Brando, I'm with you.  I think Cake (or somebody) has a huge opening with the demise of Alchemy, the kind of Frankensynth that melds different synth methods together in one interface.  Gawd knows we don't need another VA (tho for Cake's sake the upgraded pentagon [which I never really liked for some reason] should be included for a more vintage sound).  But lets face it, anybody who has been involved in computer recording needs and has an acoustic emulation synth (including a drum synth), like a soft Yamaha Motif or Fantom or some such.  Most need a VA.  RApt Pro seems to fit that bill (except for drum synth - even I usually use more than 6 drums).  Rapt had some nice VA samples, great filters, etc. but is much more cutting than most "real" VAs, which have a softer, maybe duller tone (but I mean that in a good way).
 
What would get my panties in a wad is a synth that you loaded in samples and could use a granular- type performance engine on it.  And wave table sequencing.  Those go together like additive and FM (yet another synth for Cake!).  At some point I'm going to have to replace what Alchemy can do, I'd prefer Cakewalk over the next guy.
 
FL Studio a few years ago got Max Claster (sp) to do a line of synths - Toxic Biohazard, an additive, etc.  It didn't really take off but they were nice and cheap (-$100 I believe).  One way for Cake to expand its audience horizon from primarily guitarists w/ a PC to more electronic musicians would be such a line of synths.  Of course, they tried that w/ P5 but then abandoned it (at the time I thought that was going to be rough to have 2 DAWs from one company).  What is funny is that SONAR has morphed toward P5 in many ways and the X-series (and Beyond!) tried to simplify the look, much like P5, but without the new engine.
 
Anyway, I like the new synth (or will, I'm sure, unless Cake messed up more than ever before), and the price seems right.  I"m betting that the new features (all kinds of touch pads), new samples and presets and the ability to load in one synth and switch between Dimension presets and Rapt presets will make it worthwhile.
 
@

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What would get my panties in a wad is a synth that you loaded in samples and could use a granular- type performance engine on it.  And wave table sequencing.  Those go together like additive and FM (yet another synth for Cake!).  At some point I'm going to have to replace what Alchemy can do, I'd prefer Cakewalk over the next guy.

I'm with you on this, but I'm not holding my breath.  That (those) would be a build-from-scratch project (unlike RapPro) and would need the likes of a Rene to pull it off.

Yeah I miss it. Pentagon just had a great sound and was dirt simple to use. Plus, like Craig said, VOCODER!
 

The thing about 'frankinsynths' is that you don't need to use all the features at once.

After reading these posts I think it's clear that Rapture Pro does not have a dedicated vocoder which Pentigan has. A brand new dedicated vocoder synth might be a good idea then.

I just installed Pentagon 1 with my Sonar X3 setup files to add it to my Platinum installation.
You can choose custom install then only select Pentagon and not even install X3 or anything else.
 
After that:
Open regedit.exe
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\rgc:audio
Software\Dxi\Pentagon I
Right click on the Pentagon I folder and select
permissions
Set the permission for group users to allow full access and
click ok

I must be missing something....
 
I am not a kbd player, so maybe that's it. But why this endless search for synthesizers? And why do you need so many? I just don't see the creativity in making a sound no one has heard before, or at least compared to making a new to everyone song. I have always thought the instruments don't really matter in a hit song, it's the whole package that sells it. Amp sims and effects I can grasp.
I can think of about a half dozen synth type sounds I like(major kbd emus actually), I don't mean to be stirring any pot, and I am trying to learn  and understand this new "world" I'm in.
 
Sometimes its just learning the lingo....

charlyg
I just don't see the creativity in making a sound no one has heard before, or at least compared to making a new to everyone song.

Don't worry Charly, we're not all the same, and that has to be good, yes?
 
There is nothing wrong in sticking with what you know and like best, and if you want to broaden your musical horizons a bit too, then there's nothing wrong with that either.
 
I'm listening to stuff in the Songs forum that I simply wouldn't b other to back at home... It makes a change to hear what other people are doing and take a trip into genres that one wouldn't normally bother to.
 
 
cheers
 
andy 

In the same way you may be tired to hear autotuned performances or recognize the use and abuse of the latest plugin / vsynth / sound treatment.
 
So some people spend a lot of time trying to find or program new or not heard often sounds.
 
Does this matter in a hit song ? I think it may sometimes make the difference, that's why a hit maker is often hired by stars to help them with their new EP / Album. Once hired too much everthing begins to sound the same and it's time for the next hyped producer.
 
In any case, my personal motivation is simply to find new and good sounds, as I am not advanced enough to design a sound from start to finish. Most synths sound the same and way too many presets sound alike and can be categorized in too few categories. That's why it can be a huge time waster ;-) But then, sometimes you can find the jewel, or just modify a preset a tad to make a great sound.
 
 

Well, an example of something outside of my genres is El Perdon, the cover that is over in the Songs forum. I had a great time watching that video. The performer's demeanor had more to do with my enjoyment of the song than the techno/electronica bits. And listening to the changes after the advice was a great learning experience as well.

charlyg
Well, an example of something outside of my genres is El Perdon, the cover that is over in the Songs forum. I had a great time watching that video. The performer's demeanor had more to do with my enjoyment of the song than the techno/electronica bits. And listening to the changes after the advice was a great learning experience as well.

+1
 
And learned a bit of Spanish, too!