Falcon on sale for $261 has my finger on the buy button

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United South
Posts: 151
Joined: 27 Dec 2017

14 Apr 2018

Even though I just bought Absolute 3 I can never have enough sounds,my creative juices go crazy with new tools. Falcon looks really good plus UVI has huge expansion packs if you need more sounds. Anyone ever use UVI products? How's the quality of the sounds?
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... uvi-falcon


CUSTOMER REVIEWS

A True Desert Island Music Production Tool
Looking at the limited number of reviews for this product I have decided to share my experience. In my opinion this product is highly underrated and deserves all the praise it can get.

First we need to make something clear: Falcon is not for amateur music creators. On the other hand, if you are a beginner and are serious about honing your craft, there is no better way than to dive into the deep end of the pool of sound synthesis than to use Falcon. If you are looking for huge library of sounds to pick from you may find Falcon's stock number of preset limited, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. Falcon really sounds fantastic; really, really fantastic. In the end, if you have been doing this a while, how an instrument sounds really is the most important thing. Do you think you are going to make that next big hit using cheesy sounding stock software instruments? I'm not saying it's impossible; I'm just saying, "Good Luck". Yeah stock Virtual instruments might seem fine as long as you don't compare them to anything else........Even compared to some of the best 3rd party instruments Falcon's sound quality is one of the best I've heard (up there with Spectrasonics). Plus, if you have a particular sound in mind it is completely possible to make it using Falcon. Really the limited number of presets isn't a limitation, it is a incentive to deploy your creativity.

So that being said, let me just say this: I truly believe a talented creative person could make that hit record using nothing but Falcon. Cool electronic Drums, got it, top shelf FX, got it. The ability to create any sound you can imagine, do it. Even the all mighty Omnisphere ( Which I have and use extensively ) has it's limits (percussion sounds is one example). If anything, Falcon's biggest weakness is it's depth and learning curve that comes with increased functionally. UVI did a good job organizing all that complexity so it make sense, and they provide a manual very good at explaining all functions with step-by-step instructions how to use them practically.

Needless to say, I'm very impressed.

brandon
from woodstock, GA
May 29, 2016
Music Background:
singer/songwriter
Falcon
I have been so pleased with Falcon. I value software that is so far beyond where I am at musically that it gives me room to grow and challenge my creativity in new areas. This does it! The software has been solid on my system and has only been made smoother and better with each update. I have several UVI sound libraries and it is so nice to load them in on a side bar. 3rd party sounds are awesome as well. Virharmonic's Bohemian Violin is just stunning play if you are looking for a great violin sound. Falcon is pricey but UVI is proving to be a solid developer and well worth it if you are willing to dive deep and get crazy with your creative mind. Even though it uses iLok it is flexible in how you use it being able to license it through an iLok as well as directly with your desktop or laptop without an iLok doggle

Ready Ward
from St. Paul
May 20, 2016
Music Background:
Composer, Producer
The best sounding synth I've ever heard
I just bought Falcon, so I can only imagine that the sounds included with the program must have been fewer in the past. I have played with it for about 12 hours and have heard about one tenth of the presets, because every one that I land on makes me want to write a song based on that sound. It's so deep and clean...I've never heard anything like it. I own so many synths, it's ridiculous, but this is the bomb. Just buy it. $349 is a stupidly low price for a synth this deep and this great-sounding. I'm hooked to the point that I had to write a review to tell you about it.

Nicholas
from Minneapolis
November 10, 2015
Music Background:
30+ year musician, music B.A., semi-pro violinist, aspiring producer
Compelling Sound Design Workstation Software
I don't write many reviews. Falcon is new, and when I was looking for reviews I found basically none, so I thought I'd write the kind of review I wish I had seen while thinking about buying.

I'll start with overall impression, pros and cons, then do a bit of discussion. Please note, I've spent only 3 hours or so with Falcon yet (it is a recent buy for me) so this is an initial reaction.

Overall I think Falcon is an excellent software instrument, and a strong and interesting newcomer in the ultra-competitive softsynth category. I own 50+ software instruments and consider Falcon among the best sounding, most interesting, and most powerful of them, which is an achievement for a new entry.

