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Incredible.
This is not your average synthesizer. It's capable of just about anything. Amazing sounds can be made with z3ta+'s flexibility. It's obviously designed for professionals, with the vast amount of flexibility and features it's capable of. It can be a bit intimidating at first as Rabid said, but it becomes comfortable to work with after just a little time with it.
BitPlants GUI design is wonderfull. It's very easy to read and use. I also find it visually stimulating, which for me is super important. I really wish all of Rene's synths could look more like this one.
The sound could not be better - It's the most advanced synth I've used, and while sometimes it takes me a little bit to get a sound I like from it, for the most part programming it is fairly easy.
z3ta+ is more than you ever expected in terms of features. There are lots of little things that help make it user friendly for everyone, that most of us don't even notice.
The included manual is great, and I would have probably knocked one off because it could use just a little bit more on some of the sections, but with the addition of the Online z3ta+ Clinic Volume 1, the doc's get full marks.
I'm not sure who made the presets for this but there's a ton of them and they're fantastic. I think they really show off the character of z3ta+, and they're great for tweaking too - a lot of these presets are really creative, and that's great but sometimes you might want to tame one down a hair to fit it in your mix better, and they're very easy to work with.
Rene's level of customer support is great. If you mail him you can expect a mail back within a day or so, and if you post on his Official Forum here on K-v-R, expect an answer within hours. He offers great synths for a great price, and he does update them frequently enough to keep everyone happy.
Value for money? Well, while he charges $150 for z3ta+, there are other guys charging the same or even more for stuff that in my opinion isn't worth half of what z3ta+ is. Your money is going towards something that really is useful - this is not a novelty synth. It's a very powerful synth that you will come back to over and over again.
While I've heard a few people say that this synth is a little CPU hungry, I haven't found it to be at all on my Athlon 2400+, and with the update to version 1.1 it has gotten even better. It's very light especially for what it does and you won't have any problems running a couple of them at the same time either. Maybe once you hit 6 or 7 instances it'll add up but honetly it's very good on your system resources.
All in all I give z3ta+ full marks, and would reccomend it to anyone looking for a good synth. It's really perfect, and I've realized that there isn't much need for any others once you have it. Since getting more familiar with z3ta+, I don't think that I will have much need for any more VSTi synthesizers for at least a while - or until Rene creates a new one ;)Read Review
This is not your average synthesizer. It's capable of just about anything. Amazing sounds can be made with z3ta+'s flexibility. It's obviously designed for professionals, with the vast amount of flexibility and features it's capable of. It can be a bit intimidating at first as Rabid said, but it becomes comfortable to work with after just a little time with it.
BitPlants GUI design is wonderfull. It's very easy to read and use. I also find it visually stimulating, which for me is super important. I really wish all of Rene's synths could look more like this one.
The sound could not be better - It's the most advanced synth I've used, and while sometimes it takes me a little bit to get a sound I like from it, for the most part programming it is fairly easy.
z3ta+ is more than you ever expected in terms of features. There are lots of little things that help make it user friendly for everyone, that most of us don't even notice.
The included manual is great, and I would have probably knocked one off because it could use just a little bit more on some of the sections, but with the addition of the Online z3ta+ Clinic Volume 1, the doc's get full marks.
I'm not sure who made the presets for this but there's a ton of them and they're fantastic. I think they really show off the character of z3ta+, and they're great for tweaking too - a lot of these presets are really creative, and that's great but sometimes you might want to tame one down a hair to fit it in your mix better, and they're very easy to work with.
Rene's level of customer support is great. If you mail him you can expect a mail back within a day or so, and if you post on his Official Forum here on K-v-R, expect an answer within hours. He offers great synths for a great price, and he does update them frequently enough to keep everyone happy.
Value for money? Well, while he charges $150 for z3ta+, there are other guys charging the same or even more for stuff that in my opinion isn't worth half of what z3ta+ is. Your money is going towards something that really is useful - this is not a novelty synth. It's a very powerful synth that you will come back to over and over again.
