Feature:
The fact that each preset has 4 custom-selected controls from the original emulator that it is taken from is kind of nice. I can hit the randomize button in fruity loops and have a good but not overwhelming timbre change with enough variety to turn 2000 presets into quite a lot more. It has a low-pass filter and delay and chorus to top that off. The strength here is really taking the original preset and automating the 4 specific controls to make the sound evolve. There are not a huge list of features but the ones there are important.
Quality:
Loaded fine for me on a mac and pc. The usb security dongle is a waste of a usb port/pain in the ass. On a $200 product? What a joke. Do companies not realize that cracked versions of software don't need security dongles?? Or did we forget that hackers aren't stupid? It blows my mind sometimes what these companies are thinking...
Value:
Sadly, the value of this product is just so average. It reminds me of buying one of those 3 to 5 year old steinberg synths that originally sold for $200 plus dollars that by today's standards is almost laughable to think money was paid for it. It's really okay but I tend to have really high standard when it comes to music software and I was definitely not blown away.
Desirability:
It has a nice gui to be sure. The box looked cool. Didn't make the software better though.
Sound:
The truth is that I was honestly expecting a little more with this synth with all that I've heard concerning Arturia and their repudability. From just selecting random presets and cycling through patches by a focus like "bass" or "sequence" I was actually a little dissapointed. The sound is a tad thin, not extrodinarily involving and really doesn't sound that analog. I got this for $100 bucks luckily and I bought calkwalk's dimension pro for $50 more and comparably dimension's presets are just so much more involving and absorbing. Especially when compared to things like the analog sounds on a roland fantom or korg triton it kind of withers. Some patches are still very usable I just don't think that they are going to turn heads in a solo setting.
Ease of Use:
It's very simple. Well organized interface. No-nonsense in the design. Controls are well laid out. Keyboard interface to audition notes. 2000 presets. No learning curve. Just click a preset and your good.
Support:
The website claims that there is an area to log-in once you've registered the product to download "member's only" expansions and preset banks. I thought "well, maybe there will be some actually cool presets that they decided to include in an update there." Unfortunately, they forgot to provide the information detailing how to log in to their super-secret download area and it really doesn't seem to exist. Can you say "pointless"?
Overall:
I will not be purchasing any more arturia products unless a ridiculously huge number of people give it rave reviews and I find it at a 50% discount.
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