Pros:
-- it really does sound great. The overall sound I would call clean and modern, and more "open" than many software synths I have. It has very nice virtual analogue capabilities in the VA oscillators. I find it a very musical sounding instrument overall.
-- wide feature set: just look at the specs on this thing, it is a monster. Most of the useful sound-design features I can imagine are found in Falcon
-- Ircam sample tools: the Ircam tech in Falcon is stunning, and found elsewhere, many times more expensive. If you are into the Ircam sample tools then Falcon may be worth the price of admission for those alone.
-- flexible and powerful architecture: there is no limit to the number of parts, layers, modulation and effects used within Falcon other than your computer's running limitations. Numerous independent parts can play in Falcon, so you could run a kit of synthesized drums, or a full ensemble worth of parts, each with their own mixers, etc.
-- the modulation tools and configuration appear to be very powerful: I don't know of an instrument with more modulation tools, better gui, or more extensive routing and control possibilities than Falcon. But here maybe more than other places shows that I've only spent a few hours with the instrument so far...
-- Falcon's price is a good value for what it is, and on sale, a very good value, IMO

Cons:
-- Significant learning curve: because Falcon is new and deep, it will also take some time to learn. This really can't count against Falcon, because the same could be said for any deep instrument, but be forwarned, if you want a simple plug and play instrument, there are probably better choices around.
-- Underwhelming preset library: overall the presets are pretty good. There are about 500 by my approximating count. The sound quality and design is good, and many presets sound great and are immediately musically usable. Why I list presets as a con is that, compared to other power synths, Falcon has far far fewer. The other power synths I know of and like have 2000-5000 presets, compared to Falcon's 500. The other problem I see with Falcon's presets is I don't think they show the range of the instrument well enough, for example, I have not seen any "multi" presets which show deeply layered sounds containing multiple "parts." As that layering capability is one of Falcon's most appealing traits, not having any presets to show multi's I think is a miss.

-- A little buggy: I needed about 10 minutes of problem solving and manual reading, and a few DAW crashes, to get Falcon up and working. For a brand new, very powerful program, that is not bad, and before long, I was stunned and very happy from the sound and capabilities of the tool, and forgetting the initial bugs I seem to have encountered. I see presets as important because: i) they give immediate musical use, especially for less experienced sound designers; ii) they serve as models for tweaking patches; iii) they are an important guide to the possibilities of an instrument and iv) there are so many excellent softsynths with deep patch libraries (esp. the Rob Papen synths) that it is hard to not compare presets among competing offerings.

-- Surprisingly little media about Falcon to educate prospects and users: this really surprised me, as I was looking for info about Falcon I found nothing helpful other than what's on the manufacturer website. Other software makers I've seen do a much better job about educating people on new products: what it is, why its exciting, tutorials on how to use it, and reviews from credible magazines and reviewers.

-- No demo: to not have a demo in today's software market I think is a real problem. I took a leap on Falcon because I got a good intro price, and UVI's general reputation gave me confidence it would be good, plus Sweetwater has always made sure I'm happy with a purchase. But for many folks the no demo will be a deal killer, and in general I would advise to avoid any music purchase where there can't be some initial demo of sound, quality, usability, etc.


Now on to a little discussion:

-- I think Falcon holds its own compared to other powersynths. I own other powersynths including U-He Zebra 2 and KV331 Synthmaster 2.5, both of which I love and think are excellent, distinctive instruments. Falcon is something different and also very good. Falcon reminds me a bit of NI Reaktor, in that Falcon seems like a semi-modular "sound design environment" or "sound design workstation," but in Falcon the modules are all already built. Falcon also reminds me of NI Kontakt, in terms of the vast layering and multi-channel capabilities. Falcon also reminds me of NI Kontakt in that Falcon will load other sample instruments from the UVI collection and UVI-tech based third parties. Falcon also deserves some comparison to Omnisphere, but I don't own that one so can't really comment beyond noting them as both being deep synth / sample hybrid instruments. While Falcon is reminiscent of many other powerful synths and samplers, it is pretty different from each that I've mentioned, so worthy of its own consideration and evaluation.

-- I imagine Falcon will appeal most to serious sound designers in music, film and game applications. The breadth of Falcon's toolkit, the excellent sound quality, and the modulation possibilities I think will make it a go-to for many serious sound design applications.

-- If you already own or want to own a lot of other UVI sound libraries, Falcon seems like a great tool for getting more sound-design value out of those. I like the UVI sound libraries and want to get some when there's a good deal, so this is a plus for me.

-- The cons I mentioned above are not that big a deal, hence my strong overall 4.5 rating. I can imagine in 6-12 months some bugs being fixed, more media to educate on Falcon, and hopefully a much expanded preset bank including factory, user, and commercial presets. For me, at a good price, that would make Falcon a 5. No demo is still the worst offense among the cons.

