Rob,

> Im just curious if anybody here has used this thing. It seems quite interesting for software. <

I tried the Reaktor demo and found it pretty cumbersome. I'm an analog synth guy from way back, including designing and building the hardware. But I don't want to make a career out of building virtual synths today. I'd much rather play them. :)

A few years ago I bought the DreamStation synthesizer from http:// and I've been very happy with it. Everything is wired to everything, like a MiniMoog, so you don't have to wire up a zillion patch cords just to make a sound.

--Ethan

Ethan,
You da man. :)

Im here in the mac world, but I think for this venture it makes sense to assemble a pc. Things like Dreamstation and Orion just ice that cake. This will definately bring down the cost and maximise the creativity. Im also interested in dynamo and vaz. Reaktor seems cool, but its kind of expensive, what I like is that 3.0 can read akai samples. Im sure dynamo will as well though. Thanks for the heads up.

Personally I think all software synths suck balls. They sound choppy and distorted. They have no tactile contol, it's hard to set them up and repatching sucks too. The only thing I can think of that makes them superior is their ability to totally recall a patch instantly. But half the fun is trying to recreate a patch from memory. Oh yeah, I forgot another thing I like about them: they are free if you bootleg. And Oscillators don't cost $170 to add another one. If I were you I'd save my money on those bits (the ones and zeros) and invest in a real Analog Modular. Try one from Synthesizers.com.

Those real modulars look fearsome at synthesizers.com , something to think about. Also Im excited about andromeda. Theres a few options about, thanks for the input.
Has anybody gotten deep into reaktor or tried 3.0? Im really curious how it compares to a nord modular.

> Personally I think all software synths suck balls. They sound choppy and distorted. <

I assume they're not too fond of you either. :)

If you have a soft synth and it is "choppy," you probably don't have a powerful enough computer! A good soft synth kills any of the old analog synths with their noise, distortion, pitch drift, etc.

--Ethan

Theres no law against using Va sounds soft, or hard in conjunction with "real" analog filters. That can make a big difference sometimes.

I have tried Reaktor and found it to be an amazing piece of software, especially for Laptop-Dancing (great bassdrums!). But it is not a replacement for old analog synths soundwise. This imitation thing sucks anyway. Granular Synthesis is far cooler than having your 1000 and 1 minimoog copy.
Cheers,
Stefan