Pads, Pads, Pads

[Wacky]

How \'bout a Sample Library with tons of Pads. Something that actually takes advantage of the synthesis capabilities of the sampler in question and doesn\'t just play back waveforms. Tweakability is paramount.

Suggestions?

How is Analog Meltdown?

Anyone create all their own pads? What do you use. Techniques? Synths? Samplers? Wavetable? Analog? Sample playback?

What synths do people use for Trevor Horn/Eno Pads? Electronia Pads? Texural Ambiences?

[Simon Ravn]

Buy an Access Virus C.... http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif

[ed hamilton]

Pads look to be covered by the new spectrasonics plug in players.
One is dedicated to just pad sounds and I bet it will be great. http://www.spectrasonics.net/instruments/index.html (\"http://www.spectrasonics.net/instruments/index.html\")

It will be available for PC as a vst plug in so you can run a light version of cubase and a few of these along side GIGA.

Man are things getting fun!

[donimon]

I agree with Simon on the Virus. I think Softsynths are great and practical, but to me they don\'t have the punch. When I sat down and played a chord on the Virus, my jaw dropped. It sounds huge and full. I\'ve yet to find a softsynth (or Giga for that matter) that really has the same power. I use Giga everyday, but I\'ve sort of given up on using it for killer synth sounds, which is fine, it plays back the real sounding stuff just fine. Best of both worlds I guess.

[Wacky]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Simon Ravn:
Buy an Access Virus C.... http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Is the \"C\" out yet?

[Simon Ravn]

Yes I think so. Prolly not shipping before 1-2 weeks though.

[Wacky]

I think I\'ll wait for the C to come out and buy the B which will hopefully drop to around $1000 (or less). Zzounds has already got it for $1,199.99.
http://www.zzounds.com/love.music?p=p.WDFVIRUSB&z=1345872728272 (\"http://www.zzounds.com/love.music?p=p.WDFVIRUSB&z=1345872728272\")

[Robert Kral]

THIS IS SOOOO COOOL!!!

I was just looking into the Virus C over the last few weeks: listening to mp3s etc etc and I KNOW I\'m gonna buy one. It\'s just so cool to log onto this forum today and find you recommending it independantly of what I was coming to realize on my own.

IS it out yet? Suggestions for stores with the best prices?

[Wacky]

What is the difference between the C and the B? What is the price point?

[dalamein]

There is a big price difference between the rack mounts and the Keyboards.

I am tempted to get rackmount, but am I sacrificing the true power of Virus?

BTW I did my first demo you can listen to it it under the topic: My first attempt...

Let me know what you think.

dalamein

[This message has been edited by dalamein (edited 04-07-2002).]

[Robert Kral]

Wacky:
Check out the Access website and look up Virus C. The blurbs explain that the new model incorporates more of the later OS versions into the front panel, which has been redesigned. There are also more voices for extra polyphony. It seems the new design of the front panel is easier to use and more powerful.

dalamein:
With the new Virus \"C\", there seems to be no difference between the power of the table top version and the rack mount Virus C XL.

With Virus \"B\" there are substantial limitations between the Virus B tabletop and the Virus B rack.

Glad to see for the new C version they made the rack just as powerful (but less knobs of course).

Check out the ACCESS website.

[This message has been edited by Robert Kral (edited 04-07-2002).]

[dalamein]

Robert:
With the new Virus \"C\", there seems to be no difference between the power of the table top version and the rack mount Virus C XL.

Thanks Robert, by the way like your work alot! Angel rocks! http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif

[Robert Kral]

Thanks Dalamein!

I\'ve just sent an email to Access, and will call their distributor tomorrow: wanna find out:

1)price for Virus C
2) Release date for Virus C
3) Check if Virus C tabletop can be rackmounted just as the Virus B could. (Yes they mack a rack (C XL)version, but I want the extra knobs).

[Simon Ravn]

The price for Virus C is just about the same as Virus B - that kinda sucks since I bought a Virus KB just 4 months ago:/ I even asked if a Virus C was on the way back then but of course Access remained silent... darn. I think the user interface of the B is not particularly good, so I am pretty eager to get a C instead. So maybe I\'ll sell off the B if the C is substantially better laid out.

[Robert Kral]

Simon,
Could you give us a personal review of how you feel about the Virus? (Sounds etc).

[Deep White]

Hi guys,I\'m not a native English speaker so I\'m having some problems reading the info on Access\' website.

I\'m amazed by the demo, but in no way could I find it related to software synth. Can you tell me which product model of theirs is software synth, instead of hardware ones, that can be used inside Windows?

Thanks in advance.

[Simon Ravn]

They have made ProTools TDM versions of their synths. There\'s no way you\'re gonna get a Virus for VST. At least not yet.

[Munsie]

Please post a link to this Virus thingamajiggy, thanks!

[lex]

On Simon\'s good advice I got a Virus B couple of months ago, and I\'m very happy with it. It\'s extremly easy to programe, and it\'s absolutly the best for punchy deep basses and all that squelchy stuff..
But for pads, my favorite combination is still my Yamaha AN1x combined with Waldorf Q..
An1x has the richest tone out of all VA\'s, and waldorf Q is great for pads, since it has 3 VCO\'s and wavetable, and you can program stuff that you just can\'t do on any other VA out there...
So for pads, if you know how to program the beasts, my wote goes to waldorf Q.. http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif

And about Virus C, the specs are almost exactly the same as virus B? What\'s up with that?