-- All told, if you are a synth geek who gets excited over new, powerful tech, like I am, or a serious sound designer (like I aspire to be) then Falcon is an excellent new instrument that deserves serious consideration and compares well to other alternatives. If you want a simple plug and play synth, or a preset machine, look elsewhere. For exploring, shaping and controlling a very wide array of sounds and sound-design capabilities, Falcon is hard to beat.

Overall, I'm happy with my decision to get Falcon and think its among the best sounding and most powerful of my 50+ software instruments. Maybe if enough of us bug UVI for demo software they will get that covered before too long.

Deryl Presberry
from Chicago, IL
December 2, 2015
Music Background:
Live Musician, Church Musician, Music Producer
UVI Falcon
I haven't truly fiddle into the sound design of this engine, however once I do I believe this unit
Will be Great.
I own output signal, orbit and falcon, Just imagine the possibilities of creativity I have with these units
and Once I learn them all, It will be a joyful noise I will make.
I would have gave Falcon a 5 but I needed to see more videos and learn the product more better.

Chris Catalano
from
November 11, 2015
Music Background:
Singer Songwriter producer artist and multi-instrumentalist
Needs some
Like the other reviewer, I think the sounds contained are excellent, and the potential is obvious...but at this price, I think they have really skimped on the included sounds. Serum, Zebra2 are as good, and straight up it could be argued that (sampling power notwithstanding) are far more inviting, blow you out of your chair the minute you open them up. No reviews yet anywhere? Hmm. I expect a supplemental update very soon, like in less than a few months, or I would have to say this is excellent for what it is but potentially a major disappointment for what has been excluded: sounds. Not nearly enough of them, not even close...I will update my stars to 4.5-5 if UVI shows a little more generosity...

RICK LAIRD
from NEW YORK
February 16, 2016
Music Background:
BASSIST WITH THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA
UVI FALCON
Initially, I was impressed with the youtube reviews of Falcon, it seemed like a very advanced piece of software. And it is. If you like doing deep sound design ( I don't) you will love this software. If you like having preset sounds that just need to be clicked on, Falcon is very disappointing.

The presets are quite meager and IMHO, are crappy sounding, cheesy actually and not nearly enough of them to justify the hefty price tag.
I do like that it can load Mach 5 3 sounds and Orchestral Suite (and many others). The vast editing capabilities are very impressive. Hello UVI, you need to add another mega load of more well thought out presets to make this a "must have" piece of software!


UVI Falcon
Lucky Sale

$349.00|$261.00

UVI Digital Motion Expansion for Falcon
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI SubCulture Expansion for Falcon
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI Cinematic Shades Expansion for Falcon
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI Atmospherics Expansion for Falcon
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI Ether Fields Expansion for Falcon
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI Spectre Expansion for Falcon
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI Analog Motion Expansion for Falcon
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI USQ-1
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI Augmented Piano
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI Cameo
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI Relayer
Lucky Sale

$129.00|$96.00

UVI Darklight IIx
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI Gypsy Jazzy
Lucky Sale

$129.00|$96.00

UVI Meteor
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI PX Apollo
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI Orchestral Suite
Lucky Sale

$199.00|$149.00

Psound Vintage Electric
$89.00

UVI Complete Toy Museum
Lucky Sale

$399.00|$299.00

UVI Nagoya Harp
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI Tines Anthology
Lucky Sale

$129.00|$96.00

UVI Energy
Lucky Sale

$49.00|$36.00

UVI Synth Anthology 2
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI Vintage Vault 2
Lucky Sale

$599.00|$449.00

UVI OB Legacy
Lucky Sale

$199.00|$149.00

UVI UVX-3P
Lucky Sale

$99.00|$74.00

UVI UVX-10P
Lucky Sale

$99.00|$74.00

UVI SweepMachine
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI Thorus
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI Grand Piano Collection
Lucky Sale

$129.00|$96.00

UVI UVX80
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI EGP Hybrid Electric Grand Piano
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI WaveRunner
Lucky Sale

$199.00|$149.00

UVI String Machines
Lucky Sale

$99.00|$74.00

UVI UVS-3200
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI IRCAM Solo Instruments
Lucky Sale

$399.00|$299.00

UVI Digital Synsations Vol. 2
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI The Beast
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI Electro Suite
Lucky Sale

$129.00|$96.00

UVI Mello
Lucky Sale

$99.00|$74.00

UVI PlugSound Pro
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$149.00|$111.00

