Arturia Intros V-Collection 4, Solina V & Matrix 12 V

arturia-v-collection-4-synths

Arturia today introduced V-Collection 4, the latest version of its collection of virtual recreation of legendary synths, keyboards and drum kits.

New in this edition are:

  • Solina V – a virtual version of the classic Arp/Eminent Solina string ensemble
  • Matrix-12 V – a virtual version of one of the greatest analog synths ever made, the Oberheim Matrix 12

The collection includes 13 virtual instruments:

  • Matrix-12 V
  • Spark2
  • Solina V
  • VOX Continental V
  • Mini V
  • Modular V
  • CS-80V
  • ARP2600 V
  • Prophet V
  • Prophet VS
  • Jupiter 8-V
  • Oberheim SEM V
  • Wurlitzer V
  • Analog Lab

Here are the official video intros to V-Collection 4, Solina V & Matrix 12 V:

Features:

  • Includes 13 software titles : Matrix-12 V, Spark2, Solina V, VOX Continental V, Mini V, Modular V, CS-80V, ARP2600 V, Prophet V & Prophet VS, Jupiter 8-V, Oberheim SEM V, Wurlitzer V, Analog Lab.
  • Each virtual instrument in the V COLLECTION can be used as a stand-alone application or as a plug-in within your favorite DAW
  • Simple MIDI mapping to any keyboard controller.
  • No e-licenser or dongle. Manage licenses via Arturia’s ASC software.
  • Work at up to 32bit/96kHz resolution
  • Thousands of presets.
  • Polyphony goes from 2 to 32 voices, with unison possibilities…
  • In addition to the original features, more was added to take advantage of new possibilities:
    • Modulation Matrices
    • New filter types
    • Step sequencers
    • Keyboard split and layer
    • Innovative modulation sources
    • Smart preset management
    • Additional effects
    • Arpeggiators
  • Manuals in English, Japanese and French

matrix-12-v solina-v-image

Pricing:

  • Arturia V-Collection 4 is available now for US $399.
  • Solina V is available now for $99.
  • Matrix-12 V is available now for $169.00.

Demo versions are available at the site.

42 thoughts on “Arturia Intros V-Collection 4, Solina V & Matrix 12 V”

  3. I don’t know about anyone else, but this looks like a great solution for touring musicians. Not to say it’s never been thought of before, but using virtual instruments while touring can be a life saver! Sure, in the studio might be a different scenario, but if you don’t tell anyone, who’s gonna know?

    I can’t think of too many times you’ll actually NEED the real deal live. Why would you bother to take those synths out and risk them getting damaged? Sure, a computer can crash, but how many times have you actually seen a band have trouble, versus the times you’ve seen a laptop-based show go fairly smooth? Isn’t that what backup computers are for anyway? If you’re overloading a high-end computer, what the hell are you doing? Running 10 of those instruments at the same time when you’re only using 2 of them for a certain song? I’m fairly certain the software exists which enables you to have different software instruments/fx for different songs. The price seems right for this as well; you probably can’t get any of these instruments for $400 in as great of condition as they are in the software.

    And, most importantly, WHO CARES if you don’t use the real deal in a live show? Unless you’re playing for a synth convention or for a bunch of synth enthusiasts, your audience won’t care. They care more about how you play than what you play (unless you walk into a rock venue with an accordion, for example). Congratulations, you have voiced your distain for these “unfaithful” software emulations and are telling people that they should get the real deal; everyone can do that, and most everyone has done that.

    Disclaimers: Yes, I am aware that no one has said anything major yet. I am just throwing this out there BEFORE they do it because they probably will. Yes, I am also aware that people have different preferences when it comes to this sort of thing. No, I am not trying to downplay the real instruments; I would enjoy having them, just not in a touring situation. Yes, I am very much aware that this might get a ton of downvotes. I really don’t care; I’m just saying what’s on my mind since that’s what the comments section is for.

    1. My comment will be short…but I couldn’t agree with you more.
      I’ve always felt, and stated ” It doesn’t matter technique or what you use, it’s the end result that matters “

    1. I kind of wish they’d create an alternate interface for each instrument. Try to keep the look same as the original may benefit those used to the real deal but it makes it hard to work with on a computer screen. Use more of the screen real estate and make these things easier to read.

    1. Upgrading the V Collection means the exact same software you already have, plus anything new they came up with. I upgraded from V2 to V3 and thought I was getting all new versions of everything. Wrong. What I got new was the Wurlitzer V and the Spark Vintage Drum Machines. Also got the new Analog Lab and the old Analog Laboratory. I already had Analog Factory so these are just minor variations on a theme. So for $99 upgrade I got the Wurlitzer and the Spark. Everything else I already had the latest versions. No amount of money makes better the Arturia stuff you already have. If you have V3, the upgrade to V4 will get you the Oberheim and the Solina and the rest you pretty much already have so don’t think you’re paying for anything else new. Just be really reserved about your upgrade expectations from Arturia. They like to appear as if they are delivering God’s left nut, when they are just delivering a couple of new acorns for your money. They’re good acorns, but if you already have the Arturia software, you are not paying for nearly as much as you think you are. Be aware, that’s all.

