Music Producer's Guide To Synths

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EDITION
FIRST
welcome / <
SYNTHS
W
elcome to the Music Producer’s Guide to Synthesisers, the
complete guide to the exciting world of softsynths, brought to you
by the experts at Computer Music magazine.
Thanks to the enormous processing power brought to us by
the latest generations of Macs and PCs, software synthesisers are now capable of
extraordinary sonic feats, and can now produce the kinds of sounds never dreamt
of in the hardware realm. That said, much of the development of softsynths over the
years has been to emulate classic synths, so we’ll be looking at both strands of synth
in this special – classic emulations and all-new sonic explorers.
On the first front we take the bull by the horns and dare to go where few have
gone before, by actually comparing softsynths that emulate classic synths with the
original hardware. We look at three such iconic synths – the Minimoog, ARP
Odyssey and Roland SH-101 – and their software equivalents in our main feature on
page 14. We also look at some of the ‘less classic’ hardware synths of days gone by
(on page 92), and show you how to emulate these more curious synths in software.
Onto the newer types of softsynths, and we have all sorts of hands-on
workshops showing you some of the basics of synthesis, and lifting the lid on some
of the more interesting features of modern classics like Serum and Massive.
Another recent and exciting trend in the world of synthesis is modular, a once
hardware-only realm, but one that is now accessible directly with software
recreations, or one that can easily be brought into your DAW world. And for this
latter option, we have a huge starter guide on modular synthesis on page 40. But
don’t worry if creating a hardware modular system is out of your reach budget wise,
because, once again, software has the answer, and we show you how to create a full
modular software synth system for free in three tutorials on pages 54, 86 and 98.
We also have roundups and reviews of the latest softsynths from page 102, so
you can see what the experts think before you add to your softsynth studio. But the
best part about this bookazine on synths is that you don’t really need to buy
anything! You also get access to the mighty Computer Music Plugin Suite – see
pages 8 and 9 – which has over 90 instruments and effects to download, including
around a dozen Mac and PC softsynths! Finally, we make it even easier to get a great
synth sound with six packs of free synth samples to download (see page 10).
In short, then, if you want to include the sound of the synthesiser in your music,
no matter what genre you make, you’ve come to the right place. Enjoy the
bookazine and happy tweaking!
Andy Jones, editor

SYNTHS Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA
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Part of the
bookazine series
Presents
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO

SYNTHESISERS
Hands-on workshops, in-depth features and practical advice –
all you need to know about making music with synths in 2022
CONTENTS
MAIN FEATURES
14 Classic Synths
V Softsynths
We take three classic
hardware synths and line
them up against several
softsynth emulations
40 Easy Guide To
Modular Synthesis
The world of hardware
modular synthesis explained
and how to easily get it into
your DAW world
14 40
6 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS
contents <
54 116
112 Rob Papen
Blade 2
113 Synthmaster
2 iOS
116 GForce OB-E
118 UVI 8-BIT
120 Arturia Pigments 3
122 Cherry Audio
58 92 Mercury-4
Hands-on
Workshops Reviews The Best Synths!
In-depth step-by-step Expert reviews by The Computer Music
workshops exploring Computer Music experts round up their
all aspects of magazine of all the best softsynths in
synthesis with some of latest softsynths several categories
the biggest selling
softsynths out there 104 Arturia V 102 The Six Best Budget
Collection 8 Synths
54 Patch From Scratch 108 Softube 114 The Six Best
Part 1 Model 84 Softsynths Of
58 Synth Secrets 110 Korg Collection All Time
67 Synth Focus 124 The Best Freeware
86 Patch From Scratch Softsynths
Part 2 127 The Best iPad Synths
90 Top Synth Tips 128 The Six Best Future
92 Under The Radar Classic Softsynths
– exploring the less
common synths
98 Patch From Scratch
Part 3 108
MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 7
> make synth music now / how to use this guide
How To Use This Guide

We have several softsynths, videos and workshop audio files to
accompany the features in this special Music Producer’s Guide To Synths
bookazine. Here’s your step-by-step guide on how to download it all,
including 3,000 samples and over 90 plugins from the Plugin Suite!
Many of the features in this Music instruments and effects that you can download contains all of the video files or audio files (or
Producer’s Guide To Synths are and install into your DAW (either the Mac or PC indeed both) related to the feature you need.
accompanied by audio and video files to help version) completely for free. Many of these are The Computer Music Plugin Suite of
you complete them, all available at at filesilo. used in the workshops in this guide and the instruments and effects is in the Software
co.uk. There are, for example, sound files for Suite includes many amazing softsynths. section at filesilo.co.uk and comprises
you to compare both classic and softsynths for In order to access all of this additional instruments and effects for Mac or PC. Simply
our main feature starting on page 14, and there content, go to filesilo.co.uk and register – see the download the plugins for whichever type of
are also videos to guide you through many of Using FileSilo boxout below. Once you have computer you use.
the workshops in case you get stuck. logged in, you will be presented with all of this More detailed instructions on how to install
We have also included the world-famous content, feature by feature (each folder listed by these instruments and effects are included on
Computer Music Plugin Suite, a set of over 90 the feature’s page number and title). Each folder the opposite page. Enjoy!
>Step by step Using FileSilo
Create an account with your email Go to the Bookazines tab at the main Answer a simple question related to
1 and custom password at filesilo.co.uk.

2 filesilo.co.uk screen. Click this tab and
you will see a list of recent Bookazines we
have produced including The Music
Producer’s Guide To Synths. Click on this –
3 the content of this bookazine. The
question will refer to a particular page
number and word on it! You only need to
answer this question once.
it will have the same image as the cover of
this bookazine.
Answer the question correctly and In the main ‘Tutorial Files’ section you Scroll down and in the main ‘Software’
4 you will be granted access to all of the

software, video and audio content. You
shouldn’t need to answer a question next
time you log in.
5 will find all of the features listed by
page number and title. Click on whichever
one you like and then download ALL of
the content – audio and video files –
6 section you will find all of the plugins
in the Computer Music Plugin Suite. These
are listed as Mac or PC instruments and
effects. There’s also a guide to the suite as
associated with that feature in one click. a downloadable PDF. You can find out
Beware, some of these are large more information about installing them
downloads (up to around 4GB in one on the opposite page.
case), but usually less than 100MB.

how to use this guide / make synth music now <
Installing your free plugins

How to access and install the 90+ free plugin instruments and effects
from the Computer Music Plugin Suite!
>Step by step Accessing and installing the Computer Music Plugin Suite
If you haven’t completed the steps Head to the Bookazines section and You can find the Plugin Suite under
1 opposite and it’s your first time at

filesilo.co.uk, it’s time to create an account
with your email and custom password.
2 The Music Producer’s Guide To Synths.
Click on this to access your free content
including the world famous Computer
Music Plugin Suite.
3 the Software section. There are four
main sections for Mac and PC instruments
and effects.
There’s also a PDF guide to download Now simply download whichever The complete folder of instruments or
4 which is an accompaniment to the

suite and details each and every one of
the instruments and effects. It’s well
worth a download to guide you all 90+ of
5 instruments and effects you want in
blocks. These are big downloads – 1 to 3GB
– but you’ll get the entire suite in just two
downloads (either Mac or PC, depending
6 effects will download as shown above
(on a Mac). Open it up and select which
plugin you want to install.
the plugins. on your computer).
There are generally two ways to install Some, like Thorn, need installing so Now open up your DAW and the
7 a plugin. If it is shown as a .vst file it is

ready to simply place in your VST folder
and should work straight away once you
start your DAW.
8 you need to double click on the file
and run through your standard
installation procedure. The plugin should
install into the correct location.
9 installed plugins should appear in the
plugins folder. Simply drag whichever one
you want onto a MIDI track and you are
ready to go!

> make synth music now / your free synth samples
Your Free Synth Samples

Expand your synth collection without spending a penny as we
have a massive 6-pack and over 3,000 synth samples for you!
BASS
SYNTH
FX & LOOPS
ULTIMATE SYNTHS C OLLECTION ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION
Sinister synths Bass synth, FX and

Inspired by the sounds of John loops
Carpenter, Stranger Things and other Our next set of synth sounds was produced by Groove Criminals. Oli
movie soundtracks, this collection of from Groove says of its creation: “It’s all about that bass so we decided to
go old school and rinse the low end on a selection of the hardware synths
one-shots and loops – created by that we have knocking about.
“We clocked the Roland SH-101’s ‘unique’ built-in sequencer using the
Cyclick Samples and Groove Criminals – sync out of an Arturia DrumBrute. We also used that same technique to
clock a Korg SQ-1 driving a small Erica Synths semi modular synth voice.
is packed full of spooky sequences, “The analogue bass loops are a mixture of synths, including the old
school (and underrated) Novation Super Bass Station and Yamaha CS5,
blood-curdling atmospheres, scary among others. We tried to leave them dry but couldn’t resist a touch of
analogue delay here and there.
stings, discordant drones and more… “The FM basses are also a mixture of a TX81z module and a Volca FM
being fed original DX patches via MIDI and Dexed.
“The Moog samples came courtesy of our Mother 32 and we threw in a
set of loops from the Korg Monologue – a great little synth which we
suspect may go on to become a little bit of a cult classic as we head into
503 SAMPLES the future.”
including…
89 Atmos
GEAR USED
43 Loops
Arturia DrumBrute Novation Super Bass
8 Multis Erica Synths module Station
31 Single hits Korg SQ-1 Roland SH-101
Korg Monologue Yamaha TX81z
193 Analogue monosynth Korg Volca FM Yamaha CS5
64 Sequences and arps Moog Mother 32

your free synth samples / make synth music now <
ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION
Modular Madness
Modular synthesis is
huge… and expensive.
But don’t worry, we
have two mighty
collections of modular
synth samples, the MODULAR
first of which is full of MADNESS
synth madness…
We couldn’t deliver a complete set of synth “A chain of pedals was set up after the source
samples without dipping our sonic oscillations and three or four combinations were
screwdriver into the world of modular recorded to build up a number of multisamples
synthesis. Here we have a truckload of old- at once. Each note was edited so that it
school sonic ramblings in the form of some produced a perfect oscillating loop – with more
mad modular synth multisamples and loops complex waves, it can be painstaking getting
in WAV and Sound Font formats (so can be the endpoint to exactly match the start of the
played in free players like Alchemy). loop for a seamless, click-free tone.
“Multiple chains of analogue pedals were
The modular maestro then set up to give each sample its flavour, and
Robbie Stamp of Cyclick details how he the recordings were painstakingly edited to
produced this most mad of modular collections. create perfect looping tones – a tricky task for
“The original oscillations came from three some of the more complex waveforms.
main sources,” he says, “the Jen SX-1000 “The loops were then made using these very
monosynth with its Triangle, Square and PWM multisamples, loaded into Camel Audio
oscillations, a Moogerfooger’s low-pass filter Alchemy, balanced, panned and shaped through
with its resonance on full to produce a sine enveloped filters and ADSRs. The output from
wave, and the carrier from its ring modulator. Alchemy was then sent through an Eventide
The Moogerfoogers were often run through ModFactor pedal with a Yamaha SPX1000
each other and connected by CV to form effects unit, as well as a set of pedals into the
different control chains, tuned for each note two Moogerfoogers (Lowpass filter and Ring
using a standard chromatic guitar tuner. Mod) and the Boss DE-200 digital delay.’’

> make synth music now / your free synth samples
Modular
Mayhem
Our second pack of modular synth
samples has 909 plugged-in and
analogue-heavy sounds care of
Groove Criminals
Oli Bell of Groove Criminals was set a mission

to produce the wackiest possible bloops and
bleeps using only dusty analogue
instruments. We caught up with him when he
finally resurfaced…
“All the modular samples were taken from an
extended set of freeform jams on an Analogue
Systems RS8000 Eurorack system modular,
supplemented by some other modules from Tip
Top, Make Noise, Bubblesound and others. A few
effects were added to the raw samples whilst
fiddling, with things like modulation times being
tied back in to the modular via CV. All the Dark
Energy 2 samples were created using its semi-
modular format to patch or using CV-spewing
bits of outboard such as the frankly bonkers
Flame Clockwork.”
Oli obviously takes life one module at a time.
“The Moogerfooger modular was created by
taking the OSC output from the Freqbox and
was used as the basic tone generator. This could
be then pitched using CV from our SH-09 via the
freq in CV. This signal was then fed through the
ring mod and/or phaser before being filtered by
the low-pass filter and MuRF, then finally fed into
the delay. All the sequencing for all the samples
except the Modular system was run by either
the Future Retro Orb, Arturia MiniBrute’s
arpeggio, Cubase with a Mutable Instruments
MIDIpal inserted inline, or from a Roland MC-09
– a secret weapon for acid sequences!”

your free synth samples / make synth music now <
The Synthwave packs

New Wave Synth
SYNTHWAVE
POWER
ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION
Synthwave Power New Wave Synth

Our last two sample packs cover classic synth genres, so we’ve got our Our last pack of synthwave sounds was put together by sample
expert sample producers surfing the synth waves. Here’s what Robbie maestros Groove Criminals. Oli Bell from Groove says:
Stamp from Cyclick Samples says of Synthwave Power:
“Synths! We’ve got our 80s influence on for this pack of synthwave
“This collection splits samples. As usual, we’ve used a mixture of hardware and software but
into three folders: have leant heavily on a handful of 80s classic hardware synths. First up is
Arpeggiator Loops, our beautiful Juno-60 which handles arpeggio duties being clocked
Lines and Loops and externally via MIDI to CV with some hands-on control tweaking. We also
Chord One Shots. used our Mother 32 for that classic fat Moog ladder filter sound, the SH-101
They each contain for some more classic arps and the underrated (in our humble opinion)
samples made from 11 Yamaha CS5 analogue mono synth for that 80s goodness. We topped the
synths (see below) synth loops and multis off with a collection of 80s drum hits, all harvested
which were first from our stack of drum machines. We tried to stray off the well-worn
programmed for the 808/909 path and
Line and Loops include some from
samples and then machines that capture
tweaked for the Chord One Shots and that 80s sound (to us
then again for the Arpeggiator Loops. anyway), boxes like the
“The Line/Loop samples are 2- or Kawai R-50E, TR505,
4-bar loops with tempo and key included GEAR USED Alesis HR among others.”
in the filenames. Not every synth appears Arturia V Collection synths
in every tempo (they appear in four
Kurzweil K2600r synth/
each) and they’re spread across keys to effects processor GEAR USED
make sure there’s always something in Alesis HR16
UAD plugins
key, or close for minimal re-pitching. The Kawai R-50E
Soundtoys plugins
Chord One Shots are sustained chords
Eventide plugins Moog Mother 32
with their natural decay. The chord
Roland Juno-60
names are as standard, though a hyphen Liquidsonics Seventh
(-) is used where a backslash (/) would Heaven plugin Roland SH-101
normally be used, as those can’t be used Unfiltered Audio plugins Roland TR-505
in filenames.” Steinberg Nuendo 8.3 Yamaha CS5

