Spectra Sale

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strangers
Competition Winner
Posts: 793
Joined: 06 Mar 2017
Location: NJ

08 Sep 2020

Haven't looked at the shop in a while since I've been content with everything I have. Noticed there's a "mystery" sale for Spectra ($39).

https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... nthesizer/

Hard to pass on this although I can't remember why I didn't purchase Spectra during the last sale. What are everyone's thoughts on this RE?

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Auryn
Posts: 842
Joined: 12 Aug 2015
Location: La Mancha

08 Sep 2020

I remember checking this out when it was released. It's basically a purely additive synth like parsec or oberon (europa and expanse are also at least part additive btw but also incorporate elements of regular/subtractive synthesis). I was impressed by the sound quality but the implementation of the sample loading feature put me off. Instead of loading a full wav like oberon, expanse or europa can, you can only load 10 (i think) snapshots of a wave and morph between them. This might work well for capturing the timbre of say a horn or violin, but won't work for a drum loop for example or a spoken phrase. As resampling is one of my interests in sound design I was a bit disappointed by this so I skipped it.

When it was first announced the resampling function was new and sounded very exciting, but it took a long time to develop. In the mean time expanse, oberon and europa got updates with sample importing functionality which was better implemented (without the snapshot limitation) so I guess it's thunder was just stolen by the big boys.

In its defense I have to say it does have some functions/parameters that oberon and parsec don't have, and the sound quality is certainly comparable IMHO. In the limited time I spent with it I definitely got some unique sounds out of it. The overall impression I had of the UI was also very favorable. But in the end the sound design options of the other synths drew me away.
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Quixotic Sound Design: http://www.quixoticsounddesign.com
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EdGrip
Posts: 2343
Joined: 03 Jun 2016

08 Sep 2020

I think between Europa and Thorn I'm covered for additive, but I enjoy that this synth exists. It's pure AF.

loopeydoug
Posts: 149
Joined: 11 Oct 2018

08 Sep 2020

Specter is the only synth I ever passed on because it was too much synth for me. That thing is in the future.

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Loque
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Posts: 11170
Joined: 28 Dec 2015

09 Sep 2020

Here is somewhere already a thread about it. Very informative.

I think the morphable filter, spectra and harmonic envelope are outstanding unique.

Edit: Check this out:
search.php?keywords=spectra&terms=all&a ... mit=Search
Last edited by Loque on 09 Sep 2020, edited 1 time in total.
Reason12, Win10

Mataya
Posts: 518
Joined: 03 May 2019

09 Sep 2020

Filters are great and when you start making sounds with it and realise you got this great sound and you didn't use any effects(because there isn't any in the synth), that's when you get impressed by it. At least I was.

I think the interface is unnecessary complicated. The front panel is ok I guess, but when you go into the menu, it's feels like Korg wavestation or something like that.

Did I say the filters are great? :p

M

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FLVZ
Posts: 519
Joined: 17 Aug 2016
Location: ZW | GB

09 Sep 2020

I think I'm going to have to jump on this. This synth just looks so fascinating and different to the other additive synths I have. And I am quite interested by this unique way of sampling (snapshots) that was mentioned above!

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Billy+
Posts: 4157
Joined: 09 Dec 2016

09 Sep 2020

I think I passed on it as it looks really heavy, not sure if my old rack could hold it with all them screws :lol:

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Loque
Moderator
Posts: 11170
Joined: 28 Dec 2015

09 Sep 2020

Flavolous wrote:
09 Sep 2020
I think I'm going to have to jump on this. This synth just looks so fascinating and different to the other additive synths I have. And I am quite interested by this unique way of sampling (snapshots) that was mentioned above!
Maybe i should add, that you need to RTFM, well at least i needed it ;)
Reason12, Win10

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MannequinRaces
Posts: 1543
Joined: 18 Jan 2015

09 Sep 2020

Very tempting... must... resist, lol.

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FLVZ
Posts: 519
Joined: 17 Aug 2016
Location: ZW | GB

09 Sep 2020

Loque wrote:
09 Sep 2020
Flavolous wrote:
09 Sep 2020
I think I'm going to have to jump on this. This synth just looks so fascinating and different to the other additive synths I have. And I am quite interested by this unique way of sampling (snapshots) that was mentioned above!
Maybe i should add, that you need to RTFM, well at least i needed it ;)
Didn't you find the video tutorials any use? Or are they just enough to get you started? I'm not an avid reader but willing to dabble where foreign controls exist :D

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TritoneAddiction
Competition Winner
Posts: 4219
Joined: 29 Aug 2015
Location: Sweden

09 Sep 2020

I want to like this, but listening through the Patch Preview video and I just don't hear a very strong character in this synth. I mean it sounds alright, but I do find it a little bit bland sounding. The filter especially. Of course ever since I got to play around with the filter section in Legend, every other soft synth filter sound tame in comparison. The Legend ruined a lot of other synths for me. :lol: Damn you Synapse, I can no longer believe the old saying "You can do that in Thor". And those that still say you can, you're wrong. :)

Back to Spectra, maybe the secret is to make your own sounds? In that case I'm screwed.

