How to decide what makes for the best Analog Delay guitar pedal is a subject everyone seems to have an opinion on. This is hardly surprising with it being an overtly popular effect ever since it's appearance in the late 1960's. Most guitarists dote on their, and they are largely considered a 'must have item' for the majority of gigging musicians. They are a very versatile choice of effect pedal, and produce incredibly different dynamics at each end of their spectrum of capabilities, which we will delve into a little later.
A shining example of pedal production from the respectable Dunlop brand. It's not hard to guess why this MXR M169 Carbon Copy analog delay pedal is a worldwide best-seller with it's authentic analog audio path featuring actual BBD technology for producing those essential dark tones.Our favorite delay pedal, the MXR M169 Carbon Copy, makes for an honest delay tone with crisp slaps, ace acoustics and organic warmth. Regen function easily controls repetitions hand in hand with mix (wet/dry blend and delay. Despite is 3 dial design the MXR Carbon Copy has deceptive versatility, ideal for; country, blues, surf, rockabilly, rock and roll, and even 'Floydian' progressive rock tones.Access the tones via the top-mounted modulation switch for great, colorful flavoring.
Everything from small-hall to blatant rebounds. Benefiting form years of refinement they are capable of providing long delay times that ring and retain tone unlike their original tape to tape predecessors which typically seemed to break up. Of course we can't skim over the MXR Carbon Copy pedals' stunning good looks either a dark green, glittered appearance on a solid- metallic pedal built by professionals who are known for their unrivaled robust units.Pros:+ Compact design.+ 600ms of delay for play.+ Range of parameters to control.+ All-analog from a trusted brand. This is in all honesty, a digital delay budget option masquerading as a pure analog circuitry delay pedal but doing a very convincing job of it for a low price.
Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is a software interface that integrates software audio synthesizer and effect plugins with audio editors and recording systems. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware in software.
Advertising genuine analog tones is fittingly descriptive when you hear it in action it doesn't disappoint but it is not entirely accurate. Our insider info reveals inside this sturdy durable full metal shell is another PT2399 based digital emulation. So armed with the facts here are it's selling points. Straightforward to use with three dials to adjust and combine to find your desired tone.Time is pretty self explanatory and as with most PT2399's it ranges from 25-600ms.
The feedback control determines the repeats, whilst the echo control is for blending the overall mix. There are an armada of YouTube reviews on this electric guitar effects pedal, likewise the Ammoon Nano Echo and Rowin Vintage all which are clones, a little of their innards differ but they are practically the same., if you are looking to emulate the greats and get make those rock and roll tones your own without investing too much cash these copycat reproductions contain cutting edge circuitry which offer up delay-play opportunity for an arguable bargain.Pros:+ True Bypass, low noise mechanical switch.+ Under 30 bucks a pop.+ Had some great reviews and performs pretty well. This is a yet another fantastic delay pedal from a fledgling California based manufacturer. Dead beat sound are new on the market having ventured into guitar pedals under a year ago. They refer to their pedals as 'broke-tique' rather than boutique guitar pedals.As it is such early days we haven't vetted out how genuine their analog circuits are.
Despite being so fresh on the block they are providing a range of worthy electric guitar pedals available on the market, which review as surpassing expectations and demo well in live reviews. Everyone knows first impressions are everything when you introduce yourself, This is something the company clearly kept in mind when introducing their guitar effects pedal line.People have been raving over its stylish aesthetics and bespoke foam-padded, magnetic box packaging. It's subtle and understated, versatile and pretty clean. The analog sounds are lush and the oscillation is a ball.Pros:+ True Bypass.+ Packs a punch without muddying the sound.+ Compact design.+ Great starter pedal. The Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail is an all analog delay pedal that dishes out delicious delays by the bucket load, which should come as no surprise as it features infamous bucket brigade delay circuitry with its unique quality.