UVI World Suite
Lucky Sale

$299.00|$224.00

UVI Attack EP88
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

Psound Bandoneon
$65.00

UVI IRCAM Prepared Piano
Lucky Sale

$399.00|$299.00

Psound World Musette
$65.00

UVI Mayhem of Loops
Lucky Sale

$99.00|$74.00

UVI Vintage Legends
Lucky Sale

$199.00|$149.00

UVI ScratchMachine
Lucky Sale

$39.00|$29.00

UVI BeatBox Anthology 2
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

Psound Vintage Accordion
$89.00

UVI Urban Suite
Lucky Sale

$129.00|$96.00

UVI Jazzistic
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI Emulation One
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI Emulation II
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI Retro Organ Suite
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI Synthox
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

UVI Percussion Store
Lucky Sale

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UVI UltraMini
Lucky Sale

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UVI WaveFrame Sound Collection
Lucky Sale

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UVI Xtreme FX
Lucky Sale

$129.00|$96.00

UVI Urban X
Lucky Sale

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UVI Digital Synsations
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI Vector Pro
Lucky Sale

$149.00|$111.00

UVI CS-M
Lucky Sale

$79.00|$59.00

User avatar
United South
Posts: 151
Joined: 27 Dec 2017

14 Apr 2018

FALCON VS KONTAKT

This is from 2016 so I don't know if Falcon has been updated. I really only looking for how it handles samples and sound libraries.


User avatar
esselfortium
Posts: 1456
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Contact:

14 Apr 2018

You can run a lot of UVI-based libraries without owning Falcon, as the UVI Workstation plugin itself is free. I don't own Falcon but I'm able to use AcousticSamples' guitar libraries.

(On that note: the GD-6 acoustic is truly fantastic all across the board, Sunbird acoustic has a great rustic tone for strumming but doesn't seem quite as versatile as the GD-6 and feels a bit awkward to mix sometimes, and the Telematic electric is a bit lacking and never sounds quite like I'd want, especially compared with Orange Tree's basically-perfect Kontakt guitars. All three have absolutely great and realistic performance features though.)
Sarah Mancuso
My music: Future Human

User avatar
United South
Posts: 151
Joined: 27 Dec 2017

14 Apr 2018

esselfortium wrote:
14 Apr 2018
You can run a lot of UVI-based libraries without owning Falcon, as the UVI Workstation plugin itself is free. I don't own Falcon but I'm able to use AcousticSamples' guitar libraries.

(On that note: the GD-6 acoustic is truly fantastic all across the board, Sunbird acoustic has a great rustic tone for strumming but doesn't seem quite as versatile as the GD-6 and feels a bit awkward to mix sometimes, and the Telematic electric is a bit lacking and never sounds quite like I'd want, especially compared with Orange Tree's basically-perfect Kontakt guitars. All three have absolutely great and realistic performance features though.)
Thanks for the input.

User avatar
bsp
Posts: 214
Joined: 18 Jan 2015

15 Apr 2018

Falcon is very deep (almost like a modular system) and sounds very good, IMHO.
Except for a few of the IRCAM sample players, it is very CPU efficient.

The patches are stored as XML files and it's easy to write patch generators for it (e.g. I wrote one that generates multisample patches).

Keep in mind that some of Falcon's features don't work (well) in Reason.

For example, MPE (requires multichannel MIDI which Reason does not support).
Another example is the CC-Switch feature that automatically selects layers depending on the current value of a continuous controller.
This feature is almost unusable since Reason reorders the MIDI events, i.e. a CC event followed by a note-on will be transformed into a note-on followed by the CC.
That means that the Falcon layer is selected _after_ the note-on, i.e. the wrong sound is played (I reported this to PH a while ago, _maybe_ this has been fixed in the meantime).

Falcon itself also has some quirks. For example it has a builtin controller interpolation that you cannot turn off (very nasty when you are modulating sample starts, for example).
The workaround for that is to use the "Host automation" input source instead and use Reason to map e.g. the modwheel CC to the VST parameter.
Another quirk is that its sample players require the first few samples of a loop to be pasted after the loop end.
You probably won't notice this with most samples but it is a (known) issue.

The UVI libraries are very good. When I bought Falcon a while ago I got a voucher and used it for the BeatBox Anthology 2 library.

Long story short: It definitely has a learning curve and some quirks but I think it is worth it. Recommended !

Soeno
Posts: 254
Joined: 09 Dec 2017

17 Apr 2018

i like falcon aswell as many libraries, besides the price maybe


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