Ok, this time I want to talk about a virtual analog. WAIT! I know, but this one sounds GREAT! I know most virtual analogs don't quite sound like a real analog but this one is different. The company name is Use Audio and it's called the Plugiator.
It actually started as a company called Creamware and their ASB synths. But for some reason the company split and the technology went 2 ways. One side was called Sonic Core and the other was Use Audio. So the great sounds of the Creamware ASB boxes ended up in the Plugiator and although you don't get the entire front panel, you get the same great virtual analog sound.
There are people who don't think these synths quite measure up but it seems they are in the minority. The ASB boxes are bought up pretty quickly when they appear on ebay, which isn't all that often since people don't want to sell them once they have one.
Personally, I think they sound fantastic. I really don't care if they don't sound exactly like the original (although I think they do!), as long as they sound good and authentically analog, something I can't say about the other VAs I've heard. I have the Microkorg, Alesis Ion and the Korg Radius card in my M3m and although they all are capable of some cool sounds, they definitely don't sound as analog as the Creamware / Plugiator synths.
The Plugiator can hold 8 synths at once. The most important ones to me are the Minimax (polyphonic Minimoog), Pro12 ( 12 voice Prophet 5) and the Prodyssey (polyphonic Arp Odyssey). They all sound fantastic but personally I love the Prodyssey the most. I never realized how unique and how fat the Odyssey was! Most people seemed to use them for thin bleeps and bloops but this thing can really sound HUGE. It also has a unique filter sound that makes lead sounds cut though better than anything else. Plus having a polyphonic version makes it even sweeter!
You only have a few controls on the box itself; Cut-off, resonance, contour, attack and decay along with a couple of controls for the effects and all other programming is done on a computer connected by USB. There you have the full layout of the original synth plus extra pages for the added features like the effects and a few other useful things like mono/poly, note priority, and so on.
You also get an organ simulator, 2 other synths (FM and wavetable), a drum and bass synth and a vocoder. All this in one small box, and all for around $600!! It's absolutely unbeatable at any price!
Mostly I've been using the Prodyssey for lead sounds and some ring modulator effects but I also use the Minimax and Pro 12 a lot too. It's definitely one of the most important instruments I own and would replace it immediately if anything happened to it.
I haven't noticed it being talked up a lot but I think the problem is the word "virtual". A lot of people just can't believe that a VA can sound truly analog so they don't even give it a chance. But frankly, it's their loss. Old analog gear sounds great but repairs are getting more and more frequent and costly and in some cases impossible since some items just can't be found anymore. This thing gives you 99% of the sound at a fraction of the cost and none of the upkeep.
So if you're looking for that analog sound but don't really want to spend a fortune, try the Plugiator. I know that sounds like a commercial but I really do think it sounds fantastic!
It actually started as a company called Creamware and their ASB synths. But for some reason the company split and the technology went 2 ways. One side was called Sonic Core and the other was Use Audio. So the great sounds of the Creamware ASB boxes ended up in the Plugiator and although you don't get the entire front panel, you get the same great virtual analog sound.
There are people who don't think these synths quite measure up but it seems they are in the minority. The ASB boxes are bought up pretty quickly when they appear on ebay, which isn't all that often since people don't want to sell them once they have one.
Personally, I think they sound fantastic. I really don't care if they don't sound exactly like the original (although I think they do!), as long as they sound good and authentically analog, something I can't say about the other VAs I've heard. I have the Microkorg, Alesis Ion and the Korg Radius card in my M3m and although they all are capable of some cool sounds, they definitely don't sound as analog as the Creamware / Plugiator synths.
The Plugiator can hold 8 synths at once. The most important ones to me are the Minimax (polyphonic Minimoog), Pro12 ( 12 voice Prophet 5) and the Prodyssey (polyphonic Arp Odyssey). They all sound fantastic but personally I love the Prodyssey the most. I never realized how unique and how fat the Odyssey was! Most people seemed to use them for thin bleeps and bloops but this thing can really sound HUGE. It also has a unique filter sound that makes lead sounds cut though better than anything else. Plus having a polyphonic version makes it even sweeter!
You only have a few controls on the box itself; Cut-off, resonance, contour, attack and decay along with a couple of controls for the effects and all other programming is done on a computer connected by USB. There you have the full layout of the original synth plus extra pages for the added features like the effects and a few other useful things like mono/poly, note priority, and so on.
You also get an organ simulator, 2 other synths (FM and wavetable), a drum and bass synth and a vocoder. All this in one small box, and all for around $600!! It's absolutely unbeatable at any price!
Mostly I've been using the Prodyssey for lead sounds and some ring modulator effects but I also use the Minimax and Pro 12 a lot too. It's definitely one of the most important instruments I own and would replace it immediately if anything happened to it.
I haven't noticed it being talked up a lot but I think the problem is the word "virtual". A lot of people just can't believe that a VA can sound truly analog so they don't even give it a chance. But frankly, it's their loss. Old analog gear sounds great but repairs are getting more and more frequent and costly and in some cases impossible since some items just can't be found anymore. This thing gives you 99% of the sound at a fraction of the cost and none of the upkeep.
So if you're looking for that analog sound but don't really want to spend a fortune, try the Plugiator. I know that sounds like a commercial but I really do think it sounds fantastic!
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