SynthMaster, is it worth it?

[Buckster]

Thanks for the reply

Windows 10

Tried both
Cubase 10 Elements
Latest Reaper

If uninstall and put older trial on works fine latest one off website does not. It hangs with a black blank box the size of Synthmaster One. This is after it asks if want to check for online updates

As I said latest Synthmaster 2 trial works fine

Weird the older demo works just fine but the newer one from kv331 website doesn't on my system

What's your DAW? Are you on Windows? Maybe the demo is displaying a popup window.

[Buckster]

Correction now works in latest Reaper (no idea why now working) will retest in Cubase 10 later today

[Yakko Warner]

One of the recommendations for me for beginner synthesizer was Synthmaster one. My question is how it compares to synthesizers like Serum and Hive because the reviews are not the best (Crashes, hard to tune envelopes).

[layzer]

ive never bothered with it or any commercial VA since free synths like synth1, charlatan, elektro and obxd are more than adequate for analog type sounds in my music

[courtjestr]

One of the recommendations for me for beginner synthesizer was Synthmaster one. My question is how it compares to synthesizers like Serum and Hive because the reviews are not the best (Crashes, hard to tune envelopes).

What reviews are you reading? All the ones I can find give it a glowing report.

[Dasheesh]

as long as you have the HD space for the samples it is. a few bugs here and there but it's inexpensive and sounds as good as anything else in the digital world. very playable and easy to program (not that you need to do anything with so many presets). he's generous and version 2 is about to drop.

[mxbf]

Synthmaster is my preferred synth far and away for bell and high-end sounds. It's simply unparalleled for those.

Can't say I'd turn to it for much else really, because I can get faster and easier results from almost anything else. But when I want a nice top end sound like a bell or just shiny or FM-y sound, it's simply the most advanced tool there is. I have no use for FM8 at all anymore, whatsoever (though that mod matrix is still oddly unparalleled ... I might have to boot that guy up again...)

And really, the reality is that Synthmaster is a very in depth tool. I love Hive and Zebra, but Synthmaster is kind of like the underdog when it comes to the potential for just utterly mindboggling complexity in your sound programming. It's just a lot harder to wrap your head around certain aspects, and it's kind of annoying to program.

If you're talking "digital synthesis" I think Synthmaster is potentially in the running for the best "digital style synth" on the market, hardware or otherwise. It's just sort of unfortunate that the UI is so... idk... shit? And it may be stupid, but the name is just idiotic.

[glokraw]

Both SynthMasters have arp midi-out, which greatly
extends their usefulness. They can literally
play each others sounds as deftly as you can create
or modify arpeggio presets for them.
Very tough to find better and more useful bang4da$$$

[SamDi]

Synthmaster is one of the best sounding VSTs on the market. I like the filters very much. It is also a synth with some features, which can barely found in other synths like FM/AM with up to 4 modulators beside the main OSCs or doing FM and Sync in parallel. Featurewise it‘s on par with the big supersynths like Dune, Avenger, Rapid, ect. It was a hot candidate to become my workhorse synth. But when going deeper, it showed so many bugs, especially in the area around modulation assignments, that I was pissed and skipped it. The developer is more focussing on iOS stuff and SM3 launch is shifted since years. As a beginner synth it‘s very nice, but as a workhorse synth for me it‘s too buggy.

[Yakko Warner]

One of the recommendations for me for beginner synthesizer was Synthmaster one. My question is how it compares to synthesizers like Serum and Hive because the reviews are not the best (Crashes, hard to tune envelopes).

What reviews are you reading? All the ones I can find give it a glowing report.

Reviews in KVR and Gearslutz.

[Yakko Warner]

Synthmaster is one of the best sounding VSTs on the market. I like the filters very much. It is also a synth with some features, which can barely found in other synths like FM/AM with up to 4 modulators beside the main OSCs or doing FM and Sync in parallel. Featurewise it‘s on par with the big supersynths like Dune, Avenger, Rapid, ect. It was a hot candidate to become my workhorse synth. But when going deeper, it showed so many bugs, especially in the area around modulation assignments, that I was pissed and skipped it. The developer is more focussing on iOS stuff and SM3 launch is shifted since years. As a beginner synth it‘s very nice, but as a workhorse synth for me it‘s too buggy.

For sytnhmaster 2 or 1 are you speaking?

[SamDi]

For sytnhmaster 2 or 1 are you speaking?

I spoke about SM2. SM1 is similar in terms of sound quality but has far less features. About bugs I cannot say anything about SM1 but I assume, because of the lower complexity, that it is OK.

[SamDi]

One of the recommendations for me for beginner synthesizer was Synthmaster one. My question is how it compares to synthesizers like Serum and Hive because the reviews are not the best (Crashes, hard to tune envelopes).

Why you don't just demo them all? For all are demos available and no opinion about sound and usabilty could replace your own experience. But IMO SM1+2 bundle for currently 60€ on sale are a nobrainer und you can't do nothing wrong with getting them.

[courtjestr]

One of the recommendations for me for beginner synthesizer was Synthmaster one. My question is how it compares to synthesizers like Serum and Hive because the reviews are not the best (Crashes, hard to tune envelopes).

What reviews are you reading? All the ones I can find give it a glowing report.

Reviews in KVR and Gearslutz.

Links please. I am still not seeing what you are seeing, even after searching Gearslutz and KVR.

[LeVzi]

It is definitely worth it with all the sales on SM1 and Synthmaster etc. I haven't tried sound design much with it yet so can't really speak on it's strengths n weaknesses there, but it comes with a lot of presets which are decent.