Product Reviews by KVR Members
All reviews by Dingo865
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I cannot believe I've been using this gem for 6 months or so, and yet never reviewed it!
If you've ever dreamt about owning a Nord Lead, you'll be shocked: at the moment, this is as close as you can get - free or otherwise! It's not an emulation, but the overall character of Synth 1's sound is so clean, crisp yet powerful, and bright that you feel like you're staring into the crystal-clear blue depths of a forgotten lake high in the snow-covered mountains of middle-earth...:) I've never heard another VSTi that makes two oscillators sound like a suite of synthesizers, yet doesn't 'muddy' the sound with all sorts of unwanted noise and distortions.
The devil is in the tiny details, though: how easy it is to program, the stunningly well-thought-out, built-in patch management system it offers, the customizable size and colors...
...and the arpeggiator. You know the situation when a certain feature, one that you can often find on many other synths too, happens to integrate with a certain VSTi so well that you get perfect synergy? Like Crystal and its envelopes, z3ta and its x-y pad, etc.? Well, Synth 1's arpeggiator elevates this gem to be much, MUCH more than the mere sum of its features. I found entire songs hidden in it just by my messing around for a couple of hours, and you can actually get it to sound like a whole orchestra!
You don't want to get it? GREAT! It's too dangerous a weapon to allow anybody from the competition to get their hands on it...:)
As to the points: I gave 10 both for documentation and for support, because even though they're missing, this VSTi is so ingeniously designed that you never need them.Read Review
If you've ever dreamt about owning a Nord Lead, you'll be shocked: at the moment, this is as close as you can get - free or otherwise! It's not an emulation, but the overall character of Synth 1's sound is so clean, crisp yet powerful, and bright that you feel like you're staring into the crystal-clear blue depths of a forgotten lake high in the snow-covered mountains of middle-earth...:) I've never heard another VSTi that makes two oscillators sound like a suite of synthesizers, yet doesn't 'muddy' the sound with all sorts of unwanted noise and distortions.
The devil is in the tiny details, though: how easy it is to program, the stunningly well-thought-out, built-in patch management system it offers, the customizable size and colors...
...and the arpeggiator. You know the situation when a certain feature, one that you can often find on many other synths too, happens to integrate with a certain VSTi so well that you get perfect synergy? Like Crystal and its envelopes, z3ta and its x-y pad, etc.? Well, Synth 1's arpeggiator elevates this gem to be much, MUCH more than the mere sum of its features. I found entire songs hidden in it just by my messing around for a couple of hours, and you can actually get it to sound like a whole orchestra!
You don't want to get it? GREAT! It's too dangerous a weapon to allow anybody from the competition to get their hands on it...:)
As to the points: I gave 10 both for documentation and for support, because even though they're missing, this VSTi is so ingeniously designed that you never need them.Read Review
This is the crown jewel in my setup that sets a new standard for synths, subtractive, hybrid, or otherwise. It boasts a GUI clearly superior to just about any other interface; a 16-slot modulation matrix unmatched right now; an overabundance of modulation options, functions, and parameters; X-Y pad, huge library of waveforms, waveshaping, etc. – the list reads like an expanded, comprehensive encyclopedia of modern sound synthesis.
Its sonic character is close to Pentagon, but with a much richer, more robust engine, and a much broader, more daring spectrum of sounds and possibilities. The abudance of stunning presets allow you to get a tiny taste of the myriads of z3ta’s potential flavours, from soaring leads and rich pads to clear basses, tintillating sweeps, and mystical cosmic ambience. Z3ta+ is like a beautiful lady: it begs to be played, tweaked, notched, doodled, and stroked…:^) And if you run out of inspiration, the built-in arpeggiator with the preset library turns it into an instant musicmaker.
It’s well suited to just about every flavour of electronic music, from ‘70s progressive electronica to New Age, trance to hard techno, and everything in-between. You can use it as a 'preset-player’, but make no mistake: it's a “tweaker’s synth”. The clear, functional organization of options allows even the beginner to get a relatively easy start, but it’s a mighty task: don’t underestimate it. It’s also addictive as hell, so be prepared to spend days tweaking instead of messing with your tunes…;^)
There are few VSTi’s out there that could be classed in the same category, much less compete with it. Vyrsin and Albino are right at the top with it, but these three have such unique character that it would be impossible to pick one over the others. I only gave it a 9 in features simply because I feel that in THIS class of synths, drawable envelopes should be the minimum standard; and less in documentation (which is great as it is) because you always need more.:^)Read Review
Its sonic character is close to Pentagon, but with a much richer, more robust engine, and a much broader, more daring spectrum of sounds and possibilities. The abudance of stunning presets allow you to get a tiny taste of the myriads of z3ta’s potential flavours, from soaring leads and rich pads to clear basses, tintillating sweeps, and mystical cosmic ambience. Z3ta+ is like a beautiful lady: it begs to be played, tweaked, notched, doodled, and stroked…:^) And if you run out of inspiration, the built-in arpeggiator with the preset library turns it into an instant musicmaker.