> make synth music now / classics v software
CLASSIC SYNTH
V SOFTSYNTH
Can softsynths really be a match for
hardware? Let’s find out as we line
them up against three mighty synth
classics from Moog, Roland and ARP
classics v software / make synth music now <
If we can get historical for a moment, classic hardware reissue (or the original synth) shook up the market, bringing the cost of
there have been many key moments in vs one desktop emulation vs one iOS emulation. analogue subtractive synthesis to within reach
the development of music technology: guitar of enthusiasts. For the purposes of shaking
amplification, the introduction of magnetic The synths things up, we’re also going to audition G-Force
tape, multi-track recording, computer-based We’re going to start with the king of the classics: software’s highly regarded Oddity 2 plugin,
recording… And then there is the sub-strata the Minimoog. Arguably the most influential which is billed as a meticulous emulation of the
relating to synthesis, which could take up an monosynth of all time, it is often regarded as the original, but with the convenience of software.
entire book in itself. grandaddy, created by the Godfather of synthesis, Making up the final part of our monosynth
Over the last few years, the reemergence of Bob Moog. (Purists will want to pronounce this trilogy, we head to Japan, with the affordable
hardware synthesisers has raised plenty of ‘Moge’!) The original Mini is often celebrated as classic from the early 80s, the SH-101. Where the
eyebrows. The market is bustling with radical having a sonic identity which is gutsy and fat, so Mini was expensive and the Odyssey was just
new analogue and digital designs and reissues we’ve taken an original Moog reissue from a about affordable, the 101 was truly affordable,
of absolute classics. And it’s this latter category couple of years ago – all but identical to an with a street price of around £200. It brought
we’re focusing on here, and the question we original – and put it through its paces, against analogue synthesis to the masses, in a package
repeatedly ask is: “why would you spend the Arturia Mini V software. Where possible, we which was designed for the future. You could
thousands on a reissued piece of hardware, wanted to explore rising stars in tablet form, even play it like a keytar! Roland relented to
from 40 or 50 years ago, when you can buy the and for the Minimoog, we have the fantastic public calls for a 101 reissue a few years ago, so
software for a fraction of the price?”. app, made by Moog themselves. But will an app we have the SH-101 Plug-out (also plugin!)
There is much to debate here, not least of all costing a few quid give the £3,000 plus hardware software, which is the same facsimile to be
whether there are intrinsic sonic differences a run for its money, or will the long-established found in the System series synths, and the
between hardware and software, so in the first Arturia have a thing or two to say about it? SH-01A Boutique model. With a lack of any
of a series of articles, we start with three of the Next up, we stay State-side, and audition clone-inspired iOS apps, we thought we’d place
finest monosynths ever produced, and audition Korg’s classic hardware reissue of the ARP the highly-respected TAL 101-bassline plugin up
the hardware against comparable software. But Odyssey, against their own iOS app, replicating against the Roland products, to hear their take
it’s not just down to us! We have captured the same machine. The original Odyssey came on the classically tight Roland sound.
soundbites from the hardware plus the desktop some years after the Minimoog, but offered a So let’s get to it. It’s time to compare the
and iOS software, and we’d like to invite you to different, unique sound which complemented hardware with the software for the most classic
check out what you think is best. So we have a the Moog. It was also one of the machines that synth of them all, the Minimoog…

Moog Minimoog
It is incredibly fitting that the very first synth for inspection
and consideration in our battle of the platforms is
arguably the most famous and desired of all monosynths.
The Minimoog might not require introduction, but it is
certainly worth considering why it garners the reputation
that it does, while continuing to be a highly-inspirational
object of desire for studio musicians, performers and
enthusiasts alike. Enter the legend…
We have to start at the very beginning, more seriously, and it was at the tender age of 15 direction for much greater things to come.
with the godfather of subtractive that he built his first Theremin as part of a
synthesis, Robert Moog. The son of an science fair. Further projects followed, which Moog’s debut modules
electrical engineer, Bob Moog’s interest in included more electronic organs and even a It was some ten years later that Moog began
electronic musical instruments started very Geiger counter, but Bob was utterly captivated collaborations with other like-minded
young. Aged just ten years old, he started by the Theremin, continuing to revise his self- individuals, creating early synthesiser modules
building simple radio circuits and other builds as part of a business that he started with that would respond to voltage control. These
electrical projects, one of which was a three- his father. This fledgling business called Ramco, new technologies gained interest from notable
note electronic organ. was renamed in 1954 to R. A. Moog Co. Yet more composers and experimental musicians, such as
A move to the Bronx High School of Science Theremins followed but one model, called the John Cage, and formed the blueprint for what
allowed the teenage Bob to take his interest 351, offered tone shaping capabilities, setting the would become the first synthesisers which were
iOS v hardware v desktop (out of shot).

In shot: yes that’s a Schmidt synth.
Yes, we’re showing off

Other ways to get

the Moog sound
It won’t come as a surprise to
learn that, as the Minimoog is
arguably the most inspirational
synth of all time, there are many
other versions available to suit
your way of working.
Other notable software
contenders include the Native
Instruments Monark, G-Force
Software Minimonsta and the
UVI UltraMini, which all offer
their own take on the original. We
could easily have included more
of these in our tests but time and
space are always constraints and
the Arturia was included very
much as it was an early
emulation and does not go too
much ‘off road’; it is almost a
classic in itself!
There have also been a
released in 1967, branded Models I, II & III. Not just about carry under your arm… at least you substantial number of hardware
only were these the first machines of their kind, could if you were quite strong; it was an early clones over the years; it’s fair to
but they were also instrumental in the analogue beast and pretty heavy! say that with hardware, you will
introduction of the word ‘synthesiser’ into the Regardless of its physicality, it was most certainly get what you pay
musical landscape (although probably convenient; the Mini offered a panel which for, and two of our favourites
‘synthesizer’ given the US origin). could be raised to an angle, with a 44-note come from highly respected
The popularity and acceptance of these early keyboard in front of it, so creating sounds was companies, with a price tag that
modular machines was fairly swift, with early an immediate prospect, requiring no patching assures quality.
demonstrations of the system from electronic with cables. It was a performance synth which The AJH Synth MiniMod
pioneer Wendy Carlos, alongside usage on rock quickly became the must-have for a veritable Eurorack system offers an
and pop albums by The Doors and The who’s who of pop, rock, jazz and commercial alarmingly close emulation of the
Monkeys. It was the release of the legendary music. Absolutely everyone had to have one… Mini, but in Eurorack form. This
album Switched on Bach in 1968, winning two has advantages, as it allows for
Grammy Awards the following year, that really Setting a blueprint connectivity with other more
cemented the arrival of synthesiser technology, Moreover, this condensed format became the contemporary modules, giving
although Bob Moog was unhappy with the benchmark for synthesiser design in future the Mini concept a new lease of
original album cover. Portraying J.S. Bach years. At the beginning of the signal chain were life. Being Eurorack, it will
himself, in a slightly giggling-pose in front of a three Voltage Controlled Oscillators (VCOs), require a degree of modular
Moog Modular System, the first incarnation of each offering six different waveforms which infrastructure before installing.
the cover seemed to trivialise the sound that the included triangle, saw and the legendary shark- Meanwhile, Studio Electronics
instrument made, as Bach mugged at the tooth waveform. Pulse Width Modulation was have taken the Mini and put it on
camera, as though he were not possible, so steroids. The MidiMini v30 is a 4u
hearing a strange sound. three incarnations of rack mounted box, that provides
To make matters worse,
the headphones were
“They were the first square/pulse wave
were included. The
a Minimoog with a host of added
features and colour, which also
plugged into the input of a
filter, which would have
machines of their three VCOs could be
altered in pitch,
includes Eurorack connectivity,
although it also functions
resulted in no sound. The
same actor portraying kind, and introduced through the use of
either coarse-tuning
straight out of the box, without
additional Eurorack hardware. It
Bach was booked for octave pots, or sounds epic, weighty and is
another photo shoot for a
replacement cover. It was
‘the synthesiser’” variable fine-tuning sublimely powerful. A Mini for
the current age!
pots, which could
reshot in an altogether extend to large
more serious and stately pose, this time with a intervals of a fifth, either side of the desired
correctly connected pair of headphones! fundamental pitch. The VCOs were then fed into
a mixer, where they could be adjusted in
More Moog access volume, alongside two other elements: white/
The two big problems with the original Moog pink noise and an external input. This latter
Modular systems were the price and the input became very important in the use of the
physical size, both of which were gigantic. instrument, as many musicians experimented
Having overcome the extreme cost of the with the Mini, discovering that the headphone
system, you were then merely faced with the output could be fed into the External input,
practicalities of transporting it from A to B. creating a loop which would overdrive the
There was clearly a need for something smaller circuit, creating distortion.
and more compact, but also something with The included filter (VCF) has become the
similar functionality. stuff of legends. Fabled for its incredible depth
In 1970, the Minimoog was born. Also known and warmth, mostly due to its analogue design
as the Model D, it offered all the big selling and makeup, the 24dB/4-pole design was fixed
Other Minimoog desktop options include
points of the Modular in a form which you could in a low-pass mode. It sounds rich and full, while NI’s Monark and GForce’s Minimonsta

playing in the lower frequencies, making it a the app is a complete steal (and it was even free
firm favourite for bass sounds. The associated
filter resonance whistles into action if applied
“Aside from the for a limited time recently!). You might
download the Minimoog Model D App on a
liberally, but does manifest a sound which lacks
low-end content in this setting. This was also
physical differences whim, but it’s usage extends way beyond simple
sofa-bound noodling. By equipping your iOS
one of the reasons for employing the
headphone-loop-around trick, as the distortion the Model D app does device with appropriate additional hardware,
you will have a great sounding, tactile and very
would replace some of the low-frequency versatile classic synth at your disposal, made by
content, reduced by the resonance. have a classic feel” the company behind the original masterpiece.
There was also a lack of dedicated Low
Frequency Oscillator (LFO) on the original Mini, And on your desktop?
requiring the user to use one of the main three have now elapsed, Moog have helpfully Meanwhile, many other companies have flirted
VCOs to Lo mode, for creating LFO modulation. implemented a number of useful additions and with the Model D, in both hardware and
However, there were two 3-stage envelopes, for upgrades, which might vindicate the software form – see previous page. Arturia
independent control of amplitude and filter experience, that is if the several thousand produced one of the earliest software versions
cutoff modulation. pound price differential alone is not enough! of the Model D, which is now in its v3 phase.
The early Minimoogs are still legendary. The first of these upgrades includes the Known as the Mini V, Arturia’s software is
However they do have a reputation for presence of a dedicated LFO, which although available in all the usual popular plugin formats,
wandering in and out of tune. The early discrete not on the 1970 original, was included in the for both Mac OS and Windows PC. Arturia
circuitry was open to fluctuation, with extended 2016 reissue. describe the Mini V as a faithful reproduction of
warm up times for tuning stability, and had a The iOS app also downloads with 160 superb the original, which certainly appears to be the
notable reaction to changes in room production ready presets, with capacity for case from the interface, which is inviting and
temperature. Regardless, they continue to be your own sonic creations to be saved within the enticing, for user tweak-ability.
highly desired, so much so, that Moog Music device’s own storage. Being software, there are many
released a new, but limited edition reissue of the The original Minimoog offers no possibility enhancements, many of which resonate with
Minimoog in 2016. Offering a carbon-copy for patch saving, although it is worth the Moog iOS app. The plugin relies on Arturia’s
facsimile of the original, this beautiful mentioning that the Moog Voyager, which TAE technology, which boasts accurate
reincarnation also introduced a dedicated LFO, adopts a similar sound and architecture to the mimicking of analogue oscillators, filters and
alongside MIDI connectivity, to accompany original, has plenty of patch saving capacity, even clipping. Alongside the same signal-flow
traditional connectivity via CV & Gate. along with other useful enhancements, content of three VCOs and 4-pole filter, there is
although many users report that it lacks the also a dedicated LFO for modulation, which can
Moog hardware v… er depth and gutsy sound of the original. be used alongside a relatively comprehensive
Moog software modulation matrix. This allows up to eight
It is a 2016 reissue that we are using as the Like four Moogs connections from 15 sources, applied to 35
benchmark for our comparisons, but can Next, in this new addition’s line-up, is 4-note destinations. That’s modular-scale modulation,
software really come up to the same sound and polyphony. The original is, and always has been, which was also a pipe-dream for the original.
detail of a new piece of analogue hardware? a monosynth, so the concept of being able to There is also plenty of preset and memory
If anyone can tell us this, it’s Moog play polyphonically has always been a pipe capacity, back-end effects and a wonderful
themselves. If you’re working to a budget, but dream. This, of course, is one of the biggest arpeggiator, and the polyphonic voice count
find yourself with an iPhone or iPad, you can advantages of software; you can often add has been increased to a whopping 32 notes.
have a faithful reincarnation of the Model D, voices easily, along with other revisions One other notable feature is the presence of
Minimoog Model D App, right at your fingertips, available through software updates. It’s also a vocal filter, for creating really interesting
and made by Moog. Obviously, this will not be great to see the addition of an effects section, vocal-formant style effects, with its own
an analogue hardware heavyweight, but can it which includes elements such as a Delay and dedicated LFO. Costing a mere €149, this is a
stand tall against the sound of the original? We’ll Looper, or our own personal favourite, the great Mini-clone, which has enduring longevity,
soon find out! Arpeggiator. These offer instant gratification, so thanks to its latest v3 construct.
Apart from the rather obvious physical much so, it’s our view that all synths should Over the next few pages, we have tutorials
manifestation, albeit on a touchscreen, the have an arpeggiator, enshrined in law! on the Moog sound plus some interesting facts
Model D app looks and feels very similar to the The final huge plus-point which we’ve you may not know about this classic. Then we
classic hardware. Moreover, as 50 or so years already touched upon is the price. At just £14.99, conclude our thoughts!
Moog connectivity
One of the great wonders of DAW-based immeasurably improve the quality of the
plugins is that they are easy to install and sonic reproduction. The IK Multimedia
use, with no requirement for additional iRig range has a wealth of products for
hardware. That said, the Arturia Mini V is all scenarios that are perfect
NKS compliant, so you can take huge solutions for iOS connectivity.
advantage of its interfacing options with Meanwhile, if you’re lucky
hardware through the use of Native enough to have access to a hardware
Instruments or Arturia MIDI controllers. Minimoog, you’ll need an audio
While Moog’s own iPhone/iPad app can interface to get your audio into your
be used in a standalone format, the DAW. While you will also need a MIDI
addition of further enhancements will interface if you want to connect one of
hugely benefit the quality of the the reissued models via MIDI, the vintage
experience if you intend to get serious originals present more of a challenge!
with the app. Adding a MIDI/USB MIDI You’ll need a MIDI to CV/Gate convertor to
interface will help with triggering, while trigger the Minimoog, and depending on
the presence of some form of iOS age and condition, you might find this can A MIDI interface will be
be a little unreliable. That’s vintage! required, even if you have a
compliant audio interface will
hardware reissue

Creating Moog patches – the classic Thriller patch

One of the most iconic bass patches of all time was created on a Minimoog for the Michael
Jackson hit Thriller. We’ll use Arturia’s Mini V to create it…
> Step by step 1. Creating Moog patches – the classic Thriller bass patch
The Arturia Mini V can work as a Now we need to add Osc 2 into our In order to hear Osc 2, we need to
1 plugin or in a standalone mode, so

load up your preferred version. As we will
want to start from a point of initialisation,
go to the patch/preset menu, locate the
2 sound, but to make it slightly different,
we’ll set this to a square wave, which will
nicely complement the saw of VCO 1. As
we also want to play this patch in a bass
3 switch it on in the mixer section, and
then turn up the Level control. We will
keep this colour slightly quieter than the
saw, so position the Volume pot at around
Template section at the bottom of the register, set the range of both Osc 1 and the 50%. Add a small amount of detuning
menu and select 1 Osc. This should Osc 2 to 16’. to Osc 2. Try Control + click/drag (Mac) or
present a single VCO playing a sawtooth, right-click drag (PC) on the tuning pot, to
with a wide open filter. add a few cents variation, against Osc 1.
Now add a little colour to emphasise In order to hear Osc 3, we will also Now we’ll start to sculpt our sound
4 the upper frequency band, using Osc

3. In much the same way that we altered
Osc 2, set Osc 3 to a sawtooth wave, but
this time coarse tune the Osc to 8’. Also
5 need to switch on the channel in the
mixer section, and blend the Volume at
around 70%, which will be around the 2
o’clock point on the pot. You should now
6 using the filter, so reduce the Cutoff
control to around 3, which equates to
around the 9 o’clock position. Place the
Emphasis control at roughly the same
check that the Osc 3 Cntrl switch is off. hear the basic construct of the patch, point. ‘Emphasis’ was always the term
You’ll find this to the left of the Range pot. albeit without any bite. used for resonance on Moog synths.
As we want the bass sound to have a This bass has a very slight ‘waw’ at the Finally, don’t forget to save your patch.
7 little bit of bite, we will use the

dedicated Filter Envelope to add some
filter-based crack to the front of each note.
Apply a value of around 40% to the
8 front of each note and this is down to a
subtle tweak of the attack phase on the
filter envelope. Try setting this to a
position between 8 and 9 o’clock. Go too
9 A sound like this benefits hugely from
compression within your DAW, a great
compressor choice being a FET
based/1176 clone. A fast response time will
Amount pot, while also placing the Filter far, and the sound will veer off into the bring out those glorious low-end
Envelope decay at around 10 o’clock. 70s, but keep it tight, and it’ll be all Thriller frequencies, which will have those
and no filler! zombies dancing in no time!

