Moshkiae

Old55
If it's everything they claim it will be, I'd love to have one.  However, price(I'm also unlikely to have the money for one any time soon) and space are considerations. 

Go to the Arturia website and check out the samples for their software. I doubt that the Korg machine will be this good, or flexible. Not to mention that the price you can get the software for is way lower than this keyboard. I think you can play on it for a few days, don't quote me on it.
 
A friend of ours in Santa Barbara got the ARP Quadra, or something like that, which I think was the sister/brother to the Odyssey. It was big, too!

I;ve been to the Arturia web site and I was tempted, but I thought I saw that they use iLok security and I'm not interest in adding any dongles to my DAW if I can help it.  I almost got the G-Force Odyssey software just this week, but I have to upgrade my PC before I start stock-piling software. I already have X3 sitting here waiting for the hardware to get installed on.  

A friend of mine had an Arp Axxe which I got to tinker with a lot.  It's the little brother of the Odyssey and basically the same style of cabinet.  It wasn't the size that was a space problem. it was the layout.  Because the controls were on the top of the synth, you couldn't stack anything on it.The MiniMoog was the same way.  I took a look at some photos of the Quadra, it looks like it's twice the size of an Odyssey.  The Quadra has 61 keys and the Odyssey appears to have 37 keys.  

Old55
I;ve been to the Arturia web site and I was tempted, but I thought I saw that they use iLok security and I'm not interest in adding any dongles to my DAW if I can help it.  I almost got the G-Force Odyssey software just this week, but I have to upgrade my PC before I start stock-piling software. I already have X3 sitting here waiting for the hardware to get installed on.  

Arturia no longer requires a dongle, I acquired the V collection when it was on sale a couple of months back and its fully functional without additional appendages.
 
The G-Force Oddety was half price for existing G-Force customers recently and I was breifly tempted but passed, I have the Arturia 2600 now, Oddity is 32 bit only and the price was still above my "no brainer" threshold.
 
The Quadra came later than the Oddesy and AXXE and was a very different beast, a combination of a string machine with bass, lead and polysynth sections.

a VST cannot replicate hardware EVEN if its a digital VA blah blah ...Rubbish. I have owned nearly every hardware synth there was and yes they can. So well it is breathtaking. Stop waffling on about hardware VS software and get back to the music. If you music is great the synth does not matter that much!
 
This new ARP is just another feeble attempt to get people to waste money on hardware thinking that is the only way you can get that sound. Not so, there are other ways to get the very same sound. And for far less as well.

Glyn Barnes

Old55
I;ve been to the Arturia web site and I was tempted, but I thought I saw that they use iLok security and I'm not interest in adding any dongles to my DAW if I can help it.  I almost got the G-Force Odyssey software just this week, but I have to upgrade my PC before I start stock-piling software. I already have X3 sitting here waiting for the hardware to get installed on.  

Arturia no longer requires a dongle, I acquired the V collection when it was on sale a couple of months back and its fully functional without additional appendages.
 
The G-Force Oddety was half price for existing G-Force customers recently and I was breifly tempted but passed, I have the Arturia 2600 now, Oddity is 32 bit only and the price was still above my "no brainer" threshold.
 
The Quadra came later than the Oddesy and AXXE and was a very different beast, a combination of a string machine with bass, lead and polysynth sections.

Good to know about the dongle, thanks.  I was eligible for the discount from G-Force since I have their Virtual String Machine.  I guess I might still have a few hours for the discount.  They've been gradually converting their apps to 64-bit.  Th Oddity page has a 64-bit logo and the compatibility page says it is a  64/32 instrument.  I'm not sure if that means it's full 64-bit or not.  Here's the page:  
 
http://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/oddity/compatibility
 
 

No wonder I was confused.  I own a G-Force (from TC Electronics - it's wonderful), but I didn't know there was a company named "G-Force."
 
Well, now I do I guess!

I love the VSM.  That one is now 64-bit.  I won't get into the hardware vs. software debate except to say that I really like have physical nobs and sliders.  I know there are control surfaces and things that can work, but sometimes it's such a struggle to get them to work.  It's just nice to plug in, turn it on and go.  
 
In spite of my lyrics on the VSTs song, I'm not against them.  I was just inspired by a few threads here in the CH.  They are an exaggeration of those conversations.  

I know there are control surfaces and things that can work, but sometimes it's such a struggle to get them to work.....
 
Only with some programs. Not with others. eg Studio One. Fastest and slickest DAW to get controller surface knobs and things to link with software. You move a knob on the control surface, you move the parameter in your synth and click on link. Then its done!  It is actually stored on a individual project basis. The same knob can do something completely different in a different project.
 
My Kurzweil PC3K has 10 sliders on the front panel and they can all be linked the same way to anything in the software. Cool or what. I can get a filter opening and closing or attack paramter to change in seconds. As it should be.

Old55
I love the VSM.  That one is now 64-bit.  I won't get into the hardware vs. software debate except to say that I really like have physical nobs and sliders.  I know there are control surfaces and things that can work, but sometimes it's such a struggle to get them to work.  It's just nice to plug in, turn it on and go.  
 
In spite of my lyrics on the VSTs song, I'm not against them.  I was just inspired by a few threads here in the CH.  They are an exaggeration of those conversations.  

After so much time spent tweaking software amp sims - and even though I am totally happy with my POD HD when it comes to recording, my little practice amp is the still my first option if I want to play guitar. Just play and maybe come up with some idea. Even if it doesn't sound all that good and its just a tiny little 8" speaker... I find it easier to shut off everything else and not be distracted by engineering considerations and such. 
 
In terms of mapping, Logic is as easy as it gets, and it's all incredibly useful. And I'm all for virtual instruments.
 
But there's something about not having to rely on a computer... I don't know, it limits your options and forces you to focus on what you have instead of what you could try. Just like you don't interact the same way with two different guitars or amps...
 
At least that's how it works for me - it allows me to switch back to being a guitar player.
 
And I'm guessing it's pretty much the same thing with synths. For example, a friend of ours whom we visited last September has a CS-80 in his studio - and it has that "kid in a candy store" factor to it, unlike VSTi's. That thing draws you in, it has a smell, a feel, a uniqueness. No doubt that the virtual version is 1000 times more flexible and all, but to me, that's not all there is.

I'm glad you like Studio One, Jeff.  Please say "Hi" to Bub for me.  
 
It's funny.  This is an interesting debate.  Your points are well taken.  I'm not sure why we're having it, though.  I probably won't get the Korg even though I'd like to.  Again, I'm not anti-soft synths.  The VSM and my old Emulator X2 are great, even if the Emu is getting a bit old now.  The VSM does tons more than my old Elka string synth ever did.  
 
I have a few luddite leanings for a technician--and that's getting worse as I get older.  I just want to talk on my phone, for example.  Other times, I like to mess with things and figure them out.  If I had the time, money, and space I'd probably be playing around with some synth modules.  That's not likely to happen any time soon either.  
 
I have a MIDI controller that has a lot of programmable sliders and buttons.  It worked pretty well with Sonar--probably 7 and 8.5.  I haven't tried it with the X series yet because it's not currently hooked-up for space reasons(it's an 88-key unit).  
 
Cheers.  

I'm fully willing to use either hardware or software synths.  Whatever people are willing to give me for free that is!
(I can't wait until I'm able to afford to have to make these kind of choices again!)