Alex

[Simon Ravn]

lex, I agree that Waldorf has much more possibilities with routing and such, but I think the overall sound is too digital for really \'lush\' and warm pads. The Virus can do some extremely nice pads, checkout presets in the new OS, there are a few good pads. AN1X - funny, if I had the money I think I\'d buy one. There\'s a 2nd hand I\'ve been eyeing but no money right now for that. Also I am considering a JD-990 - do you have anything to say about that?

[Simon Ravn]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Munsie:
Please post a link to this Virus thingamajiggy, thanks!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

http://www.access-music.de (\"http://www.access-music.de\")

[Deep White]

Thanks Simon, though it\'s sad to know no PC version yet.

By the way, I\'m not very good in this area so I don\'t know if this is a stupid question. I don\'t know too many hw/sw synth. I own NI\'s FM7 (DXi inside SONAR) and I\'m very satisfied with it - well, not if no additional efx is used. I\'ve listened to NI\'s other product \"Absynth\" demo, and I think it\'s very good too. How do you think of it, comparing to the Virus series?

[lex]

Simon,
as far as I can remember you have micro Q, which I guess is impossible to program with only 4-5 knobs...I have a Q rack with 32 knobs and still the thing is so deep and complex that you really have to try hard to get what you want..but trust me, it is capable of some amasing pads..the problem is that all the presets and user sounds on Q line are very bad and electro/digital sounding...and AN1X gives you all the warmnes in the world anyway..
If you can, go for AN1x, it\'s very very anlagoue like and fat, rich basses and warm sound..they are dead cheap on the market right now, so you can\'t go wrong with it..it looks cheap and ugly, but the sound is great.
I have never played JD-990, but I did play JD-800, and if it is anything like that, then the sound is a bit thin..think of strange blips and swooshes..LOL!

ALex

[mschiff]

Lex,

How does the Yamaha AN1X compare to the Yamaha CS1X? I have the latter and am wondering if the AN1X would be a good addition or mostly a duplication.

-- Martin

[Christopher Drake]

I was wondering if any of you pro virus guys have any comment on a virus versus nord lead 3 situation. I still have my nord 1...I love and use it All the time....the one ax in my rig that I would never give up. I recently picked up the nord3...out of the box...the factory sounds were OK, but it took some tweaking to get sounds that i like...I thought I checked out the new Virus at the GC in Hollywood,,,I remember it being black...anyway...I wasnt that impressed with some of the sounds I brought up...a lot of it sounded like the factory synth pads on my Korg Triton..anyway ...I am starting to warm up to my new nord3, but I am still interested in a better tool...I have about 2 more weeks to decide if I want to return the nord (gotta love the 30 day no questions asked return policy at GC) let me know what you guys think.

[Robert Kral]

I just spoke with the Virus distributor here in LA. For LA they are saying it should be released in 2 weeks from now. The RETAIL price will be about $1900.

One major spec difference between Virus B and Virus C is the C has more polyphony.

Also, the \"C\" tabletop can be rackmounted just like the \"B\", which wasn\'t clear on their website.

[lex]

mschiff,

CS1x and AN1x are world apart..
CS that you have is loaded with samples, AN1x is virtual analog synth...so no, you wouldn\'t be doubling stuff, they are very different altough they look almost excatly the same.. http://www.northernsounds.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif

AlEx

[Chadwick]

Creamware are releasing their first hardware synth \'this summer\' called Noah.

As it\'s their first, they may run into a few hiccups, on the other hand they\'ve recently done some really nice filter and oscillator work on a couple of their soft synths. John Bowen\'s Prophet and pro one couldn\'t sound much closer to the real thing.

The Noah offers different types of Pulsar synths (and others) in hardware (quote):

\"The minimax is the first truly accurate reproduction of the legendary Minimoog™....

Vectron Player: The inspiration for this synthesizer was drawn ... the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS™...

Hybriddd combines the complex digital sounds of FM with the warmth of an analog synth in a unique instrument....

Lightwave: We have integrated 128 different waveforms into this powerful wavetable synthesizer...

Six-String: the true model of a six-string guitar! Our new physical modeling algorithm achieves an unprecedented level of sonic nuance and articulated performance realism...

Four-String: The same technology makes this model of a genuine four-string bass a fantastic-sounding instrument...

B 3000: The name already indicates it: B 3000 is a draw-bar organ in the tradition of the veritable Hammond B3™...

Beatzbox: Analog percussion at its best!...

Vocodizer: One of the most powerful vocoders ever to have been created...

All instruments are polyphonic, and equipped with sounds created by well-known sound designers. Even in its basic version, Noah already offers you over 1000 sounds! They can be edited directly on the instrument itself, or with the included graphical software on a Mac or PC...\"

>end quote<
http://www.creamware.de/en/Products/Noah/default.asp (\"http://www.creamware.de/en/Products/Noah/default.asp\")