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Output: maybe the time has come...

StillLife

Senior Member
Hi all,

Output has a spring sale: 25% off of all software, including the bundle. As I own rev x-loops, I can get everything Output has for 492 euro's. That seems to be a good deal. I have been intrigued by their products, even though I am FAR from an EDM-style composer. I like the GUI's very much: very simple and inspiring to get a pulse suited to my liking in Signal Free, for instance. However, since there's also a little thing called Wishlist-sale at Spitfire, I have to thread carefully... EDNA Earth and The Grange are at the top of my list, and would cost me 240 euro's in the sale. Together.
So, here are a couple of questions about the Output bundle, directed at those who are regular users of their products:

1. How useful are the expansions? You get 20 of them with the bundle, so if they are meh, the price/quality ratio comes down...
2. Some people mention that Output's products 'own' every mix. How do you manage to tame their sounds combined with other instruments in your tunes?
3. Another word sometimes used in association with Output is 'cheesy', what I take for an opposite of organic/authentic (as in EDNA Earth's sounds?). What do you think?
4. Which product(s) in the bundle do you never use?
5. I like to get inspired by vst's. How inspirational are Output products to you, compared to other vst's?
6. And the final, impossible, question is: If you had to choose between the Output bundle, EDNA Earth+The Grange and Diva: which would you choose?

Thanks in advance!
Martijn
 
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Oh, and there is also Diva... not on sale (will it ever be again?), but I still pitty myself I did not went for it in the NI-sale. I could just forget about the sales at Output and Spitfire and buy this one...
Anyhow, the questions above still stand (just edited a sixth question in, with Diva in it).
 
I own all their products (had a few, used them sometimes, and completed the full bundle during a sale on a whim) - and all I can say is, I don't use the Output products as much as I should for the price I've paid for them. They all have very slick interfaces and cool ad videos, but I don't think the sounds themselves back that up 100%.

All the Output sounds are just so heavily processed that it's either difficult to find a spot for the sounds, or you feel like you won't get away with using it because the sound will be instantly recognizable to anyone who also owns the library. I think the Analog Strings and Analog Brass are the words offenders. Exhale - to me - feels dated already. My impression is that Exhale was created to cash in on producers wanting to ride the wave of pop/EDM songs that used pitched/processed human voices in all the hooks/drops some four years ago.

That said, I do use them sometimes and have certainly created a song or two from the inspiration I got from, say, a Signal preset.
 
I own all their products (had a few, used them sometimes, and completed the full bundle during a sale on a whim) - and all I can say is, I don't use the Output products as much as I should for the price I've paid for them. They all have very slick interfaces and cool ad videos, but I don't think the sounds themselves back that up 100%.

All the Output sounds are just so heavily processed that it's either difficult to find a spot for the sounds, or you feel like you won't get away with using it because the sound will be instantly recognizable to anyone who also owns the library. I think the Analog Strings and Analog Brass are the words offenders. Exhale - to me - feels dated already. My impression is that Exhale was created to cash in on producers wanting to ride the wave of pop/EDM songs that used pitched/processed human voices in all the hooks/drops some four years ago.

That said, I do use them sometimes and have certainly created a song or two from the inspiration I got from, say, a Signal preset.
This. Exactly.
 
I guess I'm on the other end of the spectrum.... if you package the entire Output bundle then I would compare the quality/usability to the likes of Omnisphere. Tons of good stuff there and top notch quality.

As others stated, great GUIs and easy to manipulate parameters.
 
Same here, absolutely love Output instruments, primarily for sound quality and GUI. They boost creativity, all of them. And I do like the expansion packs a lot, adding even more exquisite presets.
Wouldn’t want to be without Output. Definitely up there with Spectrasonics and Heavyocity.
 
Have the bundle and love it. Not cheap but with the expansions you get so much, and so much of it is really great.
 
Hi all,
1. How useful are the expansions? You get 20 of them with the bundle, so if they are meh, the price/quality ratio comes down...
2. Some people mention that Output's products 'own' every mix. How do you manage to tame their sounds combined with other instruments in your tunes?
3. Another word sometimes used in association with Output is 'cheesy', what I take for an opposite of organic/authentic (as in EDNA Earth's sounds?). What do you think?
4. Which product(s) in the bundle do you never use?
5. I like to get inspired by vst's. How inspirational are Output products to you, compared to other vst's?
6. And the final, impossible, question is: If you had to choose between the Output bundle, EDNA Earth+The Grange and Diva: which would you choose?
1. They are awesome and GREATLY increase usefulness of the core products.
2. Reduce the number of layers so they're not so obvious/busy.
3. EDNA/Earth is good but not as organic as maybe the stuff in the Albion synths.
4. All of em. I suppose Exhale is most 'specialized' but I still like it.
5. The most inspiring of anything I own at least in the synth realm.
6. Output bundle but of the others I only have EDNA/Earth.
 
I own all their products (had a few, used them sometimes, and completed the full bundle during a sale on a whim) - and all I can say is, I don't use the Output products as much as I should for the price I've paid for them. They all have very slick interfaces and cool ad videos, but I don't think the sounds themselves back that up 100%.

All the Output sounds are just so heavily processed that it's either difficult to find a spot for the sounds, or you feel like you won't get away with using it because the sound will be instantly recognizable to anyone who also owns the library. I think the Analog Strings and Analog Brass are the words offenders. Exhale - to me - feels dated already. My impression is that Exhale was created to cash in on producers wanting to ride the wave of pop/EDM songs that used pitched/processed human voices in all the hooks/drops some four years ago.

That said, I do use them sometimes and have certainly created a song or two from the inspiration I got from, say, a Signal preset.

I own all of their products. Like @SimonViklund said, they really suffer from being hyper processed highly recognisable sounds. I find it difficult to use them a lot of the time as the sounds are so specific and crazy.

Exhale is decent - I've used it a few times on tracks when I need something that sits in the track but isn't the main focus (I wouldn't use it on a lead line).

Honestly, I feel like your money would be better spent elsewhere.
 
Thanks everybody. Good information, on both sides of the fence...
I think my decision boils down to: which NKS-based synth will fit my music the most: the Output bundle, EDNA Earth or Diva. Going to check some video's again...
 
1. They are awesome and GREATLY increase usefulness of the core products.
2. Reduce the number of layers so they're not so obvious/busy.
3. EDNA/Earth is good but not as organic as maybe the stuff in the Albion synths.
4. All of em. I suppose Exhale is most 'specialized' but I still like it.
5. The most inspiring of anything I own at least in the synth realm.
6. Output bundle but of the others I only have EDNA/Earth.
Thanks! How would you describe the music you make? Maybe have a soundcloud-link?
 
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