Hi All, just wondering what your thoughts are on these two synths.

I have both installed but might like to focus on only one of them but am unsure which.

If you had to choose, which would you and why?

 

Surge, of course how can you even compare them? Virus is a toy compared to the synthesis methods Surge offers. If you devote time to it, you can build practically any sound you can imagine

 

Ostirus for sure because it is "the real thing". The Virus Ti is one of the best synths ever created in my opinion. Even though I wouldn't necessarily discard Surge XT as it is a great synth too.
It could depend on your computer though as Ostirus needs more processing power than Surge XT does. If you have a recent processor, it should not be a limiting factor though.

 

Do you guys or anyone else know if OsTIrus could be augmented with new features beyond how the original hardware synth was and if The Usual Suspects are looking at it that way or if they are just going to emulate hardware synths and leave it at that?

Perhaps I will ask them on their Discord. I ask this also in part because the Surge Team are working on a sampler, for example, that may integrate, or at least work well, with Surge XT. I know that Surge XT can import wavetables, unlike OsTIrus, not that I'm fanatical about wavetable synthesis mind you.

Surge XT's modules have also been 'broken up' and redesigned for use in VCV Rack and maybe Cardinal, and perhaps this new design might become stock in, or at least inspiration for, Surge XT, the UI of which some are turned off by.

Lastly there is the idea that more restrictions/limitations/simplicity in something can increase creativity, and even though Sylenth1 for example has many apparent limitations compared to other synths in its category, people still use it. People still love and listen to 60's music.

 

Last edited: Nov 14, 2025 at 8:22 AM

Take the Surge XT. It's a fully-fledged synthesizer; you can learn a lot with it, and it has many sound-shaping options.

Spoiler: Oscillators / Filter Block / Modulation

Oscillators / Filter Block / Modulation

Oscillators:

• 3 oscillators per scene.
• 12 versatile oscillator algorithms: Classic, Modern, Wavetable, Window, Sine, FM2, FM3, String, Twist, Alias, S&H Noise, and audio input.
• Classic oscillator is a morphable pulse/saw/dual saw oscillator with a sub-oscillator and hard sync.
• Modern oscillator is a mixable saw/pulse/triangle oscillator with an optional sub-oscillator mode for triangle (and it can also change to sine or square) and hard sync.
• FM2 and FM3 oscillators consist of a carrier and 2 or 3 modulators and various options.
• String oscillator uses two filtered waveguides to emulate plucked or bowed string sounds.
• Twist oscillator is based on a very famous Eurorack macro oscillator, and it offers a myriad of synthesis options in a very easy to use way.
• Most algorithms (except FM2, FM3, Twist and Audio Input) offer up to 16-voice unison at the oscillator level.
• Oscillator FM in 3 different configurations and ring modulation between oscillators 1-3 and 2-3.
• Most oscillator algorithms (except FM2, FM3, Sine and Alias) are strictly band-limited, yet still cover the entire audible spectrum, delivering a clear punchy yet clean sound.
• Noise generator with variable spectrum (available directly in the oscillator mixer).

Filter Block:

• Two filter units in 8 different configurations.
• Feedback loop available in 7 of those configurations.
• Available filter algorithms: Lowpass (12 and 24 dB/oct, each with 3 variations), Legacy Ladder Lowpass (6-24 dB/oct), Vintage Ladder Lowpass (2 variations, each with and without gain compensation), Highpass (12 and 24 dB/oct, each with 3 variations), Bandpass (12 and 24 dB/oct, each with 3 variations), Notch (12 and 24 dB/oct, each with 2 variations), Allpass (3 variations), Comb (positive and negative), S&H.
• Open-source additions to our filter bank contain: K35 and Diode Ladder filter types from Odin 2 synthesizer, 12 and 24 dB/oct multimode filters from OB-Xd, and weird but fascinating Cutoff Warp, Resonance Warp and Tri-Pole filters by Jatin Chowdhury.
• Filters can self-oscillate (with excitation) and respond amazingly fast to cutoff frequency changes.
• Waveshaper (43 shapes).

Modulation:

• 12 LFO units available, 6 are per voice and 6 are global for the whole scene.
• DAHDSR envelope generators on every LFO.
• LFO shapes consist of 7 deformable LFO waveforms, step sequencer, a fully-fledged multi-segment envelope generator (MSEG) with various curves and up to 128 nodes, and last but not the least - a formula modulator which utilizes Lua scripting language to provide completely custom modulator output.
• Voice LFOs allow envelope retriggering in step sequencer mode.
• Extremely fast and flexible modulation routing. Almost every continuous parameter can be modulated.