Creating Moog patches – something not so classic…

As an alternative to our Thriller patch, we thought we’d construct a pad-like patch. This utilises
the power of the Minimoog’s three oscillators to create a beautiful chordal texture, very popular
with early electronic pioneers who often lacked polyphonic synths, capable of producing chords.
> Step by step 2. Creating Moog patches – the one-key chord
In much the same way that we did for Next we’ll adjust the pitch range of Now it’s time to set up Osc 2; this will
1 our Thriller patch, we’ll start by

initiating a starting point. Go to the
presets menu, and select the 1 Osc patch.
This will give us a single sawtooth, with a
2 Osc 1. As we are going to construct a
three-note chord, we will start by using
this first VCO as our bass note in the
formation. Set the range selector to 16’.
3 be easier to do if we can hear it, so let’s
start the process by moving across to the
mixer section, specifically the pot relating
to Osc 2, and turn up the Level to around
wide open filter. Think of this as our foundation or 80%. When you do so, if you audition the
fundamental to the chord we create. sound, you’ll hear a thick texture.
Now it’s time to make some Now it’s time to apply similar This is because the Osc 3 Ctrl switch
4 alterations to the pitch and wave of

Osc 2. Switch the range to 16’, but then
move to the Tuning pot, and create a value
of +7 semitones for a very pleasing 5th
5 credentials to Osc 3. We’ll begin by
visiting the mixer section again, but this
time we’ll be activating Osc 3 and turning
the Volume up to around 70%. At this
6 prevents it from responding to the
keyboard’s input value, used for
modulation duties, where you might not
want the frequency of the Osc to change.
texture. Finally, change the wave to a saw, stage, should you audition your sound, the We however do want to use it for pitch, so
instead of the default square wave. pitch will sound off. (See next point!) flick the switch upward, to turn it off.
Now we have control over the pitch of Now we have our chord in place, we Finally, adjust the attack and decay
7 Osc 3, we’ll make some alterations to

place the highest note on our oscillator
tree. Set the Osc range to 8’, then adjust
coarse tuning to +4 semitones, which will
8 can move to the filter to adjust our
tonal colour. Adjust the Cutoff pot to
around the 0 mark, or 12 o’clock if you
prefer. We shall also exploit the filter
9 phases of both the filter envelope and
the amplitude envelope, described on the
Mini V as Loudness Contour. In this
setting, the decay phase also acts as a
offer a major 3rd, on the top of our chord. envelope, so set the Amount pot to release phase, but note that increasing the
Finally, change the wave to a saw, so that it around the 11 o’clock position, which time of both will give a musical result.
matches the other two oscillators. correlates with No 4 on the legend. Adjust to suit your music or playing style.

Ten Great Things about

the Minimoog
Some of the greatest songs, artists and icons that all owe
a huge debt to Bob Moog’s wonderful mono
02
GARY NUMAN
Gary Numan arrived at a studio with
the intention of making a punk album.
Located in a shadowy corner of the control
room, was a Minimoog, switched on and ready
to trigger. Numan walked over to the machine,
played a note, and the entire room shook! By
complete chance, the previous Minimoog user
had left the synth on a sound that inspired
Numan to such a degree, his musical course
altered immediately. The Mini is the sound of his
infamous track Are ‘Friends’ Electric? and synth
pop was born.
03
PROG ROCK/RICK
WAKEMAN
As well as owning many capes in
many colours, Rick Wakeman has been the user
of many Minimoogs, with up to nine Minis being
owned at one time. During his epic shows,
several Minis could be seen lined up, patched
and ready for keyboard action. His extraordinary
virtuosic playing, coupled with a genuine love of
this classic analogue, meant that Minimoogs
could frequently be heard in a soloistic capacity,
on much of Rick’s solo output, as well as on his
albums while a member of Prog-pioneers Yes.
04
24DB/4-POLE LADDER
FILTER
While the Mini’s artistic credentials
span far and wide, it is the many technical
innovations that were way ahead of their time,
forging a path where other companies would
follow. At the very heart of this was the Moog
Getty
Ladder filter, with its 24dB/4-pole design, which

became the sound that these other companies
wanted to emulate. It can sound sweet and
WENDY CARLOS
01 Apart from being an incredible musician,
Wendy Carlos was a long-time collaborator
with Bob Moog. While the creation of Carlos’ Switched
on Bach album, and subsequent spin-off albums, was
centred around an early Moog Modular, the feedback
she offered to Moog at the musical level was
imperative for influencing the design of the
Minimoog. It was the perfect blend of music and
electronics that gave rise to this classic synth. Numan and a Minimoog changed the course of history

George Duke was

legendary for his
Minimoog sound
Kraftwerk’s Autobahn featured Moogs a-plenty
harsh; something for every musical eventuality,

and with a whole load of character.
05
KRAFTWERK –
AUTOBAHN
Techno-pioneers Kraftwerk made
extensive use of the Minimoog which, during
their early career, was the only synthesiser they
had. The architecture of the Mini, with its three
VCOs, allowed them to create chords, providing
the harmonic backbone for their
groundbreaking concept album Autobahn.
When they played live, they would frequently
Getty
have issues with sound systems which would
often struggle to handle the Moog’s low end
content, without blowing speakers.
HERBIE HANCOCK, CHICK
06
OVERDRIVE –
HEADPHONE LOOP
Despite being more than 50 years
old, the original Minimoog continues to inspire.
As the original offered no capacity for saving
patches, it invited experimentation, and it was
09 COREA, GEORGE DUKE
AND FRIENDS!
The Minimoog inspired many keyboard players, but
this endeavour that resulted in the legendary
overdrive loop, where the headphone output
the inspiration of the instrument extended
would feed the external input. The resulting
distortion was so inspirational, it can often be
throughout the jazz and funk community. There are
implemented in many software versions of the
Mini, cable-free!
so many that we don’t have space to name them all,
but three of the finest virtuosi from this era include
07
DR DRE
As one of the most respected artists in Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and George Duke.
rap and hip-hop, Dr Dre is totally
unapologetic for his love of early funk, with Their extraordinary playing of the instrument ranged
Parliament cited as one of Dre’s most influential
bands. Keyboardist and producer Bernie Worrell from funky basses to the most lyrical of improvised
was the keyboard player with both Parliament
and Funkadelic, and is often credited as being leads, against a musical backdrop which takes in so
one of the leading Minimoog pioneers of the
funk era. Hardly surprising then, that Dre picked many other legends, including Stevie Wonder. Not a
up the Minimoog baton, for searing leads and
deep basses.
bad roll-call for a 50-year-old monosynth!
08
MICHAEL JACKSON –
THRILLER Minimoog for the bass sound, making it one of and wide, but not just musically. The construct
One of the most iconic hits of the 70s the most iconic basslines of all time, and played and signal path of the Mini set the blueprint for a
disco era was Heatwave’s Boogie Nights. Written entirely on the Mini. Just add Vincent Price for considerable number of synths to follow. So
by the band’s British keyboard player Rod scary tension! many companies wanted their own Minimoog,
Temperton, their sound and style came to the but Bob had set the bar so very high that it was
10
attention of producer Quincy Jones. He invited INSPIRATION! the toughest of acts to follow. Influential
Temperton to work with him on an album for The Minimoog has gone down in innovation followed, giving diversity of sound
Michael Jackson, called Thriller. Temperton history; it is arguably the most iconic and design, but it was the Mini that lit the touch-
penned the title track, which also features the synth of all time, but its inspiration reaches far paper, sealing its status forever.

Classic Minimoog
v software & iOS
Minimoog: So
what do we think?
In an attempt to draw comparisons between the
various incarnations of Minimoog, we decided
to work on a variety of sonic tests, from working
with waves to filter movement and creating real-
world musical examples.
Mapping every facet of one Mini iteration to
another is actually more difficult than you might
expect. Subtle, and in some cases not-so-subtle
variation from one control to the next, presents
a challenge, which you could argue follows the
traits of the analogue classic, where one unit
would differ from the next.
In all cases, we kept the signal as
unadulterated as possible, which in the case of
the software, was quite difficult to do. This
underlies the importance of the backend colour,
which is often added to the Minimoog, when in
use. Distortion, feedback loops and other
gratifying elements that might be layered with
the initial sound are important, in production
terms, and it is important to remember this,
once you pick up the Mini-mantle.
“The Minimoog
hardware reissue is a
thing of unbridled joy”
Continuing the hardware v software
discussion, the convenience of a Minimoog in
software form is undeniable. It’s there when you
want it, with the ability to save patches, but the
allure of the hardware may well offer a better
sound, which is often one of the reasons cited
for exploring the hardware route.
On each one of our Minis we can definitely
note the following. The Minimoog hardware
reissue is a thing of unbridled joy. The fantastic
Moog build quality, coupled with the genuine
Moog analogue circuitry personifies the nature
of the problematic question that we face. While
it undoubtedly sounds like the real deal, it is the
interface and tactile elegance of the form that
draws you in. You feel immediately creative,
when you start to play it, being empowered by
its sonic depths and charisma.
However, the Arturia Mini V does an
Listen and you decide…
incredibly good job of pretending to be an We have several audio examples from all three of our Moogs for you to listen to (download
original, and the reality is that once it’s in the them from filesilo.co.uk). Our software signals have been generated within the DAW, with the
mix, you would probably never know. There are hardware and iPad versions being played directly into a high-quality audio interface, with no
a number of enhancements, and certainly the additional hardware. No smoke or mirrors! Just unadulterated clean Mini audio.
pot calibration is very different, but this is only in In most cases we’ve attempted to play the same thing so comparisons will be as close to
direct comparison to the hardware. ‘like with like’ as possible. The audio is as follows (from each of our three ‘Moogs’).
Meanwhile, the Moog app is more exacting in
detail, with a lovely halfway house in terms of its 1. SAW – raw with wide open filter
tactile nature, thanks to the touchscreen 2. SQUARE – raw with wide open filter
working ethic. It also sounds very engaging, 3. SHARKTOOTH – raw with wide open filter
constrained only by the iOS device itself. We 4. 3 OSC (2 SAW + 1 SQUARE SUB) – raw with wide open filter
would definitely recommend investing in both
5. FILTER SWEEP – 20% Resonance - sweep modulated via Envelope (Counter Generator)
MIDI and Audio interfacing for your device, if
this becomes a regular go-to for you. 6. BASS RIFF (2 SAW + 1 SQUARE SUB) – sharp attack and decay, applied to Filter
As for which sounds best, see the box (right) Just for fun, we have the examples playing one after each other blind, but also include a text
for more details. document with the identities revealed. Let us know what you think at computermusic@
Turn the page for the start of an Odyssey… futurenet.com (but don’t just say you loved the hardware when you find out what it is!).

ARP Odyssey v
GForce Oddity v
ARP Odyssei
Our second mono to take on its equivalent
desktop and iOS software is the ‘other’ 70s classic,
the ARP Odyssey. This not only went toe to toe
with the Minimoog in that decade, but featured in
many a synth pop classic (thanks to just one man),
and its forefathers even took on a bunch of aliens,
twice… and won!
ARP were founded by Alan Robert from all three of these considerations. The company’s next synth, the ARP 2600 was
Pearlman plus cofounders Lewis G. Pollock The first thing to do was to invest in decent era-, tech- and synth-defining. It was portable
and David Friend in 1969. As the main force oscillator research, the fundamental core (OK, not that portable), had three oscillators,
behind the company, Alan got to use his ingredient of synthesis, and the one variable built-in speakers and its own spring reverb.
initials as the company name (so much better that you could design to be not so variable and Much loved by everyone from Stevie Wonder to
than LGP or DF would have panned out). so stay in tune. The first fruits of this stability Underworld, it went through less than ten
He also set out a clear direction for the came in the form of the 1970 released ARP 2500, revisions over a ten-year period, and only sold
company: to produce affordable – well, for a hit with universities and research facilities (the around 3,000 units, but made such an impact
the time anyway – stable and practical main synth users of the time) and also with a that it is being emulated widely to this day by
synthesisers, realising that the modular certain alien species (see Ten Great ARP Korg and others in hardware, and many more in
systems of the 60s were a million miles away Appearances on p34). software. In fact it will get its very own feature

