MachFive 3 & HALion 5

[Sampleconstruct]

I've been testing both these hybrid monsters over the last weeks as I need to expand my sonic horizon and toolbox for upcoming plans to design sounds and libraries.

Whereas HALion 5 has it's main strength in the extended granular engine from Padshop (HALion 5 currently is THE granular machine out there imo), MachFive combines more different synthesis methods like analog and wavetable synthesis (single cycle import is supported), FM synthesis, granular and sampling. The granular engine in MachFive still has some quirks, but with some tweaking good results can be achieved, the devs (which are great) are working on improvements. M5 also has the IRCAM timestretch which sounds pretty amzangly smooth and artifact-free at extreme stretching settings, a bit like Paulstretch with a Midi input, but this algo eats a lot of CPU. Then M5 also has custom scripting which I haven't explored yet.

The synth module in HALion also sounds very good, it has ring modulation between the 3 oscillators if needed which makes for some FM-like sounds. The filters are very good in both of these apps. The modulation possibilities in MachFive are almost Alchemy-like, HALion is a bit more basic in this respect.

Here are some sounds from my latest experiments:

HALion 5:


MachFive 3:

[Seva Randeep]

The modulation possibilities in MachFive are almost Alchemy-like, HALion is a bit more basic in this respect.

I never tested HALion in full, Frank Seidel, gave me only access to Sonic. I'd made some presets, but never could explore the possibilities of their sampling engine. The fact that you compare MachFive with Alchemy means a lot

Nothing can beat Alchemy.

No, I do not work for Camel Audio.

[Sampleconstruct]

The modulation possibilities in MachFive are almost Alchemy-like, HALion is a bit more basic in this respect.

I never tested HALion in full, Frank Seidel, gave me only access to Sonic. I'd made some presets, but never could explore the possibilities of their sampling engine. The fact that you compare MachFive with Alchemy means a lot

Nothing can beat Alchemy.

No, I do not work for Camel Audio.

The combination of possibilities and the modulation system is Alchemy's main strength, the individual components in Alchemy are easily "beaten" by other plugs, e.g. the granular (and the sampling) engine is seriously outdated (can't wait to hear what v2 will sound like in this respect, nothing beats the HALion 5 granular engine right now) and the resynth algos in Metasynth and Harmor are far superior. I mean Alchemy doesn't even allow crossfade looping nor does it allow for overlapping keygroups/samples per source, but it imports the sfz-format, so does MachFive, unfortunately HALion doesn't support sfz.
MachFive also comes close to Alchemy in the respect of combining all these different synthesis methods but it only allows for single cycle resynthesis so far, it's onboard FX is also very good, the Spark reverb is the the best onboard reverb I've heard in a synth/sampler/workstation.

Anyway...exciting sonic times we live in.

[metrosonus]

That's initially what I though too when I played around with Alchemy. Taken in parts, it didn't do anything I couldn't already do with something else or with some sort of routing. That said, it's definitely a fun synth though and I really enjoy the expansion packs that it comes with. Of course too, that's most likely due to the original material that went into the presets.

I definitely need to upgrade from Sonic to Halion. Mach 5 is on my list as well as Dimension Pro, just for the old E-Mu sound sets.

[Sampleconstruct]

Another MachFive experiment:

An orchestral snippet from my composition Windschatten which was premiered last May, recorded during the second rehearsal in a dry rehearsal studio with all the intonation problems that occur during a second rehearsal. I imported that snippet into MachFive 3, using IRCAM stretch and IRCAM granular mode at the same time in two layers, the time factor of both layers is identical, the granular engine creates some sample position fluctuation as the layer is set to 3 voices unison and the sample position is modulated with unison modulation. I then played the original pitch and an octave below with an offset of a second so that the retriggered LFOs modulating the filters create an offset in the filter sweeps. Some delay and reverb from MachFive was added, both layers have LFO-filtering going on (notch for the granular layer, a hybrid filter for the stretched layer).
The demo begins with the original, unprocessed snippet for comparison.

http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/machfive-3-orchestral-snippet

[Sampleconstruct]

That's initially what I though too when I played around with Alchemy. Taken in parts, it didn't do anything I couldn't already do with something else or with some sort of routing. That said, it's definitely a fun synth though and I really enjoy the expansion packs that it comes with. Of course too, that's most likely due to the original material that went into the presets.

I definitely need to upgrade from Sonic to Halion. Mach 5 is on my list as well as Dimension Pro, just for the old E-Mu sound sets.

I do love Alchemy and will never abandon it in any way, just after 5 years with this instrument and making so many libraries for it (and currently producing one) I am feeling it's age a bit

[Sampleconstruct]

HALion 5 is very inviting to build those huge soundscapes, mixing several modules and mapping things only to certain key areas. Here is a combo of multisampled french horn swells int the lower register (granular mode), a soundscapish sample (granular mode, entire range) and a synth (3 osc +ring modulation) with RATE KF distortion modulation (whole range). Modwheel action for more animation of filter modulation and amount of distortion modulation. Some VRoom was added in the Mix.


http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/abandoned-planet-halion-5

[Sampleconstruct]

Spent most of last night working on this MachFive 3 soundscape:

7 multiphonics (played on an alto sax) in 7 keygroups (granular mode, similar settings for all oscillators) playing simultaneously, each group has 2 dedicated LFOs, one for volume/drive (Non-Retrigger/unipolar), one for pan position (bipolar/Retrigger). All 14 LFOs (saws and sines) run at slightly different speeds and phase positions, a bit of speed modulation for all 14 LFOs is added by a random glide LFO in Retrigger mode. A FM synth with random LFO modulation of the modulator pitches, levels and filter cutoff adds electronic multiphonics. Delay and reverb FX are all MachFive, the FM synth also uses a stereo chorus.


http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/multiphonic-abyss-machfive-3

[Sampleconstruct]

This sound was made only using MachFive's synth engines, two synth modules, one using a talkbox filter - 100% MachFive.


http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/talking-synthpad-machfive-3

[Sampleconstruct]

Dark soundscape made entirely with HALion 5 and some B2 reverb - combining a synth layer with 2 granular layers split across the keyboard. Aftertouch and Modwheel affect the granular soundscape-ish samples made from processed vibraphone and penguin recordings, the synth is automated with 3 QCs for volume, RM amount and Osc 2 waveform. The synth uses a x/y filter (4 different filters), x+y axis modulated by 2 different temposynced LFOs.
I'm really beginning to dig the synth engine the more I get into it!


http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/shadows-halion-5

[Sampleconstruct]

Here is a video processing a celtic harp recording I made yesterday in MachFive - granular mode, setting the Layer to 5 unsion voices so I can spread the position of the grains with unison modulation as well as the pitch. Tweaking the assigned Macros on the fly:

[Sampleconstruct]

A pad sound made entirely in MachFive 3 using the wavetable synth with an imported single cycle wave from a cello sample and an analog stack synth module with 2 oscillators engaged.


http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/eery-dream-pad-machfive-3

[Sampleconstruct]

Granulated tubular chime samples through tuned Combfilters in MachFive 3 - Midi automation of drive, chorus and phasing, fast random combfilter modulation via Modwheel:


http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/combed-tubulars-machfive-3



The only thing that really sucks is the lack of host automation in MachFive, Midi only,,,

[Sampleconstruct]

The synth in HALion 5 is really great for creating some lush pad sounds - 100% HALion here:


http://soundcloud.com/sampleconstruct/mrs-lushness-halion-5

[aoVI]

Stop making me want this.

:canthearyou:

:D