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Hi, could anyone with experience of this bundle let me know how different the modules will be from the stock modules please? is it primarily functionality or audio quality?

I am new to modular and thought the core package would be a quick and inexpensive way to get into it until the sale happened and and I investigated (dreamed) further. Now I spent over $350 on goodies that I didn't even know I wanted lol! However the very first bundles I saw and wanted (MRB) I haven't even got in that buying spree because other modules seemed better value or more important!!!

So my question is also ....Did I do the right thing in buying other stuff first or is there something that MRB Lab and filter bundles with give my that is sort of more fundamental and give more much higher quality/functionality?

The Modules I just bought include all the CA, PSP, Vult and Hetrick bundles with some other bits n pieces.

MRB bundles would add another $170 which I shouldn't really stretch too seeing as I just spent $300 that I was not expecting to .

Awesome kit though!!!

cheers
sid

Hi,

Welcome aboard! I can't speak for what's in the Hetrick bundles, but there is a thread (a couple of threads actually) recently here in the forums (Syrup is pretty much brand new) where people are head-over-heels about the qualities of the Syrup filters. If you check out the recent news part oft he CA site there's an interview with the developer, Mark Barton, that might give you a sense. Also, there's a demo period if you want to try them out.

All the best with your fabulous new stuff!

hi sid! and welcome to the addictive modular....

yes i also overspend (budget, so no probs..), mainly because of the MRB bundles..

i think i have what you have bought.

do the MRB bundles add to what you have got, till now.

i think they do: the zerooscillator without a question. the lab bundle, it seems, when i first demoed it, but i demoed it with no concentration, not that a addition. now i have the lab bundle, and it is an addition, always personal, but functionality: they work different then other VCO's, VCF, etc, and you can hear it. like vult has its own possibilites, character, functionality. it seems more hidden in the MRB lab bundle. when you work with them, you notice what they can do. the quality is excellent. their potential is more hidden (visually..). but as always discover it yourself.

the filter bundle, no-brainer for me. excellent filters. it will expand your "timbre". i had already the syrup bundle, so..

but you only can decide if it is worth it. for me, even if i overspend, i can carry it (a new expression?), i am glad that i bought the lab bundle.
had already the zerooscillator (mark barton was the designer of the hardware, so....)

MRB, like weevil, vult (although not exclusive for VM), and other developers, cherry audio of course themselves, sets VM apart. in my view.

the syndrum? mark barton designed it too... perhaps more for fun, but, i think you can go further, and use the syndrum of all kinds of things.
for fun? in the beginning, the disco ping... but it works so different then the drumcomputers later, or so different, it has it is own character and implementation, what sets it apart.

the sale is almost ending. demo them. and for the lab bundle, look at the preset exchange thread here, the physical modelling patch that mark barton made with lab modules.. it shows what they can do... a small part..

Thanks for the welcome Guys
There's a big part of me saying JUST DO IT lol. I read the stuff on MRB and yes he does seem to be a synth veteran with lost of great experience. I tried the Zeroscillator too and it sounded superb. Very tactile and "unctious" in a good way. I guess I'm not knowledgeable enough to know what I'm looking at yet ie the differences between all the filters, VCOs,EGs and the like. VM does seem the perfect platform to learn on though and that is my main drive at the moment.
I'm still undecided especially as I have another question in the forum about sound quality/experience from VM in general. I guess if i'm going to take advantage of the sale though I best get my act together pdq!

MRB stuff sounds great and is very seriously designed.
I have the Laboratory bundle, which is very rich, you can do a lot with it, to the point that is can easily be redundant with other modules or even with other MRB ones. I also have the zeroscillator.
Get the demo and check the presets. It sounds really fat and analog.
And Mark Barton also makes good presets that really show what his stuff can do ! ("Talky talky", hilarious and very clever, or this pshysical modeling preset)
Obviously, MRB modules are made by someone who knows his game very well.

xuoham wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 1:09 am MRB stuff sounds great and is very seriously designed.
I have the Laboratory bundle, which is very rich, you can do a lot with it, to the point that is can easily be redundant with other modules or even with other MRB ones.
Get the demo and check the presets. It sounds really fat and analog.
And Mark Barton also makes good presets that really show what his stuff can do ! ("Talky talky", hilarious and very clever, or this pshysical modeling preset)
Obviously, MRB modules are made by someone who knows his game very well.

