Arturia V Collection

[ProfD]

I asked the question in a thread and it probably got buried there.

 

Other than price and a USB drive, I'd like to know the difference between the download and boxed version of the software.

[Sven Golly]

Cardboard.

[jeffincltnc]

If you buy the cardboard box in a store, you pay sales tax on it.

[midinut]

Pretty sure there is no difference between the two versions. Did you try to post this question on Arturia's forum? You might get a "company sanctioned" answer that way. I bought V-Collection 3 as a boxed version and the rest of the upgrades I've gotten have all been downloads. There might be specials from time to time that may include other sound packs and such during certain sales, but I think that may be a retailer choice and not a company store thing (or the other way around). Not sure that is a definitive answer but I hope it helps.

[EscapeRocks]

I asked the question in a thread and it probably got buried there.

 

Other than price and a USB drive, I'd like to know the difference between the download and boxed version of the software.

 

Other than how you receive the files, there is no difference.

 

You will still authorize and update thru the Arturia Software Center once you create your account.

 

All your updates are done this way as well.

 

[ProfD]

Thanks for the info gang.

 

Something kept telling me the cardboard cost $250.

 

I didn't want to believe a manufacturer would charge so much for a box.

[jeffincltnc]

I'm having a hard time deciding if I really like V Collection or not.

 

Analog Lab presets are great. There's a lot there for the money.

 

I love the CS-80 and Synclavier Plug Ins.

 

Buchla is exotic and different, not sure I will use it for anything other than playing around.

 

CMI is interesting but wouldn't really use it on anything. Cool to have one but haven't gone back to it after I initially fired it up a couple times.

 

Moog, Jupiter, Prophet are good, maybe not the best if you are picky (I'm not so much). I have no shortage of other Moog, Jupiter and Prophet emulations, but these are good and easy to get to. Not sure if they add much.

 

Haven't spent any time on the ARP.

 

DX7 is good. Doesn't necessarily sound any better than my free Dexed plug in, in my opinion, but the interface is way nicer!

 

Piano V2 are good in a mix, but they're not the best by any stretch. Wouldn't use them for solo piano with other choices. You don't buy V Collection for the Pianos, though.

 

Stage 73 is good, but not in the league of Scarbee, Canterbury Suitcase, Neo Soul keys, etc. Again, you don't buy V Collection for the Rhodes.

 

B3 is disappointing, not really going to go to that Leslie ever.

 

Clavinet is pretty good. I like it.

 

I'm glad I have this from a half price sale. I wouldn't want it at full price, but it was a decent pickup for 50% off, but only a few of these really stood out as being great. Most of it is good and the interfaces are pretty nice. Only a couple of throwaways in the package, in my opinion, but this is not a piano/EP/B3 package even though you get some usable extras.

 

 

[ProfD]

I'm having a hard time deciding if I really like V Collection or not.

 

Analog Lab presets are great. There's a lot there for the money.

 

Moog, Jupiter, Prophet are good, maybe not the best if you are picky (I'm not so much). I have no shortage of other Moog, Jupiter and Prophet emulations, but these are good and easy to get to. Not sure if they add much.

 

DX7 is good. Doesn't necessarily sound any better than my free Dexed plug in, in my opinion, but the interface is way nicer!

 

Piano V2 are good in a mix, but they're not the best by any stretch. Wouldn't use them for solo piano with other choices. You don't buy V Collection for the Pianos, though.

Thanks Jeff for providing your feedback.

 

I'm mainly looking at this software to layer sounds with my SV-1.

[Franz Schiller]

I like the V Collection a lot, but it hasn't really stuck yet. I particularly like the Synclavier, Solina, and DX7, but i like the Prophet VS the most. I haven't really seen a Prophet VS emulation anywhere else.

 

My main problem with them is actually that the sustain pedal behaves very weirdly, if it behaves correctly at all.

[EscapeRocks]

I like the V Collection a lot, but it hasn't really stuck yet. I particularly like the Synclavier, Solina, and DX7, but i like the Prophet VS the most. I haven't really seen a Prophet VS emulation anywhere else.

 

My main problem with them is actually that the sustain pedal behaves very weirdly, if it behaves correctly at all.

 

What platform are you using?