Other ways to get

the Odyssey sound
As with the paid-for software,
there aren’t nearly as many
freeware Odysseys around as
you might think, and many of
these have seen better days or
are not now available from their
original developer sites.
Roberson Audio Synthesisers, for
example, produced Oddy Free
back in the day but it’s only now
available on an archive site at
http://web.archive.org/
web/20131227220621/http://
robersonaudio.tk/oddy-free/. It’s
PC only and based on the MkII
rarer filter model as discussed in
the main text. Similarly
Elektrostudio’s ODsay is another
great looker, but only 32-bit PC
and available at plugins4free.
com. There are a couple more but
again only 32-bit, PC and old.
like this one over coming months, but now to attempt to explain (it’s not as easy as it In fact the only other ‘proper’
the start of the Odyssey’s, er, odyssey… should be). software Odyssey you can get is
Korg’s own ARP Odyssey, a
The Odyssey begins Odyssey versions: 3 into 1 recreation of the hardware one
As successful as Pearlman’s first forays into The Odyssey actually had three distinct we have been using here,
commercially-available synthesisers were, versions, each luckily signified with easy to complete with the three filters
Moog’s Minimoog, first released in 1969 (and recognise colours, although there was a period and Drive circuitry. It comes with
discussed on p18) was becoming a runaway between the different marked versions where 200 presets and uses Korg’s
success so, not surprisingly, Pearlman wanted in the colours crossed over, so you can’t 100% rely proprietary CMT (Component
on the action, and the ARP Odyssey was born. on one colour meaning one version. But Modeling Technology) to
The Odyssey was (and indeed is, as we shall generally the MkI can be considered the white “emulate the feel and sound of
see) a two-oscillator synth with both VCOs (saw one, the MkII was black and gold, and the MkIII, the hardware as closely as
or square and with sync) on the left, each orange and black. possible”. It’s a great option if
featuring Coarse- and Fine-tuning sliders. As is The MkI Odyssey arrived in 1972 (model you can’t stretch to the Oddity
standard these days, although not perhaps at 2800) aimed at being a more compact version or hardware versions also on
the time, you then move into filter, mixer, amp of the ARP 2600. The 4023 filter on this model test here.
and envelope sections, although the Odyssey was 2-pole voltage controlled. The MkII came In terms of hardware, there’s
features loads of extras to give its sound the edge. out two years later, featuring that colour change the modular route (where you
The duophonic nature, noise, ring mod and (in the main) and with a new 4035 4-pole VCF can create version your own with
sample and hold already give it a truly unique filter (again, ‘in the main’ as some still feature modules by various companies)
character but there’s more. the original filter!). or the clone market, dominated
The core oscillators have After clashing with by Behringer and in this case
extras like FM and Pulse “Famous users are Moog over the their own Odyssey.
Width options and the FM original filter
sections of each can be
modulated: VCO1 by sine or
many and varied designs, ARP
changed the 4035
square waves, Sample &
Hold or ADSR; OSC2
from Elton to ABBA filter to a 4075
during the MkII
replaces the square wave period, which was
with Pedal or S/M mixer and, of course, Jarre” retained in the
modulation. The Pulse MkIII which arrived
Width sections can each also be modulated by in 1978 (the 4035 MkII is still the most sought-
the LFO or ADSR. after version). The synth remained in
In addition to the two oscillators you also get production until 1980 and, like
a switchable pink or white noise generator. The its predecessor only sold around 3,000 units,
next LFO section has a Frequency slider and but like the ARP 2600, it too certainly made
two more sliders controlling the output from its mark.
VCO1 (with two sources) and VCO2 (or noise) Famous users are many and varied with
entering the S/H mixer. Stevie Wonder one of the first ARP fans, but
In the mixer section you can simply adjust followed by everyone from ABBA to Elton John,
levels of the sources and how the filter reacts to Human League to Herbie Hancock, Ultravox to
the S/H mixer/pedal, LFO or envelope (of course) Jean-Michel Jarre.
generators. Then there’s the most important
section: the filters, with VCF Filter and The Fender v Gibson of
Resonance controls for a low-pass option and a synths
High Pass Frequency Cutoff Frequency slider. And the synth achieved what Pearlman set out
This was the most changeable section on the to do: rival the Minimoog. The success of both
These three freeware Odysseys do work
Odyssey as it developed, as we shall now synth giants ignited a kind of 70s ‘Blur vs Oasis’ but only on older PCs sadly

battle – or more aptly perhaps, Fender v Gibson pretty easy to do from scratch – we tended to
– that still rages (on certain forums anyway) to
this day. Which was best monosynth of the 70s,
“In 2015, Korg started use both oscillators with a slight amount of
detuning and turn to the mixer straightaway to
the Minimoog or the ARP Odyssey? (And like
the media tried to stir up a similar ‘who is the
producing their own hear them in isolation. That way you can then
focus on each one to create your sound.
best, Westlife or Take That?’ debate, a similar We then start exploring modulation options
rivalry sprung up in synth circles in the late 80s ARP, reproducing the a bit by bringing in LFOs, envelopes and
when the Roland D-50 and Yamaha DX7 took to exploring the S-H options. The results are
the stage. And looking back, who really cared?)
The truth of course, of any comparison
original to a tee” identical to the original synth – with just as
outlandish journeys very quickly possible when
between these two monster monos is that both you start introducing more variation between
synths have their good and bad bits (well, good It is indeed an amazing emulation of the the oscillators – modulating one, perhaps and
bits anyway) and, very generally speaking, the Odyssey with all the modern bells and whistles introducing more movement while the other
ARP is still the king of tearing leads while the added (although you can even keep it real in stays more stable. Things can get very
Moog will always deliver the best bass. If you duo- and monophonic modes). Importantly it unpredictable, although because these are new
are a fan of classic synths – and have deeper also boasts all three of the filters found in the components, you perhaps don’t get quite the
pockets than us – you’ll take one of each then. three Odyssey versions and it’s fair to say we unpredictability of the original. However, all
That’ll probably set you back a good five-figure liked it: “GForce have surpassed our reviews at the time expressed how close this
sum, or you could opt for the remakes and expectations with the second coming of their Korg/ARP hardware is to the original, and it’s
software emulations. And here they are… flagship synth,” we said in our original review. really the comparisons with the Oddity and
“Oddity was almost perfect before, but this is an Odyssei that we’re interested in so more
New kids on the ARP block upgrade that simply can’t be missed.” We comparisons are made and similar sounds
With the success of the ARP Odyssey back in concluded: “A spot-on emulation of the classic programmed across each which we have
the 70s and 80s and its many appearances on ARP Odyssey in its various incarnations, with recorded for you to hear (and ultimately make
so many iconic tracks, you’d expect a glut of some very well thought-out new features.” And your decision!).
copycat software emulations but there is a then heaped a 10/10 score on it.
surprisingly small number available. Retro The final Odyssei
Machines by Native Instruments touches on it, Hard as Arps The last piece of our triple ARP celebration
but not directly, and there were quite a few old In 2015 Korg started producing their own comes by way of the iOS Korg/ARP Odyssei.
attempts in the freeware world and Korg’s own Odyssey, or – as it turned out – effectively This came out in late 2016 and, again, scored
software recreation (see Other ways to get the started reproducing the original, so that it is our very well all around. You could see it as an iOS
Odyssey sound box). But the first – and many hardware contender for this feature. Along with version of Korg’s hardware recreation of ARP’s
would say best – software emulation came by original ARP co founder David Friend, Korg original, but let’s just see it as a great ARP
way of GForce Software, and their Oddity, reproduced a single synth (albeit in various emulation, again with some extras.
now at version 2, is our Odyssey desktop sizes and rack versions) that does everything You can switch between those three filter
software contender. the original is capable of, but also includes all types again and unlike the duophonic hardware,
Released in 2002 – yes soft synths were three filter types from the various versions plus Odyssei has monophonic, duophonic and
around then – the original Mk1 GForce Oddity a drive circuit to add extra grit. polyphonic modes. There’s also a 16-step
perfectly captured the character of the original The model we have in for this feature is the arpeggiator, six effects and X/Y pads for real-
ARP. Oddity 2 arrived a full 12 years later – it’s mini keys version but its controls are laid out time manual manipulation. But it all comes
fair to say that GForce like to take their time to pretty identically to the original synth and down to the sound and on this we said in our
get things right. But get it right they do. Oddity 2 indeed it sounds as good as that original albeit review, “Odyssei sounds tremendous, doing a
added polyphony and bolstered the mono with the added extra filter controls. stellar job of recreating those famously edgy
mode with legato triggering modes. It also As with the original, we won’t be dialling in oscillators and that razor sharp low-pass filter
beefed up the modulation options with an presets, but creating sounds from scratch or serving as a powerful source of basses, leads,
X-LFO and X-ADSR section, added a sub copying those from the manual. We also had pads and sci-fi style FX.”
oscillator for extra bass clout and included quite a bit of fun recreating sounds on the So that’s the history and our line-up. Time for
several other nice touches along with a hardware that replicate those on Oddity and the some fun facts and how to recreate some epic
mountain of fabulous presets. iOS app Odyssei. Programming the hardware is ARP sounds in software.

Create a classic ARP sound patch

As Billy Currie steals half the slots in our ‘Ten Great ARP things’ list, it’s only fair we share his best
sound, and it’s pretty easy to recreate (with a little live tweaking anyway)
> Step by step 1. The Billy Currie lead
We’re going to create a couple of It’s surprisingly easy to get the core We already have a nice blend of the
1 classic Odyssey sounds now. You can

use any of the three Odyssey types you
wish or even the freeware ones
mentioned previously, as the
2 Currie sound but it’s what you do
with it that counts. You’ll need to initialise
your synth which in the hardware’s case
could simply mean: do nothing or set all
3 oscillators and the fat sound you want.
Now you can introduce a slight bit of
detuning between one and the other to
thicken the sound from the off.
programming tips should transfer to iOS, sliders to zero. In Oddity’s case, load up a
desktop or hardware. We’re using Oddity. Default sound.
If you want to boost the volume Currie is very well known for some Now set mixer levels. VCOs 1 and 2
4 quickly (or if you get too many

squeals and want to cut it) then just use
the VCA slider – the one to the right of
the mixer.
5 great solos that always use a lot of
portamento between notes so make sure
this slider is set at a third up (at least) to
get that swirling, note-sliding effect.
6 should be level with one another and
high, and also introduce a little, but not
too much, noise. You’ll also need to set the
Sync switch for both oscillators to On.
Oscillator controls are central or at a Now it’s a matter of ‘playing’ sliders as Now with your third hand,
7 minimum – for now! On the Oddity

these are as they would be when you load
in a default sound, but for any other
Odyssey, set them as shown. In the Filter
8 you play notes to get a distinctive
Currie-like movement. Slide the Course
Tune control of VCO2 up and down while
playing notes. Experiment with changing
9 simultaneously operate the FM slider
on VCO1. That’s why Currie is so good – he
has three hands (but you can also use
automation!). It’s all about movement
section set VCF Freq at a max and Res at this control both before and after you while you play, so experiment with other
a minimum. Set the HPF slider at a strike a note. parameters too.
minimum too.

The ARP Odyssey can do bass (and lasers)

It might have been known more for its tearing leads but the Odyssey is more than capable of
creating hefty basses too. Here we recreate a big one in Oddity
> Step by step 2. Going low on the ARP
Again we’re using the Oddity which The sound is a bit buzzy as both All bass sounds have a fast Attack and
1 comes with its own stunning basses,

but just to demo how to create them (on
whatever ARP you use), we’ll show you
how to create one from scratch. Load a
2 oscillators are set to sawtooth, so let’s
notch them both down to squarewave in
the mixer section for a more rounded
(squared!) sound.
3 quick release so set your main AR
Envelope controls as such (Attack at zero,
Release at 1/3 max) if they are not already.
Default (initialised) sound.
Now to choose your filter type. On all As to which one you choose, this is The Odyssei and Oddity’s filters are
4 three of our ARPs we’re blessed with

the ability to choose from one of the
original filter types on the hardware. You
can switch them by clicking on the Filter
5 entirely dependent on the bass sound
you require. In our experimenting we
found the 4075 and 4035 to be livelier
and more Acid-like, and Korg themselves
6 opposite one another – Oddity’s MkII
filter at the top, Odyssei’s at the bottom.
You can get many a bass sound from any
filter but we’ve gone with the 4075 on the
slider/switch and slightly nudging it down have used the 4075 for their Acid preset Oddity. Now slide the Resonance control
or up (tap with your finger on the iPad). on the Odyssei. up and you have an instant laser sound!
Your VCF Frequency and Resonance You can further shape the filter’s Now experiment with these ADSR
7 controls are really your ultimate

sound shapers at this point so bring the
Resonance down from that laser and
experiment with Frequency. Generally,
8 impact of the sound by shaping the
ADSR, bottom right of the UI which
effectively controls how long it takes to
engage. Switch on the ADSR option. This
9 sliders and you will hear a more subtle
shaping of the sound which allows
gradual movement if the Attack slider is
high or more impact if lower. As we’re
lower down gives you more punch and will now allow a more subtle control over after a punchy bass sound, the above
higher up more width and brightness. the filter using the ADSR sliders. settings work for us.
We’re going punchy.

Ten Great ARP appearances

OK, not all of these are directly about the ARP Odyssey,
but some are just too good not to mention…
THE FIRST SYNTH

02 VOICED BY ALIENS
If you think ARP’s alien connection is
pretty cool with Close Encounters, then the sci-fi
story continues with R2-D2, possibly the most
famous robot in our galaxy’s history and –
because we’re actually starting to believe that
the whole Star Wars saga actually happened –
that of a galaxy far, far away. Yes, he/she/it/they
spoke ‘ARP’! The diminutive star of Star Wars
(and the real star if you think about it) was
voiced by an ARP 2600. We can only assume
that ARP’s PR company must have been very
closely involved with Hollywood at the time. To
have your synth involved in one iconic sci-fi film
is lucky, but two? Careless…
ANYTHING BY BILLY
03 CURRIE
Visage, Numan and Ultravox – as we
Getty
shall see here – all owe a huge debt to the ARP

Odyssey and its finest ever player, Billy Currie,
who deserves his own slot in our Ten ARP
appearances, in addition to some of these act’s
THE FIRST SYNTH TO tracks. In short, Currie did more for 70s and
01
80s synth playing – and ARP’s own PR – than
GREET ALIENS pretty much any other keyboard player, taking
what is essentially a simple synth by today’s
The scenario might be the stuff of fantasy: standards, and wrestling so many different
sounds, solos and emotions from it, you’d think
aliens make contact with humans atop the strange he was using a giant bank of many a module. “I
just like the honky, mad sound,” he once told
Devil’s Tower (actual place). But in what is probably Electricity Club.
the greatest idea anyone could have ever, the GARY NUMAN – ON
humans’ first reaction is to play them some synth
music on an ARP 2500. We think the finest thing you
04 BROADWAY (LIVE) AKA
BILLY CURRIE PART 2
Numan is really known more for his Moogs,
Polys in particular – those classic strings defined
his sound in the late 70s/early 80s – but he
could do to ease into a relationship would be to play made special use of the Odyssey when he
some early Tangerine Dream or Jean-Michel Jarre –
we do exactly this when we form relationships with
other humans, so know what we’re talking about –
and top marks for whoever thought of this. The ARP
2500 plays the famous ‘da da da, do, daa’ theme
which [SPOILER ALERT] the aliens like so much, they
decide to return some people who they’d essentially
kidnapped, and then take some replacements just for
good measure (and probably hugely painful genetic
Getty
experiments). Would the same thing have happened

Billy Currie at the controls of his most famous of synths,
if Bieber had been blaring through the speakers? but what band was he in at the time? Who knows?

