M-Audio Venom - What's your 2 cents about this synth?

lostinpurdy · Joined: Nov 16, 2007 Posts: 37 Location: Gig Harbor

I bought a used M-Audio Venom synth for $280 this weekend, but didn't get around to mess with it yet. It seemed to be a cool synth and sounded pretty decent to me when I tested it on site. I'd like to hear your opinions about this synth. Was this a good deal or a waste of time and money? Am I stuck with presets or can this synth be programmed (didn't find an option to edit the sounds other than twisting performance knobs) If it is not a good synth, which alternatives do you recommend?

PS: Ok, I read somewhere that the synth can be programmed with a software editor, which seems kind of counter-intuitive to me, but I ain't gonna let that scare me off. Can the sounds be edited/created from scratch with a hardware controller of sorts?

MusicMan11712 · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:29 am Post subject:

Have you looked here: http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/Venom%20User%20Guide_EN.pdf ?

lostinpurdy · Joined: Nov 16, 2007 Posts: 37 Location: Gig Harbor

No, I didn't but now I did. The sysex parameters look interesting. I'm gonna figure out what I can do with my xiosynth hooked up on it. Really looking forward to this experiment Smile

...

MusicMan11712 · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 12:19 pm Post subject:

Check out the software tab for the product at the M-Audio site--there is an upgrade for the software (vyzex, or something like that). I hope it's a standalone upgrade, not a patch for previously installed software. They also have drivers that seem to be up-to-date. Have fun figuring the synth out.
Steve

lostinpurdy · Joined: Nov 16, 2007 Posts: 37 Location: Gig Harbor

So what's your overall opinion about this synth, before I dive in?

matrix · Joined: Aug 28, 2005 Posts: 68 Location: USA

I like mine. You can get a pretty wide range of sounds from it. I made an iPad editor here:

http://m.matrixsynth.com/2011/03/touchosc-template-for-m-audio-venom.html

It's mapped for The Missing Link though: http://wifimidi.com/

I also have a review and interview with Taiho Yamada with some tips and tricks here:

http://m.matrixsynth.com/2011/03/m-audio-venom-review-and-interview-with.html

Not mine, but also worth checking out:

http://m.matrixsynth.com/2012/09/venomcontrol-editor-and-control-surface.html

matrix · Joined: Aug 28, 2005 Posts: 68 Location: USA

Also some additional tips and trick via the Venom blog here:

http://community.avid.com/blogs/avid/archive/tags/Venom/default.aspx

Scroll when you get there to get to the first.

patrickvf1976 · Joined: Aug 08, 2011 Posts: 135 Location: Gig Harbor

So I didn't get a clear answer about accessing all of the parameters in real time with a controller, not meaning to get pesky about it, but has anyone successfully hooked up a hardware controller to the Venom and tweaked around with all internal parameters without using the editor program?

matrix · Joined: Aug 28, 2005 Posts: 68 Location: USA

Yes. See my initial response.

Gothboy · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 3:49 pm Post subject:

So I was wondering how you found the Venom and were you able to find a suitable way to program it? I just stumbled upon your post and was intrigued because when I first got it I wasn't pleased with it mainly because of the Editor(Which has a new update I am flabbergasted to have just found out!

I tried to use a Novation Remote zero with it by running a midi cable out from it to the Venom with minimal unsatisfying results. The Venom display does not show any other paramaters other than what is in the matrix so how can you edit stuff you can't see.

The editor is still the best way I'm glad Psicraft is sticking with it.