 

I use instruments from the V-Collection extensively in my Mainstage rig for gigs, and I have no issues with the sustain pedal behavior, with in Mainstage or running an Arturia instrument stand-alone.

[Franz Schiller]

I like the V Collection a lot, but it hasn't really stuck yet. I particularly like the Synclavier, Solina, and DX7, but i like the Prophet VS the most. I haven't really seen a Prophet VS emulation anywhere else.

 

My main problem with them is actually that the sustain pedal behaves very weirdly, if it behaves correctly at all.

 

What platform are you using?

 

I use instruments from the V-Collection extensively in my Mainstage rig for gigs, and I have no issues with the sustain pedal behavior, with in Mainstage or running an Arturia instrument stand-alone.

 

I'm also using it in MainStage on a Mac laptop. It's mostly in the Prophet and DX7. There's an option to use "classic" sustain pedal, which helps, but isn't totally normal either.

[jeffincltnc]

David - did you say you are using the Arturia KeyLab MK2 as your controller for V Collection in Mainstage?

 

How is that working out? Assuming I am using a roughly 50/50 split between V Collection 6 and Komplete plug ins, I am trying to determine if I want to commit to Komplete Kontrol MK2 or KeyLab MK2 for the longer term.

[EscapeRocks]

David - did you say you are using the Arturia KeyLab MK2 as your controller for V Collection in Mainstage?

 

How is that working out? Assuming I am using a roughly 50/50 split between V Collection 6 and Komplete plug ins, I am trying to determine if I want to commit to Komplete Kontrol MK2 or KeyLab MK2 for the longer term.

 

Jeff,

Yes I now use the Keylab 61 MKII, it has replaced my original Keylab 61 Black Edition.

 

I love it. It just works. It is, of course, controlling Mainstage sounds, as well as my Arturia sound, and some Kontakt..

 

If I were strictly a Kontakt/Komplete user, without Mainstage, I might spring for a Komplete Kontrol board.

 

However, in my setup for gigging, I don't use the board to search for sounds, even though Arturia sounds are NKI compatible.

 

As far as third party synth sounds, I mostly use Prophet V, Solina, and Jup8 from Arturia. I use Monark from Kontakt. (I also use The Grandeur a bit on the piano side of things)

 

The way I setup my Keylab mapping in Mainstage:

I have two buttons that are Patch Prev and Patch next.

 

If we call an audbile, I also have one of the continuous knobs assigned to patch change. That way I can scroll instantly to a patch that may be far away on the list from the currently selected patch.

 

My "Concerts" are setup with every song we do programmed, so if we decided to do one that's not on the list for that night, I can grab it quickly.

 

I also have 3 "bread and butter" patches programmed at the bottom of every Mainstage concert I create:

Piano

Organ

Basic synth (Mainstage Retro)

 

All in all, the Keylab and Keylab MKII have, and are, serving me quite well in my setup.

[jeffincltnc]

That's awesome to read, David. You've given me some good ideas. I'm actually going to have both the Arturia Keylab MK2 and the Komplete Kontrol MK2 side by side for a week and pick one to keep based on my gut feel. They're both really nice in their own ways.

[EscapeRocks]

That's awesome to read, David. You've given me some good ideas. I'm actually going to have both the Arturia Keylab MK2 and the Komplete Kontrol MK2 side by side for a week and pick one to keep based on my gut feel. They're both really nice in their own ways.

 

That is exactly the way to do it. Find what works best for you. I find each board to be very good.

 

 

here's an example concert for an INXS tribute I am subbing in this January. On the left is the patch list. You can see the Prev,Next, and Knob

 

[Stokely]

Ironically, one reason I didn't pull the trigger on the Arturia deal (especially one short-lived Arturia/Soundtoys bundle deal) was I'm after Komplete.

 

Mainly for Kontakt, because it seems most of the sample libraries/instruments out there are in Kontakt.

 

I could have bought Kontakt for 199 this week...but assuming Komplete is half off next year as they typically do, that's 100 more for some really good synths. Fm8, Reaktor/monark, the new Massive X, etc.

 

These marketing guys, it's like trying to stay to the smaller size at the movie concession line! "Only 30 cents more for the medium...wait, only 50 cents more than that for the giant size!"