employed Billy Currie on his 1979 Living

Ornaments tour. Incredibly, given his stark and
alien output up to this point, Numan decided to
cover On Broadway, a ‘smooth jazz’ song
originally recorded by The Drifters. This live
version was then released with one of the best
ARP solos ever – Billy Currie wrestling a range
from the ARP never heard before or since, with
Chris Payne’s Polymoog joining forces for one of
the finest synth segments in any song ever
committed to tape, let alone performed live.
Check it out from 1:50 on the YouTube for a
screaming, howling idea of what the Odyssey is
capable of (in the right hands, of course).
ULTRAVOX –
05 ASTRADYNE AKA BILLY
CURRIE PART 3
Ultravox had started to home in on an
electronic sound in their first incarnation with
John Foxx leading the band from its art house
roots down a more synth route. Their keyboard
player Currie had invested in an Odyssey in 1977
and took its sound into the Mark 2 line-up
THE RADIOPHONIC
09
fronted by Midge Ure. Astradyne is from this
incarnation’s debut album, Vienna, and while the
Odyssey was used on many tracks (including
WORKSHOP
the title) from that album, it features with a huge
solo on this track from around 4 and half
The Radiophonic Workshop was a crazily
minutes, almost guitar-like in its structure. In
fact, Currie told Electricity Club in that 2012
underfunded disorganisation at the heart of the BBC
interview: “It is a very good, strong keyboard which made use of any old gear (oft found in skips)
part. I used to say at the time: ‘Only a guitarist
could come up with that!’ I meant that as a to make some of the most incredible music. The Dr
good thing!”
Who theme (credited to Ron Grainer but realised by
VISAGE – FADE TO GREY
06 AKA BILLY CURRIE
PART 4
Look, around 1979 to 1981, Billy Currie did the
Delia Derbyshire, who should have been given more
credit) is the most famous example. In this clip it’s
rounds, OK? We’re doubtful whether even he
knows what band he was in during this period, recreated in 1980 by a CS-80 and ARP Odyssey for
but wherever he was, Currie took his Odyssey
with him. While we’re not 100% sure that it was the ‘oo-wee-you’ bit. The ARP wasn’t used on the
used as the main intro riff of this classic, we are
sure that the synth was used across many tracks
original – Derbyshire created it with the Radiophonic
on Visage’s debut album (Visage). Plus we also
found a great video of a bloke on YouTube
Workshop equivalent of tin cans and a piece of
demoing how you can use an Odyssey to
play the intro to Fade To Grey. So that’s good
string, making it all the more remarkable – but we
enough for us. love the charm of this clip. Check out the great Arena
ABBA – GIMME! GIMME! docu-drama about Derbyshire on BBC iPlayer too.
07 GIMME! (A MAN AFTER
MIDNIGHT)
Phew, an entry without a mention of Billy Currie.
bit.ly/CM_radioph
And, of course, you can give us ‘A Man After
Midnight’ any time… as long as they arrive with
an ARP Odyssey. (What happens if they arrive
before midnight is anyone’s guess though.) Yes
70S COP SHOW TV
08
ABBA, aka the greatest pop band ever, used an And Hawaii 5-0 used a Roland. No, it didn’t really.
Odyssey on Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!. We reckon THEMES
KRAFTWERK (OF
10
it was the main lead although there is also a We love 70s cop shows here at
synth bass used in the song. You can see Benny Computer Music, mostly because they COURSE) – THE ROBOTS
playing what looks like a MkII Odyssey mounted employed the synths of the time for a more Yes it’s Kraftwerk, yes they used synths.
on top of two other keyboards in the official crazy-sounding usage. The Rockford Files And the ARP Odyssey was used all across their
video, filmed in the ABBA studio during the ‘we-ooh, we-oh, we-oh, we-oh’ main lead was by Man Machine album, from which this track
song’s recording. And while we’re on the subject, all accounts (aka the internet) a Minimoog, while came. The synth is undoubtedly responsible for
great to see ABBA come back with a full album ARP worshippers can turn to Ironside’s TV the more whooping sounds on this track and
and it had some cracking tracks on it too, theme which employs an ARP Odyssey to create others and, of course, the K-boys also employed
although we’d have liked a bit more synth action a cop-style siren. Not the synth’s best ever use an army of Moogs at their Kling Klang Studios.
– care of an ARP Odyssey, of course. But ABBA but Quincy Jones was responsible so who are There was no such thing as Moog Vs ARP for
coming back together after four decades away? we to argue? You see, the Moog vs ARP thing them; they had it all, or simply invented what
Who’d have thought? even translated to 70s TV cop shows. Brilliant. they didn’t have.

Classic ARP
Odyssey v
software Oddity v
iOS ARP ODYSSEi:
So what do
we think?
This feature is not really intended to conclude
whether hardware is better than software, more
to celebrate the fact that we have so many
options available to play and record these
classic instruments, and to give some idea of
which tasks we think each is more suited to. And
we’ll let you decide which sounds you think are
best, with some recordings for you to download
and compare. However, we have noted some
conclusions while comparing these three ARP
options which we do think are worth sharing.
On the iOS Odyssei we were genuinely
excited by how good it sounds next to the real
thing. Same goes for the Oddity, but the surprise
was greater with the Odyssei, perhaps as we set
our expectations lower. It does annoy with fiddly
controls and you will benefit from larger iPads,
but it’s a fantastic mobile synth.
One surprising aspect of the hardware,
although it shouldn’t really have been, is just
how inviting a front panel full of sliders is, after
using software for all of this time. Just having
the option to move more than one controller at
the same time and hear the sound change in an
instant is great, as is actually touching and
feeling a ‘thing’. This one is harder to explain, but
we have the same feeling whenever we play a
piano: just having a physical instrument (more
so in a piano’s case as the sound is emanating
from it) you feel more at one with it. Without
wishing to get too spiritual about it, software
does, almost by definition, have a detachment
about it that will never be removed, even with
the best of MIDI and DAW controllers. However,
software does of course have other advantages…
Saving sounds is not something that can be
done with an original or Korg/ARP hardware
Odyssey, and nor perhaps should it – that’s not
the point! But it does get a little frustrating when
you feel you have to take a photo of the front
panel to recall it later, especially if you are as
used to saving a sound with a mouse click as, of
course, we are. However, that one sound can
inspire a lot. We found that just by having the
ARP plugged into Live (especially) we’d just play
loops and riffs and these would, perhaps We have several audio examples from all three of our ARPs for you to listen to (download
because of their sheer sonic power, but more so them from filesilo.co.uk). We recorded each synth clean, the Odyssei and Korg/ARP directly
their movement and potential dynamic, inspire into Live, no effects, and the Oddity running within Live as a standard software instrument.
lots more tunes. These riffs would become the Where possible, we tried to replicate front panel controls, although this would not always
centrepiece of many new pieces and simply (usually, actually) work, so don’t expect sounds to be identical (small incremental changes on
having that hands-on control over what you are many front panel Odyssey sliders can make a big difference!). Instead we’re brushing in
recording was inspirational in itself. bigger strokes with sounds of the same type as follows:
Our conclusions then? Well, in the end we’d
record the ARP, use it to inspire, and then, 1. DUOPHONIC LEAD ON ALL THREE – demonstrating some movement and layering
perhaps bizarrely, bolster it with the Oddity. In 2. SIMILAR BASS – demonstrating some layering
fact we probably have an entire album’s worth 3. CLASSIC ARP ODYSSEY LEAD – with portamento
of electronic Odyssey-based tracks in the bag –
4. CLASSIC, CLEAN ARP BASS
purely a blend of hardware and software
Odyssey – the perfect mix of hardware and
Just for fun, we have the examples playing one after each other blind, but also include a text
software. And that says it all really.
document with the identities revealed. Let us know what you think at computermusic@
Now turn the page as we do it all again with
futurenet.com
the Roland SH-101.

Roland SH-101
In the 1980s, the price of synthesisers started to plummet
(albeit from a fairly astronomical height). One of the first
and definitely the most famous – and one you could also
wear – was produced by one of the big Japanese names
cashing in on the synth craze, and became one of the
most iconic monos ever. Enter the Roland SH-101…
During the early 80s, microchip tenure. In reality, using it as a keytar was a
technology was touching every aspect of nightmare; with no patch memories, you would
human life. We were not quite at the stage have to set the patch before going for a
where our fridge-freezers could order our keyboard-based wander, only to find that the
shopping for us, but the switch to chip moment you strapped in, you’d most likely
circuitry was having a very positive effect on knock the faders out of shape, as you moved
the price of music technology. about, requiring immediate readjustment,
Just a few years previous, you couldn’t buy a before or during playing!
synthesiser for less than several hundred quid, However, for the more studio bound, the 101’s
but the Japanese giants of music technology signal path began with a Voltage Controlled
world would have a thing or two to say about Oscillator (VCO). As technology had marched Boomstar 8106 is a 101-type box
that in this decade. The original Roland Jupiter on, this VCO had been placed under digital
series once commanded four-figure price tags, control, meaning that you heard all of the
but Roland then found a way of shrinking the analogue depth, but with reliable tuning, at least
tech into a form that would make it much after a few minutes of warm up time.
cheaper, and used that knowledge in the more
modestly-priced Juno series. Even so, it was still Deeper 101
several hundred pounds a pop, so when the The VCO offered three oscillator tones, plus
SH-101 appeared with a street price of around white noise, which could be comfortably Roland SH-01A is even more 101 like
£199, it was something of a revolution. Here was blended together to form the sound you
a monosynth that you could really get on board required. The fundamental saw wave was the
with. It boasted an immediacy in sound, and bedrock, with an accompanying square wave, Other ways to get
that sound was huge considering its size. which was open to pulse width modulation. But the 101 sound
The SH-101 adopted the SH pedigree from the secret sonic weapon could be summoned The SH-101 resides in a place
previous Roland monosynths, such as the SH-2 from the depths, in the shape of a sub-oscillator. which is a world away from the
and SH-09, while shifting to the adoption of a This heavyweight tone shored up the American synth models. While
number which aligned itself fundamental pitch, the Moog and ARP machines
with other machines in their
range, such as the TR-808, “Batteries allowed and could be placed
either one or two
offered a colour which has
become synonymous with
TR-606 and TB-303. The octaves below the America, the Roland machines
303 has acquired cult keyboard players to main pitch. seem to have become linked with
status, and while there are While the filter Europe, obviously via Japan,
considerable differences
between the 303 and the 101,
wander free, turning was functional in
context, it was also
from where the 101 originated.
The 101 can sound deep,
they can often have a fairly
similar sound, depending on the 101 into a keytar” fierce and self-
oscillating, inspiring
characterful and crisp, and in
searching out hardware (there’s
the musical context. many artists and very little else out there in
producers to employ the resultant sine wave in software) the Roland SH-01A, in
Keytar favourite isolation. It was perfect for 808 style bass boutique form, is a great place to
Built from a grey plastic, the original 101 was drums, while offering tracking, so could easily begin. If you yearn for something
powered by an external DC power supply, or operate as a bass sound in its own right. This bigger and more flexible, the
you could fill it with batteries, should you want became something of a calling card for hip hop, Roland System series machines
to go native! This allowed keyboard players to R’n’B and the emerging jungle/drum & bass will be worth seeking out,
wander free, as the 101 had additional producers. offering a fully formed interface
accessories such as a mod-grip, which would Not to be outdone, the rave producers also which reacts according to the
essentially turn it into a Keytar, and one that discovered that it could do a pretty decent Plug-out model that you wish to
adorned many R’n’B videos during its tech impersonation of a 303, thanks to its basic step work with; the System 8 is
something of an underestimated
workhouse, in our view.
Meanwhile, those clever folks
at Studio Electronics have ripped
the filter chip from the 101 (and
others) to form a desktop synth
with huge character and amazing
bang for buck. The all-analogue
Boomstar 8106 is an incredible
sounding box, re-imagining the
101 in an altogether more flexible
form. Equipped with two ADSR
envelopes and syncable LFO, the
only difference occurs at the
front of the signal chain, where
two oscillators and a sub can be
tuned like a 101, or detuned for a
thicker texture. It’s not cheap, but
The SH-101 not only sounds big, but
was available in different colours
it will give cheaper clones one
and you could wear it. What more do hell of a roast, while also being
you want? built to last.

sequencing capability, and a filter that squealed

to perfection.
It’s therefore little surprise that this humble
and affordable little synth has since become a
member of the synthesiser hall-of-fame, with a
secondhand price tag which is currently around
five times its original price.
The new 101s

However, after much petitioning and a
recognition that the public had an appetite for
the Roland of yesteryear, the company that
brought us the original produced a new version
of the 101, in a number of formats. The first to
appear was the SH-101 Plug Out, which is
flexibly designed to operate as a plugin for DAW
based operation, or to be dropped into one of
Roland’s accompanying hardware products,
such as the System 1 or System 8. This is a
digital facsimile of the original, which has also
now migrated to their Boutique product line, for
anyone who wants the bespoke 101 experience.
As these digital models are intrinsically
identical, we’ll be comparing the 101 plugin with
an original SH-101, with all of its analogue
insecurities and imperfections.
Of course, where the software can TAL Bassline 101 and Roland Cloud’s SH-101 are two of the surprisingly few software 101 options
immediately trump the vintage original is with a
host of extra functions. You can play up to four
notes polyphony, and also save your own
patches and presets – never an option for the TAL plugin certainly talks the 101 talk. It is
original. The software also features an extensive “We’re comparing also available for MacOS, Windows and Linux,
set of effects, and most importantly, you can with the ability to store patches and sync to
switch panel colours, from grey, to blue and red!
In a more recent update, the 101 also features
digital 101s with an a host DAW. The interface is incredibly
respectful of the original, and very familiar for
as part of Roland’s Zen Core technology,
allowing flexible usage within their Zenology
original, with all of its anyone who is a familiar devotee of the Roland
signal path. Coming in at £50, it’s a great
software and associated hardware products.
While the software has been enhanced, we’re analogue insecurities” alternative to the Roland models, with slightly
different functionality.
going to stick with the original Roland ACB Plug We’re going to power them all up and let
Out emulation, also mirrored in the SH-01A would place another respected piece of them take a bow, with audio from each that will
boutique model, thereby offering the best of software alongside, to see how it compares. The let you decide which ticks your 101 box. In the
Roland’s current hard and soft worlds. TAL-Bassline-101 is billed as a very accurate meanwhile, enjoy some tutorials and facts on
clone of the vintage original. Complete with the 101 while we make our comparisons. We’ll
Outside of Roland’s Cloud onboard sequencer and ability to play even record some audio from each so you can
With all of these 101 options, we thought we monophonically or with up to six voices, the compare and contrast yourself.
101 connectivity Kenton’s USB Solo offers

Just like any other hardware, getting a your 101 interfacing
vintage SH-101 will require a degree of needs in a reliable box
accompanying setup, such as an audio
interface. It is also pre MIDI, but very reliably
works under CV & Gate control; in fact it is a
very good performer in this setting. Kenton
Electronics will supply all the shapes and
sizes of MIDI to CV/Gate boxes that you
can possibly require, which include the
USB Solo, which will plug directly into your
computer and provide CV/Gate signals
simply and reliably.
The Roland SH-01A, offers all that is
vintage and retro in a convenient and
modern box, which will interface beautifully
with your DAW via USB. Better still, the USB
connection carries both MIDI and Audio,
making it exceptionally easy to get your 101-
style signal directly into your DAW. Xxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Creating 101 patches – the classic acid house riff

The 101 was more than capable of holding its head high in the acid arena. Here we recreate a
classic riff with Roland’s Plug Out synth – just add an 808 or 909 for pure Acid House nirvana!
> Step by step 1. Creating 101 patches – a classic acid riff
We need a point of initialisation for Now we have a simple single oscillator, Within the Source Mixer, we now want
1 creating our patch, and while Roland

have helpfully equipped their software
SH-101 with plenty of great patches, there
are also empty patch locations. Select any
2 reproducing a square wave. We want
to decrease the volume of this completely
in order to effectively replace the square
with a sawtooth. Within the Source Mixer
3 to add some sub oscillator. Too much
can be overwhelming, so turn this up to
around halfway. The default is for the sub
to be one octave below, which is what we
available slot, which will also make light section, increase the saw to its maximum want for the moment, but experiment with
work of saving the patch at the end of volume, by dragging the Volume fader the two-octave-lower setting, for a
proceedings, if desired. fully north. different tonal colour.
We need to make three alterations to The filter envelope plays a pivotal role If you start to play a little sequence
4 the pots to get our resonant sound.

Move the Freq pot to 11 o’clock to make the
sound less bright. Move the Res control to
2 o’clock, and the Env pot to 4 o’clock to
5 as we aim to mimic the envelope
controls on the TB-303. Reduce the
Sustain fader to zero and move the Decay
fader 1/3rd up. The decay phase will
6 now, it may well sound clipped at the
end of each note. This is down to the
shortness of any form of release phase.
Both release phases for the VCF and VCA
specify the amount of filter envelope to be indicate the swiftness of the filter sweep. envelopes can be adjusted. Keep these
applied to the Cutoff control. Adjust to suit the speed of your track. short, or we’ll lose the clipped nature.
There is subtle interplay between the Another important element from the The final important part is the use of
7 Filter and Envelope Amount controls,

as well as the VCF envelope. A small
adjustment is vital to get the sound to sit
in a track. Program up your track in your
8 303 was portamento, and can be done
using the Auto function within the
portamento section. Move the Mode
switch to Auto, and set the Speed to 9
9 overdrive distortion. Roland have built
in a bit-crusher distortion, which sounds
great. For a more nostalgic Acid effect, try
applying DAW based overdrive distortion,
DAW and begin to get a feel. The VCF o’clock. It is applied between two notes if with plenty of upper harmonic colour.
Cutoff control is vital for creating build they overlap, so simple to play from the Those high frequencies will be great for
and best applied using automation. keyboard or program in an editor. cutting through a mix.

