AudioPilz vs. Massive X: A Proper Flop or Secret Weapon?

AudioPilz comes out swinging, treating Native Instruments’ Massive X like a cautionary tale for any brand that’s lost the plot. In his signature blend of sarcasm and technical bite, he clocks it as a plugin you’d only touch if you were forced to—like cleaning out the pub toilets on a Sunday morning. The original Massive is described as paradigm-shifting, while Massive X is left sulking in the digital shadows, cursed with a lack of backward compatibility and a whiff of being a downgrade from its big brother.

Right from the off, it’s clear this plugin isn’t winning any popularity contests. AudioPilz gives it a solid kicking for chopping down its unison voices, shrinking the filter section, and generally making a mess of what made Massive so, well, massive. It’s the synth equivalent of a band releasing a new album with half the instruments missing and a pile of broken promises. The warning is clear: pay attention, or your shiny flagship might just end up as another trophy in inMusic’s graveyard.

Massive X does throw up some unexpected gems in its noise and FX sections if you’re willing to wade through the clutter. AudioPilz points out the plugin’s capacity for total sonic destruction—insert FX, feedback loops, you name it. It’s like giving a punk band a modular rig and telling them to break stuff, and sometimes, the chaos actually works in its favour.

Still, the workflow is clunky, and the lack of decent visual feedback is like mixing a track blindfolded in a blackout. The animation and modulation tools are undeniably futuristic, but getting anything done feels more like a dare than a pleasure. If you want to hear the results, you’ll have to catch the video—words just can’t do justice to the glorious mess that ensues when you push this plugin to its limits.

In the end, AudioPilz delivers his verdict with the kind of dry wit that leaves a mark. Massive X, he argues, came out swinging years too late, missing the boat while competitors like Serum and Pigments rewrote the rulebook. It’s got a tone that sets it apart—he even admits to preferring it over some high-end digital hardware—but the feature set and usability just can’t keep up.

There’s a strange charm to Massive X, lurking like a forgotten pint at the end of a long night. Maybe it’s a hidden gem, maybe it’s just a synth-shaped footnote, but it’s definitely not boring. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that sometimes, the real fun lies in the flops—and the best way to get the whole picture is to experience the video’s audio carnage for yourself.