Mataya
Posts: 518
Joined: 03 May 2019

09 Sep 2020

Filters are in no way as the one in Legend. They are "spectral". :) Very Flexible, they just lack the drive and dirty sometimes. You can draw two filter responses and morph between them. Great for sculpting nice sounds. So they'r not just useful for subtractive, which makes sense since it's an additive synth.
And those that say they don't sound good are just wrong. :)

Best filters I've heard in Reason are the ones in Viking II. My favorite synth ever.

M
Last edited by Mataya on 11 Sep 2020, edited 1 time in total.

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FLVZ
Posts: 519
Joined: 17 Aug 2016
Location: ZW | GB

11 Sep 2020

TritoneAddiction wrote:
09 Sep 2020
I want to like this, but listening through the Patch Preview video and I just don't hear a very strong character in this synth. I mean it sounds alright, but I do find it a little bit bland sounding. The filter especially. Of course ever since I got to play around with the filter section in Legend, every other soft synth filter sound tame in comparison. The Legend ruined a lot of other synths for me. :lol: Damn you Synapse, I can no longer believe the old saying "You can do that in Thor". And those that still say you can, you're wrong. :)

Back to Spectra, maybe the secret is to make your own sounds? In that case I'm screwed.
My understanding is that the secret is in the tweakability, so in turn you probably can make presets sound very interesting in theory. Yet to test this theory...

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antic604
Posts: 1134
Joined: 02 Apr 2020

06 Nov 2020

I forgot how good this one sounds!
Many of the patches are simply brilliant and very unsual sounding - pads, leads, basses!

Too bad I'm too stupid to program it :D
Music tech enthusiast.
DAW, VST & hardware hoarder.
My "music": https://soundcloud.com/antic604

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WasteLand
Posts: 131
Joined: 04 Jun 2018
Contact:

26 Dec 2020

bought in this sale noise engineering bundle 1 (last sale bundle 2), and because of the additive oscillators of noise engineering (most of them), and zebra2, strangely enough, the sale, i was mainly interested in the additive/specral effects of zebra2, zebra2 is definitely a great synth, but because i have many soft(ware) modulars (and MSoundFactory), it was difficult to decide to buy zebra2. i settled for zebralette, the free version, that i can use as a module in voltage modular ánd VCV rack ánd reason. enough for me..

but the additive/spectral capabilities of zebra2 are great, but in depth control, make your own spectal morphing.

so i decided to buy the spectra additive synthesizer.

wow what a beast, i will program it myself. i know already additive and spectral. not on an expert level, but enough to understand it.

strangely no phase in the spectrum, or better the additive spectrum editor. and no inharmonics.

but that does not mean a real limitation, i won't do much resynthesis (and my samples are very inharmonic, my own samples).

FFT is also capable for inharmonics, see a for example vaporizer2 or serum. but this is more in depth, that at this point i really understand.

the first patch i made with custom spectrum, custom filters, drawn myself.. ('i am drawn that way,' from the movie who framed roger rabit, his wife says it..), already sound great, can be much better, so many possibilities, that can interact in many ways, so only scratching the surface.

and that patch through Delta V-Audio SpaceCraft (from tracktion, or licensed under tracktion, or how do you call it), a granular synth, also can be used as an FX...

wow additive/spectral synthesis plus granular (re)composing. still very basic, but this promisses a spectrum (yes, yes) of new possibilties.

so the Spectra Additive Synthesizer is one of the reason-only instruments, that is very special. also in the vst realm.

i work more and more experimental in reason, with europa, thor, grain, and even parsec en sonic can be used to create out-of-world sounds, for every genre, my genre now? the experiments will lead me...
Win 10 Pro. R11 suite + R12. Nektar Panorama p1. Ryzen 9 5900X. Cubase Pro 11, Bitwig Studio 4.4, Reaper 6.68, Ableton Live 11 Suite. RME Hammerfall DSP Multiface.

https://soundcloud.com/sada-exposada

https://soundcloud.com/user-873737123

cixelsyd
Posts: 8
Joined: 05 Aug 2015

03 Mar 2021

Back on sale for March and April

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phithegoldenratio
Posts: 55
Joined: 30 Jul 2018

04 Mar 2021

brilliant! finally buying this end of march :puf_bigsmile:

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miscend
Posts: 1955
Joined: 09 Feb 2015

04 Mar 2021

Let's hear some of your patches

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littlejam
Posts: 787
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

13 Mar 2021

hello,

just tabbing for a future reference manual

great re

the demo songs got me

mahalos,

j
littlejamaicastudios
i7 2.8ghz / 24GB ddr3 / Quadro 4000 x 2 / ProFire 610
reason 10 / reaper / acidpro /akai mpk mini / korg padkontrol / axiom 25 / radium 49
'i get by with a lot of help from my friends'

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