Parsec 2 - Worth the upgrade from Parsec 1?

[K1TTENM1TTEN]

Ahoy there! I was wondering if anyone had any input on whether or not to upgrade my Parsec to Parsec 2? Does it still have a place given that Reason now accepts VSTs and the new included synths in Reason X? I can't tell if the demos on the Prop Shop are for Parsec 1 or for Parsec 2. Everyone's highly opinionated input is welcome and appreciated!

[Zac]

I'm obstinate and still on v1. I want to upgrade but 39 tokens compared to the 79 the full thing is now erks me big time. I paid 119 already!

[K1TTENM1TTEN]

I am right there with ya on the $39 being the killing point to me make the instantly upgrade, if it were $25 I might not even question it, but offering a 50% discount on a product's full price as an upgrade is a bit much. To upgrade Reason a user pays 32.25% of the retail price, and going by those numbers that would put it at approx $25.50.

Price taken away from the equation, is Parsec 2 worth the upgrade? Has the vocoder on it been improved any?

[Ahornberg]

I upgraded to Parsec 2 and I would not do it again. Additive synthesis, compared to wavetable synthesis, has it's magic in detuning overtones. And that's already covered in Parsec 1.

[CaliforniaBurrito]

Additive synthesis, compared to wavetable synthesis, has it's magic in detuning overtones. And that's already covered in Parsec 1.

I agree with where to find the magic but I wouldn't have additive synthesis any other way than Parsec 2. The GUI in Parsec 2 is much more fun and intuitive with the updated interactive modifier displays.

[fieldframe]

The better, more visual UI would make it hard to go back to Parsec 1, and the "harmonic snap" modifier (basically a reverse unison that lets you gradually turn noise into tone) is a huge addition. But all that said, was it a must-have? I don't regret buying the Parsec upgrade, but I probably could have gotten better bang for buck.

[EnochLight]

Parsec 2 - Worth the upgrade from Parsec 1?

Yes. For the same amount of money, I can fill my gas tank up approximately one time, and Parsec 2 seems to give a lot more than a single tank of petrol. The interactive displays were something that should have appeared on version 1, so having that finally is pretty cool. It's still light as hell on CPU/DSP, and the drag/drop modulation matrix is worth the cost alone IMHO.

Sure, we have VST now, but Parsec still remains a great workhorse synth that's exceptionally light on CPU/DSP.

[Soundcells]

I upgraded on day 1 - half an hour after the email came in … Of course it´s worth. You will not be disappointed …

[tibah]

Same for me. Parsec 2 is a great upgrade from 1. UI, interaction, modulation drag and drop, advanced spread control and new WT and resynthesized content. I also feel I appreciate it much more since it now can also get into more organic territory compared to the sonic realm of Parsec 1, which I hardly used in a project.

[Zac]

if i upgrade at 39 euros it will have cost me 158. It's now on sale at 79. Fair?

[Zac]

Actually sod 'fair'. It's just too financially painful. I'd feel like a fool. A sucker.

[EnochLight]

if i upgrade at 39 euros it will have cost me 158. It's now on sale at 79. Fair?

Actually sod 'fair'. It's just too financially painful. I'd feel like a fool. A sucker.

Not really. You already own Parsec 1, regardless of the price you paid for it - so you've been able to "enjoy" whatever it brings to your rack for some time now.

But this is the nature of sales in a supply/demand free market economy. Sometimes you score an awesome deal (like those who never bought it but can get it now - as a 2.0 product - for 79), sometimes you pay for "early access" (like you did when you bought 1.0 some time ago), and sometimes you get screwed (insert countless examples here).

[Oquasec]

something like parsec 2? they just gave it double the sound generators and a gui update I think.

[EnochLight]

something like parsec 2? they just gave it double the sound generators and a gui update I think.

Nope.

• 36 new generators, including resynthesized instruments and all of Thor’s wavetables.
• Five new modifiers.
• Interactive displays: draw your filter curves, draw your pitch and partial envelopes, get visual feedback on all modifier parameters.
• New modulation routing and an improved modulation interface: drag to the modulation destination.
• 200+ new patches.

[KirkMarkarian]

I bought this synth at v2 and I'm glad I did! It's better than the first version with tons of new sound possibilities, and now it's my go-to for a large portion of my "sound". For me, it can create some nice FM sounds that span the gap between electronic and acoustic. The amount of amazing things I can coax from this synth is just nuts.

It's not great for analog stuff, but man alive... get this synth, and learn it! Don't use presets and sculpt your own sounds!