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If you are looking for a synth with an excellent sound which is cheap and easy to program you are right here.
This test relates to FireBird+ v1.9
I am FireBird user since 2 years now. I have use it in several professional tracks and also did sounddesign. I really know this machine ;-)
User Interface:
The best user interface of *ALL* vst plugins. At the first view it looks like a one trick one-trick-pony. But it's extremely effective and very easy to use.
Fun:
FireBird+ has the best usability of *ALL* vst plugins. It's simply genious. Playing with this synth is pure fun. If you press the random button you get a new sound - but a usefull one.
Sound:
FAT. From science fiction to analogue. The demo mp3s don't really show it's real power. It's not only a trance machine. Be sure that you download the demo of v1.9.
A weak point of FireBird v1.2.1 was the reverb. Tone2 has improved this and a lot of other things with FireBird+.
Features:
At the first view it looks like a one trick pony. But it's definitely not. Fetures which are not often needed are hidden in the setup screen. The synth is smart and does a lot of things 'audtomatically'. That's why there is no knob necessary.
Docs:
Avaliable in a lot of translations.
Presets:
The synth ships with more than 300 presets. Additional 700 are available in soundbanks. All presets are usefull.
Customer support:
Unlike big companies like NI or Steinberg you get personal support from pros. You're a person, not only a number.
Value for money:
It's a steal and an absolute must-have. It costs only €59. It's worth €119.
Stability:
Tone2 has provided several free updates. FireBird+ v1.9 is rock solid.
One of the best syths out there. Great sound, excellent usability and cheap. A MUST HAVE!Read Review
This test relates to FireBird+ v1.9
I am FireBird user since 2 years now. I have use it in several professional tracks and also did sounddesign. I really know this machine ;-)
User Interface:
The best user interface of *ALL* vst plugins. At the first view it looks like a one trick one-trick-pony. But it's extremely effective and very easy to use.
Fun:
FireBird+ has the best usability of *ALL* vst plugins. It's simply genious. Playing with this synth is pure fun. If you press the random button you get a new sound - but a usefull one.
Sound:
FAT. From science fiction to analogue. The demo mp3s don't really show it's real power. It's not only a trance machine. Be sure that you download the demo of v1.9.
A weak point of FireBird v1.2.1 was the reverb. Tone2 has improved this and a lot of other things with FireBird+.
Features:
At the first view it looks like a one trick pony. But it's definitely not. Fetures which are not often needed are hidden in the setup screen. The synth is smart and does a lot of things 'audtomatically'. That's why there is no knob necessary.
Docs:
Avaliable in a lot of translations.
Presets:
The synth ships with more than 300 presets. Additional 700 are available in soundbanks. All presets are usefull.
Customer support:
Unlike big companies like NI or Steinberg you get personal support from pros. You're a person, not only a number.
Value for money:
It's a steal and an absolute must-have. It costs only €59. It's worth €119.
Stability:
Tone2 has provided several free updates. FireBird+ v1.9 is rock solid.
One of the best syths out there. Great sound, excellent usability and cheap. A MUST HAVE!Read Review
Warmverb Multi-FX
Reviewed By [all]
August 18th, 2008
Version reviewed: 1.0.1 on Windows
Tone2 Warmverb is definitely the best multieffect unit on the markt. Point.
There are 35 different effect modules which can be combined to create new effect sounds. Load warmwerb with 'freeware-sawtooth-only-crappy-synth' and get blown away.
Sound:
------
Reverb:
There are 3 different algorithmic Reverb modules. Two of them are known from their excellent Gladiator synthesizer. The third one called 'Reverb ulta' is an even more pimped version. I know that tastes are different, but for my ears this reverb is the best sounding one on the market. It's clean, diffuse, warm and does not muddy the mix.
Other modules
Vocoder:
There are 2 different vocoder algorithms. One uses left-right as modulatior and carrier and a second one which does generate the carrier wave autmotically and is very easy to setup. It sound better than most vocoders on the martket.
Dolby Prologic II encoding:
Allows you to encode your tracks in surround!
Delay, Pingpong, Filter pingpong:
All delays automatically sync to the BPM rate.
Chorus, Ensemble, Flanger:
Warm sound, real stereo.
Superstrings:
Some kind of new effect. Sounds like 'trancy stereo mega chorus'.
Phaser:
Some kind of 8 stage phaser. Reminds me of the Oxygen recordings from Jean Michel Jarre.
Talkbox:
AIEOUAIEAUAUA
Distortions:
Warm sound, no digital crap, no aliasing.
Further modules:
Bitcrush, waveshape, stereo enhance, autpanning, rotary, EQ, stereoizer, ringmod, pitch shifter, feedback, tremolo, some filters
User interface:
---------------
The interface is very easy to use and self explaining. The design looks very professional and hardware-like. The knobs and their ranges are easy to adjust. The random button works well. The interface reacts quickly.
Fetures:
--------
35 different outstanding effect modules in one plugin. Any questions?
Docs:
-----
Are availabe in several languages. The modules are well explained, but i did not like the layout design and the colors.
Presets:
--------
150 well sorted presets which show the power quite well. The random button work fine for creating own sounds.
Customer support:
-----------------
Tone2 support answered my email within 8 hours.
Value for money:
----------------
I would have bought this plugin even if it would cost $200. I hope that they won't rise the price in the future.
Stability:
----------
Never had a problem with it.
