makes it even more tempting..

i do recall a smoother sound of their coding, than their VSTi equivalents. less plasticky.


thanks

[ignatius]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

is there a way to get this and use it as some sort of "powered-plugin" system for synths, within my existing daw+audiocard setup?? or im forced to use their audio host card?

i'm curious about that as well. they don't really get into the details right up front. you have to dig around to find out those details or download a manual. after looking at it i'm not even clear which cards are 'core cards' and which are add on DSP cards to get more power". what is a basic system and what can it do and what comes w/it?

they need to lay out the specs more clearly i think. it's as if they expect you to have been exposed to it all already and so it seems the info on their site takes a lot for granted.

[Captain Proton]

I did have a creamware dsp card and really liked the Mini moog emulation... but was a pain in the bum being locked to their soundcard for audio.

Was not impressed with the Prodyssey Hardware, looks nice and great interface, but I think people should leave the emulations alone until they sound at least close to the real thing.

Modular looks nice, but pricey.

[Entrainer]

Originally Posted by Doktorfuture

Your logic is sound.

Lucky for me I've already got a lot of outboard modular, Pacarana, 2 Ebbe und Flut, H8000fw, etc....

So this should fit into the menagerie.

Awesome kit already. If money isn't an object then it seems it'd be a cool addition.
At least a lot of the work has been done already, which isn't the really case with the Kyma + H8000FW (which I have as well).

I think I'd go with the modular oscillators + ebbe und flut filters, and use only the mathematic processing of the Sonic Core for modulation. Looks like it's got an audio in, so that's handy.

Then the Kyma + H8000FW for FX...

that'd be a rocking super system!

[Entrainer]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

is there a way to get this and use it as some sort of "powered-plugin" system for synths, within my existing daw+audiocard setup?? or im forced to use their audio host card?

or, lets say i want to continue working with my fireface800, and want to add one of their DSP cards to run this Modular 4... how does this work, do their synths show up in my nuendo as plugins or what? can Nuendo even "see" two different manufacturers cards i.e. a Scope(14) and my FF800 ?

I don't think the modular works as a VST instrument plugin...

They have other synths where you can bypass the audio ins/outs and use the DSP acceleration for VST instruments.

I was an early adopter of the platform when it was first released. Got one of the original 4 DSP PCI cards sitting in the closet, unused. I was using a Mac at the time, and could NEVER get it to function as advertised. $800 down the drain...

If I ever move back to the platform, I'd run it on it's own computer and have a monitor switch. Treat it like a rack module with a real big screen : )

But that's a lottery scenario, and there's a lot more ways I'd rather spend $5k now. The Mpressor comes to mind... apples and planets...

[teamsterjim]

I got mine for 3400 USD at ProMusicExchange in SoCal.
I actually made money as I sold 9 Pro cards.
I plan on upgrading my Core2Duo to a dual Mini-ITX for streaming.
No need for graphics/MIDI/Audio cards as I will host the sampled content w/ VE Pro and have 2 x 8GB 1U DAW's. Since 2001 I have gone hybrid using Scope, sold most of my stage gear except the SE-1's.
Now I will have a 4U w/ 2 x 64bit streamers, the XITE-1 and the SE-1.
No more rotary cabinet either. The B2003 sounds fine as long as I use the LFO device to enhance the spread of the low rotor emulation better.
Since I am a lounge lizzard mercenarie now and pulling doubles up & down the strip, I need a mobile yet powerful rig. With 2 x Sona 32's, the 88 noter, Solaris in hardware and a 4U, I will be very happy. I was dragging around 26U and extra cabs, then more recently a 16U thanks to the XITE-1, but the 4U will be most welcome. I can insert VST plugs from Algorhythmix, Softube and Sonalksiss right into Modular using the XITE-1 too. The CV Spreader and other treats coming will make it so I can use external MOTM's like the SBP CS80 Filter, etc. Give these guys another 6 months and I think the 50 they sold since summertime will increase by much more.
It really is the best sounding Modular for stage where fast presets and thick Filers are needed.
I do miss the really low Sub harmonics of a analog hardware filter though, that's the only reason the SE-1's have lasted so long. I only need one SE-1 now, but if the CV/14bit MIDI surface stuff turns out as nice the newest hardware, the SE-1 will also recieve proper burial in my project studio...
Prowave Modular below is a seriuos beast also.