While I've heard a few people say that this synth is a little CPU hungry, I haven't found it to be at all on my Athlon 2400+, and with the update to version 1.1 it has gotten even better. It's very light especially for what it does and you won't have any problems running a couple of them at the same time either. Maybe once you hit 6 or 7 instances it'll add up but honetly it's very good on your system resources.
All in all I give z3ta+ full marks, and would reccomend it to anyone looking for a good synth. It's really perfect, and I've realized that there isn't much need for any others once you have it. Since getting more familiar with z3ta+, I don't think that I will have much need for any more VSTi synthesizers for at least a while - or until Rene creates a new one ;)Read Review
Crystal is amazing. This is one of the best synths out there.
The interface for Crystal is just fine. It does take a little getting used to, but after you play around with it a few times it makes sense. It's very easy to use and looks good to me.
The sound is incredible. This is a rare synth that can deliver a wide variety of sounds. I've used it in a lot of different tracks and don't know what I'd do without it. Crystal excells when it comes to ambient sounds and pads, but can do leads and basses to very well too.
Feature wise it keeps getting better every update. There are lots of ways to manipulate your sounds with this. The FM is very good and the 4 delay sends allow for some great texture in sound.
On the Green Oak website there's a pretty comprehensive online manual that gives you a lot of good information about using the synth, as well as easy to follow tutorials to help you get started.
The presets are amazing. These presets really show off what Crystal can do, and are all organized into catagories if your looking for a fast sound.
Green Oak has it's own forum on yahoo that they will respond to pretty fast, and also will help you through email. With Glenn there's no "fill in this box and we will respond in 72 hours". Post on the forum and he'll be posting back asap.
Value for money. Well, Crystal is free, and in my opinion it should be sold. There are lots of other synths out there that aren't worth half of what crystal is and selling for $50 and up. I can only imagine what kind of synths Green Oak will have for sale if this one is free!
It's never crashed on me. I've never had a problem with stability at all. Yes, it used to eat up some CPU on me back when I had me 400mhz PII, but with my new 2400+ Athlon, I've had no problems running it at all.
This is one of those synths that if your not using, you've got to start. Give it a try because from the minute you hear the first sound out of it you'll fall in love.Read Review
The interface for Crystal is just fine. It does take a little getting used to, but after you play around with it a few times it makes sense. It's very easy to use and looks good to me.
The sound is incredible. This is a rare synth that can deliver a wide variety of sounds. I've used it in a lot of different tracks and don't know what I'd do without it. Crystal excells when it comes to ambient sounds and pads, but can do leads and basses to very well too.
Feature wise it keeps getting better every update. There are lots of ways to manipulate your sounds with this. The FM is very good and the 4 delay sends allow for some great texture in sound.
On the Green Oak website there's a pretty comprehensive online manual that gives you a lot of good information about using the synth, as well as easy to follow tutorials to help you get started.
The presets are amazing. These presets really show off what Crystal can do, and are all organized into catagories if your looking for a fast sound.
Green Oak has it's own forum on yahoo that they will respond to pretty fast, and also will help you through email. With Glenn there's no "fill in this box and we will respond in 72 hours". Post on the forum and he'll be posting back asap.
Value for money. Well, Crystal is free, and in my opinion it should be sold. There are lots of other synths out there that aren't worth half of what crystal is and selling for $50 and up. I can only imagine what kind of synths Green Oak will have for sale if this one is free!
It's never crashed on me. I've never had a problem with stability at all. Yes, it used to eat up some CPU on me back when I had me 400mhz PII, but with my new 2400+ Athlon, I've had no problems running it at all.