The nature of the BBD circuits which we will go into later in our guide means the guitar effects pedal provides warm nuances with it's distortion noise. It's delay ranges from slightly lower than some at 15ms allowing for even more impressive elastic slap-backs in sound. Along with traditional delay controls they have crammed in an awesome wet channel loop to let you add effects such as flange and distortion to your wet signal.The Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail can also be utilized to feed 2 separate amps or to add a separate foot control for volume level management Described by some as a 'delay on steroids' it really offers some dream musical delay options. Dial in your precises requirements with the self explanatory knobs and you are off.
A little pricier than some of the guitar pedals reviewed but that is to be expected from true analog circuitry which offers incomparable delay sound.Pros:+ True Bypass for pristine sound.+ Veritable vintage vibes.+ Wet channel loop. The Aqua-Puss MKII is a resurrection of the original Way Huge Aqua-Puss which was so sought after and hard to come by that the demand sparked a comeback craze.
It's triumphant return was made possible by Jim Dunlop, an undeniably popular provider of guitar pedals you can rely on. Housed in a durable shell that bears the familiar light blue color and lettering as it's progenitor as well as its 3 simple controls. Setting the blend, delay and feedback controls to different positions gives users the ability to calibrate a range of delay effects.Delectable double-stops, warm vintage distortion repeats and killer rhythmic tonality. Instantly twist from 20 ms to 300ms of delay time which is noticeably less than some but it oozes thick dimensional soundscapes. Intense settings trigger self oscillation for chaotic echos in it's self oscillating 'psycho freak out 'mode. It's always great to see a re-emergence of top class vintage analog pedals fine-tuned and readily available to the masses, making that next level of playing attainable for all.Pros:+ Creates epic 3-dimensional sound mild to wild.+ Tough as boots.+ All-analog. Fantastic elastic delays and vintage inspired slap-backs from this German-engineered delay pedal.
We have discussed Behringer before, this guitar effects pedal is yet another great illustration of the company's core commitment to providing products that are capable of competing head to head with leading brands. Featuring veritable BBD analog circuitry its clock up to 300 ms of time delay.
Aided by its advanced noise reduction technology, it produces a host of historical tone characteristics. 3 dedicated controls that facilitate sound shaping. Tweak intensity, echo and repeat rate for a range of sounds that go from cosmic whispers, to rock 'n' roll revival delays. It offers split outputs to enable users to send dry and wet through separate channel paths.Pros:+ Straightforward use.+ Genuine BB Delays.+ Affordable option.+ Noise free switch operation. Another instance where public demand achieved reproduction.
This special edition Boss DM-2W Waza Craft pedal is a highly coveted stomp-box that revives the hallowed, but sadly discontinued BOSS DM-2 Delay. Produced with premium all analog circuitry with genuine BBD it brings exceptional BOSS tone via its touch responsive analog components. The vamped up release of the Boss DM-2W also features switchable sound delay modes. Standard mode serves up 20-300ms delays that duplicate the lush original sounds. Custom mode has a smoother analog tone double the delay time.The Boss DM-2W Waza Craft delay pedals sound like glorious homages to their original iconic sonic forefathers but with less noise and better consistency. They are capable of working in conjunction with an expression pedal for live time control. For subtle slap-backs to moody repeats something to suit all styles.
A notable feature is the split optional wet/dry outputs, astonishing contrasts.Pros:+ 2 output jacks for separate delay and direct sounds.+ Easy interface.+ All-analog. As previously mentioned the dubious analog circuitry of Donner products has come under a lot of scrutiny.
That being said they provide a highly capable and relatively decent alternative to more expensive analog options. It produces a great shift through timbres and in terms of use is super easy to dial in to what you are after. Switch between two different delay modes, Mod provides delays typically found in current music whilst Normal produces plump traditional delay tones. It boasts all analog circuitry but we are not sure how true that is.It reviews pretty well in direct competition with some of the leading mini guitar pedals. Perfect for some rockabilly revival, it gives a great quality sound that really gives competitors a run for the money. The feedback settings enable real creativity, with their entertaining crazy oscillations.
