Arturia's V-Collection expanded with five more emulations

[musicman691]

Yeah, I hear endless amount of problems with their smaller controllers, but it seems that they finally got it right with the KeyLab88. I LOVE mine! Works perfectly. Only minor problem is that the paint rubs off after a while in places where you might commonly lay your hand. Some jackhole on the Arturia forums keeps telling people that it's from "Toxins from eating at Taco Bell" LOL. But he's just a crazy user. I think Arturia has fixed the issue, but I got an earlier batch that used crummy paint.

Other than that, it's a dream, feels great. Much better than my old Alesis QS8

Ha! I remember when those were still around and immediately thinking, especially for the price, it would make a great 88 key controller/stage piano.

Currently, I'm on the fence between a Keylab 88 and maybe a slightly-more-expensive Akai MPK88, with the recent Roland 88-key weighted controller (even slightly more expensive) thrown in as a wild card choice. My last 88-key weighted controller was an M Audio Keystation Pro88, which seemed like a bargain at the time … it didn't even last a year before the middle C key stopped working properly. So I'm hoping my next choice, whatever it is, lasts a bit longer. I purchased a relatively cheap Korg K61 synth-action controller at the same time, and it's been through the wringer. It still works flawlessly. If Korg produced a weighted 88-key controller, I'd buy it in a second,

I've noticed a strange lack of choices in a fully-weighted piano-style controller in recent years. I'm sure that some of it has to do with the fact that these younger generations of musicians and computer-based producers aren't learning to play on pianos, as well as them needing a master controller that fits in a small space, like a desktop.

I'd love it if Kurzweil produced an 88 key piano-style controller as I love the action on their 88 key synths.

[mhschmieder]

I am finding that some of the newer emulations seem to pull in most if not all of the add-on libraries, but the older emulations seem to be missing most of that material unless the patches have more significant renamings than the slight alterations of the ones in the newer VI's (such as SEM, Matrix-12, and Solina).

It is hard for me to judge audio quality between old and new, as I am making this upgrade in combination with a switch to 96k from 44.1k for several unfinished synth-oriented legacy projects, and it's such a night-and-day difference that the new renderings are just so much more organic and relaxing (and I wasn't expecting that, so it isn't a placebo effect).

As noted earlier, CS-80V is radically different regarding its afterpressure handling. Someone at GS said it's identical, so clearly they aren't making much use of aftertouch, which is something I use to the max whenever available.

Ironically, that same person was meticulous enough to take note that the Minimoog has entirely new filters and thus sounds entirely different. As I was only using add-on libraries vs. the core patches, I can't use the new version yet, until Arturia provides the library converter. And I am more inclined to just replicate those patches on my Minimoog Voyager instead, as I have a dozen or two empty slots that I haven't filled with custom programs yet.

As annoying as SparkLE can be to get properly bootstrapped, it sounds incredible and has a lot of unique patches that are hard to cover elsewhere, so I'll probably keep it after all and just hope they improve its reliability and handling over time.

I even wasted money on Softube Heartbeat and the new Xils-Lab products recently, but haven't the time to figure out how to use them as sound sources vs. electronica loop-based auto-composing mode. That also goes for the Geist update, which I also foolishly invested in. Maybe those are all good products, but I am a composer who never lacks inspiration and clear ideas, so I never write that way. Anyway, I always avoid direct repetition.

The truth is that I am moving away from synths and drum machines, as I am finding that they really work best in their most extreme modes (i.e. glitch sounds for drum machines, and long evolving atmospheric textures for synths). Otherwise, I would rather orchestrate for symphonic instruments and/or ethnic winds/brass/etc., or for pseudo-real drums (e.g. BFD). The synths become added texture at that point vs. the centrepiece, and the music sounds more dynamic, organic, and something that improves with each listen vs. getting fatiguing.

Having said all of that, I still feel that the Synclavier V is worth the price of admission (at the snafu price that I snagged the update at). It will be a bit tricky to find Dave Polich's presets due to the new browser style that consolidates all patches under a combined search vs. my preference of searching by library/designer as the first criterium.

[musicman691]

Having said all of that, I still feel that the Synclavier V is worth the price of admission (at the snafu price that I snagged the update at). It will be a bit tricky to find Dave Polich's presets due to the new browser style that consolidates all patches under a combined search vs. my preference of searching by library/designer as the first criterium.