Yes you make a good point about the presets. It's probably worth half the cost at least for the learning gained from studying the presets. I heard the vocal one which was awesome an very clever. Thnx

xuoham wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 1:09 am I have the Laboratory bundle, which is very rich, you can do a lot with it, to the point that is can easily be redundant with other modules or even with other MRB ones.

Hey xuoham

I just re read your post and missed this the first time around.....

I don't think I quite understand. Are you saying that the Laboratory bundle becomes redundant by other things superceeding it or that the other core CA modules become redundant because you continue to use the lab modules instead?

...and if so does that mean that say the zeroscillator and filter bundles are not needed because the laboratory bundle is enough?

thanks
sid

What i I mean is in the previous post that if i were reasonable enough, i would not buy any new modules before seriously thinking if i can already do it with what i have.
But modules are not as expensive as VSTis so it is easy to buy too quickly, especially with time limited sales.

(edit: the zeroscillator is pretty unique, and i also have it, on top of the Laboratory bundle. If you can afford, get all MRB stuff, it's quality at a really nice price ! )

If money were not an issue i sure would buy all MRB stuff, it's that good.

However, for example, and this is a personal view, I have no doubt that the Luxury filter bundle is awesome, but for my not so broad needs, i already have the great filter from the Laboratory bundle, the one in Laboratory voice, plus the MS-20 stuff, plus filters already in other Cherry Audio modules.

Or for instance the new Syndrum : there are Syndrum presets in the Laboratory bundle, and of course, made by the Syndrum creator himself.

Another example, i bought the PSP bundle six month ago, it sounds great, is a bit cpu hungry and i was interested in the Efmerizer.
Then came the Cherry Audio FM bundle, which i prefer, more flexible, well laid out, and i'm not touching the Efemerizer anymore, though by itself it is really good.
So sometimes you buy stuff, just to discover there is a better one after a few months, or you want to get a certain bundle , but it has some modules you bought already.
BTW, great policy from Cherry Audio : i got the 2 years anniversary bundle, but already had the FM bundle, so it got discounted.
It also depends on what your purpose its.

I am mainly interested in synths for providing rhythm and background for guitar playing and improvising, so that narrows a bit the focus, like i don't need thousands of super saw synths, or whatever. That said, those toys are so attractive, so beside my main guitaristic goal, it's quite fun to play with, for example, the Polymod. Really soft synth wise, we are living an era of abundance. Somehow i feel i bought too much, by greed and fun for those new toys, but in my book, still, i find it hard to find a synth that i like better synth than Claes Johanson's SURGE vst, or the XILS4 synth from XILS labs. Another one i enjoyed a lot, is a free vst emulating the ARP2660, called the Arppe2600 by VoltKitchen, which is a spot on emulation of the 2600, considering it's free. Also Hexter for DX7 sounds, though SURGE is very goood at FM too.

All in all, if i had stick to only one synth, it would be a VSTi : SURGE.
Masterpiece, and it actually is free now ! https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ I still use it a lot within VM.

But, nevertheless, i really enjoy having such a palette of synths, so in a paradoxical way they are all necessary !
Toys for spoiled children...

Anyway, i got carried away, that was originally just a casual remark about the ease of buying modules because they are rather inexpensive, and about the fact that for the same function one can have some redundant modules, but they are all different so this is great.

xuoham wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 5:49 am I mean that if i were reasonable enough, i would not buy any new modules before seriously thinking if i can already do it with what i have.
But modules are not as expensive as VSTis so it is easy to buy too quickly, especially with time limited sales.

Thanks for a really informative post. I totally get where you are coming from now. Yes CA make it far too easy to spend too much lol. I have gotten carried away already and bought far too much for a beginner. Its been just like a kid in a sweet shop.

I will have to draw a line somewhere but it will be after MRB Lab bundle lol! I may wait a while longer for the filters but then I'm not losing a lot if I buy them outside the sale. I think there is only $10 in it.

Oh yeh, thanks for the heads up on the surge synth too it looks pretty good - and for free now - Yey!!

cheers

Cheers !