It's teeny size could be a burden or a blessing depending on your setup, but it definitely packs a punch for its miniature stature. Other super-mini pedals in the series actually mean you can carry a whole pedal boards wort of effects in just your guitar case!Pros:+ True Bypass for transparent tone.+ Crisp clean and warm.+ Super-Mini size (barely bigger than a plug).+ Solid construction. A solid built, aluminum-housed delay pedal from CNZ audios vintage series. Inspired by the riffs of yesteryear.
Elegantly matching the classic delay sounds we all recognize. It compliments other guitar pedals remarkably well. Choose between 1-10 echo repetitions adjust their speed with the dedicated time dial. The feedback allows for the level of feedback to be set which gives the player better control over the dynamics of their delays. Low feedback will be clearer more feedback gives the signal added body and a true vintage tone. Its slimmed down mini-size means it won't take up too much space on your pedal board and it has cool vintage red and yellow graphics.
Smooth, rich repeats from vintage analog sounds in a sturdy and affordable little expression pedal.Pros:+ Lightweight, easy to travel with.+ For beginners as well as seasoned professionals.+ True Bypass. This is a dynamic miniature analogue delay pedal provides a mixture of traditional tape-echo vintage delays with a variety of more modern sounding ones. It has a full metal shell made a from high quality zinc alloy. Unfortunately once again the 'analog' in the title is misleading, It is essentially a re-brand of the Donner Yellow Fall above. Typically for this end of the budget scale we aren't going to see any beautiful vintage BBD functioning compact pedals. We have included it in our list because it does get the job done at a pinch.Whilst it will never genuinely recreate organic analog sounds it is a good example of a gateway effects pedal of sorts. Also the more frequently we discuss these 'knock offs' the more general awareness there will be.
Also you are not really being conned per say if you know exactly what you are getting! So what are you getting?
A simple to use digital guitar effects pedal that aims to reproduce the warm clean smooth and vintage tones of it's analog partners for a low budget buyer. Featuring 3 easy to use function knobs. Echo- which we use as mix, Time which adjusts from 20-620 ms, and Feedback to control the repetitions.Pros:+ True Bypass.+ Low Budget choice.+ Compact size for pedal board. Analog Delay Pedal Buyers GuidePopular throughout electronic music, a good delay pedal bestows guitarists with the skills to overlay dynamic textures to their music. At its simplest nothing more than glorified echo typical reverb pedal but with the opportunity to explore complexities that detail the sound with complimentary rhythms and the blending of previous sounds with effectively a totally new one. Capable of providing a range of sound qualities and produce dense tones and ethereal spacey sounds. From the slapback made popular in the 50's by Elvis Presley, the repeats in Van Halens Cathedral, right though to U2's delay use on arpeggios.
What is an Analog Delay Pedal and How Does it Work?A delay pedal is a device that gives guitarists the ability to add time-based output effects to their playing. Typically in a foot operated stomp box design. Early audio engineers experimented and found that when they recorded on a loop of tape repeatedly, played it back removing the input signal, a delayed signal was made of the original. The resulting sound was intriguing and led to further experimentation. Lugging around a tape delay was cumbersome, The magnetic tape was switched to a magnetic disk which worked in a similar manner to a computer hard drive but this was still too big too carry around. The need for something smaller and cheaper and more robust, brought about the invention of the analog Bucket Brigade Device (BBD).
The BBD advancement to analog circuitry changed the future of guitar playing. The BBD was essentially a circuit within a circuit.
Named in reference to firefighters passing buckets of water down a line, they work very similarly.A series of capacitors carry the signal, the first capacitor fills and empties the signal to the next one in the signal chain. This constant filling and emptying slows the signal down, or delays it as it passes through the BBD.The rate it fills and empties each capacitor is determined by the all important clock circuitry. Now as you can probably imagine with the given analogy, that water is prone to spillage in the form of noise and distortion filtering.
The result is a darker signal than the original input.The frequency difference between the clean and the delayed signal is what gives an analog delay pedal its smooth characteristics. The BBD is surrounded by delicate circuit blocks and all of this is contained within one small chip finally making it the ideal size for a foot pedal. Tl;Dr – A BBD delays incoming signals.The Delayed signal can be played back multiple times in rapid succession, it can also be mixed with the recording again to create a repetitive decaying echo. How To Use Analog Delay Pedal?Physically speaking, they are typically fairly easy to set-up with a lot of simpler models being a straight out of the box design.
