Instrument/effect available in Re and vst - which do you pick?

[groggy1]

I figured everybody would have different reasoning. So curious what it is.

I always pick vst.

I only use Reason, so it’s not so I can use it in another daw.

But I like vst because:
1) the ui shows off the best ui each dev could imagine. They didn’t have much limitations, so I really get to see their vision.

2) I like pop out window. It makes more sense to me than inline Re ux

3) I like it when the add point updates to vst. Eg softube added mark ii version to tubetech. But Re version never gets updates. So a little something to look forward to with vsts

4) vst version seems to get more love. Spire is a good example

5) it’s weird to have inconsistency: REs have inline ui, but vsts pop out in their own window. So I tend to go all vst


What do others think in how the compare them?

[Loque]

I use in that order:

1. Stock, because it will hopefully always be available and everybody has it. And CV.
2. RE, because it will hopefully always be available and no problems with install, license and whatever. And CV.
3. VST, if no stock or RE does the job, starting from highest quality vendor to lowest (if low quality is still installed).

Regarding UI... I have seen so many bad and tiny UIs in VSTs, so this is no argument to use it. I have seen too many VST synths with big UIs, which are just a waste of screen space and bad organisation.

Same goes for "love" of the dev, because when he drops support, you are doomed and there is a very good chance that REs still work and are available.

Stability and licensing is in VST often a problem. While most big and well known high quality f Ferndiagnose have good quality and there products are stable, they often have three own licensing tool too. And in theory you are doomed if your HD breaks, but to be fair some devs ate willing to help you in that case. Did i already mentioned trillions of serials to enter and authorizations i need to make in case of reinstall?

[boingy]

I use VST before RE because the UI is usually easier to read on my screen and the separate window means I can position it anywhere I want. The rack view in Reason wastes lots of precious screen real estate. I also use other DAWs so it makes sense from that viewpoint too.

Some of the newer instruments look ridiculous in the rack. Rather than design their UI as if it is a real rackmount unit devs have just used a VST style aspect ratio (e.g. Scenic, UJAM stuff etc). If you went into a shop to buy the rack mount hardware equivalent of those you'd be going "6 U high? Really???".

[DougalDarkly]

Deleted

[MrFigg]

RE first. (With the exception of Echobode)
VST if there’s a FREE crossgrade to RE
VST if it looks cool and there’s no RE counterpart. But only if it’s on sale for under €10. ( Echobode and Stutter Edit being the exception as they’re both great).

[mcatalao]

IMHO, there's not much overlap now unless for some older Re's so you really don't have to think a lot.

If you can, test both versions, see for yourself what suits better your workflow and which one is working better, not only from a UI perspective but also from a performance perspective.
There are blatant performance differences between VST instruments and their Re counterparts so i'd be a bit cautions before buying specially if you usually get out of gas...

[mcatalao]

PS.: Reason implementation of VST is very good imho. I have never had crashes, but i don't use cracked software and most of my vst's are commercial vst's.

[groggy1]

I use in that order:

1. Stock, because it will hopefully always be available and everybody has it. And CV.
...

On CV, I always feel like RE and VST are nearly equal, since I can assign VST parameters to be automate able with CV. In-fact, I can pick almost any parameter of the whole synth, whereas with RE I can only pick what the develop explicitly chose to have CV.

Does that make sense?

[Loque]

I use in that order:

1. Stock, because it will hopefully always be available and everybody has it. And CV.
...

On CV, I always feel like RE and VST are nearly equal, since I can assign VST parameters to be automate able with CV. In-fact, I can pick almost any parameter of the whole synth, whereas with RE I can only pick what the develop explicitly chose to have CV.

Does that make sense?

Real CV parameters are additional to the normal automation. Like if you automate eg the pitch, you still can additionally modulate/change the pitch vua CV and both, automation and CV, render the final value.

As you stated, CV automation of parameters in a VST is like automation and you cannot add additional modulations (well, its just way more complicated).