Virus KC versus z3ta+

[Scottie]

Hi all..

Newbie here. Be gentle! Just to kick off with a rather non-descript question:

Can anyone list the pro's and con's or a comparison of the Virus KC against the z3ta+? Aside from the obvious factor of price, what would you consider better, and why?

[Juho L]

Well, short googling gave me info that z3ta+ is somesort of wavetable VST synth.

Comparisation is simple: Virus' filter sound much better and also on other areas the sound is much better. But on the other hand Virus can't produce the sounds you can make with wavetable system. I'd say that there's no point comparing these two. Get them both if you like.

[Scottie]

Ahh, a fellow Monkey Island lover...

The reason for my question really is that I already own a virus kc, and am more than pleased with what is has to offer without having really scratched the surface of it's capabilites. But someone I spoke to tried to inform me that the kc was pretty much sub standard in comparison to the z3ta+! Obviously I was more than curious as to how much strength this held...

[Tomer=Trance]

the z3ta filters sound realy thin compering to the virus's....
and its a realy havey vst,eats out alot of cpu.

[TommyS]

There was a Virus C mod for the Z3ta released unofficially a couple months ago. It took some waveforms from the virus to get a virus-ish sound. But the only draw back was they were all arped and sounded really crap when used without them.

The virus really kicks the z3ta`s ass. Its not nearly as fat and as said before the filters are nothing like each other with the virus coming out on top.

But the z3ta is a good software synth to have, defiantly worth having on your system..

[Scottie]

Cheers for your answers so far people. I'm still sticking with the idea that the Virus is better in general. This is what the guy told me, when saying the z3ta+ was better (just so you get an idea of what he thought)...

- 8 oscillators compared to the virus' 4
- 8 envelopes compare to virus' 2
- 32 bit process compared to virus' 24bit
- 64 voice polyphony compared to virus' 32
- 6 LFOs compare to virus' 3
- 60 modulation matrix destinations compared to virus' 9
- 10 filter modes compare to virus' 4
- 7 band eq compared to virus' 3 band
- option to create your own waveforms
- built in compressors
- use any midi file as an arpegiattor pattern
- built in x-y pad
- built in frequency analyzer

.... any comments? I was gonna point out that the virus didnt need a compressor as the 6 available outputs could be run through compressors themselves or through a digital desk with inbuilt compressor and multi-fx.

[Juho L]

Originally Posted by Scottie

Cheers for your answers so far people. I'm still sticking with the idea that the Virus is better in general. This is what the guy told me, when saying the z3ta+ was better (just so you get an idea of what he thought)...

- 8 oscillators compared to the virus' 4
- 8 envelopes compare to virus' 2
...
- built in x-y pad
- built in frequency analyzer

.... any comments? I was gonna point out that the virus didnt need a compressor as the 6 available outputs could be run through compressors themselves or through a digital desk with inbuilt compressor and multi-fx.

The specs don't tell the whole truth. If I'd make a VST synth that has 10 oscillators, 10 envelopes and five filters at once, it wouldn't mean that it's good. Quantity isn't quality you know.

[TommyS]

Dont believe the hype that goes with softsynths. These company`s do this all the time to fool people into think they are better than hardware synths.


Steinberg just released hypersonic which they said would be at the cutting edge because it`d contain nearly every type of synthesis. But they didnt tell anyone these would be in sample form with limited parameters.

But there is some truthfull companys out there. Arturia is one which dont hype there synths.

This person sounds like a noob

Just get him to do his best trance riff on the z3ta and then you do one on the virus. He`ll soon see the difference. If not its time to slap some sense into them

[Scottie]

Heheh, I'm well up for slapping some sense into him..... but seeing as how I'm a noob on this board, do i have to slap myself too? hehe

[TommyS]

No not all. But feel free to give Juho a slap from time to time :P