The wider the range of controls you are given over the ways you can manipulate the delay, the harder they become to fine-tune but who doesn't love to play with a new expression pedal? Generally they have straightforward user friendly interface, which has dials or switches or both. Typically they feature predetermined factory settings that let the user flick between the effects the are capable of.
.In many ways, these work just like the that you’ll be familiar with, but they run in software instead of coming in a physical box. Some software synths are emulations of hardware models, but others are completely original.You’ll hear software synths being referred to by a variety of different names - virtual instruments, software instruments or just plain old VSTs - but on a basic level, they all operate in the same way.Once installed on your PC or Mac, each plugin synth can be loaded onto its own track in your DAW, enabling you to play and record it using your or other. You can also program notes for it to play using your mouse, and each synth will come with its own set of controls for adjusting the sound.Typically, you’ll find banks of presets, too: pre-programmed sounds that can simply be loaded up and played or used as starting points for further editing and sound design.There are a variety of plugin standards out there, so before you buy any plugin synth, you need to make sure that your DAW is compatible with it. On the PC, Steinberg’s VST (Virtual Studio Technology) is by far the most popular, and supported by pretty much all the major DAWs. You can get Mac VSTs, too (though it’s worth mentioning that not all Windows VSTs run on Mac), and Apple also has its own standard called AU (Audio Units).
You may also encounter standards such as AAX and RTAS, both of which are specific to Avid’s Pro Tools software.Here at MusicRadar, we’ve been reviewing plugin synths for well over a decade, so we like to think we know a bit about them, and which are the best. However, this round-up is based on your votes: we put together a list of what we consider to be the best VST/AU plugin synths right now, and asked you to choose your favourite.The results are in reverse order, so click though the list to discover your winner. Prev Page 1 of 26 Next Prev Page 1 of 26 Next.
Featuring official emulations of Eurorack modules from the likes of Doepfer and Intellijel, this cross-platform modular synth is designed to look, work and sound exactly like it would if it was made from hardware. It features 'circuit emulations' of all the modules concerned, and these have been authorised and approved by their original creators.The standard Modular plugin ships with six Doepfer modules and more than 20 utility modules including a sequencer, mixer and delay (you have the option to buy more). You also get a large preset library to get you started.It may be digital, but it sounds great, and the Aux Outputs allow you to interface directly with hardware for an interesting hybrid system.
Highly recommended, wherever you stand on the digital vs analogue debate.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 2 of 26 Next Prev Page 2 of 26 Next. With a slicker interface, improved effects, rejigged samples and preset library, and vastly extended modulation options, Iris 2 feels more like a synth in the conventional sense than the original Iris, which was decidedly esoteric in its presentation.Nonetheless, the central conceit remains the same.
You still have four sample layers (although all of them can now load any type of sample, rather than three sample layers and a dedicated sub oscillator), which are edited in the Spectrogram window.The inclusion of the new classic oscillator bank and new modulation options take this plugin in new and exciting directions, building on its spectral foundations to deliver more 'music- friendly' sounds.It can be a little demanding on the host CPU, but when a synth sounds this good, that's to be expected. Iris 2 is, without doubt, one of the finest virtual instruments ever made.5 out of 5READ:BUY: iZotope Iris 2 currently available from:UK: US: Prev Page 3 of 26 Next Prev Page 3 of 26 Next. Image-Line positions Harmor as an 'additive/subtractive' synthesiser, but there's no doubt that the emphasis is on the former.
