Competition to ORIGIN

[HUROLURA]

I was just wondering the competitors are to the Arturia Origin.

I just looked at the other VA synth that are (or were) available on the market and didn't find that much competitors.

The range of VA synth is kind of narrowing: Access Virus Range, Waldorf Blofeld and its ancestors, Clavia Nord Lead 1/2/3, Novation Nova/KS, Korg Radias, Roland JP 8000 ... all these unit have a "fixed" though rich and complex (thanks to their modmatrix) architecture which allows them to provide a set of control element for the main parameters. Most of these are discontinued.

Creamware NOAH, Use-Audio Plugiator, Soundart Chameleon, Roalnd VariOS are all based on similar principle: a kind of host for DSP plug-in making them more versatile. These could be seen as some kind of Origin providing templates only modes. Sadly, all of them are discontinued.

Clavia modular range of product were more virtual modular oriented, but you always need a software to build patches. Flexibility has a counterpart regarding easy tweaking access.
The G2 do provide a smart and well thought control section to partially solve this dilemna.
The clavia modular range is also discontinued.


So I was astonished when the Origin was lauched as the solution offered provide to some extend the virtual modular side just as the Clavia ones (with a least rich set of modules though, but maybe also more low level modules) together with a new offer regarding the user control surface: some parameters are layered in a classical way and some more special ones can be assigned to the live control elements. Moreover, you do not need a computer to edit sound.
This just looks like a good and elegant compromise ...

[synthguy99]

I'm very glad that Arturia had the vision to produce the Origin.  I've had problems getting their softsynths to work without latency on my current PC, and the Origin has turned out to be the perfect solution not just for doing excellent analog emulations, but synthesizing in general.  Being able to create instruments, not just patches, is incredible.

I am surprised myself that the digital modular-in-a-box concept has dried up, though perhaps I shouldn't be.  Most of us who want them and are crazy enough to go the modular route have bought them, or can get one used through a good dealer or on ebay.  And workstations like the KORG M3, Kurzweils and soon to appear KRONOS can do a lot of what these virtual modulars can.  I took a chance on the Origin because the mp3 demos of all Arturia's offerings hinted at something special, and when I finally started playing with it, I was very surprised.

But there is one company still going this route.  Creamware reconsolidated into Sonic-Core and are still producing SCOPE systems, and with the design work of John Bowen, will be creating a SCOPE in a keyboard with the Solaris synthesizer.  It's probably not going to be cheap, but it has the potential to teach Arturia a few things.  And encourage them to add a few goodies to the modules available in the Origin, and produce a few more softsynths in their V line, such as an Oberheim V.

[mattsynth]

The only synth I know of Nord Modular. You still need a computer to make patches but the sound and ability to make whatever you like is fantastic. I have a G1 Nord Modular and a new Origin. Both sound great but the Origin is very buggy and not made with the some quality as the Nord. My choice (if you can find one) is the Nord because it works all the time and is built like a tank. Arturia dropped the ball wih the Origin by putting it out on the market half cooked and there support is in no way as good as Clavia.

[synthguy99]

After spending some time with the Origin, I have to say that it's the most impressive synthesizer I've ever owned.  The few problems I had at first were from a bad MIDI box, and since changing that, it has been nothing but a pleasure.  Well, except for the speed of updating. 

But as far as being a superb synth, I think its only current competition is the SCOPE/Solaris system, and KORG Kronos, and both are rather expensive.  Being able to create instruments with a variety of filter and oscillators, and being a modular, is a synth programmer's dream.  And it sounds very analog.  Being able to make Mg, ARP and Roland modulars is an upcoming project of mine, and I feel confident that the sound is going to be authentic.

[HUROLURA]

The only synth I know of Nord Modular. You still need a computer to make patches but the sound and ability to make whatever you like is fantastic. I have a G1 Nord Modular and a new Origin. Both sound great but the Origin is very buggy and not made with the some quality as the Nord. My choice (if you can find one) is the Nord because it works all the time and is built like a tank. Arturia dropped the ball wih the Origin by putting it out on the market half cooked and there support is in no way as good as Clavia.

Only trouble with Nord Synth is that as you need a computer to use them, and as they are discontinued, once their editor is not supported anymore by "new" host OS, you loose the ability to edit new patches. This is a point where the origin become more future proof as you do not rely on computer to tweak some new patches...

[silicium_Ne.3s2.3p2]

If you fear losing the ability to edit new patches because consumer computers have planned obsolescence, either ask them for an open source patch editor or stock some better quality workstations to have spares that should last as long as your synth.

[HUROLURA]

The clavia modular is discontinued for now.
There has been an open source project to rebuild the Nord modular G1 editor using java.
No update since 2008 and still pre-release v0.3.
But the good news is there is one smart guy who goes on rebuilding an open source editor for Nord Modular G2 (still under way but tremendous progess has been done so far).

By the way, I already have a not sold spare Win XP PC to run the G2 editor ...

But the old MiniMg still do not require any host to be easy to edit ... and so does the Origin.