Source: www.kvraudio.com/product/surge-xt-by-surge-synth-team

 

No way.
You’d have to have the original code, decompile it, or write a completely new DSP code synth. It’s unlikely anyone will do that when there are already so many emulations. The DSP chip is probably already pushed to its limits by Access

 

100% agreed and 100% impossible. I think their GUI and preset browser are pure genius, that it even works without the hardware

 

OsTIrus if you want that Virus sound, Surge XT for everything else.

The sheer amount of goodies Surge oozes with is ridiculous, 11 oscillator types (though the Twist oscillator is based on Plaits so it's actually 16 oscillator types in one), 30+ filter types, fuck knows how many different FX types and up to 16 of them active at the same time.

Surge also has a very detailed manual which helps with learning.

 

Yeah, the Surge interface should be rethought from the ground up. It seems to suffer from many additions and layers on top of the original design. Over time though you get used toit and almost don’t notice the quirks of the interface.

there more skins if anyone doesn't know https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/skin-library/

 

I must admit that I lean more toward the sounds of at least what I've heard so far of the OsTIrus. So far, Surge XT sounds a bit bread-and-butter in comparison, although I've yet to look too much into it while it's also understood that it can be the time and effort that one puts into things, too.

Might anyone have a good source for Surge XT sounds' capability in this regard? Something that might showcase well its specifications? A lot of things can look good in theory, but not necessarily in practice.

Granted, this one is offered a bit tongue-in-cheek, if not entirely:

 

Last edited: Nov 14, 2025 at 10:08 AM

I created the video and sound set:

The Sonic Transformation Soundset by HO for the Vember Audio - Surge VSTi

The Sonic Transformation Soundset by HO for the Surge Synth Team - Surge XT VSTi

Inside the Download: 1 Soundbank " Sonic Transformation " by HO with 151 Presets
Genres: Trance - New Wave - Electro - Industrial - Modern Synth Music
Styles: Arpeggios - Basses - Effects - Leads - Pads - Sequences
Wavetable Pack by Arty (*.WT & *.WAV) 1839 Files / 32 MB
Format / File Size: Soundbank (*. FXP) / 19 MB
For: Vember Audio - Surge v1.6.1.1 or newer
Release Date: June 2019
Price: Free - Gift

Free Download: https://ohlenbostelhelge.wixsite.com/sonic-sirius-sound-d
Scroll down to: Vember Audio - Surge VSTi

 

Last edited: Nov 14, 2025 at 11:36 AM

Surge XT all day... As the others said: Endless possibilities.
I have 2 presets packs up -more to the "analog" sound-, along with 2 skins (tbh i just couldn't work with the default one).
If you want to hear more experimental sounds, it comes packed with this kind. Download it and try it, it's really worth the time!

 

I'm 99% sure that they won't add any more features than the original Virus synths had. The OsTIrus synth is a hardware emulation that you use when you want the sound and features of that vintage hardware, not because you want a super versatile monster synth. Surge XT, on the other hand, is a super versatile monster synth that can do several synthesis methods, has 33 different filter types, loads of various effects and you can create almost any kind of patch you want with it. If you are looking for one synth that can do it all, choose Surge XT. If you are looking for a synth that can emulate the Virus TI to 99.9% perfection, choose OsTIrius.

 

both are great. if i had to pick one i would pick surge. its just so powerful.

 

Surge XT can sound like most other synths .. once you know your way around.
OsTIrus by nature cannot.

Depends on what you want from a synth.

Preset surfing, box sound = OsTIrus.
Make your own sounds, learn = Surge XT or similarly flexible synths.

If you need a starting point, "Surge XT - The Movie" is pretty comprehensive (2h32m)

(Same guy also made Vital - The Movie, 1h47m)

If you want to hear sounds instead, DATABROTH has many hours of Surge XT content on his channel.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQYeIQor5uzhpGxI5saLo1bes5lElt98y

So does platipo:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLll-ipodRLsgyNe5-uWbnt6CM79TY3L23

But.. listening to people making patches is a reflection of that person's ability, knowledge and taste, not of the synth's capabilities. Because: Surge XT can sound like virtually anything.

 

Why would you even bother with either one of those when you can haz thiz:

 

Try Marimba. It's even easier.

 

SurgeXT is packed with 2800 presets. You may try them all.

Another option is One Synth Challenge with Surge. You can find all tracks created with SurgeXT here:

https://sites.google.com/site/kvrosc/2024/osc-181-surge
https://sites.google.com/site/kvrosc/2022/osc-159-surge-xt
https://sites.google.com/site/kvrosc/2020/osc-138-surge
https://sites.google.com/site/kvrosc/2019/osc-122-surge

All the tracks (dozens of them!) have been created with Surge only by many people.