theveiledcreature's Reviews
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Fun and immediately satisfying groove box
Elektron sequencing is incredibly fun. It's very intuitive and encourages performance tweaking. This little box does a ton for little money if you learn how to use it. I wish the screen was a little bigger and it had some higher quality knobs, but for the price it's hard to beat. You could do a whole gig with just this box.
It's a minimoog
It's a $300 minimoog with better midi implementation, modulation options, and a smaller footprint. I don't have $5-$10k laying around for an original minimoog or even a reissue, so this is the next best thing. It's great and it's an affordable way for people like me to get that Moog sound without the price tag. I use what I can afford, no apologies.
Great little interface
Great value for 4 analog inputs, especially if you can find it used. 2 mic/inst on the front and 2 line on the back, plus MIDI I/O makes it a great option if you are ready to expand past a 2i2 but not ready to spend on an interface with 6 or 8 inputs. Plus it's built like a tank. Especially good if you just need 2 XLR inputs to mic something in stereo, with the option of simultaneously recording 2 more analog instruments if you want or need. If you're just going to dub everything you can stick with a 2i2 though.
Fantastic value
The private version is only $60, and even then it's on the honor system. I like to save my money for hardware so spending a lot on either Logic or Ableton didn't make sense to me. I have never felt limited in any way using Reaper. I don't play live so Ableton doesn't hold much appeal for me, plus I just haven't really meshed with it when I have tried. Logic has a great visual look and is very user friendly, but the price point of Reaper was too enticing. There are plenty of easy to follow tutorials on YouTube for any question you have, and a vibrant and helpful online community of users, especially on Reddit. Even if you eventually want to move to Logic or Ableton, starting with Reaper is a great choice for versatility and usability without spending a fortune.
Mind-blowing
Simply, put, this is the most interesting thing in my studio. Great for generative music, and it's got that Moog sound with the ladder filter. This is a synth that feels like taming a wild horse when you program it. It takes some time and practice, but when you finally get it to make the sound you want, nothing else will do. The combination of polyrhythms, overlapping 4-step sequencers, and subharmonics makes this instrument capable of sounds and patterns that you simply can't replicate on another piece of hardware, and would take much longer to do even in software.
Great
Great sounds, built in sequencer/arpeggiator, patchability. So much functionality in a small package. Very useful as a bass or lead machine, or pair it with other semi-modular gear or Eurorack to use it for sound design or generative patterns. Extremely versatile.
Lots of function for the money
Doesn't sound amazing but I mostly use it for modulation options with my other semi-modular synths. You get a lot of fun stuff in the patch bay, but it's also useful by itself if you want. I found the oscillator tuning knobs to be a bit finicky, but the option to have it be paraphonic with 2 voices can make for some interesting sounds. Definitely worth the money simply for the modulation of other gear, either Eurorack or semi-modular stuff.
Fantastic
It sounds great and nearly all of the its functions are on the front panel. The only menu-diving you need to do is if you're using the mod matrix. I really don't like menu-diving so this is perfect for me. Digital oscillators sound very interesting, don't be put off by the fact that they aren't analog. The analog filter gives it more than enough warmth. It doesn't sound like a Moog, but it's a great sound nonetheless. 3osc per voice can make some great textures, and I've found the 8 voices to be more than enough. Plus the onboard effects sound pretty darn good, and the balanced outputs keep the noise down. It's my workhorse hardware polysynth.
41016
the menus do a lot actually, things like changing the oscillators from retriggering to free running, drift simulation, etc etc... not to mention LFO retrig settings and all that classic analog stuff. Worth a menu dive on this girl, she has hidden secrets.
That's true, I didn't mean to imply the menu-diving is useless or unimportant, just that a huge amount of the Peak's functionality is on the front panel, especially when compared to something like the Waldorf Blofeld.
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Bass machine
I like to think of this as the poor man's Moog Minitaur. It makes some great analog bass sounds, plus you can sequence each of its 3 oscillators individually if you want. All 3 together make a big fat sound. I've found the output to be a bit noisy, but maybe that's just mine, or maybe my interface. It's all analog, so you're bound to get some noise anyway, especially from the filter. Definitely worth it if you can find one cheap used.
Super fun and unique little modular box
A fun little portable modular synth. The sounds it makes are generally rough around the edges but still useful. If you have some alligator clamps you could even connect it to a semi-modular synth or Eurorack.
Beginner FM synth
This would be a great starting point if you're looking into FM as a beginner. I don't love the default presets but there's a lot of modulation options and it's capable of some very unique sounds, plus you can load FM presets onto it from the Dexed plugin if you want.
Amazing
I may never get into hardware Eurorack simply because VCV rack exists. It's free, sounds great, and the number of free modules available is mind-boggling. There are many free modules that are perfect recreations of existing physical modules. The only thing lacking here is the ability for the program to function as a plugin within your DAW, but I generally use VCV rack as a standalone program. Or sometimes I'll export a short sequence as a .wav file and import it into my DAW for further use. Apparently DAW integration is coming and will cost money. Not sure if I will pay for it just for the DAW integration, but it would be tempting.
A+ Oberheim emulation
Simply the best Oberheim soft synth. I have never even considered paying for an Oberheim plugin because this one is so good.
Absolutey incredible
Even though this isn't the full version of the V collection, the sheer number of instruments and presets are worth it. Plus you get a good number of modulation options, and even though it's not as versatile as the full version, for me those prove to be more than enough for nearly every situation. I can't recommend it enough.
Simple, easy to use
It's simple, free, and sounds decent. Not the greatest soft synth but it's so easy to use I often pull it up on short notice.
FM goodness
Simply the best free FM soft synth. There are tens of thousands of presets out there, plus you can use Dexed to load the sounds on an actual FM synth if you have one, including a Volca FM or one of the Yamaha DX series. Great value, very versatile.
Very good
A lack of presets means you need to learn how to program it. That's a good thing! If you know what you're doing you can get some great sounds out of it. Very underrated in my opinion.
Fantastic samples
Though the samples are idiosyncratic and only offer limited modulation options within the plugin, these are still some of the most unique sounds you can find anywhere, and all are very high quality recordings.
Amazing
Simple the best free symphony orchestra sounds you can get anywhere right now. Absolutely essential.
Incredibly versatile instrument
Don't be fooled, this isn't just a relatively cheap drum machine. The modulation options for all of its sounds are pretty deep, and you can make some very un-drumlike sounds if you want. The default drum sounds aren't particularly great, but the sonic possibilities make this machine capable of making sounds I couldn't get anywhere else. Don't sleep on this thing.