Even typically subtractive elements like the filter are achieved via additive technology.Some things are familiar, but Harmor can be a bit intimidating on first blush. However, it quickly reveals its secrets to those who persevere - we urge potential customers not to be put off by its unfamiliar look and terminology.There is a richness in tone here that, frankly, took us by surprise, and sound designers will find a lifetime's worth of inspiration.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 4 of 26 Next Prev Page 4 of 26 Next. Absynth has traditionally had a reputation as the serious sound designer’s synth of choice (or one of them at any rate). Perhaps as a result, it’s also been perceived as slightly scary and intense.The latest version (5) of the synth hasn’t really done much to change its image. With new effects and filter improvements, it can great even more complex tones than before but, although the Mutator effect enables you to morph a preset into something else just by choosing descriptive tags, the interface is still complex and intimidating. As always, though, the sound is first-rate.4 out of 5READ:BUY: Prev Page 5 of 26 Next Prev Page 5 of 26 Next.
With its eyes firmly set on Sylenth1's virtual analogue crown, the formidable u-he confidently stepped into the ring with a synth that boasts an extremely similar architecture, plus a few enticing extras to sweeten the deal.The main difference between Hive and Sylenth1 are the oscillators. Whereas Sylenth1 has four oscillators, each capable of up to eight-voice unison detune, Hive has two, each running up to 16-voice unison.In terms of its feature set, Hive represents a quantifiable improvement over Sylenth1, but when it comes to the all-important - and subjective - question of how good it sounds. Well, that's open to debate.Sylenth1 has a duller but warmer timbre that's ideal for impersonating analogue synths, while Hive is more modern-sounding, fizzier and punchier. As such, it could easily become your most-used virtual analogue synth.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 7 of 26 Next Prev Page 7 of 26 Next. Untethered from the Reason 10 DAW, Propellerhead’s Europa “shapeshifting” synth is now also available in VST/AU formats.This is the first time a Reason instrument has been ported to a plugin, which speaks volumes about the Swedish developer’s confidence in its capabilities and sound.The “shapeshifting” bit alludes to the fact that Europa is a wavetable synth offering numerous ways to mathematically manipulate and modulate the raw oscillator waveforms before they become audio signals. 33 expertly crafted wavetables and a modelled string algorithm are onboard, along with spectral and analogue filtering, unison, copious modulation sources and a rack of effects.
Reason users get the VST/ AU version free, incidentally.Europa is a magnificent instrument, belting out enormous, wildly animated sounds of incredible depth, complexity and character, but also more than able to serve up phat, solid basslines, workhorse pads or elemental leads when required.Rather brilliantly, there’s a fully functional web-based version of Europa on the site, so you can try it for yourself from right within your browser.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 8 of 26 Next Prev Page 8 of 26 Next. A sort of spiritual follow-up to the highly acclaimed Diva, Repro-1 is a component-modelled emulation of one of the most iconic monosynths of the ’80s: the Pro One, Sequential Circuits’ monophonic take on the polyphonic Prophet-5.Being essentially a 35-year-old design, it should come as no surprise that Repro-1’s architecture is comparatively basic. In a nutshell, two monophonic oscillators and a low-pass filter are brought to life by a handful of modulation sources, an arpeggiator and a step sequencer, and processed with a quintet of newly added effects modules.Fans of the original will be blown away by the authenticity of its sound and response, and have a ball with the integrated effects and extra modulators. Newcomers to this historic instrument, meanwhile, will love its easy programming and phat, rich, focused tones.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 10 of 26 Next Prev Page 10 of 26 Next. Like the alphaSyntauri - the seminal Apple II-hosted additive synth from 1979 on which it’s based - Phosphor 2 is, by today’s standards, a very simple instrument that makes additive synthesis about as approachable as it gets.It’s a two-oscillator synth, each oscillator outputting a wavetable made up of a series of sine waves at multiples of the fundamental frequency - ie, partials or harmonics. The levels of the individual partials are set using the bank of vertical sliders in the Primary and Secondary Oscillator panels, with the leftmost slider setting the volume of the fundamental and the rest dialling in increasingly high-frequency harmonics, enabling effortlessly creative signal shaping.Like the curious system it aims to recreate, Phosphor 2 is a synth unto itself - there’s nothing else quite like it.