      1. From V3 to V4, in addition to the Solina and Matrix, seems you also get the Vox Continental as well as the full version of Spark 2. So, it might be a better upgrade than V2 to V3.

        1. I bought V3 just about 4 months ago and got Spark 2 with it! I didn’t, however, get the Vox Continental V (which is probably just bad timing on my part). So, for me, an upgrade would give me the Vox V, Matrix V, and Solina V. Hmm: Sounds like a pretty darned good deal to me……especially with the efficiency tweaks I’m sure they’ve made and the performance tweaks (listed above):
          ?Modulation Matrices
          ?New filter types
          ?Step sequencers
          ?Keyboard split and layer
          ?Innovative modulation sources
          ?Smart preset management
          ?Additional effects
          ?Arpeggiators
          If the price is reasonable (which is usually is from Arturia), then I’ll be in line to get it. Well, when the website is working properly!! :o)

  7. I agree with You, both software and hardware have their places. Some musicians may be interested in sound that is just “close enough” to original instruments, caring more about other aspects of sound/composition, especially in live situations.

  8. one of the things I like about soft synth emulations is that with all of the patches they come with seeing how those patches were designed can help teach you how to use the real thing even better, sounds kind of strange but true.

  11. Maybe it’s just my personal opinion, but Arturia’s synths all sound kind-of “same-ish” to my ears. I cant hear the distinctive difference in sound from Moog Modular and ARP2600, they all have their own famous signature character that I just can hear in the plugins…the same goes for the rest of the pack, with maybe a SEM V as an exception, because they’ve nailed it pretty good (and yes, I had the chance to play a real Oberheim 8-Voice, so I know what I’m talking about). I’ve used Arturia’s stuff quite a lot in the past, but less so, nowadays. There are simply better alternatives now. OPX-PRO II for that Oberheim sound, U-he Diva for pretty much everything else. Even the cheapo TAL stuff sounds more authentic. I have a real Minimoog model D here, and while I agree that it’s more convenient to take a laptop with software synths on stage, for studio work, that’s where all the difference in “pro” quality sound comes from. You simply can’t beat the hardware, yet. People are fooled into thinking that they’re buying the real synth emulation, what they actually get is a certain “Arturia” sound (which you may or may not like) with different feature sets and brilliantly designed GUI’s that look like the real deal. Yes, we’re getting there with new emulations, but not just yet. Big sound still need big toys. This is excellent for live situations, but for the critical studio work, I always prefer the hardware.

    2. I agree. I find their synths all have a very similar sound, which suggest they are one engine tweaked to sound closer to the original they are ‘supposed’ to emulate. The Prophet 12 may be different, but to my ears I’m still hearing that soft-synth sound. The solina is also sounding fairly unimpressive. The G-Force Vintage String Machine sounds far superior.

      I find their synths handy for ideas, but more often I use the Korg Legacy and the Arp Oddity as they sound more authentic. I think if you don’t have much experience of real synths, they probably sound great. But if your familiar with real analogue synths theres something very fake about most of the sounds, unless you use the more basic sounds with less FX.

      1. Yes, if you have the original hardware around, you are probably good to go. But – and it is a big but – can you afford it? Do you have the space to store your gear? The insurance? And can you fix the electronics when they break down? And break down, oh, yes, they do. We’re talking several decades of grime and dust collecting on those resistors and stuff on the inside. I’ve been there, still got some grey hairs to show as memento. When all put together, sacrificing a bit of authenticity may after all not be such a big deal. And the Arturia softsynths sound excellent.

    3. I’m sure the use of their proprietary TAE (True Analog Emulation) synth engine in all their softsynths has a lot to do with that ‘same-ish’ audio quality.

  12. Hey, look, a modeled Matrix-12 with no dongle. That’s a pleasant surprise, not a carbuncle, c’mon! How long have people been screaming for a software Xpander? If its even halfway there, the price is a bargain. Sure, there’s a bit of an “Arturia sound,” just like there’s a “sound” to any product that’s the culmination of X number of people. Papen has a sound; Alchemy has a sound. I get it. All the same, I’ve played the real thing and its one of those synths that grows a lot of hair on you if you can even halfway master it. Critique all you like, but having the bulk of that sound in software still beats the hell out of laying hands to a real one on the 35th of Get Real. As Charles Ives once said, “Shut up and take your dissonance like a man.” 😛 I’m going to give it the benefit of some doubt. The potential is too great to dismiss prematurely.

  13. I love the Arturia soft-synths. Excellent sound. At least the Moog and Jupiter are close enough for most of my needs to the real hardware, and those are the ones I use the most. Excited to have a good Solina emulation.

    As with others, though, I suffer through the skeumorphic design. Too many tiny obscure controls in too small a space. They might retain that GUI as a user-preference, but also design a much cleaner clearer GUI for on-screen use. Valhalla’s plug-ins are a beautiful model of clean, beautiful, usable design, for example.

  14. I have an Xpander, and it would be cool to doodle on the VA to try out ideas, when I’m away from the studio. If I get something cool and can then realize it on the real thing. The Xpander suffered from slow envelopes, I hope they fixed this in the VA version.

  15. for those of us who’d really like to know, what are the alternatives (NOT Just alternatives).. but the alternatives that are without a question better than the v-collection?
    is u-he diva without question better for those sounds? I’m not looking for stuff that is just as good as the v-collection just looking for plugs that definitely do the v-collection sounds better than the v-collection… ???

    1. The arturia stuff excels at recreating a range of synths – contrary to the poster above, I feel the Jupiter sounds very different to the prophet, and the isem from the arp, etc. No other software I’ve found comes anywhere near to being as good as arturias Jupiter, which is amazing. Uhe Diva is close in terms of quality, and is the best alternative I’ve found for the more VA end of arturia stuff, but it is processor heavy, and seems to take up the same power as two or three instances of an arturia plug in.

  16. Excellent new virtuals !! It remains the problem of the graphic , too small for Full HD screens.(especially for the “old” emulations)
    Mini V, Modular V, CS-80V, ARP2600 V, Prophet V & Prophet VS, Jupiter V-8, Oberheim SEM V were created several years ago when the standard resolution was 1280×1024:-(

    1. I usually use laptop screen, where resolution is 1366×768, so GUI almost fits my screen.
      There could be some option to switch GUI to more “HDish” style. That would be nice.

    1. You can make it bigger with your OS’s magnifying glass (Windows key + ‘+’/’-‘ in Windows e.g.)
      But no VST version can magically add more pixels to a low resolution bitmap GUI.

  19. A) As a previous V-Collection owner, I was very happy to have logged-in to my account to find my coupon to update right there and ready. Unlike the debacle that was the V2 to V3 update where they didn’t have anything up for days or weeks even.

    B) I agree that their back catalog of soft synths NEEDS a GUI update. I work on 30″ monitor at 2560×1600 and their plug-ins are ridiculously small on my screen. On my Mac, I sometimes have to turn on the zoom mode in order to see all the tiny buttons etc. On a laptop, it’s somewhat usable. I guess there’s a number of ways they could go. 1) Have an HD option that just switches to larger everything at a pre-configured size. 2) Have it scale based on how large you want it (could be difficult depending on how their software is coded). 3) Have an option to totally shift the interface to something much cleaner like the Vahalla stuff a previous poster mentioned (nice and clean design), but maybe still have the old UI to turn to in case you’re one of those lucky people who own the actual instrument and you want to rebuild a patch you were working on via software.

    NI has done it with some of their newer updates to their back catalog and when they release something new, the UI has been updated as well. I think that should be Arturia’s goal for the next V-Collection release, if not a x.5 release which would make me happy.

    All this UI stuff is the primary reason I started collecting hardware again, so I could actually feel like I’m playing an instrument. Even the iPad feels better than using a mouse to click on all those little buttons.

    1. A full screen gui AND iPad gui. The ability to use the iPad as the gui interface would make those Arturia synths so much easier to play. Logic already has the iPad app.

    1. I was very surprised when I went through the presets last night. The Solina sounds incredible. Put a big smile on my face. These three new modules are very USABLE, which is why I buy them.

  21. I just sold my Xpander. This Matrix 12 is really close – three grand in my pocket and the softsynth is more than satisfying. Turn off the chorus effect and it sounds more authentic (on those patches that use the chorus.)

  22. has anyone heard if the Matrix 12 & Solina will be incorporated into Lab & Laboratory ? it makes perfect sense and exponentially bumps Arturia into untouchable status as far as soft synth emu kings…

  23. I was hoping for GUI scaling to larger monitors. No joy. Still have to scroll up and down using only one sixth of the screen. This is looong overdue. Version 5? Arturia? Arturiaaaa!!!!!

  24. Even at $400, the V collection 4 is a great deal. I got it for $250 on sale. I’m not sure if I can mention the website, but I will try anyway. It’s JRRshop.com. Another great website for discounts on plugins is audiodeluxe.com. For $250, I got 12 beautiful sounding synths AND Spark 2. I mean, Spark 2 alone is worth the $250. It’s amazing for programming drums. I’ve never owned any of the hardware synths in this collection. But I doubt that the virtual synths sound much different. Maybe a little, but is that really important? No. Let’s take a top 10 hit from the 80s, “Into The Groove” by Madonna. If the synth bass was played by the virtual Jupiter 8 instead of the hardware Jupiter 8, would it not have still been a hit? Of course it would have. This Arturia collection has inspired me to write new songs and I’ve only had it for 2 weeks. And even though it’s a “vintage” collection, there’s no reason why you can’t write a modern song with it. It doesn’t sound dated at all to me. It sounds amazing. The only issue is software stability. Sometimes the VI crashes on me for no apparent reason, whether as stand-alone or in a DAW. After I spoke with tech support(by the way, they responded in less than 24 hours), they told me to delete some .pref files and the crashes have been cut down by 90%. I highly recommend the V collection.
    I realize that Madonna’s Into the Groove bass line may not have been a Jupiter 8. I was just using that as an example. By the way, there’s a patch on Solina V that sounds EXACTLY like the main string synth line in Cars by Gary Neuman.

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