It’s well suited to just about every flavour of electronic music, from ‘70s progressive electronica to New Age, trance to hard techno, and everything in-between. You can use it as a 'preset-player’, but make no mistake: it's a “tweaker’s synth”. The clear, functional organization of options allows even the beginner to get a relatively easy start, but it’s a mighty task: don’t underestimate it. It’s also addictive as hell, so be prepared to spend days tweaking instead of messing with your tunes…;^)
There are few VSTi’s out there that could be classed in the same category, much less compete with it. Vyrsin and Albino are right at the top with it, but these three have such unique character that it would be impossible to pick one over the others. I only gave it a 9 in features simply because I feel that in THIS class of synths, drawable envelopes should be the minimum standard; and less in documentation (which is great as it is) because you always need more.:^)Read Review
I have tried just about every soundfont player, free and commercial, and there is no doubt that the XS-1 does the best job of all of them. If you really need a great-sounding, versatile instrument to play your fonts, THIS IS IT.
Most people complain that one sf or another doesn't play in their VSTi, or doesn't preserve envelope settings and such. You have to be prepared that, while there are a tremendous amount of sf out there, a solid portion of them are either corrupted, badly constructed, or player-specific. With this in mind, I've had perhaps one or two that wouldn't play correctly in XS-1 - out of around 60!
The GUI is a bit plain for my taste, and the buttons are smallish considering how much screen real estate is wasted. There's no documentation, so the initial learning curve is steep, but it's not a terribly complicated synth, so you can figure it out in a couple of days at most.
The sound, on the other hand, is pretty much the best you can get from soundfonts! It also comes with a nice range of built-in effects (including reverb!), and a layering capability (4) that allows for some truly creative sounds and sweeps. For the money, it doesn't get any better than this.Read Review
Most people complain that one sf or another doesn't play in their VSTi, or doesn't preserve envelope settings and such. You have to be prepared that, while there are a tremendous amount of sf out there, a solid portion of them are either corrupted, badly constructed, or player-specific. With this in mind, I've had perhaps one or two that wouldn't play correctly in XS-1 - out of around 60!
The GUI is a bit plain for my taste, and the buttons are smallish considering how much screen real estate is wasted. There's no documentation, so the initial learning curve is steep, but it's not a terribly complicated synth, so you can figure it out in a couple of days at most.
The sound, on the other hand, is pretty much the best you can get from soundfonts! It also comes with a nice range of built-in effects (including reverb!), and a layering capability (4) that allows for some truly creative sounds and sweeps. For the money, it doesn't get any better than this.Read Review
I shoved it aside the first time I downloaded the file, but following some positive reviews I gave it another chance, and now it premanently resides in my "Second-Best VSTi's" directory.
This is a surprisingly unique and well-sounding SynthEdit creation, an FM wave-morphing synthesizer. The GUI is less than polished for my taste, and could use a few more labels, but it is perfectly functional. If you know the difference between an Amp and a Filter envelope, you won't need any documentation; and in any case, the textfile that comes with it gives you a good start. I had to give a high mark for customer support since the author replied to my e-mail within an hour, but truth be told, you don't need any support for this baby.
But the essence of a VSTi is in the sound and features, right? Well, it has enoug controls (17 knobs and 7 multiple-choice switches) to mess around for days, but not so many as to overwhelm you...
...and the sound is absolutely terrific! Unlike many 'fx' and 'weird noise' type VSTi's, Morpheus has a thick presence and a rich sonic spectrum. If you want dark, brooding textures that would scare the pants off an Alien (see the preset 'Nostromo calling'), go no further! As far as I know, other than Ultran and some Reactor ensembles, there isn't anything else out there (free or commercial) at the moment that would do solid wave-morphing, so Morpheus is rather unique. I found it great for ambient, fantasy, symphonic, or soundtrack styles, and I can see how it could be used for frightening background textures in post-apocalyptic hard-techno as well.
If the author updated/tweaked the GUI, and perhaps added a few twists to it, I'd gladly pay around U$20 for the privilege to own this horrormeister. As it is, I consider Morpheus a must to download, and an impressive creation from an obviously talented designer!Read Review
This is a surprisingly unique and well-sounding SynthEdit creation, an FM wave-morphing synthesizer. The GUI is less than polished for my taste, and could use a few more labels, but it is perfectly functional. If you know the difference between an Amp and a Filter envelope, you won't need any documentation; and in any case, the textfile that comes with it gives you a good start. I had to give a high mark for customer support since the author replied to my e-mail within an hour, but truth be told, you don't need any support for this baby.
But the essence of a VSTi is in the sound and features, right? Well, it has enoug controls (17 knobs and 7 multiple-choice switches) to mess around for days, but not so many as to overwhelm you...
...and the sound is absolutely terrific! Unlike many 'fx' and 'weird noise' type VSTi's, Morpheus has a thick presence and a rich sonic spectrum. If you want dark, brooding textures that would scare the pants off an Alien (see the preset 'Nostromo calling'), go no further! As far as I know, other than Ultran and some Reactor ensembles, there isn't anything else out there (free or commercial) at the moment that would do solid wave-morphing, so Morpheus is rather unique. I found it great for ambient, fantasy, symphonic, or soundtrack styles, and I can see how it could be used for frightening background textures in post-apocalyptic hard-techno as well.
If the author updated/tweaked the GUI, and perhaps added a few twists to it, I'd gladly pay around U$20 for the privilege to own this horrormeister. As it is, I consider Morpheus a must to download, and an impressive creation from an obviously talented designer!Read Review