Creating 101 patches – the 101 PWM bass

Now a classic sustaining bass patch, that combines power and movement for a number of
production scenarios: from commercial and pop, to cinematic and soundtrack…
> Step by step 2. Creating 101 patches – the 101 PWM bass
Just like our previous patch we need We are going to employ all the 101’s We’re going to need some extra
1 to begin from a point of initialisation,

and the simplest method for this is to
select an unused patch location from
Roland’s patch browser. Once selected, we
2 tonal sources. In the Source Mixer we
blend the square wave and saw together.
Notice that the square and sub are very
dominant, increased to their max. Ensure
3 timbral colour for this patch, so
staying within the Source Mixer, increase
the noise Level to around 30%. This will
provide a helpful background noise to
will have a single square wave activated. that the sub osc mode is set to 1 octave the movement of the PWM in the bass
down. The saw is set to around 70%. sound itself.
As we intend this sound to be Below the VCO register pot are The LFO rate is slow so adjust the Rate
4 exploited for bass duties, we’ll need to

place it at a lower pitch. To help in this
regard, drop the VCO register pot to 32’
which will allow for plenty of play at the
5 controls for Pulse Width Modulation
(PWM). Set the Pulse Width fader to
around the 80% mark, while the Mod
switch to the right of the fader, should be
6 fader. This is informed by the track you
want to compose; slow for moody and
cinematic, and more commercial styles
will likely be quick. The LFO can be sync’d
bottom of the keyboard, without running set to LFO. This means that the speed of to your DAW, for cool tempo based PWM
out of keys or requiring transposition. the LFO will modulate the PWM. effects, using the Tempo Sync button.
Now that we have some movement in Let’s try creating a little bit of ‘waw’ at Now compression which we cannot do
7 our patch, we want to change the tone

somewhat, so with a quick trip to the VCF
Filter section, we can add a small degree
of resonance, while losing some of the
8 the beginning of each note. First,
move the VCF Attack phase to the 30-40%
mark. We now have to indicate how much
of that signal will modulate the filter cutoff
9 from within the plugin. Try adding a
FET based emulation, which will be
effective in lower frequencies. Also note
that we have left the VCA envelope
overtly bright top end. If you audition our via the Env pot. Try setting this to 2 o’clock settings untouched in order to achieve a
sound now, it’s clearly starting to gain a and you should immediately hear the clipped and harsh effect. This can be
slightly enigmatic quality. sound we want. altered for a softer performance.

Ten Great Things about

the Roland SH-101
The 101 made quite an impact both in music and culture.
Here are our favourite ten SH-101 moments
02
COOL COLOURS
After the initial release of the SH-101,
Roland decided to produce two
additional colours. Apart from the default grey,
you could also buy the classic 80s stylings of
bright red and mid-blue. This gave rise to the
urban myth that one colour was better for
basses while another was better for leads; there
was no truth to this at all, as all three models
adopted the same form, functionality and
electronics, but it didn’t stop a typically 80s
accompanying advertising campaign, playing
up the stereotypical colour sets.
03
STRAP IN
In-line with its reissued 80s colour
scheme, the SH-101 could also double
as a keytar. This would require the addition of
the MGS-1 mod grip, as a separate purchase,
which was in turn available in three different
colours. The kit contained the mod grip itself,
which provided a convenient place to hold the
101 while cavorting around on stage, with a
button for modulation and small wheel for
pitchbend, but only in one direction. Potential
purchasers were also treated to a Roland
branded guitar strap!
04
GO WEST TO OMD
The 101 was a very popular choice
for many bands in the 80s with two
pop bands utilising the 101s enormous bass
Getty
PORTISHEAD SUBTERFUGE
01 Portishead were an era-defining band; their
debut album Dummy is a suave and
sophisticated collection of trip hop grooves, synthesis
and beautiful vocals from singer Beth Gibbons. The
first track from the album Mysterons is credited as
having a Theremin playing the lead melody, but band
member Adrian Utley later admitted that it was in fact
an SH-101, with a large dose of portamento. We always took our synths skiing back in the 80s

Thomas Dolby once had a

smashing time with a 101
OMD used a 101 on Locomotion among other tracks
potential. The Go West hit We Close Our Eyes

features a mega-huge 101 bass riff, which opens
the song, and closes each chorus, while
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark utilised the
punchy attack and decay of the envelope, for
their looped-riff in Locomotion.
05
SEQUENCER 101-STYLE
While the 101 provides a great set of
sonic features, it also hosts an
onboard sequencer which has become
something of a referenced classic. Operating in
step mode, the sequencer could retain up to 100
Getty
notes, as ordered. We’re not sure why 100 notes
was the upper limit, but the concept of this quick
and easy sequencing process has now occupied
ROCKING OUT IN DOLBY!
09
the music tech psyche, with manufacturers
referring to their own similar designs as ‘101-
style sequencers’. That’s quite a homage for a Another 101 aficionado was Thomas Dolby,
cheap little synth from the 80s…
who took the concept of rocking out on a
06
SUBSONIC!
There is no doubt that the 101 could keytar a little too far. He would often pick up the
make the most colossal bass sound,
thanks to the presence of a sub oscillator right 101-axe and wander free, while soloing on songs
at the core of its VCO engine. It was also popular
in more underground settings, as a synth which such as Commercial Breakup. But after a particularly
could generate brilliant sine waves, by self-
oscillating the filter, with maximum resonance.
long and gruelling UK tour, Dolby got an attack of
Those sines could be heard all through the 90s,
from any car with a lavishly overpriced stereo
the Townshends, and found himself smashing a
(normally a BMW 3 Series). trusty 101 to pieces during the encore of his final
show. Dolby was reported to say, ‘I’m not sure what
07
SQUELCHY FILTER
When not operating in sine-self-
destruct mode, the 101 filter did a very came over me?’, so we’ll put it down to the stress of
close impersonation of a 303, in full flight. The
squeal of the filter, being tweaked in real time life on the road, rather than any hatred of the 101.
with large amounts of resonance, was Orbital, both made extensive use of the 101 in
synonymous with the sound of rave, which their production and live rigs.
when coupled with the ability to program glides
10
from within the onboard sequencer, could do AFFORDABILITY
303 for a fraction of the price. Talking of cash, this was a serious
synth, at a sensible and affordable
08
808 TO ORBITAL price, even more so if you hunted around for
With these dance-like credentials, it’s one secondhand. They would regularly change
hardly surprising that many dance hands for just £100, which is certainly not the
acts of the day made a special place in their rigs case now thanks to its loved and acquired
for the feature-packed SH-101 mini monosynth, ‘vintage’ status, but thankfully companies such
especially given its relatively low price. Two of as Roland are at hand, to help you with
The 101-style sequencer set a benchmark for others the finest bands from that period, 808 State and affordable options that are certainly impressive.

Original Roland
SH-101 v software
Roland SH-101s.
What do we think?
The SH-101 shares many sonic traits with other
products from the Roland line-up from the same
era. There are a couple of reasons for this,
beginning with the VCO assignment, a mixable
affair between saw/square and sub-oscillator.
In preparing our sonic examples, we
attempted to mirror settings from the hardware
original, with the software versions. In the case
of the Roland Plug Out, we were incredibly
impressed by the accuracy of emulation, so
much so, the square wave of our original 101
seemed to be slightly off-axis, when compared
to the Roland software.
While the source waves are a great testing
ground, it’s the filter which provides much of the
101’s character. The original filter chip was also
used in other Roland products, such as the Juno
6/60, Jupiter 6/8 and MC-202. Hardly surprising
that it sounds so familiar, while offering a great
TB-303 impersonation too!
“Roland have done a

magnificent job of
recreating a 101”
We fed our SH-101 signal into a high-end
audio interface, capturing both the initial
waveforms, and the resonant character of the
filter, in isolation and as part of a classic riff. As
the software 101s were captured internally, we
were also careful to ensure that all additional
processing was removed from the signal path,
for true 101 transparency.
Punchy, resonant and

eternally classic!
Our final conclusions? Roland have done the
most magnificent job of recreating the 101 in
digital guise. The plugin/Plug Out software,
which can be projected onto their System range
of machines or purchased as a Boutique unit
(SH-01A), is incredibly close to the original, with
a number of basic enhancements, such as an
additional envelope. This makes it a great
sounding emulation, and one that offers
flexibility in operation.
TAL’s equally excellent Bassline 101 emulation
brings further enhancements, which include a
programmable step sequencer, while throwing We have five audio examples from our 101s to download from filesilo.co.uk. Again, our
up all those classic tones and squelches. software audio was generated within the DAW, with the hardware version being played
In reality, each product brings so much to the directly into a high-quality audio interface, with no additional hardware.
table, and what is best for you may well be down Again we’ve attempted to play the same thing to compare like with like. The audio is as
to the way you like to work; software can often follows (from each of our three Rolands).
be easier to use onscreen, allowing for simplicity
in control and automation, whereas hardware 1. SAW – raw with wide open filter
offers the synth player something they can get 2. SQUARE – raw with wide open filter
onboard with, playing directly into a DAW, or 3. SAW, SQUARE AND SUB – raw with wide open filter
through DAW-based control.
4. SAW, SQUARE AND SUB – Filter Sweep (from Env)
As for which sounds best, the results of some
of our experiments can be heard via downloads 5. SAW, SQUARE AND SUB – Filtered Riff with Resonance
from the FileSilo website. See the box (right) for Just for fun, we have the examples playing one after each other blind, but also include a text
more details. Get in touch and let us know which document with the identities revealed. Again, let us know what you think by emailing
you think is best! computermusic@futurenet.com.

> make synth music now / the easy guide to modular synthesis
The easy guide to
MODULAR
SYNTHESIS
Modular, aka Eurorack, synthesis has
taken the production world by storm.
Here’s your complete guide on how
to get going, as we go from zero to
modular hero…
Eurorack has taken the music production device, it’s the tactile approach that can feel more
world by storm over recent years. The rewarding, and unlike off-the-shelf hardware
hardware modular synth format essentially synths, Eurorack grows with you.
lets you create your own custom synthesiser We eluded to the fact that Eurorack has many
by assembling modules that control various uses; these can range from the most basic
aspects of the synth signal flow yourself. The scenario of providing a single synth voice, to
idea is that you might well end up with a acting as an effects processor, with the ability to
collection of sounds that no other musician on sample, capture and manipulate audio in real-
the planet has. But how can you safely explore time, or as a stand-alone system which is akin to a
this phenomenon from the comfort of your good old-fashioned groove box. Your direction of
own computer? Well, you’ve come to the right travel will be informed by the music you produce,
place, as this feature is designed to cover but Eurorack has the uncanny knack of delivering
everything Eurorack! the odd mishap and mistake, which might also
dictate your next musical direction.
Introduction As a form of music technology, Eurorack’s is
Eurorack is a truly creative beast, and it’s one that very much linked with the musical past – although
has many heads and viewpoints. Many of these not perhaps as far back as you might think. The
are specific to the sort of music you may wish to format was brought to prominence in the mid-
make, but we have to address the modular- 90s by German inventor and musician Dieter
elephantine-beast in the room and discuss why Doepfer, with the release of a fully-formed system
anyone might want to go down the path of called the A-100. This module configuration
modular, when there are perfectly good software became the standard for the format we now call
modulars available? The answer to this is often Eurorack. Drawing upon the modular synth
down to your experiences to date with traditions inspired by synth pioneers such as Bob
synthesisers. Like any hardware music-making Moog, the Eurorack form is compact and slightly

the easy guide to modular synthesis / make synth music now <

smaller than most previous modular formats, standardised 1v per octave format, with most
with a module height of 3U (133.4mm), and a modules allowing control over five octaves, with
horizontal unit measured in HP (horizontal some allowing up to ten octaves. The CVs may
pitch) which equates to 5.08mm to 1HP. Many also be employed elsewhere in the system to do
modules will be 4, 6, 8 or 12 HP in width, with other cool things, such as realtime modulation.
some even wider. This allows Eurorack users to
decide on modules, based upon space available. But why?
Many modules can feel condensed, with the All this talk of formats is probably not exactly
plus-point being that you can squeeze large selling the prospect of modular, so let’s go back
amounts of functionality into a small space. to the initial question; why go modular? Think of
Eurorack as a system, in which you hold the
Power and control control. You can start with a basic system and
Power is also standardised, with modules being add to it on a regular basis to introduce different
connected to power boards which are normally sounds, tones, functionality and processing.
fitted into Eurorack cases. It’s not uncommon to While it is electronic, it’s an organic process, as
find power boards with around 12 connection many modules can help inspire through their
points per row of modules, which is an indicator ability to generate notes and sequences
of how many modules you might be able to randomly. It’s also possible to employ onboard
squeeze in a line. The system itself runs on low and external sequencers, allowing
voltages, normally powered via an external 12v programming of music within the modular,
DC power supply. which can then be synchronised with your
A word of warning here! Some power boards ‘Red stripe down’ – keep the red stripe low on your computer, either to run alongside or capture for
power cable and you won’t blow up your modules
will allow users to connect modules incorrectly, further enhancement within your DAW.
with the positive and negative polarity the However, for us, the biggest coup for modular
wrong way around. Some companies get smoke, it’s normally an easy and cheap fix, by is the physical concept of signal flow, where you
around this with the use of ‘shrouded headers’, anyone who can solder efficiently. literally have to pick up a patch cable and route
which mean that modules cannot be connected Another throwback to music technology’s your sound or signal. There’s nothing quite like
incorrectly. However the most commonplace past is with the control of the Eurorack. While it that element of control, which is so satisfying, a
mantra for all Eurorack users is ‘Red Stripe is the ideal to connect your modular via MIDI, little like the musical equivalent of Lego bricks!
Down’ , which relates to the negative connection the format itself relies heavily on Control In the spirit of this launching point, we’re
being indicated by a red stripe, which will Voltages (CVs) and Gates. This was the going to start with the absolute basics and build
normally also run along the power connection convention pre-MIDI, as a simple and effective a single voice mono-synth, paying particular
ribbon cable. Keep the red stripe low and you’ll way of triggering notes using a gate to dictate attention on how we connect it to our existing
not blow any of your modules; however if you note length, and CV for determination of pitch. computers and hardware, and start making
do find yourself with a module that goes up in Helpfully, Eurorack conforms to the cool sounds!