Conclusion:
-----------
Sell your VST effect collection and buy warmverb!
This plugin is an absolute must-have. It's cheap, innovative, inspiring and offers outstanding sound.Read Review
There are 35 different effect modules which can be combined to create new effect sounds. Load warmwerb with 'freeware-sawtooth-only-crappy-synth' and get blown away.
Sound:
------
Reverb:
There are 3 different algorithmic Reverb modules. Two of them are known from their excellent Gladiator synthesizer. The third one called 'Reverb ulta' is an even more pimped version. I know that tastes are different, but for my ears this reverb is the best sounding one on the market. It's clean, diffuse, warm and does not muddy the mix.
Other modules
Vocoder:
There are 2 different vocoder algorithms. One uses left-right as modulatior and carrier and a second one which does generate the carrier wave autmotically and is very easy to setup. It sound better than most vocoders on the martket.
Dolby Prologic II encoding:
Allows you to encode your tracks in surround!
Delay, Pingpong, Filter pingpong:
All delays automatically sync to the BPM rate.
Chorus, Ensemble, Flanger:
Warm sound, real stereo.
Superstrings:
Some kind of new effect. Sounds like 'trancy stereo mega chorus'.
Phaser:
Some kind of 8 stage phaser. Reminds me of the Oxygen recordings from Jean Michel Jarre.
Talkbox:
AIEOUAIEAUAUA
Distortions:
Warm sound, no digital crap, no aliasing.
Further modules:
Bitcrush, waveshape, stereo enhance, autpanning, rotary, EQ, stereoizer, ringmod, pitch shifter, feedback, tremolo, some filters
User interface:
---------------
The interface is very easy to use and self explaining. The design looks very professional and hardware-like. The knobs and their ranges are easy to adjust. The random button works well. The interface reacts quickly.
Fetures:
--------
35 different outstanding effect modules in one plugin. Any questions?
Docs:
-----
Are availabe in several languages. The modules are well explained, but i did not like the layout design and the colors.
Presets:
--------
150 well sorted presets which show the power quite well. The random button work fine for creating own sounds.
Customer support:
-----------------
Tone2 support answered my email within 8 hours.
Value for money:
----------------
I would have bought this plugin even if it would cost $200. I hope that they won't rise the price in the future.
Stability:
----------
Never had a problem with it.
Conclusion:
-----------
Sell your VST effect collection and buy warmverb!
This plugin is an absolute must-have. It's cheap, innovative, inspiring and offers outstanding sound.Read Review
Gladiator 4
Reviewed By [all]
June 3rd, 2008
Version reviewed: 1.2.2 on Windows
There is a lot of hype around this VSTi/AU. I was wondering why there are still no reviews.
I have bought it in January. Since then i have tested this beast deeply. I have been doing a lot of sounddesign and productions.
User interface:
Newbies could be swamped by the huge amount of knobs. That's why the interface can be shrinked and only the patch browser is visibe.
The UI is heaven for sounddesigners. It is non-cluttered and all controls are on one srceen. It uses rendered graphics in 3d style.
Sound:
The most versatile and best sounding VST synth i know (yes it is a real synth and NO rompler!).
Very clean, warm, from analog to digital. HCM gives also a large amount of 'uniqueness' to it.
It is somewhere between Virus, Filzmo and Wavestation.
Features:
Lots of features. Maybe even to much for newbies.
Patches:
750 presets done by professional sounddesigners. They are a good basis for further mods.
Docs:
105 pages manual translated into various languages. Reading this definitely takes time! There are also tutorials in the manual and as patches.
Support:
I have written 3 mails to support, because i had trouble with my soundcard. Tone2 answered within 24 hours.
Value for money:
149 euros is not cheap. But it's well worth the money if you realize how powerfull this synth is.
Stability:
I had trouble with Cubase with Gladiator v1.1 because Cubase saved all 750 (!) presets in the song and the project files were several MB. This did not happen in other hosts. IMHO it is was Steinberg's fault. Tone2 has fixed this with the free update to v1.2.2 within 2 weeks.Read Review
I have bought it in January. Since then i have tested this beast deeply. I have been doing a lot of sounddesign and productions.
User interface:
Newbies could be swamped by the huge amount of knobs. That's why the interface can be shrinked and only the patch browser is visibe.
The UI is heaven for sounddesigners. It is non-cluttered and all controls are on one srceen. It uses rendered graphics in 3d style.
Sound:
The most versatile and best sounding VST synth i know (yes it is a real synth and NO rompler!).
Very clean, warm, from analog to digital. HCM gives also a large amount of 'uniqueness' to it.
It is somewhere between Virus, Filzmo and Wavestation.
Features:
Lots of features. Maybe even to much for newbies.
Patches:
750 presets done by professional sounddesigners. They are a good basis for further mods.
Docs:
105 pages manual translated into various languages. Reading this definitely takes time! There are also tutorials in the manual and as patches.
Support:
I have written 3 mails to support, because i had trouble with my soundcard. Tone2 answered within 24 hours.
Value for money:
149 euros is not cheap. But it's well worth the money if you realize how powerfull this synth is.
Stability:
I had trouble with Cubase with Gladiator v1.1 because Cubase saved all 750 (!) presets in the song and the project files were several MB. This did not happen in other hosts. IMHO it is was Steinberg's fault. Tone2 has fixed this with the free update to v1.2.2 within 2 weeks.Read Review