Just using the top 16U packing both sides now...........ankyuvarymush.

[maky357]

Hi people! Yes you can have 14DSP card for synth task and it will work flawless within Fireface 800 for example. You can still use Fireface 800 as is - and use Scope Pro as Synth DSP card only. Something like UAD for effects.

But once when you start to dig deeper inside i doubt you'll stop just on using DSP for synth...

[siriusbliss]

Yum....can't wait to fill my Xite-ment with some MIDI-guitar driven ModIV.

Greg

[ignatius]

Originally Posted by XITE-1/4LIVE

I got mine for 3400 USD at ProMusicExchange in SoCal.
I actually made money as I sold 9 Pro cards.

but didn't you have to pay for those 9 pro cards when you got them or did they fall off a truck?

[ignatius]

Originally Posted by Captain Proton

I did have a creamware dsp card and really liked the Mini moog emulation... but was a pain in the bum being locked to their soundcard for audio.

Was not impressed with the Prodyssey Hardware, looks nice and great interface, but I think people should leave the emulations alone until they sound at least close to the real thing.

Modular looks nice, but pricey.

kind of my thinking as well. NI Komplete is $500 now and Max for Live is $299 (and really elegant!).

i wouldn't go near an intense environment like the scope/sonic core set up w/o being able to demo it for a couple hours some place and see how it works/sounds. being tied to any proprietary DSP box is kind of a drag imo. i want it in the laptop to take it w/me.

emulations to me are kind of boring. i know they are probably great for marketing purposes and they need to be in the package but i'd rather have absynth and a good sampler.

the scope processing is probably great though. the sample manipulation and pitchy weirdness i heard the one time i heard a scope system was pretty awesome... but that stuff is possible w/other platforms.

[MonoBrow]

Could ask your local shop for a tryout.There will be a expresscard for laptop use(xite).The emulations are nice but there are a lot more unique synths available for the plattform.Its also a low latency environment for fx and mixers outside your host if you want to mix in scope.I use my cards in a second pc connected over adat-s/pdif and midi.Always had it like that and i prefer it that way.I would like to buy the xite but atm i dont have the money.

[Entrainer]

Here's the thing with me...

When the concept of Pulsar (pre-scope) launched, computers were slow. And, there was hardly any good vst synths/eqs/compressors on the market. So, it made sense to use DSP acceleration to run more plugins.

Now, there's some amazing tools available for the native platform. Kontakt 3 likely smokes the STS-5000, especially considering the Kontakt 3 libraries available from 3rd party manufacturers. (Does anyone even buy Akai CDRoms anymore?)

There are cool synths out now, like Sylenth, Gladiator 2, and Omnisphere

Like ignatius said, NI Komplete is $500. You can have a dedicated system devoted to only Reaktor, 4 i7 processors, 16GB ram. Power really isn't the issue anymore.

What's more the issue is a supported platform. I don't see many developers running in to create 3rd party content. There's some available, but from the same early adopters. Sonic Core selling 50 units in the last 6 months doesn't bode well.

With Sound Toys, Voxengo Elephant, MPressor, Nebula EQs, Lexicon Reverbs... do the Sonic Core FX even compare? Those same plugs have been around ages.

I don't want to dfegad in anyone's cornflakes... but if VST (Native) = XBox and Digigesign = PS3, then sonic core is looking like Dreamcast. A sinking ship...

Sure, they have a dedicated new team that's trying as hard as possible to throw the water overboard, but the ship will sink none-the-less.

Just my $0.02.

[MonoBrow]

Originally Posted by Entrainer

Here's the thing with me...

When the concept of Pulsar (pre-scope) launched, computers were slow. And, there was hardly any good vst synths/eqs/compressors on the market. So, it made sense to use DSP acceleration to run more plugins.

Now, there's some amazing tools available for the native platform. Kontakt 3 likely smokes the STS-5000, especially considering the Kontakt 3 libraries available from 3rd party manufacturers. (Does anyone even buy Akai CDRoms anymore?)

There are cool synths out now, like Sylenth, Gladiator 2, and Omnisphere

Like ignatius said, NI Komplete is $500. You can have a dedicated system devoted to only Reaktor, 4 i7 processors, 16GB ram. Power really isn't the issue anymore.