Audient iD4,
Steinberg
UR22 MkII,
and
iConnectivity
Mio – just
three great
i/o options
What you need

Let’s begin with the computer side of business;
in order to connect any external synth, you’re
going to need two points of connection, namely
MIDI and audio.
In recent years, the humble 5-pin MIDI plug
has been usurped by the introduction of USB
MIDI connections. However we are looking to
take advantage of CV/Gate for our Eurorack,
and at the present time, there is more choice for
conventional MIDI to CV/Gate convertors than
anything which will accept a USB connection.
Hence, the predictability and reliability of a
standard 5-pin MIDI connection emanating from
your host computer will always be a good stal-
wart. It’s stood the test of time for good reason.
If your computer lacks a MIDI output, the
iConnectivity Mio (£39 – iconnectivity.com) is a
cheap, simple solution, for both Mac and PC.
While the MIDI interface will provide trigger-
ing from your DAW, we’re also going to need a
way of listening and monitoring, and this will will include the ability to monitor latency free, Casing the joint
probably be easiest via an Audio interface. keeping your Eurorack setup firmly in sync with The first components to consider could be
Eurorack systems tend to work with mono your DAW. regarded as the most important; the case and
signals, but depending on where your modular Turning our attentions to the Eurorack setup, the power!
takes you in the future, stereo signal processing you’ll need to get yourself equipped with a If you are nervously taking your first tenta-
with Eurorack is becoming more commonplace, number of basics to make a noise. tive steps into the Eurorack domain, the best
hence it would make sense to think ahead. advice would be to buy a case with power
As we’ll want to monitor the Eurorack, with included. It is possible to buy cases without
provision for both playing alongside your DAW power, and you can buy the power elements
and recording it into your DAW, a good quality separately, but with several off-the-shelf solu-
audio interface is always a sound investment. tions available, it makes sense to keep things
One such reliable workhorse is the newly simple to begin with.
updated Audient ID14 Mk2 (£199, audient.com) Cases come in various shapes and sizes.
which will comfortably provide Stereo in and There are certain sizes which are fairly standard,
out, along with a pair of excellent mic pre-amps, always dictated by the number of rows and how
in a box which looks stylish on a desktop. many HP are on offer. As a starting point, two
Another ideal solution is offered by Stein- rows of 84HP, 104HP or 126HP should serve
berg; the UR22 Mk2 (£119, steinberg.net), which you well, but be prepared for things to fill up,
will provide both MIDI and audio capability in at which point, you can expand with a second
a single box. Ignoring the Steinberg branding, case, or buy something bigger.
this is an interface which was actually codevel- In terms of the shape, the most common
oped with Yamaha and will work with both Mac case is known as a skiff, and is designed to sit
and PC, and with any DAW. A newly updated ‘C’ nicely on a desk or table top. If you think you
version of the UR22 now provides USB C con- might want to be portable with your Eurorack,
nectivity, which will be of interest to MacBook cases are available with lids, designed to be
users, where the dominance of this newly styled easy to carry around. There are also plenty
connector has become the norm. of more bespoke cases available, which offer
Armed with your audio interface, it will be greater size and proportion, and will be worth
important to install any associated software, in considering if you think you’re going to catch
order to get the most from the hardware. This The Doepfer MCV4 MIDI-toCV/ Gate Converter the Eurorack bug.

Time to module up!

Now to the exciting bit, with the modules that
are going to form your signal path and generate
some sounds.
As these are our first steps, we’re going to
keep it simple and examine a basic system,
much like a hardware monosynth, but with
greater flexibility.
The starting point is the oscillator; the argu-
ment between analogue and digital continues
to rage, even in Eurorack circles. However, the
reality is that it simply doesn’t matter, as long as
you are getting the sound that you want. Many
larger Eurorack systems benefit from a blend of
the two together, and certainly digital oscillators
will offer more functionality, as a rule. Analogue
oscillators might sound slightly fuller in tone, in
certain scenarios, but will offer less tonal con-
trast in initial waveform, whereas digital oscilla-
tors could contain many examples of traditional
and more complex waveforms.
As we are keeping things subtractive in syn-
thesis style, the next port-of-call will be some
form of filter. These are also available in ana- would normally be linked to an Envelope convertor, which can be housed in the Eurorack,
logue and digital formats, and again, any argu- module. The VCA will also work in a stand-alone or purchased as an exterior box. It will also be
ment is null and void, because both have their mode, if you simply want to create tonal drones, exceptionally useful to have some form of audio
strengths and weaknesses. Analogue could but can importantly be linked with an envelope, output module, which could be considered the
offer degrees of impurity, which will offer that if you want to trigger your sound like a conven- volume control for the Eurorack system.
classic 70s synth sound, but could equally add tional synthesiser. There are also plenty of modules which are
some impurity to a digital oscillator. Similarly, Armed with these four modules (oscillator, fil- designed with modulation in mind, such as
you might yearn for a very clean and controlled ter, amplifier and envelope) you’ll be able to get LFO-style modules. These can help to create
sound, in which case a digital filter will offer going sonically, but you’re going to need other vibrato and undulation effects, which will create
superior accuracy with a clean tonal centre. utility modules for linking to your computer movement in your sculptured sound. Not vital
Our synth signal will need amplifying with for MIDI and audio. As we’ll be triggering from at this stage, but you’ll want to consider them as
a Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA), which the computer, we’ll need a MIDI to CV/Gate your system grows.
Analogue VCOs
Doepfer Studio Electronics AJH Synth

A-110 Standard VCO £129 Oscillation £249 Minimod VCO £260
From the company that started the Eurorack This superb-sounding VCO is a flexible The Minimod VCO is a transistor core oscillator
revolution, this basic VCO delivers four analogue oscillator, offering four classic which faithfully recreates the osc circuit from
independent outputs of classic analogue subtractive tones, each with their own the original MiniMoog synth. It is also equipped
waveforms. It’s a good entry-level VCO module, individual output, or the ability to sum them with four independent waveform outputs,
designed with a sensible price tag to get the together in a mix. Furthermore, it’s equipped which include the legendary Sharktooth
novice started. It’s also available in either silver with a square wave sub oscillator, making it a waveform, a staple of the original MiniMoog.
or ‘vintage’ black panel colours. huge-sounding starting point, for any classic This sounds amazing alone, or combine with
doepfer.de subtractive-based synth sound. other VCOs for that enormous phatt effect!
studioelectronics.com ajhsynth.com

Digital oscillators
ALM Busy Circuits Mutable Instruments Qu-Bit Electronix

MCO £139 Plaits £199 Scanned £325
The compact MCO offers great sound and Plaits is a simple-to-use and effective oscillator, This digital oscillator is classed as an organic
affordability, in a compact module format. It’s which has been designed from the ground up wavetable oscillator. While it can produce
capable of morphing from one wave to the next, to offer immediacy in tone selection, and the more usual subtractive-style synthesis tones,
using the process known as wavetable, but is ability to change its sound in real time, either its strength lies in its ability to animate and
also equipped with a dedicated sub-oscillator manually or within your Eurorack. It offers a exaggerate the waveforms, through modulation
output, in order to shore up those thundering beautifully digital tone, with capacity to create a elsewhere in the modular. It can sound tame
bass sounds. It’s got a slight digital crunch in vast number of interesting timbres, as a starting and gnarly in very equal amounts. Definitely an
its tone, lending itself well to contemporary point for tone creation. oscillator with hidden depths and attitude!
production styles. mutable-instruments.net qubitelectronix.com
busycircuits.com
Filters
Doepfer Erica Synths Studio Electronics

A-120 Standard VCF1 £99.99 Black Polivoks VCF V2 Filter £158 ModStar 4075 Filter £235
The standard A-120 filter is an all-analogue Erica Synths, from Latvia, produce very high Studio Electronics have always been on a
4-pole design, which means that it will sound quality and beautifully engineered modules, crusade with their modular lineup. They have
smooth and warm, ideal for drone-like basses with a degree of sonic attitude, and this filter faithfully engineered a number of filters to an
and melodic leads. It’s at the affordable end of is no exception. It’s based on an old Polivoks exceptionally high standard, to provide modern
Eurorack, serving as an excellent springboard design from Russia, and can easily sound alternatives to classics from companies like
into modular. It offers simple control of cutoff aggressive, if cranked. It also offers degrees of Moog, Roland, Oberheim and Yamaha. The 4075
and resonance, which may also be placed under subtlety and is at the more colourful end of the is modelled on a classic ARP design and offers
CV control. filter business. warmth, colour and punch in equal quantities.
doepfer.de ericasynths.lv studioelectronics.com

Filters
AJH SynthGemini Mutable Instruments Make Noise

2412 Dual VCF £339 Blades Dual Multimode filter QPAS £299
£299
This superb filter from AJH, is based on the SEM An example of where a system filter can
design championed by Oberheim. Unlike the This is another dual-channel design, but in a go, breaking out of the traditional concept.
other analogue filters mentioned here, Gemini digital format, meaning that it can operate as It’s capable of filtering and all manner of
offers the ability to sweep from one filter type to two separate filters or a combination of the modulation effects, but be aware that Make
another. It also offers two signal paths, meaning two. It’s crisp and accurate, with a degree of Noise are a company that like to employ cryptic
that it could be considered two filters in one distortion, thanks to its overdrive element and iconography on their products, which when
module, or used as a combination of the two. 2-pole design, which allows it to sound fairly coupled with its complexity, requires a degree
ajhsynth.com aggressive, if required. of commitment to fully understand.
mutable-instruments.net makenoisemusic.com
Envelope generators
Doepfer Tiptop Audio Intellijel

A-140 ADSR Envelope Z4000 Envelope Generator £145 Dual ADSR £211
Generator £75
Another basic envelope, but with a number Having two envelope generators in a single
Doepfer’s no-fuss ADSR is an ideal starting of hidden depths. The attack curves on voice system can be very neat, as it will allow
point for a starter system. Apart from the ability this module may be switched between an for modulation possibilities away from the
to alter each of the four phases, as one would exponential or logarithmic curve, which is standard VCA duties. This nifty model from
expect, it is equipped with a timing range for useful for different musical effects. It also has a Intellijel is easy and clear to use, while offering
generating longer attack and release phases or, Shoot button, which can prove very helpful for variance of phase speeds and a useful Cycle
at the opposite end of the spectrum, very short testing a sound, while building a patch. feature, that will allow the envelope to re-trigger
decays for percussive effects. tiptopaudio.com itself on a loop.
doepfer.de intellijel.com

Voltage controlled amplifiers (VCAs)
Doepfer Studio Electronics Mutable Instruments

A-131 VCA £70 VCA2 Dual VCA £110 Veils Quad VCA £175
This cost-effective module offers two channels Packed into a relatively small module, the Offering even greater flexibility, Veils manages
of VCA, emitting from a single output. It’s a VCA2 offers two channels of VCA, but with dual to squeeze four channels of VCA into a small
simple no-fuss design that is intended to get outputs. This creates flexibility in use, allowing module, offering expandability and convenience
the initial system up and running, easily and for the creation of stereo patches, or completely alongside Mutable’s consistently high-quality
effectively, while at a realistic price point. independent signal paths, as your system builds engineering. It is also equipped with secondary
doepfer.de in size. VCA2 offers a very clean and detailed functionality for further sculpting your sound in
tone which can be exceptionally punchy. terms of amplitude.
studioelectronics.com mutable-instruments.net
MIDI to CV modules and sequencers
ALM Busy Circuits Kenton Electronics Arturia

mmMidi Midi to CV interface £98 USB Solo £192 Keystep £110
The mmMidi module accepts an incoming MIDI From the company that started the entire MIDI- While not strictly a Eurorack-specific element,
signal and converts it to two independent CV/ to-CV revolution, the USB Solo is an external box the Keystep provides a very quick, easy route
gate signals, meaning that it can drive up to two which accepts a USB signal directly from your for turning your Eurorack into a playable setup,
voices. A further expansion module can also computer, and will provide CV/Gate outputs albeit with a small keyboard. Keystep can also
be added, allowing it to be used for triggers, which are ripe for your Eurorack. Kenton also be sync’d to a clock, over MIDI, allowing the
making it useful if you decide to employ drum make a MIDI module which is branded Modular perfect use of the onboard sequencer and
and percussive effects in your system. Solo, which provides MIDI-to-CV/Gate in a arpeggiator. Being equipped with both MIDI and
busycircuits.com Eurorack module. Both are exceptionally reliable. CV/Gate outputs, it’s a cost effective solution.
kentonuk.com arturia.com

Additional items
Make Noise 4MS Mutable Instruments

Maths £229 Listen - In/Out module £112 Little Bag of Cables (20) £46
Maths is a module which is designed to This simple and effective module provides a If there’s one thing that you will definitely need
modulate CVs; however it is useful on many useful and easy conversion from your Eurorack for your Eurorack, it’s cables! There are plenty
different levels. You can use it as a simple to a line level signal, which will make for happier of cables on the market, but the Little Bag from
AD envelope generator, or place it in a cycle bedfellows with other audio equipment. As Mutable is a great option that will last, thanks to
to mimic LFO performance. It also offers well as providing a convenient volume control the quality braiding and variable cable lengths.
some clever summing abilities and can even for your Eurorack, it can also be used to input Lesser cables are abundantly available from nu-
modulate itself. a signal into your system, as you get more merous outlets, and are a cost-effective solution
makenoisemusic.com adventurous with your patching. in the short term.
4mscompany.com mutable-instruments.net
Eurorack modular cases
Doepfer Synthracks
low-cost cases from £150 options from £80
Doepfer make a number of low-cost cases, in various Synthracks make a number of off-the-shelf Eurorack cases
shapes and sizes, from single to multiple rows. They are also and starter kits, all of which are available in various shapes,
equipped with power, making them a neat and cost-effective sizes and colour, both with and without power. They also
solution. While they are made from a basic untreated wood, build larger bespoke cases, to customer specification. With a
they do look great if painted, and can be stacked if you have background in studio rack and furniture design, the quality
larger Eurorack ambitions. and craftsmanship speaks for itself.
doepfer.de synthracks.com

Patching guide
We’re going to create a very basic, subtractive synth patch, working with a set of
Doepfer modules, with the ALM mmMidi providing triggering capacity from the
DAW and computer. Each new cable connection is designated by a red patch cable.
01 02
Connect MIDI to DAW VCO to Filter
Before we start out making any sound, let’s connect up the Next we’ll start with the first of our audio connections.
MIDI Input to our Eurorack system. The mmMidi module Think of your basic Eurorack system as a commercial
has a MIDI connection lead which terminates in a MIDI socket, but synth, but all of the elements need to be soldered together. That’s why
other similar modules may have a 5-pin DIN socket on the front. Make we use patch cables, so with our cables in hand, make a connection
a connection to the MIDI In on your chosen MIDI module, from the from your VCO or Oscillator Output, to your filter. VCO Outputs are often
appropriate MIDI Output from your DAW. This will probably also require labelled with icons, like waveform shapes. Start with something like a saw
the setting of a corresponding instrument in your DAW, sending MIDI or square wave, as these are rich in harmonics. Filter inputs are normally
over to your MIDI interface. labelled Input or Audio In, but if in doubt, simply look in the manual.
To audio interface
input/ mixing desk
03 04
Filter to VCA VCA to Audio
Our next audio connection involves feeding the Filter Our next connection will allow us to hear some sound;
Output to the VCA Input. This is where the signal will be taking the output from the VCA, you can feed this
amplified, allowing us to hear it. Some companies choose to use icons directly into your audio interface, although it is worth pointing out that,
to signify their input and outputs, so if in doubt, check the manual. But as Eurorack mostly employs mini-jack cables, you may need a cable
you’re highly unlikely to do any damage by mis-patching at this level, so convertor, or a cable armed with mini-jack at one end and 1/4” jack at
you can always try a best guess. VCAs normally have an associated ‘feed- the other. This is another reason why output modules can be a useful
through’ control, often in the shape of a pot or fader. In our example, this addition to a system, as they conveniently terminate in more useful plug
is labelled In 1 and corresponds to Audio In 1. sizes, as well as providing a volume control and headphone output.
If you now tentatively turn up your monitoring input channel, related to your audio interface or mixing
desk, you should start to hear a sound when you increase the ‘play-through pot’ (labelled In one pot in
our example). Make sure the Filter Cut-off is fully open as well, otherwise the filter might limit what you
can hear. This is an easy method for creating drones.
TUNING POTS
Pitch CV to VCO Gate to Envelope, to VCA

