MOTM

A bit off-topic... Has anyone on this list used Arturia's "Moog Modular V" 
virtual Moog synth?  www.arturia.com  While my interests lie mostly with analog, 
I have no particular bias against digital.  To me, it is all about the sound 
and not the technology that got you there.  Anyway, I downloaded the demo 
version (which bursts about 1/2 second of white noise after about 8 notes having 
been played) to see what it is all about.  For $226 at zzounds, the price seems 
pretty good but I'd like to hear from trusted friends on this list rather 
than manufacturer's hype on usability, sound quality, and overall value.  Anyone 
have this, who would be kind enough to share his or her thoughts?

It has a built-in sequencer that works pretty much like the real deal and I 
was fairly impressed by the sonic result when various "modules" are 
deliberately overloaded.  Somebody actually paid attention to that oft overlooked detail. 
 I am on a strictly limited budget so that piece of code won't appear in my 
kit unless kudos abound.  There are Wintel and MAC versions available.

The fixed filter bank even had a Q control for each passband.  That was a 
nice touch and seems quite useful.  I think the demo has value in that one can 
patch up modules they don't yet own (or aren't yet available ala MOTM).  That'll 
help to confirm whether that bit of functionality is a must-have-now or a 
get-it-later.  For example, it has 9 VCOs.  That could help sell some 300s if one 
decides that they didn't know they really needed more VCOs!  I don't know if 
this program is truly useful as an instrument but the demo was helpful in 
sorting out what I like and dislike about knob-per-note sequencers.  Still, might 
be useful to load onto that older PIII machine with an AWE64 Soundblaster for 
MIDI control in, and audio out.  It might be "another tool in the kit" or 
might be a waste of cash.  But unlike real synths (like MOTM) one cannot simply 
add another module.  If you want just one more function you're pretty much 
screwed.  So much for a modular virtual synth that isn't modular after all!  Still, 
it seems compelling.  Comments... please!

Cheers!
Tom Farrand