Most importantly, the sounds it makes are absolutely stunning, particularly when it comes to leads, pads, chiptune-style noises and FX.If you’re yet to experience the delights of this quirky, individualistic, brilliant and bargain-priced electronic instrument, we highly recommend that you do so.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 11 of 26 Next Prev Page 11 of 26 Next. A dual-engine, dual-filter instrument with plentiful effects and a built-in sequencer, on paper Pigments doesn’t appear to offer anything categorically ‘new’. As is so often the case, though, the devil is in the details, which, in this case, are all about wavetables, workflow and a truly spectacular modulation system.Each of Pigments’ two engines can be switched between Analog and Wavetable modes. The two engines feed into a pair of independently pan-able filters, routed in any blend of series and parallel via a continuous knob.
The FX section, meanwhile, houses three busses of three effects each, selected from a roster of 13 largely workaday essentials.The Sequencer/Arpeggiator is all kinds of awesome, featuring scale snapping, a Trigger Probability lane, a powerful cyclically regenerating randomisation engine, and the best implementation of polyrhythmic sequencing we’ve seen in any synth to date.Ambitious, expansive and oozing quality from every pixel, Pigments easily earns a place at the top table of synthesis. There’s no area of synth sound design in which it doesn’t excel, and it’s hard to imagine how Arturia could have made it any easier to use.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 12 of 26 Next Prev Page 12 of 26 Next. Listening to the demos and perusing the presets and parameters, you might be inclined to classify Reveal Sound's cross-platform VST/AU synthesiser as yet another trance 'n' dance machine. And it may indeed be geared up for just that, with its fat unison oscillators and big, brash, bombastic tones.Yet it only takes a little digging to unearth some clever and unusual features that give Spire the ability to do things you wouldn't expect from a typical virtual analogue synth.Although it does have some quirks, ultimately, Spire sounds terrific, generating everything from huge, brassy unison timbres to crystalline digital tones.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 13 of 26 Next Prev Page 13 of 26 Next. Nexus2 isn’t as feature-packed as some of the synths in our rundown - indeed, some purists might argue that it isn’t really a ‘proper synth’ at all - but if your priority is to have great sounds out of the box, it’s hard to fault.This is an instrument that’s specifically designed for producers of contemporary dance music, with the supplied Dance Vol 2 preset expansion pack containing 128 patches for use in trance, electro house and hard dance styles. Presets can be tweaked with a range of sound-shaping tools, and both the arpeggiator and trancegate are impressive. The Mix screen enables you to adjust individual layers - each patch can have up to four - and there are some good effects, too.Slick and inspiring, Nexus2 definitely stands out.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 14 of 26 Next Prev Page 14 of 26 Next.
Falcon expands massively on UVI’s previous UVI Workstation instrument, offering much more in the way of editing and other forms of synthesis.Falcon's patches are constructed from Oscillators, Effects, Modulators and Events (MIDI generators), dragged into the main interface from the Browser. It launches with the central pane showing the Main view, which houses five tabbed pages - Info, Edit, Effects, Events and Mods - and switches to represent the currently selected Part.Falcon is an ambitious, powerful instrument of a type that certainly doesn't come along every day. Two main factors turbocharge its essentially fairly straightforward architecture: the number of simultaneous Oscillators, Keygroups and Layers being limited only by the power of the host CPU; and Effects and Modulators being applicable at the Keygroup, Layer and Program levels, with Events at Layer and Program levels.Falcon has enough flexibility to serve as your primary source for all manner of sounds - although you'll probably need to buy a few UVI Soundbanks to achieve that goal.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 15 of 26 Next Prev Page 15 of 26 Next.