The Synclavier is indeed killer and will be even more so when Arturia adds in the sampling/resynthesis bits and bobs. As to finding Dave's patches I don't search by designer but more by type of sound. I don't care if it's Dave's or Nori's or whomevers, as long as the sound does the job for me.

And price - I think the Synclavier is the drawing card here irregardless of the price and everything else in the update is just window dressing. I mean the programming had to be a HUGE undertaking that no one else has done to this level (don't get me started on what UVI did for their version of the Synclavier - it ain't even close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades).

[David Polich]

Shameless promo - here's a partial list
of presets I did for Synclavier V

Huge Planet
A Clockwork Red
Trumpet Solo
Trumpet Section
Synclav Brass 1
Helichopter
The Big Wowbowski
Criminal Bass
Plastic Bottle Band
Additive Hit
Brassy Percussive Comp
Digital Knife
Mini Whistle Lead
Progger Lead
Dark Moogish
Dumpster Bin Bass
Galactic Circus
Lazer Battle

[mhschmieder]

I had a flash of inspiration to forget the CS-80, Minimoog, and Prophet 5 sounds that got lost in the shuffle (rather than sticking with the old VI's for now), and using this as an opportunity to explore the Synclavier as something to provide more clarity and contrast as the patches in question were far from ideal anyway (and would eventually have to have been replaced by personally programmed patches, which I have less and less time for these days).

It's never a good idea to have more than two or three patches from the same synth in a given piece anyway (when it's subtractive synthesis involved), due to the notorious frequency stacking issue (also a problem with poorly recorded guitars). This is usually my approach anyway when an update creates a bit of a snafu: I look at it as an opportunity to rethink some voicings and details and breathe new life into pieces that I thought were done (but only because I'm always pressed for time).

[Armageddon]

The Synclavier is indeed killer and will be even more so when Arturia adds in the sampling/resynthesis bits and bobs. As to finding Dave's patches I don't search by designer but more by type of sound. I don't care if it's Dave's or Nori's or whomevers, as long as the sound does the job for me.

And price - I think the Synclavier is the drawing card here irregardless of the price and everything else in the update is just window dressing. I mean the programming had to be a HUGE undertaking that no one else has done to this level (don't get me started on what UVI did for their version of the Synclavier - it ain't even close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades).

I would love to see a full-featured Synclavier emulation with sample libraries and maybe even the full workstation aesthetic. I actually know people that are still using Synclaviers as workstations (for the price tag, I can imagine you'd want to get a few decades' worth of use out of one!), but from what I've heard on audio demos, they at least nailed the synth engine.

Still haven't installed v5 yet, but it's my understanding that the whole collection underwent a massive upgrade (unlike v4), and that the GUIs are even a bit different, not to mention TAE and Analog Lab 2. There's also a bit of controversy that v5's versions of their instruments are a bit more "hi-fi" than the previous versions.

[philbrown]

Any opinions on the Rhodes emulations?

[musicman691]

Any opinions on the Rhodes emulations?

I wouldn't waste money on this. Little guts to the sound and for that matter it doesn't sound like any Rhodes I've ever heard or played. Certainly won't make one give up Lounge Lizard. The acoustic modeled pianos aren't any better. Arturia fell flat on their faces with these two instruments.

[David Polich]

I won't add any opinions on the Rhodes or Acoustic Piano. But I just have to say - there are
downloadable 14-day demos of every Arturia product. You can test-drive them yourself.

[musicman691]

I won't add any opinions on the Rhodes or Acoustic Piano. But I just have to say - there are downloadable 14-day demos of every Arturia product. You can test-drive them yourself.

Little mistake there I believe - the demos are 20 minutes at a time according to the little windowlet that comes up when you start one of the synths. You also can't save anything within the plugin. There's nothing on the Arturia site about 14 day demo period. Izotope products are a 14 day demo I believe.

[mongoose]

Yeah, I love a lot of the older instruments in the V collection but a quick test drive of the B3, Rhodes, and Piano left me somewhat underwhelmed. Don't care for the Farfisa much either, but I think that's because I don't like Farfisa much (more of a Vox guy). So that one might be pretty accurate and I wouldn't know.

OTOH, the Synclavier does sound pretty nice!

[mhschmieder]

I finally started working with the Farfisa just now. It seems like it's trying to be too many things. That is, an all-purpose organ vs. focusing just on classic Farfisa.

