Free E-MU Proteus VX

ORIGINAL: KenB123

Maybe old news to you, but it was new to me. Has some great sounds.

http://www.emu.com/promo/proteusvx/

You will get the full version of Proteus VX Software Sound Module software which includes the enhanced v2.0.1 Proteus X Composer Bank. (a special E-MU tweaked version of the Composer bank) that can be used in all versions of Proteus X or Emulator X software. Proteus VX is not copy protected or card locked, and can be used either as a VSTi or in stand alone mode.

No limitations?

thanks Ken , yep it was mentioned her some time ago..

other things you might like if you haven't got them already

NI kore player + the Christmas pack they are doing
http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=koreplayer

http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=holidaycompilation&L=1

yellow tools independence free
http://www.yellowtools.us/cp21/cms/index.php?id=842

uvi

http://www.uvisoundsource.com/uvi-workstation/article_info.php/articles_id/8

some do install copy protection things, so if like some people you don't like , then they aren't for you.

Tal has some nice things yoiu might find of interesting
http://kunz.corrupt.ch/?Products

I like the bassline one, and I should try the vocoder they did but haven't yet.

keith, kore it's not bad in the sense of other aspects.. I mean the patch browser + the fact you can chain any of your vst-i's / fx to make new sounds even if they aren't NI ones.

ORIGINAL: Fog
keith, kore it's not bad in the sense of other aspects.. I mean the patch browser + the fact you can chain any of your vst-i's / fx to make new sounds even if they aren't NI ones.

No, not bad at all. I thought it sounded good, and hey you can't argue with a free player for loading low-cost sound packs. For some reason I was just put off by the one-at-a-time nature of it... like you have all of this "engine power", if you will, but you can only deal with one sound at a time. I guess that's probably one of the things that separates the free product from the not-free product (at least from what I can tell from the description of the missing "sound matrix" from Kore 2)...

As far as why one would want to avod multiple instances: obviously, if it requires multiple instances to get the sounds you want, then you need to use mulitple instances... this is the reality of using most of today's soft synths, particularly VAs and such that are not generally multitimbral. However, with something as complex as the Kore player with it's 5 or so sound engines, I'm thinking a single instance of Kore player has a certain substantial per-instance overhead that you'd like to take advantage of across sounds/patches. So... if a single Kore player requires, let's say, 100MB by itself (no sounds loaded, just voice and engine buffers, etc.), then 5 instances carries an overhead of 500MB. On the the other hand, if a single instance could host multiple sounds then the overhead might be 1/4 of that. This perspective is based on my experience with Kontakt, but I don't have any real data to back this up wrt. Kore free or Kore 2... would be curious to see real numbers on Kore player overhead, which I might do later if I have time.

Fog,

Thanks for all the mentions of the other synths. I have them all but have never installed them. But after finding what an incredible thing the Proteus VX was I tried some of the others.

One you didn't mention was Tascam's CVP (Continous Velocity Piano): http://www.tascam.com/details;8,7,51.html. It's a free download but I can't get it to install. I don't see that you need anything previous (any Tascam, GVI, GIGA, etc.) thing installed. There are several "setup.exe"'s in the installation package (of course only one per folder) so I started with the first one named but installation error I get is

"This software requires Service Pack 2 for Windows XP (Version 5.1.2600) or later. Please see the documentation for the operating system requirements.".

I have WinXP (Home) with Service Pack 3 and all critical updates. Has anyone else seen this problem or know the answer?

TIA.

free

"This software requires Service Pack 2 for Windows XP (Version 5.1.2600) or later. Please see the documentation for the operating system requirements.".

I have WinXP (Home) with Service Pack 3 and all critical updates. Has anyone else seen this problem or know the answer?

You seem to have answered your own question. My guess is that the coders neglected to consider the "SP2 or higher" case, so the installer fails because you are now on SP3. This category of coding screw-up used to be very common, but, fortunately, it is not widespread any more. As I think that Tascam has given up supporting this (and other Giga) products, I think your only chance is to roll back to SP2 ... but is that really worth it? Only you can decide ...

One you didn't mention was Tascam's CVP (Continous Velocity Piano): http://www.tascam.com/details;8,7,51.html. It's a free download but I can't get it to install.

I can't even get the link to work...

I forgot about the piano.. I did download the tascam one , but am pretty much swamped with pianos and haven't tried it.. thankfully they aren't real or I'd have to move to a warehouse

All the companies are pretty much going for the angle where the money is being made from the additional sound packs and the engine being the intro.

probably my favourite freebies over the years are things like synth1, dahornet , glitch and a few more.

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/214.html
(the additional presets people have made REALLY make it good)

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/416.html

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1904.html

I'd have said superwave p8, but heck they lost kudos when the messed their registered customers (inc. me) about.

of course Muz3um (for rapture & LE) by Francesco is very good also, but heck I'm biased..hehe

It's tricky though if you go KVR, you can find a lot of gems, but some of the things look very nice, but the sound is poor. Or they are coded in a way and really batter you cpu.

Synth1 is an excellent VA, and amazingly, keeps playing along with each new version of Sonar.

Other synths, available for free download, or a small donation, that are quite good:

- Oatmeal - a most interesting VA hybrid, that always surprises me with the variety of sound available (like Synth1). The base skin for Oatmeal is bland and uninspiring (hence, the name). Fortunately, there are alternate skins available, that improve the plugin's useability and overall aesthetics. You'll find many patch libraries available for download, from the whole cast of web-based sound designers. It's a very popular synth.
- DSK Ethereal Pads, Darkness Theory, and many of the instrument simulations: Guitar, Organ, Horns, etc.
- Krakli many synths emulate old workhorses, and include a few esoteric electronic sound generators as well. It's a large collection and all free.
- Ugo is another producer of interesting synths, some free.
- Wollo Drone and FMera -- Drone sounds like old Roland analogs, while FMera is a pad synth with a few interesting features. These are free.
- H.G. Fortune has a unique collection of synths, some free and some for shareware prices (in the range of $40 to $80), based on interesting libraries of SF2 waves. These libraries include sweet string pads, drones, metal, unique modulations and morphs, additive, subtractive, fm, and other synthesis techniques -- you name it. He's also been developing a line of rhythm/mood generating synths for electronica.
- Finally, don't forget the RGC freebies like Square, Triangle, and Pentagon, which may be available here, but if not, check KVR.

I've barely scratched the surface. There are dozens of great sounding synths freely available for download, but you must do your own research. Fortunately, KVRAudio.com contains a comprehensive database of plugin info. KVR is a great source of news, information, and has a forum peopled by knowledgeable participants (who are also highly opinionated, so if you choose to participate, do not forget to wear your under armor). Also, Rekkerd.org is a source of patch library downloads (and the source of DSK downloads).

A warning -- you can lose a good year exploring this territory, so use your time wisely. The excitement of discovering new sounds and tools can be very distracting, and has been known to kill the momentum of many projects. It is usually best to postpone this adventure until you are between projects. (Some say that you're much better off postponing this exploration, forever.)