Zebra a wireless (no patch cables) semi-modular synth that supports a variety of techniques.Its main focus is on subtractive synthesis, but the inclusion of FM and additive elements means the tones you can get from this instrument are more complex than those that can be produced by many others.The presets do a good job of showing off what Zebra is capable of, but this is also a powerful sound design tool, and one that can prove to be seriously addictive. It isn’t strictly a beginners’ synth, but pretty much anyone should be able to get decent results with it.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 16 of 26 Next Prev Page 16 of 26 Next. On the face of it, you might wonder why Sylenth1 is so popular. It looks like (and is) yet another virtual analogue subtractive synth with four oscillators, a couple of filters and a pretty basic modulation section. We’ve seen dozens of synths with similar feature sets - many of them freeware - so why bother with this one?The answer becomes obvious within a few seconds of loading it up: Sylenth1 sounds incredible. It’s rich, detailed and full of analogue-style warmth. And while we find that many of the synths we review come with presets that fail to show off the instrument’s true capabilities, Sylenth1’s default bank is superb.
A wide variety of sounds is on offer, including some beautiful impersonations of classics such as the TB-303 and Minimoog.Now a vintage virtual instrument, Sylenth1 is still one of the synths that everyone feels they must try. Make sure you don’t miss out.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 17 of 26 Next Prev Page 17 of 26 Next. Massive is a hybrid synth that combines ideas and influences from all over the place.It comes with a massive array of wavetable oscillators (you can morph from one waveform to another using a dedicated knob), which makes it capable of producing everything from straight-ahead analogue-style tones to complex and evolving sounds. What’s more, it’s designed in such a way that it’s relatively easy to program (the clever modulation system helps in this regard, too).The only downside is that, although some 600 presets come supplied (and are easy to navigate), not all of them show off Massive’s, er, massive potential, so you’ll need to get your hands a little bit dirty to get the best out of it.It may be getting a little long in the synthesis tooth, but Massive still does the business. An all-new version -should be landing later this year.4.5 out of 5READ:BUY: Prev Page 18 of 26 Next Prev Page 18 of 26 Next. Vengeance-Sound's first ever virtual synth is nothing if not ambitious.
Coded - like all its stablemates - by Keilwerth Audio, it unites analogue, sample-based and wavetable synthesis in an immense workstation-style architecture, packed with sequencers, filters, effects and modulation.Every one of its individual elements is a powerful system in its own right, and they all come together to constitute a synthesiser of dizzying power and flexibility. Its pseudo-multitimbral, semi-modular architecture is ingeniously implemented, with only the lack of multiple outputs into the host DAW and the cramped Mod Matrix letting the side down.Most importantly, though, it sounds absolutely incredible, with that characteristic Vengeance energy, power and richness married to the deep textural nuance that only wavetable synthesis can bring.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 19 of 26 Next Prev Page 19 of 26 Next. For the uninitiated, Reaktor is a modular audio generation and processing environment with a graphical interface that can be run standalone or as an instrument or effect plugin.The main thing that Reaktor 6 adds to the mix is the modular hardware-like Blocks - a sort of equivalent of Doepfer's A-100 (more commonly known as Eurorack) hardware spec.
Blocks make Reaktor 6 akin to having an enormous modular analogue synth in your laptop.The various oscillators and filters sound utterly fantastic, and if you're after analogue-style sounds in your DAW, Reaktor 6 is among the best - very possibly the best - we've heard to date, with unmatchable flexibility.Reaktor 6 is a phenomenal update that improves on NI's already amazing software in practically every area. It’s a must-buy for any self-respecting computer musician who's able to negotiate a bit of a learning curve.5 out of 5READ:BUY: Prev Page 20 of 26 Next Prev Page 20 of 26 Next. Chipspeech is an old-school endeavour from Plogue, and recreates the sounds of a selection of primitive speech synthesis systems, turning them into musical instruments via MIDI input. This enables the user to create potentially very complex melodic or even chordal lyrical sequences in their DAW.The software interprets English text typed into the text box using the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, and it works brilliantly for the most part. Control, Modulation and Mix pages provide a wealth of controls for fine-tuning the sound of each engine, and there's plenty of scope for creating weird and wonderful voices, and tweaking them for maximum intelligibility.If you’re searching for a unique new way to create your own electronic vocals, Chipspeech could fit the bill.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 21 of 26 Next Prev Page 21 of 26 Next. Two or three oscillators, multimode filters, dual envelope generators, a couple of LFOs and some effects. You've seen it all before - or so you might think.Diva isn’t a clone of any specific synth; instead it provides elements from various famous instruments, all deeply analysed and meticulously recreated with excruciating attention to detail.Diva's got everything you need to carve out any basic analogue sound, and then some.