This is one of those synths that if your not using, you've got to start. Give it a try because from the minute you hear the first sound out of it you'll fall in love.Read Review
I love the interface. It's very different from the look of a more standard synth, but I like the way it's set up. After just a bit of playing around with it it's very easy to understand. The sliders are all color coded to map out the flow of the signal, and the backround is very open and clean looking.
The sound is wonderful. This synth is a clone of the Arp Odyssy, and though I've never used the origional hardware synth, I think the amount of quality sounds that can be made with The Oddity is incredible. This synth makes sounds that fit in a mix very well, and it has a very warm character to it.
The features are great. This is a replica of the original, and it's got a few extra added functions like the preset morphing which is wonderful, and the A440 tone for tuning patches. The Flying Sliders are very, very cool. You just can use your mouse to throw the sliders and they will slide according to how hard you throw them, and be recorded to your hosts automation. This isn't just cool, it's useful.
When I finally got The Oddity in the mail I was very impressed with the packaging - especially the manual. The box is great looking and the manual has semi-hard covers, nice thick pages, and has a nice read about the Arp Odyssy in it. It explained everything quite well, and was definatly worth reading to learn more about the synth.
The presets that come with it were just right - not too many, not too little, and they were all very good and unique sounding - perfect for preset tweakers. They really show off what this synth can do.
I've had no need for any customer support, but I did knock one off for the lack of a forum.
Value for money. Well, I've only bought a few synths, and it takes something special to make me feel like investing in one. I usually try to really learn how to get the most out of the tools I use, so if I buy something I want to know that it's going to be useable, and.... I bought this one.
Out of space, stability good. :DRead Review
The sound is wonderful. This synth is a clone of the Arp Odyssy, and though I've never used the origional hardware synth, I think the amount of quality sounds that can be made with The Oddity is incredible. This synth makes sounds that fit in a mix very well, and it has a very warm character to it.
The features are great. This is a replica of the original, and it's got a few extra added functions like the preset morphing which is wonderful, and the A440 tone for tuning patches. The Flying Sliders are very, very cool. You just can use your mouse to throw the sliders and they will slide according to how hard you throw them, and be recorded to your hosts automation. This isn't just cool, it's useful.
When I finally got The Oddity in the mail I was very impressed with the packaging - especially the manual. The box is great looking and the manual has semi-hard covers, nice thick pages, and has a nice read about the Arp Odyssy in it. It explained everything quite well, and was definatly worth reading to learn more about the synth.
The presets that come with it were just right - not too many, not too little, and they were all very good and unique sounding - perfect for preset tweakers. They really show off what this synth can do.
I've had no need for any customer support, but I did knock one off for the lack of a forum.
Value for money. Well, I've only bought a few synths, and it takes something special to make me feel like investing in one. I usually try to really learn how to get the most out of the tools I use, so if I buy something I want to know that it's going to be useable, and.... I bought this one.
Out of space, stability good. :DRead Review
First off let me start by saying I'm a beta tester for Dash Synthesis, and when we first got our hands on this thing I didn't like it at all. Things have changed however since I first tried it out. I've learned to use it a bit better and there has been a lot of work put into this synth. It's very stable now and has a few extra features from the origional WASP; It's become a quite useful synth.
I don't like the GUI, but it does accuratly imitate the origional WASP which this is a clone of. It's not that it's hard to use or anything, it's just too dark for my personal taste. The GUI does work well, it's easy to understand after you poke around for a minute and does the job. I think it's a matter or preference though so some might really like it.
The sound is great. It's very egdy and makes some harsh buzzing noises. It is also capable of some nice basslines and other things depending on how you use it. With a little bit of reverb this will fit into a mix quite well. It's a good way to add some character to a tune :)
It's got the same features as the origional wasp along with some new ones. My favorite: the Random Preset Generator. Dash has put this on their daAlfa2k synth too and it works quite well.
The docs are just fine, the presets are good. There's not all that much to say about them really. They do the trick :)
The customer support from Dash is very good. They put a lot of work into being good customer service people, and most of the time if you send them an email, you'll get one back in just minutes. very good if you ask me.