What's more the issue is a supported platform. I don't see many developers running in to create 3rd party content. There's some available, but from the same early adopters. Sonic Core selling 50 units in the last 6 months doesn't bode well.

With Sound Toys, Voxengo Elephant, MPressor, Nebula EQs, Lexicon Reverbs... do the Sonic Core FX even compare? Those same plugs have been around ages.

I don't want to dfegad in anyone's cornflakes... but if VST (Native) = XBox and Digigesign = PS3, then sonic core is looking like Dreamcast. A sinking ship...

Sure, they have a dedicated new team that's trying as hard as possible to throw the water overboard, but the ship will sink none-the-less.

Just my $0.02.

Nobody knows how much they sold.
Uad-powercore-duende etc.All sell well.
I know with the 4 dsp pulsar you bought...nightmare with a mac back then.We went thru the same hell with a pulsar2 on os 9 in 2001.
The soundquality of this plattform is still on such a high level,especially synthwise.On the new hardware you can load more then 10 modular synths with (ballpark) 10 voices each or any other synth you may like.Then include a mixer of your choice be it from sc or any 3pv developer.Insert fx-dynamics and route everything including your outboard like you want in a matter of minutes with very very low latency unlike the dsp cards i listed above.They announced a new vsti mode aswell.
All this native i7 16 gb ram stuff is nice.But quality on this level is not reached easily.Be it komplete-reaktor(which i love to use) or whatever.

And for 3pv developers.Look at the website.Spl just brought out the new transient designer.Brainworks with the new mastering m/s eq.New john Bowen solaris version.It is rolling.

[Entrainer]

I want to believe. I wouldn't even post in a thread I cared nothing about.

In my youth ('95-'99?), I worked at a music retailer in Chicago... cool location. I think I was the only person in my department not on heroin or cocaine though... at least at 9:00am
used to watch MTV Amp videos, 3hrs after the rave ended... chilling in the music store, smoking cigarettes, getting headbutts from Wesley Willis. (SAY RA!)

Anyways, I sold the shit out of the Creamware Pulsar. I think I pushed more of those than anyone else in Chicago. It really was the best thing going in those days, on a PC...
That and Kyma, which we didn't even sell, but I hyped it anyways... sent people away to buy it.

Soft Synths were just starting to become a reality. I remember the first Native Instruments product and the rep coming in, trying to make it work...

Before that, the best thing going was TurboSynth... not even real-time.

A lot has changed in 10 years... that's for sure.

[ignatius]

Originally Posted by Entrainer

A lot has changed in 10 years... that's for sure.

and in the next 10 years we'll be able to download scope stuff into the iphone via the itunes store and run it all at once w/infinity voices of polyphony and ...

[cramseur]

Originally Posted by Entrainer

Here's the thing with me...

I don't want to dfegad in anyone's cornflakes... but if VST (Native) = XBox and Digigesign = PS3, then sonic core is looking like Dreamcast. A sinking ship...

Sure, they have a dedicated new team that's trying as hard as possible to throw the water overboard, but the ship will sink none-the-less.

Just my $0.02.

You left out the Nintendo Wii which kicked both the PS3 and the Xbox's butts in sales last Xmas.

[jbuonacc]

Originally Posted by Entrainer

... Like ignatius said, NI Komplete is $500. You can have a dedicated system devoted to only Reaktor, 4 i7 processors, 16GB ram. Power really isn't the issue anymore.

well, Reaktor still only uses a single processor, so i'm not sure how much all that 'power' will help in this case.

[teamsterjim]

I unfortunately need to load presets instead of waiting for them like a Native synth, so I don't see me jumping ship until Native can be used live. I would love to use Omnisphere or Zebra to avoid the usual Receptor stuff, but VST developers know their synths are used at home or in a studio, so I doubt they'll ever worry too much about load times.
I did that for years w/ FDD's and had to have 4 x S770's just to have 2 sounds available simultaneously.
Modular doesn't do that or I'd be sunk..