I can't match Combo-F as I could the Combo-V with Arturis'a Vox (derived from that product). Farfisa V seems muffly at all settings, but maybe the secret is to engage the amp and/or work with the mic (neither of which I've done yet).

Certainly this VI goes way beyond Combo-F in that it has more organ stops and lots of other features. And I do remember it taking me a while to get clarity from the VOX Continental V as well, so maybe using the raw organ on its own simply isn't the way to go (though I'd have to check my notes to remind myself whether I went with plug-ins or used the internal settings on Continental V).

I'm mostly posting to let people know that this does indeed fully replace Combo-F, and isn't simply derived from it. Just as was the case with Continental V.

In other words, the Martinic website no longer lists either product.

They do, however, have one product currently, which I didn't know about:

http://www.martinic.com/scanner-vibrato/

The Scanner-Vibrato is not free, but I only grab free products when there's no other alternative anyway, and I always gave money to Martinic for Combo-V and Combo-F (it was share-ware).

[mhschmieder]

I found my project notes for VOX Continental V, and after many hours, I had concluded that it is best to bypass the internal amp modeling and mics and use AmpliTube (or Re-amping via outboard gear) instead.

The amp model can warm things up a bit in Farfisa V as well, and has flexibility of settings (it seems to model the Fender Bassman from the late 50's), but ultimately does not help with the missing clarity in the bass register, so I will take the same approach and use amp modeling or re-amping.

Not sure why both Combo-F and Combo-V had more articulate, warm, balanced timbre out-of-the-box, but they were designed to be all-in-one solutions, and Arturia probably went back to the drawing board and said there's too much "amp flavour" in the core model.

So, probably, we are better off with the darker and less articulate (somewhat muddy) versions from Arturia, as the amp will clear up that signal and improve note separation. Changing note length doesn't help, so it's clearly something about the modeling (or the original; I haven't seen or played a "real" combo organ in too long at this point, and anyways one has to listen through headphones or an amp so it's rare one hears the "raw" signal).

Pay heed to the output signal noise level, as they seem to have modeled the motor noise. You will need to do a fade-in and fade-out of each Farfisa V track in order to avoid issues at the start and end of your mix (unless you simply do that to your overall mixes instead).

[mhschmieder]

I am befuddled by the GS comments that CS-80V is the same as before. It barely has any resemblance to the previous version at all! I can only conclude that the person who wrote that filters out a lot of MIDI information such as mono-pressure.

This is a HUGE upgrade for CS-80 V, but you may have to tweak or re-do old tracks due to the envelope being considerably different when various MIDI information such as mono-pressure is present. The new version sounds much more authentic, full, and organic to me.

Not sure about the Mini yet -- the other one that changed a lot (I suppose Jupiter V did as well, but I've been having too much trouble bridging between the two versions to get that far yet). I simply haven't paid as much attention as I only ever use it as a time-saving placeholder anyway, until I can create a better patch on my Minimoog Voyager.

As it turns out, most of the old add-on libraries are present, but recategorized away from their sound designer. It may be that the patches that I haven't found yet have been radically renamed. I am finding more and more of them as I search harder and think of various ways they might have been renamed to avoid conflicts in the newly global browser (which used to be library-centric).

I can't comment on the ARP 2600 as TimewARP is still in my view the best VI ever (I have to use it in VST mode anymore), so I rarely use the Arturia emu. Similarly with Prophet V, I only bring it up for the Prophet VS functionality, and am doing that less now too as the Prophet 12 hardware synth can get pretty close to some of those old vector synth sounds.

[Armageddon]

Yeah, I love a lot of the older instruments in the V collection but a quick test drive of the B3, Rhodes, and Piano left me somewhat underwhelmed. Don't care for the Farfisa much either, but I think that's because I don't like Farfisa much (more of a Vox guy). So that one might be pretty accurate and I wouldn't know.

OTOH, the Synclavier does sound pretty nice!

I didn't hate the Farfisa or the Hammond emulations, but I'm definitely grateful that my old NI B4-II still works in El Capitan (although, I don't know if any other legacy NI VI owners have noticed this, but both B4-II and Pro-53 have serious issues on loading in 10.11, where you have to locate certain files manually). I actually liked the Rhodes emulation -- side-by-side with Lounge Lizard 4, it doesn't sound that bad. I refuse to even mess with the acoustic piano emulation, though. That's one clear case where a decent-sized sample library instrument is the way to go.