The WASP is stable. It's a good synth to have in your collection if your into the kind of sounds that you can get from this one. If your a VSTi addict, it's for you because it's fun, different, and cheap ;) If your a fan of the origional WASP hardware synth, this is also for you.
Nice work Dash Synthesis :)Read Review
I don't like the GUI, but it does accuratly imitate the origional WASP which this is a clone of. It's not that it's hard to use or anything, it's just too dark for my personal taste. The GUI does work well, it's easy to understand after you poke around for a minute and does the job. I think it's a matter or preference though so some might really like it.
The sound is great. It's very egdy and makes some harsh buzzing noises. It is also capable of some nice basslines and other things depending on how you use it. With a little bit of reverb this will fit into a mix quite well. It's a good way to add some character to a tune :)
It's got the same features as the origional wasp along with some new ones. My favorite: the Random Preset Generator. Dash has put this on their daAlfa2k synth too and it works quite well.
The docs are just fine, the presets are good. There's not all that much to say about them really. They do the trick :)
The customer support from Dash is very good. They put a lot of work into being good customer service people, and most of the time if you send them an email, you'll get one back in just minutes. very good if you ask me.
The WASP is stable. It's a good synth to have in your collection if your into the kind of sounds that you can get from this one. If your a VSTi addict, it's for you because it's fun, different, and cheap ;) If your a fan of the origional WASP hardware synth, this is also for you.
Nice work Dash Synthesis :)Read Review
SimSynth Live
Reviewed By smart [all]
October 5th, 2002
Version reviewed: 1.0 on Windows
This is a great synth.
Shortly after purchasing FruityLoops FULL, I bought Fruity SimSynth Live! and found myself using it constantly. The sounds are just wonderful. If your looking for some great sounds that fatten up very nicely look no further. The 3 oscillators combined with a brilliant chorus effect and some added warmth from the "Warm" buttons on each oscillator are great for making powerfull lead's, basses, and pads.
The SVF and AMP sections are very easy to program, showing you a map of your sound and the LFO keeps things moving. If your looking for warmth, SimSynth is your new best friend ;)
The added FX Panel that Image-Line is becoming famous for attaching to the VSTi and DXi versions of their generators is wonderful. You get a Parametric EQ that doubles as a filter, a delay, a reverb, and a phaser all attached to the synth. Did I mention that they're all automatible? Very nice.
In my opinion it's perfect. I use it constantly and absolutley love the new interface. For $35 it's a steal, especially when you get the DXi, the VSTi, and the Fruity version all along with the package.
Perfect 10's in all categories except the manual which I gave a 8. It comes with a page of pretty good documentation of the basics, which I personally think is enough, but it is very breif.Read Review
Shortly after purchasing FruityLoops FULL, I bought Fruity SimSynth Live! and found myself using it constantly. The sounds are just wonderful. If your looking for some great sounds that fatten up very nicely look no further. The 3 oscillators combined with a brilliant chorus effect and some added warmth from the "Warm" buttons on each oscillator are great for making powerfull lead's, basses, and pads.
The SVF and AMP sections are very easy to program, showing you a map of your sound and the LFO keeps things moving. If your looking for warmth, SimSynth is your new best friend ;)
The added FX Panel that Image-Line is becoming famous for attaching to the VSTi and DXi versions of their generators is wonderful. You get a Parametric EQ that doubles as a filter, a delay, a reverb, and a phaser all attached to the synth. Did I mention that they're all automatible? Very nice.
In my opinion it's perfect. I use it constantly and absolutley love the new interface. For $35 it's a steal, especially when you get the DXi, the VSTi, and the Fruity version all along with the package.
Perfect 10's in all categories except the manual which I gave a 8. It comes with a page of pretty good documentation of the basics, which I personally think is enough, but it is very breif.Read Review
