So should a newbie even bother with the older plugins?

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So should a newbie even bother with the older plugins?

By joegrant413 Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:53 pm
Hello,

Just got my first MPC - the Key 61 - this week.

Obviously, waaaayyyyy too many sounds to check out for some time to come.

Should I even bother with the older Akai plug-ins? That is, just stick with Fabric, Hype, Stage EP, etc., but not the older Akai plug-ins like Odyssey?

Thanks,
Joe
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Re: So should a newbie even bother with the older plugins?

By Lampdog Sat Aug 20, 2022 10:01 pm
No matter the age, ALL the plugins have a damn good use for many styles of music. Stop thinking old. Think, “how can I use it” and you’ll go much farther with your creations.

Re: So should a newbie even bother with the older plugins?

By SuperKonquer Sun Aug 21, 2022 4:15 pm
I've been revisiting the original plugins. With the new fx options added you can get really nice sounding patches. I hated bass synth but it can sound rich and amazing with amp sim, or amp sim and air flavor. The same with electric. I can get better bass patches with lower resources from those combinations than anything thing stock in the newer plugs. I've always hated tube synth but air flavor gives it the ability to not sound like ear vomit. As a newbie I would use as much as possible so you can develop your own personal taste, and then you can ignore the things that are not useful for you.

Re: So should a newbie even bother with the older plugins?

By osquare Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:50 pm
joegrant413 wrote:Hello,

Just got my first MPC - the Key 61 - this week.

Obviously, waaaayyyyy too many sounds to check out for some time to come.

Should I even bother with the older Akai plug-ins? That is, just stick with Fabric, Hype, Stage EP, etc., but not the older Akai plug-ins like Odyssey?

Thanks,
Joe


They aren't bad plugins, but Hype, OP4 and Fabric XL are more complete packages than what the older plugins offer. You got VA and wavetable synthesis, FM synthesis and Sample based synthesis all covered by them. So they can do most if not all the work for your music.

The older plugins are more "simplistic" emulations of your run of the mill synth engines. But as others said, each covers their own sonic range. So if you want a specific sound, then they sure do the job.

Because you said you are a newbie, I'd say tweak around a bit first with the OP4 and Fabric XL engines while going through all the sounds they offer. And if you want to learn real synthesis try out the older Odyssey or Tubesynth, because those work like how actual synths would work.

To me the only real uninteresting plugin would be the Solina, because the new Fabric XL / Piano / Strings / ... just blows that one out of the water for the same type of sounds.

Re: So should a newbie even bother with the older plugins?

By joegrant413 Mon Aug 22, 2022 1:57 am
osquare wrote:
They aren't bad plugins, but Hype, OP4 and Fabric XL are more complete packages than what the older plugins offer. You got VA and wavetable synthesis, FM synthesis and Sample based synthesis all covered by them. So they can do most if not all the work for your music.

The older plugins are more "simplistic" emulations of your run of the mill synth engines. But as others said, each covers their own sonic range. So if you want a specific sound, then they sure do the job.

Because you said you are a newbie, I'd say tweak around a bit first with the OP4 and Fabric XL engines while going through all the sounds they offer. And if you want to learn real synthesis try out the older Odyssey or Tubesynth, because those work like how actual synths would work.

To me the only real uninteresting plugin would be the Solina, because the new Fabric XL / Piano / Strings / ... just blows that one out of the water for the same type of sounds.


Thanks, that helps! Gotta’ start somewhere.

Re: So should a newbie even bother with the older plugins?

By osquare Mon Aug 22, 2022 6:25 am
joegrant413 wrote:Thanks, that helps! Gotta’ start somewhere.


No problem, and don't let it stop you from testing them all out. Hype is the closest you can get with modern VST's, but that one can be a bit confusing with the OP-1 style of random "Hype" shenanigans it has.

Akai also has started with releasing their own tutorial/intro vids for the key, so you cam have a look there as well:

https://www.youtube.com/c/AkaiProVideo/playlists
For Hype: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHZZIhrV6lk

Re: So should a newbie even bother with the older plugins?

By 40Beatz Mon Aug 22, 2022 2:08 pm
Lampdog wrote:No matter the age, ALL the plugins have a damn good use for many styles of music. Stop thinking old. Think, “how can I use it” and you’ll go much farther with your creations.



:worthy:
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