Thorn: Dmitry Sches' Spectral PolySynth Free with this month's Computer Music 257

Discuss VST stuff here!
User avatar
Loque
Moderator
Posts: 11170
Joined: 28 Dec 2015

13 Jun 2018

Just noticed, that the guy which designed Thorn, also designed Luna, Humana, and more:
https://vogerdesign.com/pages/portfolio#prettyPhoto
Reason12, Win10

User avatar
EnochLight
Moderator
Posts: 8405
Joined: 17 Jan 2015
Location: Imladris

13 Jun 2018

Loque wrote:
13 Jun 2018
Just noticed, that the guy which designed Thorn, also designed Luna, Humana, and more:
https://vogerdesign.com/pages/portfolio#prettyPhoto
Nice find!

I always thought the GUI of Humana/Klang/Pangea looked rather pleasing (even though they’re all the same). I think Thorn looks fabulous.
Win 10 | Ableton Live 11 Suite |  Reason 12 | i7 3770k @ 3.5 Ghz | 16 GB RAM | RME Babyface Pro | Akai MPC Live 2 & Akai Force | Roland System 8, MX1, TB3 | Dreadbox Typhon | Korg Minilogue XD

jimmyklane
Posts: 740
Joined: 16 Apr 2018

13 Jun 2018

I’m having a lot of trouble getting to know this synth. I bought the CM issue simply to get another capable synthesizer for $5....however, I’m finding that the wavetables are more coarse than Europa, and while the filter DOES sound pretty good I’ve just not jived enough to start making any sounds at all.

Does having Europa make this synth obsolete? Why so/not???
DAW: Reason 12

SAMPLERS: Akai MPC 2000, E-mu SP1200, E-Mu e5000Ultra, Ensoniq EPS 16+, Akai S950, Maschine

SYNTHS: Mostly classic Polysynths and more modern Monosynths. All are mostly food for my samplers!

www.soundcloud.com/jimmyklane

User avatar
fotizimo
Posts: 285
Joined: 15 Jan 2016
Location: Canada
Contact:

13 Jun 2018

jimmyklane wrote:
13 Jun 2018
I’m having a lot of trouble getting to know this synth.
The funny part for me is, that I enjoy Thorn more than Europa, and find Thorn much more user-friendly. I purchased the v10 upgrade of Reason a few weeks ago specifically to get Grain and Europa, but very quickly saw Thorn CM. I immediately bought it, but my wallet wasn't happy with the v10 upgrade and Thorn purchase so quickly (~325 in a two week period). I also like to take a cool-down period when I buy a new synth and get to know it before buying anything new, but with Thorn, I wanted to see how much more I could do with the full version, than the CM version. I was immediately capable of making big sounds. As a matter of fact, I immediately started putting together my first ever sound pack, which I have never really done with any synth before. Sure I have made some of my own sounds with other synths, but with Thorn I find I am experimenting with the settings and really making interesting sounds.

With Thorn I find each setting makes sense, and can follow the audio path, and therefore have an idea when I reach for a knob, what I am going to do to the sound. I do not get that as much with Europa or Waldorf's Nave, and I enjoy both of those synths so much. Plus with the Glitch, Apr, Harmonic Filter, and various effects, individual settings can all have their own saved patches. That is not possible with the Rack Extension format.

On the opposite side of the scale for me, Grain is the synth that I just can't seem to wrap my head around. I like what I hear other people do with it, and wow, do those pad sounds just jump out, but I cannot get that thing to make anything that sounds pleasing at all on my own from a reset device. With Thorn, I find I can make a great sound, save it, and go back to the init patch so often and create something new. And when I go back and listen to my previous Thorn sounds, I really enjoy them.


I have gone back to almost all of my recent tracks to see if I can add Thorn in somewhere, or replace something I already had made, and that is not something I can say I have done with any other synth.
Fotizimo @ Instagram
:reason: on Surface Pro 4
Nektar Impact 25
Novation Launchkey Mini
Arturia SparkLE Spark Codec for Reason

jimmyklane
Posts: 740
Joined: 16 Apr 2018

13 Jun 2018

fotizimo wrote:
13 Jun 2018
jimmyklane wrote:
13 Jun 2018
I’m having a lot of trouble getting to know this synth.
The funny part for me is, that I enjoy Thorn more than Europa, and find Thorn much more user-friendly. I purchased the v10 upgrade of Reason a few weeks ago specifically to get Grain and Europa, but very quickly saw Thorn CM. I immediately bought it, but my wallet wasn't happy with the v10 upgrade and Thorn purchase so quickly (~325 in a two week period). I also like to take a cool-down period when I buy a new synth and get to know it before buying anything new, but with Thorn, I wanted to see how much more I could do with the full version, than the CM version. I was immediately capable of making big sounds. As a matter of fact, I immediately started putting together my first ever sound pack, which I have never really done with any synth before. Sure I have made some of my own sounds with other synths, but with Thorn I find I am experimenting with the settings and really making interesting sounds.

