The matrix in Pigments really does make a difference to workflow. I recommend to anyone who asks me what DAW, VST/Plugins etc "should I get for my first steps". I always tell them to get a DAW that suits but only get one plugin first, Pigments 2. Pigments 2 is FANTASTIC for people learning how to use virtual synths and understand how they work, how LFO's work etc. Because its all colour coded and all basically on one screen, it's also SUPER fast to pump out a sound that you have in your head. It also has so many synths in addition to the regular - synth. It costs $190USD for Padshop to get (what I think) is the BEST granular and spectral synth, but in Pigments 2 you get a granular synth. Granted it is nowhere near as in-depth as Padshop, but you still get granular synth to a good degree to introduce you to and make incredible sound with samples.
I started with Pigments then tried out the Serum Demo. I was shocked at how little Serum had to offer compared. There is no Analogue, Sampler or Granular engine in Serum missing out entire dimensions of sounds and that's just for starters. Everywhere you look Pigments is drenched in more features and more attention to detail for instance all of the 2000 or so presets in Pigments come with a mini tutorial on how to use them and a bio of the artist that designed them. Serum was the goto synth for many years and has a lot of loyalty but has rested on its laurels with no innovation for a long time and has made the newcomer IMO Pigments the synth to beat. On the flip side Serum does have a lot more third party media so if you're the sort of person that thinks that 10,000 EDM presets in a bundle for 99p is a good idea then Serum would be a better choice.
After having pigments for a while, the fact that Serum looks more minimalist and has less going on actually attracts me because pigments can be alot to take in. I was considering buying Serum but pigments just came out with an update that has a "Play" option where it's more minimalist and easy for someone to jump in and just create. You are right about Serum having more third party support and sound banks though
I own both, and Pigments is a no-brainer for a first synth. Serum is a little better in specific circumstaces when working with wavetables (8 LFOs etc.), but Pigments has an entire sampler and granulator, and 6 instead of 2 oscillators when working with "analog" synths. Far more versatile, and Serum's edge will only be apparent in very complex wavetable design.
I'm just learning sound design and learning synths in depth for the first time, and the tutorial mode is outstanding. I love that it sets up specific scenarios for the features its explaining. I also like the info it gives you on individual presets, even showing you a photo of the person who designed it. The presentation overall is very premium. Got it on sale for half price too.
I gave pigments a 3 day trial last summer and I’ve honestly never been able to turn back. Serum looks and sounds beautiful but Pigments to me just has that little bit more to offer. I don’t think you can go wrong with either option personally
Cool video! I bought pigments a while ago and really enjoy it. Reminds me a bit of modular. Audio in the video is in mono, which does make it a little harder to hear some stuff, for future reference.
Thanks for making it to the point. RUclips search - pigments vs serum. This shows all the links just not what the question asked. Thanks again for making this video to the point
Just want to add guys that I only paid £83 for pigments as it's on sale now (2021, May). Also if you buy various other pieces of there software/hardware you can get further discount's. For £200 I got, MiniLab mk2, Analog lab and pigments 3.0. ITS AMAZING!!!!!
Yes! For me I think of that more as an audio effect rather than having it on the part of the synth where sound is shaped. In pigments there are two filters on the front panel and an additional one in the FX panel. I guess it all depends how you look at it.
I think Serum's sound engine is a little better. Pigments is a little harsh, and you have to do more tweaking to get a lush sound. Both are great tools. But Serum is just a beast.
I agree, I actually think Pigments finds it hard to push out warm, rich tones like Serum. I feel like Arturia needs to work on the sound engine just a little bit more. I find I have to use a few other VSTs in conjunction with Pigments to push out the richness I get naturally from Serum.
Love the video. Great info! I've always liked serum for being simple and easy to understand, as a new producer like me. Pigments looks beautiful and well designed but I think I'd rather have serum for what it does. You should have more subs btw! You're great at what you do!
Thanks so much for the encouragement. Yes - something about serum really does create a non nonsense work flow that definitely helps you get right to creating. Pigments has a wider array of synthesis types, but you can really create almost anything in Serum.
I really like the quality and variety of the Serum filters. And the extra sub and noise oscillators are very useful. While the granular and virtual analogue parts of Pigments are nice, I already have other devices that do those things, and I find having them integrated is not enough for loosing the Serum filters and sub and noise osc.
Surprising that Duda has not created a Serum 2, although he would probably want to create a totally different synth. I mean Serum is now arguably the best all time synth in the hearts and minds of many, so upgrading the best seems impossible.
No, I don't have another Arturia product. I think one time they do a massive offer, but I don't know if they will do it again. I buy it to a guy who buy Pigments at the same price, 50€, but I don't know how and when.
hey guys i am renting to own BOTH on splice and was wondering WHICH TO LEARN FIRST as a noob? I also bought Syntorial which is like MAGIC - it also has an option as an added lesson to add your fav synth it offers both serum and pigments. so was jus wondering TIME WISE - which shall i invest in to master? thanks
when you did your oscilator comparison you had serum fine knob tuned up to 7....... serum is fantastic and really easy to use but i do think pigments is better due to the fact that it does so much more just as easily
Hi Brett … thanks for a helpful video. Do either one of these synths have an advantage in a live performance situation like using them with Gig Performer? Thanks.
I’m looking to beef up my sounds and i was just debating between the two. I’m not particularly into sound design but I want to have the added range I see in Pigments. I’ll probably do a free trials for pigments first and if it seems like too much hassle/confusionI’ll check out Serum. Nice video
Malcolm Hodnett If you’re looking to have access to a wide range of synthesis options pigments is definitely a good way to go. Let us know what you end up deciding when your trials are over!
I am new to music production and I wonder why is there an interest amongst Ableton Live 10 producers to buy third party wave table VSTs (or any other virtual instruments) when Live 10 Suite has that built in? Is the built-in wavetable synths in Live 10 not good or lack features? Just trying to understand. Thanks!
You are asking the right questions! Ableton suite needs no other VSTs to make great music. It’s certainly optional. As to why people are interested, IMO there are two reasons. First of all, some people just really like new gear. They think a new VST will fix their problem or magically make their music better. This is not true of course. Developing your skills is the only way to do that. The other group uses VSTs for something specific. For example, serum allows you to draw your own Wavetable shapes. Ableton’s built in ”Wavetable” let’s you make Wavetables from audio but not from drawing. Sometimes VSTs come with a larger number of presets which can be desirable. Other times a vst Does something slightly better. This might be the case with EQ8 vs FabFilter. Mostly though, you can accomplish almost identical things with stock devices and VSTs Hope this helps!
You know, It's not too terrible. I am able to run it while performing live (but only one or two instances). Anything that is too heavy I will ussually resample. But I would say that is true of any synth i use.
Dude, that’s fucking facts bruh xD Massive x be hitting my cpu hard asf, not even as much as serum or phase plant. Tbh, that’s prob why I haven’t been wanting to use it :v
There is some overlap. I have and use both and don't feel like it's overkill. Pigments is also on sale right now I believe, so would be a good time to buy. Pigments has some extra features that Serum doesn't; A granular synth, an extra oscillator, and analog model. I think they compliment well. I've got a purchase link in the description of this video if you decide to grab a copy of pigments.
When it comes to looks, I think Pigment 2 definitely gets the cake, compared to the default serum skin. However, serum is one of the very few, if not the only, that allows users to use customs skins, which is rlly dope. Honestly tho, I like both, but the simplicity of serum, and it’s clean and high quality sounds makes me stay in serum :v Let’s be honest tho, phase plant is prob the most versatile synth out there, besides, u can load as many oscillators as possible xD
Don't know if anyone commented on this, but I find the wind sounds and very obvious plosives from your voice recording really annoying. If you want to use this mic I think you should definitely add a windshield.
I didn't know how you can even try and compare the two and not even touch on the extremely powerful sequencer inside Pigments. I don't own either one of these awesome instruments, so I was hoping for a more complete comparison. Poor review.
@@LiveKeyboardist the work flow is Kinda odd but I’m still diving into it now if you want massive low end for sub basses in Trap a super good one would be repro
You should buy Serum because the cool people have it, and you’d better fucking OBEY the cool people, be just like them, OBEY OBEY OBEY. Be the same. Be just like everyone else. Use Serum. Use Ableton. Make shitty boring music that sounds like everyone else.
The matrix in Pigments really does make a difference to workflow. I recommend to anyone who asks me what DAW, VST/Plugins etc "should I get for my first steps". I always tell them to get a DAW that suits but only get one plugin first, Pigments 2. Pigments 2 is FANTASTIC for people learning how to use virtual synths and understand how they work, how LFO's work etc. Because its all colour coded and all basically on one screen, it's also SUPER fast to pump out a sound that you have in your head. It also has so many synths in addition to the regular - synth. It costs $190USD for Padshop to get (what I think) is the BEST granular and spectral synth, but in Pigments 2 you get a granular synth. Granted it is nowhere near as in-depth as Padshop, but you still get granular synth to a good degree to introduce you to and make incredible sound with samples.
Yes! Pigments is a great synth to start with.
I started with Pigments then tried out the Serum Demo. I was shocked at how little Serum had to offer compared. There is no Analogue, Sampler or Granular engine in Serum missing out entire dimensions of sounds and that's just for starters. Everywhere you look Pigments is drenched in more features and more attention to detail for instance all of the 2000 or so presets in Pigments come with a mini tutorial on how to use them and a bio of the artist that designed them. Serum was the goto synth for many years and has a lot of loyalty but has rested on its laurels with no innovation for a long time and has made the newcomer IMO Pigments the synth to beat. On the flip side Serum does have a lot more third party media so if you're the sort of person that thinks that 10,000 EDM presets in a bundle for 99p is a good idea then Serum would be a better choice.
After having pigments for a while, the fact that Serum looks more minimalist and has less going on actually attracts me because pigments can be alot to take in. I was considering buying Serum but pigments just came out with an update that has a "Play" option where it's more minimalist and easy for someone to jump in and just create. You are right about Serum having more third party support and sound banks though
@@zen_nabu Yea I'd agree with that, less is more sometimes. The new Play option is great and makes Pigments more accessible.
I own both, and Pigments is a no-brainer for a first synth. Serum is a little better in specific circumstaces when working with wavetables (8 LFOs etc.), but Pigments has an entire sampler and granulator, and 6 instead of 2 oscillators when working with "analog" synths. Far more versatile, and Serum's edge will only be apparent in very complex wavetable design.
Good insight!
I'm just learning sound design and learning synths in depth for the first time, and the tutorial mode is outstanding. I love that it sets up specific scenarios for the features its explaining. I also like the info it gives you on individual presets, even showing you a photo of the person who designed it. The presentation overall is very premium. Got it on sale for half price too.
I gave pigments a 3 day trial last summer and I’ve honestly never been able to turn back. Serum looks and sounds beautiful but Pigments to me just has that little bit more to offer. I don’t think you can go wrong with either option personally
Both options are absolutely solid. I go back and fourth constantly.
Now it's obviously Pigments since it's only been getting updates since then, while Serum is still the same old tale.
Cool video! I bought pigments a while ago and really enjoy it. Reminds me a bit of modular. Audio in the video is in mono, which does make it a little harder to hear some stuff, for future reference.
Thanks for making it to the point. RUclips search - pigments vs serum. This shows all the links just not what the question asked. Thanks again for making this video to the point
Just want to add guys that I only paid £83 for pigments as it's on sale now (2021, May).
Also if you buy various other pieces of there software/hardware you can get further discount's.
For £200 I got, MiniLab mk2, Analog lab and pigments 3.0. ITS AMAZING!!!!!
Serum does have 2 filters the second one is in the effects panel
Yes! For me I think of that more as an audio effect rather than having it on the part of the synth where sound is shaped. In pigments there are two filters on the front panel and an additional one in the FX panel. I guess it all depends how you look at it.
I think Serum's sound engine is a little better. Pigments is a little harsh, and you have to do more tweaking to get a lush sound. Both are great tools. But Serum is just a beast.
Serum truly is a beast. Runs a little lighter at well. But as you said. Both are great tools.
That's exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks!
Happy to help!
I would honestly say that Pigments has a more harsh frequency tone, than serum actually. However perhaps that's just my ears.
I agree, I actually think Pigments finds it hard to push out warm, rich tones like Serum. I feel like Arturia needs to work on the sound engine just a little bit more. I find I have to use a few other VSTs in conjunction with Pigments to push out the richness I get naturally from Serum.
You can make "way out" sounds much faster in Arturia Pigments. IMO
Love the video. Great info! I've always liked serum for being simple and easy to understand, as a new producer like me. Pigments looks beautiful and well designed but I think I'd rather have serum for what it does. You should have more subs btw! You're great at what you do!
Thanks so much for the encouragement. Yes - something about serum really does create a non nonsense work flow that definitely helps you get right to creating. Pigments has a wider array of synthesis types, but you can really create almost anything in Serum.
Thanks for this comparison. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I really like the quality and variety of the Serum filters. And the extra sub and noise oscillators are very useful.
While the granular and virtual analogue parts of Pigments are nice, I already have other devices that do those things, and I find having them integrated is not enough for loosing the Serum filters and sub and noise osc.
Useful points! Serum is hard to compete with. Which other devices are you using for granular and virtual analogue?
@@LiveKeyboardist Mostly stock Reason devices like Grain and Thor
Thor is one of my favorites. Haven’t used grain yet. But I do really like granulator 2 for max for live.
Surprising that Duda has not created a Serum 2, although he would probably want to create a totally different synth. I mean Serum is now arguably the best all time synth in the hearts and minds of many, so upgrading the best seems impossible.
Pigments is my favorite of them all.
One thing to note when it comes to price -- Pigments often goes on sale for $99, whereas Serum apparently never offers discounted pricing.
I got it for $70.00. 😁🎵🎹🎶
does anyone know of a pattern on when it normally goes on sale? I plan on waiting but I am just wondering when I can expect it to go on sale.
V Collection 8 for $60 on proaudiostar. Got that, and pigments for a bill. I have enough to keep me busy for years now.
Thank you so much! Very usefull video!!!
Aha I also hesitate... Both have really great sound. I finally buy the Pigments because of a great special price (50€) and original interface.
-zoave - sometimes price will do it. Arturia does run exceptional sales.
Yeah right :)
Where did you find that pricing?
@@OscarFromIndia He probably got it bc he had other instrument(s) registered already.
No, I don't have another Arturia product. I think one time they do a massive offer, but I don't know if they will do it again. I buy it to a guy who buy Pigments at the same price, 50€, but I don't know how and when.
hey guys i am renting to own BOTH on splice and was wondering WHICH TO LEARN FIRST as a noob? I also bought Syntorial which is like MAGIC - it also has an option as an added lesson to add your fav synth it offers both serum and pigments. so was jus wondering TIME WISE - which shall i invest in to master? thanks
when you did your oscilator comparison you had serum fine knob tuned up to 7....... serum is fantastic and really easy to use but i do think pigments is better due to the fact that it does so much more just as easily
Hahaha exactly this, so dumb. Also comparing the 2 most basic waves on different volumes
Pigments on sale currently at $69 when you login! Don’t miss out.
Hi Brett … thanks for a helpful video. Do either one of these synths have an advantage in a live performance situation like using them with Gig Performer? Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed! They would both work just fine with Gig Performer. Depends which you like working with better.
This video just got me thinking that I want both... But I cant afford both xD I can barely afford one
I’m looking to beef up my sounds and i was just debating between the two. I’m not particularly into sound design but I want to have the added range I see in Pigments. I’ll probably do a free trials for pigments first and if it seems like too much hassle/confusionI’ll check out Serum. Nice video
Malcolm Hodnett If you’re looking to have access to a wide range of synthesis options pigments is definitely a good way to go. Let us know what you end up deciding when your trials are over!
I am new to music production and I wonder why is there an interest amongst Ableton Live 10 producers to buy third party wave table VSTs (or any other virtual instruments) when Live 10 Suite has that built in? Is the built-in wavetable synths in Live 10 not good or lack features? Just trying to understand. Thanks!
You are asking the right questions! Ableton suite needs no other VSTs to make great music. It’s certainly optional.
As to why people are interested, IMO there are two reasons. First of all, some people just really like new gear. They think a new VST will fix their problem or magically make their music better. This is not true of course. Developing your skills is the only way to do that.
The other group uses VSTs for something specific. For example, serum allows you to draw your own Wavetable shapes. Ableton’s built in ”Wavetable” let’s you make Wavetables from audio but not from drawing. Sometimes VSTs come with a larger number of presets which can be desirable.
Other times a vst Does something slightly better. This might be the case with EQ8 vs FabFilter. Mostly though, you can accomplish almost identical things with stock devices and VSTs
Hope this helps!
@@LiveKeyboardist Thank you! This helps a lot!
they also sound different, even tough the differences are way less than it is with hardware synths.
"Why don't we have both ?" 😉
how hard does it hit your cpu? massive x is a 15% hit with the init patch omg. i'm a little scared of the new age synths
You know, It's not too terrible. I am able to run it while performing live (but only one or two instances). Anything that is too heavy I will ussually resample. But I would say that is true of any synth i use.
Dude, that’s fucking facts bruh xD
Massive x be hitting my cpu hard asf, not even as much as serum or phase plant. Tbh, that’s prob why I haven’t been wanting to use it :v
If you already have serum , would pigments 2 be overlapping?
There is some overlap. I have and use both and don't feel like it's overkill. Pigments is also on sale right now I believe, so would be a good time to buy. Pigments has some extra features that Serum doesn't; A granular synth, an extra oscillator, and analog model. I think they compliment well. I've got a purchase link in the description of this video if you decide to grab a copy of pigments.
Buy neither, buy phase plant
When it comes to looks, I think Pigment 2 definitely gets the cake, compared to the default serum skin. However, serum is one of the very few, if not the only, that allows users to use customs skins, which is rlly dope. Honestly tho, I like both, but the simplicity of serum, and it’s clean and high quality sounds makes me stay in serum :v
Let’s be honest tho, phase plant is prob the most versatile synth out there, besides, u can load as many oscillators as possible xD
Oli Chromoly true.....
can you use both together in any creative ways?
Absolutely you can. I have and use both.
@@LiveKeyboardist Thanks for the reply. I have Pigments 2 and maybe I will get Serum as well.
Serum is really great. Each program has its own special things, but I know you won’t be disappointed with it if you do decide to go that route
@@LiveKeyboardist Thanks!
Serum or Pigments... The right answer is Phase Plant !
Don't know if anyone commented on this, but I find the wind sounds and very obvious plosives from your voice recording really annoying. If you want to use this mic I think you should definitely add a windshield.
Yes! I actually have upgraded since filming this video for that exact reason. A little windshield went a long way. Thanks for watching!
I didn't know how you can even try and compare the two and not even touch on the extremely powerful sequencer inside Pigments. I don't own either one of these awesome instruments, so I was hoping for a more complete comparison. Poor review.
No do not but this bit is serious cpu usage!!!!!
Or just buy Serum and Hive 2
Great recommendation. What do you like about hive 2?
@@LiveKeyboardist the work flow is Kinda odd but I’m still diving into it now if you want massive low end for sub basses in Trap a super good one would be repro
But I usually go to Reaktor 6 Monark more
@@LiveKeyboardist im getting pigments tho i just demoed and i loved it
The workflow pigments pigments is top-of-the-line. It just feels good to use. Shouldn’t be overlooked for sure
Both are seriously cpu heavy!!! Dont bother!!!
I’ve found both to run quite well on my computer. Which synths do you recommend?
get a good computer lmao
You should buy Serum because the cool people have it, and you’d better fucking OBEY the cool people, be just like them, OBEY OBEY OBEY. Be the same. Be just like everyone else. Use Serum. Use Ableton. Make shitty boring music that sounds like everyone else.