[siriusbliss]

Originally Posted by XITE-1/4LIVE

I unfortunately need to load presets instead of waiting for them like a Native synth, so I don't see me jumping ship until Native can be used live. I would love to use Omnisphere or Zebra to avoid the usual Receptor stuff, but VST developers know their synths are used at home or in a studio, so I doubt they'll ever worry too much about load times.
I did that for years w/ FDD's and had to have 4 x S770's just to have 2 sounds available simultaneously.
Modular doesn't do that or I'd be sunk..

...and the low latency throughput is very nice also. thumbsup

oh, and then there's the filters. Yum.

Greg

[Doktorfuture]

OK, I've been playing with one for a day. I got it for <4k street from Nova Musik and I'll have to say it's lovely.

The synths are great. The effects are great, the latency is great, mixing is great, and it's got lots of 3rd party support, the routing is amazing, and it's all just worked. Quality of sound is extremely high, MIDI responsiveness is great, MIDI mapping is simple and consistent across plugins. It's got piles of DSP power. Overall it's exceeded my expectations.

Lots of novel things on this platform. Super value for money IMO. I'm VERY pleased.

The modular is super, and it's acting exactly as I want it to. System is totally stable for me so far, and CPU usage is essentially zero.

It's very mature, and loaded with amazing stuff, with apparently a lot more available for purchase and for free.

Today I hooked it up with my H8000fw via ADAT, and I'll hook it up with the Pacarana tomorrow. So the whole system is Bidule, Xite-1, Pacarana, H8000 and my choicest VST's. It's sound is seriously dimensional.

I think I will sell *some synths* (e.g. Virus Ti, MS2000R and others) after playing with this, which really covers the expense completely.

The last piece of equipment I was this impressed with was the Pendulum Audio Quartet II (entirely different, but also awesome).

[ignatius]

Originally Posted by Doktorfuture

OK, I've been playing with one for a day. I got it for <4k street from Nova Musik and I'll have to say it's lovely.

The synths are great. The effects are great, the latency is great, mixing is great, and it's got lots of 3rd party support, the routing is amazing, and it's all just worked. Quality of sound is extremely high, MIDI responsiveness is great, MIDI mapping is simple and consistent across plugins. It's got piles of DSP power. Overall it's exceeded my expectations.

Lots of novel things on this platform. Super value for money IMO. I'm VERY pleased.

The modular is super, and it's acting exactly as I want it to. System is totally stable for me so far, and CPU usage is essentially zero.

It's very mature, and loaded with amazing stuff, with apparently a lot more available for purchase and for free.

Today I hooked it up with my H8000fw via ADAT, and I'll hook it up with the Pacarana tomorrow. So the whole system is Bidule, Xite-1, Pacarana, H8000 and my choicest VST's. It's sound is seriously dimensional.

I think I will sell *some synths* (e.g. Virus Ti, MS2000R and others) after playing with this, which really covers the expense completely.

The last piece of equipment I was this impressed with was the Pendulum Audio Quartet II (entirely different, but also awesome).

thanks for the mini review. would love to be able to demo one. maybe if i drive through wisconsin this summer i'll stop at novamusik

i'm very curious about all the routing and stuff and integration w/thinks like live etc. my software world is pretty well populated these days though...

[Doktorfuture]

Day 2 with the Sonic Core XITE-1, and you can play that nice Minimax out through your own DAC's if you like. Route it to wherever (e.g. ASIO).

I've been playing with the modular today. It's pretty amazing. I downloaded about 300 other modules today from other authors. The thing is crazy. I'm processing my voyager with comb filters, tube resonators, amp simulators, etc... Kind of cool. I bet there's close to 1000 different modules available. Seriously deep and well behaved. You can instantiate multiple modulars, and load different patches into each. It's just sick man, and sounds really good. Super value for money IMO and probably the best purchase I've made in years.

Originally Posted by Captain Proton

I did have a creamware dsp card and really liked the Mini moog emulation... but was a pain in the bum being locked to their soundcard for audio.

Was not impressed with the Prodyssey Hardware, looks nice and great interface, but I think people should leave the emulations alone until they sound at least close to the real thing.

Modular looks nice, but pricey.

[Google Bot]

I really want the XITE-1 and Modular 4 but cannot afford right now.

Im currently using the PCI card and Scope 5.

I love the whole environment for flexibility, workflow and of course sound quality.

The synths in particular are outstanding! thumbsup