With Thorn I find each setting makes sense, and can follow the audio path, and therefore have an idea when I reach for a knob, what I am going to do to the sound. I do not get that as much with Europa or Waldorf's Nave, and I enjoy both of those synths so much. Plus with the Glitch, Apr, Harmonic Filter, and various effects, individual settings can all have their own saved patches. That is not possible with the Rack Extension format.

On the opposite side of the scale for me, Grain is the synth that I just can't seem to wrap my head around. I like what I hear other people do with it, and wow, do those pad sounds just jump out, but I cannot get that thing to make anything that sounds pleasing at all on my own from a reset device. With Thorn, I find I can make a great sound, save it, and go back to the init patch so often and create something new. And when I go back and listen to my previous Thorn sounds, I really enjoy them.


I have gone back to almost all of my recent tracks to see if I can add Thorn in somewhere, or replace something I already had made, and that is not something I can say I have done with any other synth.
Yeah, you and I are on opposite sides of the spectrum here. I started sampling my own waveforms into Grain right away and got beautiful pad sounds within 10 minutes (hint: try a saw wave sync sound, or perhaps a morphing oscillator (tri-saw-square-pulse) like the newer Moogs have. My last song I posted (viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7507282) has an intro that is created entirely with Grain and Europa....then it goes into a rhythmic section that is entirely analog synths and vintage (old!) samplers with outboard processing. What’s amazing is that the two parts of the track mesh SO well!

I spent an hour or so this morning playing with ThornCM, and while I really like the filter options (DirtyLP is a favorite) the raw oscillators themselves leave me feeling like I’m missing something. So far it just sounds cheap to me. If you’d be willing to send me s few of your patches, I’d really love to see what the synth is capable of!
DAW: Reason 12

SAMPLERS: Akai MPC 2000, E-mu SP1200, E-Mu e5000Ultra, Ensoniq EPS 16+, Akai S950, Maschine

SYNTHS: Mostly classic Polysynths and more modern Monosynths. All are mostly food for my samplers!

www.soundcloud.com/jimmyklane

User avatar
Arrant
Competition Winner
Posts: 521
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

13 Jun 2018

Stunning offer, that is one lovely sounding synth. I'm struggling not to upgrade for $89.
Don't bother reading the magazine though :?

User avatar
Loque
Moderator
Posts: 11170
Joined: 28 Dec 2015

13 Jun 2018

Arrant wrote:
13 Jun 2018
Stunning offer, that is one lovely sounding synth. I'm struggling not to upgrade for $89.
Don't bother reading the magazine though :?
Dont forget there is a code in the magazine with a discount.
Reason12, Win10

User avatar
Arrant
Competition Winner
Posts: 521
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

13 Jun 2018

Loque wrote:
13 Jun 2018
Arrant wrote:
13 Jun 2018
Stunning offer, that is one lovely sounding synth. I'm struggling not to upgrade for $89.
Don't bother reading the magazine though :?
Dont forget there is a code in the magazine with a discount.
I know, hence the 89. Full price is 119 I think.

Edit: Aand it's on summer sale for 89 right now anyway, making the CM offer quite redundant.

User avatar
stratatonic
Posts: 1507
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: CANADA

13 Jun 2018

Arrant wrote:
13 Jun 2018
Loque wrote:
13 Jun 2018

Dont forget there is a code in the magazine with a discount.
I know, hence the 89. Full price is 119 I think.

Edit: Aand it's on summer sale for 89 right now anyway, making the CM offer quite redundant.
The CM code works at the reduced price for a grand total of 59 dollars.

User avatar
Arrant
Competition Winner
Posts: 521
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

13 Jun 2018

stratatonic wrote:
13 Jun 2018
Arrant wrote:
13 Jun 2018


I know, hence the 89. Full price is 119 I think.

Edit: Aand it's on summer sale for 89 right now anyway, making the CM offer quite redundant.
The CM code works at the reduced price for a grand total of 59 dollars.
Wot.. That’s excellent news, thanks !!

Post Reply
  • Information
  • Who is online

    Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests