The Logic Off Topic list

From: "Ronald C.F. Antony" <rcfa+logicaudio@...>
Date: Tue Feb 26, 2002 4:42pm 
Subject: Re: [OT] LAM/GEN: New VST Instruments 


> Sure, earlier I already mentioned Reaktor as the exception to the
> "vintage emulation" rule.  However, in a sense Reaktor is a bit too
> much.  You don't buy a Meccano box if you just want to have a certain
> type of crane.  I.e. most users don't want to be bothered with
> building your own synths -- they just want a good VSTi synth that
> works out of the box.

I think there's somewhat of a goal conflict here.
"works out of the box" is equivalent with simple, i.e. a fixed
algorithm with only a few parameters to tweak. And that corresponds
to what the vintage instruments are like.
And then you have samplers, where you simply play back a fixed/variable
set of samples, maybe with some envelope and filtering added.

Once you get more powerful, you enter the domain of something like
the Kurzweil. But truly "working out of the box" doesn't apply there
anymore. You have depending on the model somewhere between 32-90something
different routings between DSP blocks.
However each DSP block can have wildly different functions, and each
of these functions in turn have tens of parameters.
Someone once calculated that there are millions or billions of
different ways to configure the algorithm blocks in a K2600's
VAST synthesis engine. And each of those has a near infinite number
of permutations for parameter settings. And all this does not yet
even take into account the possibilities of dynamic variations
afforded by the FUNs, or the endless variations that the dozens
of KDFX effects and the possible routings, incl. LiveMode offer.

Thus, an advanced modern synth like the Kurz is much more similar
to something like Reaktor aka "Meccano box" than something that
works out of the box. (Which is why Kurzweil supplies you with two
telephone-book sized manuals and it takes people years to get
somewhat acquainted with these beasts, while the competition has
probably phased in and out three different models in the mean time...)

The way this problem is solved with the Kurzweil, is that there
are people selling "soundware", which isn't just samples, but
VAST programming to be used either with supplied samples or with
the built-in ROM samples of the Kurzweil synth.

In that sense, Reaktor is very similar, in that it creates a
secondary market for Reaktor constructs. The advantage something
like the Kurzweil offers however, is that it is a more stable
target, with a standardized format for soundware. i.e. try to
write SoundDiver adaptations for each single Reaktor based
instrument. This would become quite a huge task...

Given the need for a decent MIDI keyboard, and the limitations
of the host CPU, it seems to me that VSTi are best used for
a) exotic constructs i.e. synth algorithms that are used so
rarely that buying dedicated hardware would be a waste of money
and resources b) simple filler voices, i.e. to boost
polyphony e.g. in a string section in a sampled orchestra,
for simple synth lines, etc. c) to emulate gear that's not
anymore readily available.

The current line of eMagic plug-in instruments seems to follow
that line, covering particularly b) and c), while Reaktor
seems to be perfect for a) and NI's other prefab instruments
take care of c), too.
For almost everything else, there's a Kurzweil just waiting
to be put to use.

Ronald
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