Soundquest Midiquest vs. Emagic Soundiver?

[Wiggum]

Hey all,

 

Any thoughts on this software? I use a great shareware editor/librarian for my Korg Wavestation, but I have not been able to find a similar app for a Kurzweil K2600. As such, I'm looking at the Soundquest or the Emagic package to fill the void.

 

Any thoughts? Neither package supports the K2600, but K2500 support should cover most of the parameters.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Wiggum

[Steve44]

Good Topic!

 

Midiquest claims to be the only automatable sound editor, as it now comes in VST plug-in form as well as stand alone models. I think that Sounddiver can do that if it's within Logic, but I'm not so sure. I've used Sounddive just a bit with the version that came with my K5000S, and while I like it, it's not as easy to use as I would've hoped. (Not as easy as Motu's Unisyn) However they're now on version 3 which should be rather different, and is definitely geared towards more of the high-end gear like your Kurzweil.

 

that probably didn't help much.. but I'm undecided too.

[Wiggum]

I totally forgot about MOTU's Unisyn. I checked it out, and they do offer a copy for Windows.

 

It's a tough call. Midiquest looks like a good package, but I don't know if it's worth $200. I'm a Cubase user, so Soundiver may not integrate as well as Midiquest.

 

Let's see what others have to say,

 

Wiggum

[Steven Denike]

SoundDiver 3.0.3 Adds More Product Support

 

March 8, 2001

SoundDiver, a MIDI editor librarian, supports a continually expanding range of devices. The new version 3.0.3 update includes new editors for products from Access, Hughes & Kettner and Behringer, bringing the total number of supported devices to over 570. These new editors are available to current owners of SoundDiver 3.0, and customized versions also available in with the devices that they are designed to edit. Not only extra editors but also extra languages are on offer in version 3.0.3 - the French localization of all menus and parameters has been added to the existing English and German versions.

 

From now on every Access synthesizer - Virus B/KB/Indigo and Rack - includes a specially customized version of SoundDiver 3.0 for Mac and Windows, making it easy to utilize all the power and features on offer. This allows users of these synthesizers to edit one device at a time, providing invaluable visual control over all the parameters accessible via MIDI. Existing owners of these synthesizers can order this software for small fee direct from Access.

 

Not only keyboardists, but also guitarists benefit from the ongoing SoundDiver development. A SoundDiver module has been developed to edit the "zenTera" digital guitar amp from Hughes & Kettner. Each zenTera will be shipped with a SoundDiver module, which also allows the firmware to be updated.

 

Rounding out the new SoundDiver additions is an editor for the new V-Amp from Behringer. A customized version of this editor will also be delivered with every amp, including a large sound library.

 

Pricing and availability

 

SoundDiver 3.0.3 will be available for all SoundDiver 3.0 users to download in April 2001: www.emagic.de/english/support/download/update.html

 

SoundDiver (complete program) has a recommended retail price in Germany of 222,- Euro.

 

Owners of SoundDiver customized OEM editors can take advantage of a special upgrade offer to purchase a complete SoundDiver at a reduced price.

 

For more information, visit their web site at www.emagic.de.

[rjt]

I've been using midiquest for years. I tried soundiver when they said they had an editor for the MSR-2 (they didn't, it only manipulated the "superpatch" parameters) so I stopped using it. When I tried it, I found it cumbersome and somewhat difficult to use. I have tried some demo versions of unisyn and didn't like them, but that was years ago.

 

I can't say that Midiquest is perfect. I will say they give GREAT tech support and almost always answer promptly and try to seriously help with the problem (watch... now they'll stop doing that). Some of the problems... 1) the "clear duplicate patches from library" function is a little funky, I have found it leaving 2 patches that look identical to me... MQ says sometimes someone has tweaked an effect or something hmmmmmm, 2) some of the sliders are hard to grab... I edit the JV1080 a lot and miss those darn little things 3) some editors are not on one page.... you click a button to go to a different page (e.g., if you are editing a JV patch and you want to edit voice 4, you click a button and wait). A few other minor things, but right now, I;ll take MQ. Of course, each of these programs have their supporters and they all have good and bad points. good luck!!