It's meat and potatoes with added spice, and digging beneath the surface, you'll find plenty of advanced features such as powerful modulation options and per-voice fine-tuning. If your computer is powerful enough you'd be crazy not to check this one out.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 22 of 26 Next Prev Page 22 of 26 Next.
A less complicated offshoot from its flagship SynthMaster 2.8, KV331’s SynthMaster One is two-oscillator polyphonic wavetable synth with a single-screen interface that keeps (almost) everything in reach at all times.Generally speaking, it’s about as beginner-friendly as a serious synthesiser can be - which is to say, it’s a lot more beginner-friendly than its big brother but will still be totally intimidating to anyone who’s never used one before. That’s not a criticism; it’s an inevitability with any synth that isn’t deliberately dumbed down, which SynthMaster One certainly isn’t.This is a quintessential ‘workhorse’ instrument that’s tooled up for all kinds of patches. Basses, leads, plucks, keys and other attacking sounds are its forte, but it’s no slouch when it comes to pads, strings and FX, either.
And with its unique, streamlined wavetable oscillators and that intuitive, hands-on workflow, even die-hard synthesists should be interested.4.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 23 of 26 Next Prev Page 23 of 26 Next. A quick glance at the feature list makes it apparent that Serum represents an earnest attempt to produce nothing less than the world's most advanced instrument of its kindIts oscillators sound cleaner and slightly brighter than we're used to hearing from synth plugins; you can import your own audio to create custom wavetables; there's an incredible range of modulation options; the Unison feature gives you five stacking modes; and the effects are outstanding.And that's just the start - Serum has so many deep and advanced features in its locker that we couldn't hope to cover them all here. We're not being overdramatic when we say that this is quite possibly the most sonically versatile synth we've ever used, and certainly one of the best sounding.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 24 of 26 Next Prev Page 24 of 26 Next. Improving on the universally lauded Omnisphere must have felt like an impossible task, but Spectrasonics truly outdid itself with version 2. Not only did it improve on the original, it took it into an entirely new - ahem – sphere.The original Omnisphere took the 'samples and synthesis' approach to sound creation dating back to 1987's Roland D-50 and reinvented it for the 21st century. With its huge audio soundbank, exciting new sound-shaping systems, easy browser and powerful virtual analogue architecture, it was a sound designer's dream come true.However, it always suffered from one notable limitation: you could only use the included audio material, with no way to import your own.
Version 2 addressed this issue, also offering an expanded library of oscillator wavetables, bumping the original's measly five up to a jaw-dropping 400.There are plenty of other enhancements, too, taking the synth to the next level and beyond. And take things even further, adding deep integration with hardware synths.If being at the cutting edge of sound design appears anywhere on your list of music production priorities, Omnisphere is an instrument that you simply have to own.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 25 of 26 Next Prev Page 25 of 26 Next. A passionate and engaged online fanbase has propelled SynthMaster to the top of our chart. It's a semi-modular synth that seems to have been designed to do anything and everything. The interface may not be the prettiest, but it's definitely intuitive and user-friendly, which counts for a lot more in our book.This is one of the few instruments that we can confidently say is excellent for most categories of synth sound. The additive synthesis module is perfect for organ-type sounds as well as filthy, obnoxious, tearing bass textures, while the vector synthesis module is ideal for evolving leads or pads. Plus, when you do want it to do bread-and-butter synth work, SynthMaster is more than up to the job.In version 2.8, the most exciting changes were made to the modulation system, while there are also four new ZDF types: the Moog-style Ladder, the 303-style Diode Ladder, the SEM-style State Variable, and the MS-20-style Bite.All of which adds up to what can only be described as one of the very finest soft synths money can buy.5 out of 5READ: Prev Page 26 of 26 Next Prev Page 26 of 26 Next.