All user reviews of 5/5 for the KV331 Audio Synthmaster 2.x

The purchase is done online on the KV331 web site. Installation was easy enough, especially if it's just for Live as all you have to do is copy the VST in the Live directory.

I installed it on an i7-3770 3.4 GHz with 16 GB of Ram and W8. I use the 64-bit version with Live 9.

I did not need a manual or guide for installation.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Synthmaster's level of quality is configured as "draft" by default. Under these default conditions, the performance is very good with my setup. I can easily run 10 instances of Synthmaster without reaching the limits of CPU. The sound is already correct and impressive. Surprising for a VST bought for € 70 with over 600 sounds.

With the quality setting at its highest, most sounds can still be played through Live without any complications. Performance only starts to take a hit with certain big pad sounds, in which case lowering the quality setting will get the job done without losing quality in sound rendering. But in general, at the maximum quality setting, the sound rendering quality is excellent and the virtual filters react beautifully. It really feels like you have a hardware machine at your fingertips.

OVERALL OPINION

Like the Zebra2, Diva, Omnisphere, etc, the Synthmaster is a real synth that responds well in live applications to external stimuli. The level of sound quality delivered is impressive, especially given the price. Definitely worth the money! It's almost shocking that the Synthmaster is relatively unknown, given the price and the quality.

I highly recommend.

No compatibility issues.
Didn't read the manual.
GUI is clear, could be more inspiring.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Stable. No crashes.
Only using for a few days.

OVERALL OPINION

SynthMaster v2.5 by KV331 Audio is a fantastic all-round, do-it-all, hybrid soft synth, unlike anything else out there! For years I've been bothered by the fact that the big name synth companies leave out a cool feature or two — short changing us users somewhere along the way, forcing us to supplemental gear to make up for deficiencies — to fill in the missing sonic pieces. I have often thought to myself, "If they only included this or that it would be a great synth." Well, I can't think of anything to add to this baby! SynthMaster does it all within its semi-modular architecture — Additive, A Mod, F Mod, P Mod, PW Mod, R Mod, Physical Modeling, Wavetable, plus AIFF/WAV and MIDI import, not to mention a lot of cool filters, oscillators, and effects. It has accurately been nicknamed the Swiss Army Knife of soft synths. SynthMaster is complex enough to keep an audio tweaker busy for an eternity and easy enough to keep a novice from throwing his/her laptop out the window in a fit of frustration. The array of features including in this synth is astonishing, but what really stands out is the variety and quality of sound it can produce. It does everything from clean, smooth, and warm to dirty, nasty, and eerie.

There are so many pros — too many to list, but naturally there are some cons. The CPU could be a little more streamlined and the effects could be reduced throughout most of the preset collection. Less is more, especially when working with a sound so organically lovely. Cut back on that FX! Be naked, stand up proudly and declare, "I AM A SOUNDMASTER PRESET AND I SOUND GREAT." Will SynthMaster replace Diva for analog warmth, Predator for aggressive leads, the D-16 line for their niche, or Lounge Lizard for EP? NO! But, will it provide an amazingly powerful core synth that you can call upon to do just about anything? YES! For me, it’s not a desert island synth, but it is a tasty dessert, filled with just about every sweet flavor. And, you know what they say, “Life is short, launch your dessert synth first!”

I highly recommend SynthMaster to any professional electronic musician, sound guru, or producer looking for a deep, solid foundation synth . . . or the amateur looking for one good synth that is packed with all the synthesis types that are ready to learn and explore. When I first heard the name and saw the price I assumed it would be a little synth pretending to be big, but I soon discovered it’s actually a big synth being offered at a little price. Great value! Tommy Zai gives SynthMaster three thumbs up. Thank you KV331 Audio.