05 In order to control the pitch of the oscillator, we need to
connect the MIDI module’s Pitch Output to the CV Input of
the oscillator. This is often signified by a description on a VCO reading ‘1v/
06 While the pitch CV will look after the pitch you want, the
gate signal activates the envelope. We’ll be making two
patch connections here; the first is from the Gate Output of your MIDI
octave’ or ‘Pitch Input’. In the case of the Doepfer A-110, it is described as module, which is normally clearly labelled. The second will be from the
CV1, signifying the main control voltage. Similar terminology will be used Envelope Output to the VCA; in the case of our Doepfer VCA, we’ll be
to show the pitch CV Output from the MIDI module. connecting to CV1 from the envelope module’s Output. Some VCAs can
be a little less obvious, so check the instructions, if in doubt. Normally,
the presence of an envelope connection to a VCA means that the Input
Gain pot will need to be reduced, as the envelope takes over the task of
TUNING POTS controlling the VCA level.
VCO Tuning/range Env to filter

07 Your basic patch should now be complete, meaning
that you should be able to play notes from your DAW-
connected MIDI keyboard, and hear some sound. However, you may find
08 Our final connection could be regarded as a secondary
or modulatory connection. As our envelope module is
equipped with a second Output, we can employ this to control the Filter
that the register or range where your notes are being triggered, is not Cut-off, allowing us to create a snappy attack phase, where the filter can
quite as you require. This is because just about all Eurorack VCOs have be exaggerated. Both the VCA and VCF will share the same envelope
variable pitch or tuning pots, for coarse and fine tuning. You will need settings, but the amount applied to the filter can be set by adjusting the
to adjust this so that when you play a note such as C, you are hearing a corresponding pot, which in this case is CV2 on the filter module.
C. You can do this by using a tuner plugin via your DAW, or even more
convenient, download a tuner app for your phone. It’s quick and simple!
This very basic patch will allow you to control the timbral sound of your Eurorack, either manually via
the Filter Cut-off and Resonance, or with additional help from the envelope. It’s a perfect starting point,
and demonstrates how to achieve effective results for classic synth bass sounds and searing leads, with
the minimum of modules.
Next steps your music. Thanks to MIDI Clocks, the rate of

this (much like LFO) can be placed in time with
your DAW’s clock tempo, keeping everything
At this stage, it’s fairly nicely in time.
Another avenue to explore is the ability to
likely that the Eurorack alter audio signals within your modular, a little
like a set of guitar pedals. Companies such as
bug will have bitten. All Make Noise and Mutable Instruments offer all
sorts of mangling modules that will imitate
Eurorack users report the tape, allowing for recording, mutation and
playback, or stray into worlds such as granular
allure of adding modules synthesis. Placing these effect treatments within
a Eurorack means that they are open to control
to a setup, hence its from within the Eurorack, allowing you to get
completely lost in sound exploration.
tongue-in-cheek branding
Inbound triggers
of ‘Euro-crack’ While we have concentrated on creating a very
simple synth voice in our example, which we
are placing under DAW control, many users
More sounds prefer to consider Eurorack systems as an
The most logical next stage is to build upon organic performance entity in its own right. It
what you already have. In much the same way almost becomes a great big groove box, and
that large-sounding commercial synthesisers if you think you’d prefer to go in this direction,
offer more than one oscillator, adding a second you may want to explore step sequencers
and/or third in Eurorack is easy, but you will that can be installed as part of the Eurorack
need to think ahead. system. This could be considered both a staple
It’s never quite as simple as just adding a of commercial music, and a throwback to
module! If you intend to add further oscillators, a bygone musical age, as you find yourself
you’ll need to consider that it will need to share working with a series of notes, rather than the
its CV signal. The easiest way for you to do that larger canvas available with a DAW or more
would be to invest in a small module known extensive sequencer. It’s all up for grabs, and it
as a Mult or Multiple. These are cheap and is possible to combine the two successfully, if
abundant, and will allow the inputting of one that field of sound exploration is calling you.
signal, with the exit of more than one. You can
also get cables which will split the signal in a Avoiding melt down
similar way. With such an exciting domain laid out in front
You will also need to consider how you get of you, it could be very easy to go out and buy
more than one oscillator into your filter. Some loads of modules. It is addictive; but, a big word
filters have capacity for this, by offering more of caution. In order to get the most out of every
than one Input, but if this is not the case, as it is module, there is a learning curve. We have dealt
with our Doepfer filter module, the investment with the very basics in our example, and while
of a mixer module will be required. These these modules are fairly easy to comprehend,
normally offer control of each oscillator’s level, many more complicated and expensive
with a summed output which can head in the modules are literal musical entities in their own
direction of your filter. Make Noise Wogglebug adds a touch of weirdness right. Time spent thoroughly learning what each
In terms of which oscillators to choose, module can do will doubtless unleash musical
there’s a veritable wealth of choice. We have potential, so be methodical, and you’ll not waste
highlighted some of our more basic and money in the process!
obvious examples, but there are literally
hundreds of oscillator options, from classic
vintage through to completely bizarre and
contemporary. Do your research and see what
tonal colours take your fancy.
The same can also be said of filters; there’s a
wealth of choice and colour, with something for
every musical style.
Getting modulated
Where you’ll see Eurorack starts to get really
interesting is with its enormous capacity for
modulation. In fact this is something of an
understatement, as the modulation potential is
so great, many regard this point as the primary
reason for Eurorack, and for good reason.
Hence, a logical further step is to consider
modules that can modulate both CV-based
signals and audio signals. Step
CV signal modulators can be as simple as sequencers
a common LFO, or as bizarre as modules that like this
specialise in creating random sequences. One one from
Pittsburgh
favourite is the Make Noise Wogglebug, which are a
will send out completely abstract signals, modular
Mutable Instruments Clouds is a great mangling option creating unpredictable creative potential for staple

Starter systems - single modules

Eurorack is a format that lends itself perfectly to the principle of mix-and-match, but
there are great examples of companies that have built modules which are designed
to complement perfectly. The guiding principle here is to start with a single module,
and complete the set, like Happy Families for synth heads!
Doepfer A-100 system

Modules and cases from £49 (total system cost around £500)
We’ve already mentioned Doepfer extensively in our feature, and for very
AJH Synth
good reason. As the company that is responsible for lighting the touch-paper
on the Eurorack revolution, they continue to provide great quality products, at MiniMod system
exceptionally enticing pricing. Their A-100 system eco-sphere begins with low-cost Individual modules from
cases and builds up to a bewildering array of modules, with a leaning toward the £153 (total system cost
more subtractive way of thinking. There are better modules out there, but as a around £800)
place to begin your journey, they are a tough act to beat. The wondrous AJH MiniMod system
doepfer.de is a firm favourite in this category.
It’s not available as an off-the-shelf
system in a case, but building up to
the complete set of MiniMod modules
provides a complete synth voice
package, at 84HP. What you’ll get is
a faithful and amazingly accurate
reincarnation of the MiniMoog
synthesiser, but in Eurorack form.
This includes three VCOs, Moog-style
ladder filter, VCA and even envelopes
that behave like the original Minis.
Make Noise To complete the lineup, there’s even
Individual modules from £119 (total system cost around £1050) a Glide module, for Moog-style
portamento effects. It’s a real class
We have concentrated pretty heavily on systems and modules which are at act as a complete system of seven
modules, but there’s no harm in
the more traditional end of synthesis, so it’s time to mention one of the finest
building up from one module at a
companies in the Eurorack world, whose modules embrace the mainstream and time, incorporating modules into a
more avant-garde. Make Noise produce a number of modules that concentrate more modest budget system.
on treatment of both CV signals and audio, and as a consequence, garner a ajhsynth.com
considerable following in the Eurorack community. Be forewarned though,
some of the units can feel rather eccentric, often requiring a little detective work
to establish exactly which icon relates to what function, but the results can be
chaotic, beautiful and extraordinary.
makenoisemusic.com

All-in-one Eurorack systems

Another great route to getting started with Eurorack is to consider an all-in-one,
ready-to-go solution. Here are a few of our star choices for consideration
ALM Busy Circuits

System Coupe £1899
The System Coupe is another class act, with a truly
interesting set of modules that make up a very
contemporary-sounding system. Apart from the
more usual oscillator and filter modules, there’s
also a Eurorack sampler, and ingenious
Quaid Megaslope module, which can
be used in a number of ways for
Erica Synths modulation effects. The beating
heart of the system is Pamela’s
Pico System II £1279 New Workout, which is
a flexible triggering
The Pico range from Erica Synths
device, perfect for
is specifically designed to be
creating modulations,
compact, allowing a complete
sequences and
system to be crammed into a
drum triggers. A
small case which is just 24cm
great system for
wide. Each module is a mere 3HP
contemporary styles,
in size, which can sometimes
in its own robust case
make tweaking your sound a
with power.
little fiddly, but the trade-off is
busycircuits.com
a very complete system, which
consists of two different types of
oscillator, Polivoks-inspired filter,
two drum modules and even an
onboard sequencer. This means
that the Pico is a true stand-alone
system, which allows for complete
performance, a little like a groove
box. It represents excellent value
for money, which can also be fitted
into another modular case, for
future expansion possibilities.
ericasynths.lv
Moog Behringer
Mother 32 £599 Neutron £258
The Mother 32 offers a single synth voice, in a Behringer have controversially
very convenient format. Not only does it come been producing clones of
in its own case with built-in power, but if you numerous vintage products, many
decide to grow your own Eurorack system, it of which have stolen the limelight
can immediately be added to your rig, either as from the Neutron. This is unfair
a standalone device which you patch in, or you on the synth, which offers a huge
can unscrew it from its case and place it in your amount in a Eurorack compatible
larger setup. Apart from offering the legendary format, with a pair of great
Moog tone, thanks to its classy oscillator and oscillators, excellent filter and a
low-pass ladder filter, it also incorporates really ingenious LFO, which can
a MIDI input, large selection of patch morph from one wave shape to
points and its very own built-in the next. It is hard-wired internally,
8-step sequencer. The rack but much like the Mother 32, offers
system shown is made of Eurorack-friendly patch points,
three Mother 32 units, but allowing full integration into a
you can also get the DFAM larger system. It’s competitively
drum synth (£599) and Moog priced, and well made, and is a
Subharmonicon synth (£739) great springboard into Eurorack
in the same form which look exploration in a ready-to-go single
very cool when racked together. voice unit.
moog.com, sourcedistribution.co.uk behringer.com

> patch from scratch / create great synth sounds for free
PATCH
FROM SCRATCH
Create great synth sounds for free! [PART 1]
Intrigued by Eurorack but lacking the funds? Don’t worry!

Download a free modular synth and learn with this guide!
The rapid acceptance and Rack’s open source approach by offering Eurorack-style modular synthesis for
adoption of the free and open- up heaps of modules – some original, free. And like any modular system, VCV
source modular synthesis program others based on popular Eurorack tools. Rack makes an excellent tool for
called VCV Rack has been something As for its standalone nature, it turns learning synthesis and sound design
of a surprise. After all, it offered only a out that musicians who have steadfastly techniques that transfer to any
few modules upon release, and is a resisted the power and ease of the DAW synthesiser – modular or not.
standalone app – a hard sell to users seem less put off by a standalone This type of synthesis is always going
DOWNLOAD accustomed to plugin integration. modular environment, particularly one to be a heady subject, but we’re here to
Get the videos and tutorial
files on your PC/Mac at
The first issue was almost that is aesthetically so familiar. help. Over the next pages, we’ll show
filesilo.co.uk/computermusic immediately done away with, as third- More importantly, VCV Rack provides you how to turn a blank rack into a
party developers took advantage of VCV a means by which to freely explore classic analogue synth… and then some!
> Step by step 1. Adding more modules with VCV Rack’s Plugin Manager
Half the fun of a modular system is The VCV site opens in your browser. Next, go back to VCV Rack and click
1 adding more modules! After installing

VCV Rack and creating an account on their
site, open the app and log in at the top. See
your currently installed modules by right-
2 Click Plugin Manager, or go to
vcvrack.com/plugins. This page is a huge
list of free and premium modules from
various vendors. To get the free modules,
3 the top Update Plugins button. All the
plugins we added in the previous step will
now be downloaded and installed
automatically. Once that’s all complete,
clicking in the rack. There are many more click the blue + Free buttons to add them just restart the app and you’ll be ready
to get – click the Manage Plugins button. to your account. to rock!

create great synth sounds for free / patch from scratch <
Why go modular?
Though a modular synthesiser such as VCV Modular systems are also quite appealing –
Rack can look intimidating and confusing, they and potentially expensive – because they allow
aren’t all that hard to grasp once you users to add new modules as the need arises.
understand a few basic principles. Consider the The only restrictions are cabinet space and
fact that the first successful ‘hardwired’ synth power supply, both of which can be addressed
design – Moog’s Minimoog – was initially created in the hardware world simply by buying more
by grouping together a few modules from cabinets and more or larger power supplies.
Moog’s catalogue and attaching a sawed-off Virtual systems are obviously less restrictive…
keyboard. Indeed, creating a standard and less expensive!
monosynth from a few modules is easy work, The modules you choose is entirely up to
as we’ll see. you, though a few standards are likely to come
Unlike the Minimoog and all of the synths it into play. A typical oscillator is an obvious
inspired, a modular system doesn’t have any You can lay out some serious cash for one of these choice; and Eurorack-style systems offer plenty
hardwired (ie, ‘normalled’) routing behind the behemoths… or show a bit of thrift and grab VCV Rack! of alternatives, including self-oscillating filters,
front panel. Instead, all connections are made by samplers, and even radio receivers.
patch cables (or, in some cases, pins, switches or between separate modules. Likewise, a filter might seem an obvious
sliders). This freedom to route signals however The patch cables generally carry either audio choice, but again, they are not entirely
you like is one of the main sources of a modular or control (voltage) signals. The former is self- necessary. Though most analogue synthesisers
synth’s appeal. Like the Eurorack systems that explanatory, while the latter is used to control are subtractive in nature, there is no rule stating
inspired it, VCV Rack makes use of patch leads – the various parameters of a given module. Most that you must build your modular system to
albeit of the virtual variety – to shuttle signals systems allow some intermingling of the two. reflect this common ideal.
> Step by step 2. Building a basic synth voice in VCV Rack
We’ll start with a new rack. If your rack Let’s start by ensuring that we can An Audio module now appears in the
1 isn’t empty, go to File in the upper-left

and select New from the dropdown menu.
As stated earlier, all of our available
modules can be accessed simply by right-
2 indeed make a sound. That means
getting VCV Rack’s audio to the outside
world. To do this, we need to connect to
our audio interface. We’ll find the
3 rack. Put it wherever you like by
clicking and dragging on a blank area of
its front panel. There are a few options we
can tweak here. We can select the Audio
clicking in the rack. Here we see modules appropriate module in the Core category. Driver in use (here it’s Core Audio) and
represented by their authors, as well as Clicking this reveals a handful of utilitarian change the Block Size, which we’ll leave
various tags that can be used to filter modules – click on Audio >> External to at 256 samples. We’ll also select our audio
your selection. add it to our empty rack. interface at this point.
Now that VCV Rack is talking to our There are a couple of VCOs For stereo, we need to click and drag a
4 audio interface, we can make a sound.

We’ll start with the obvious – an oscillator.
Let’s right-click in the rack to bring up our
list of modules. We’ll need to hit Clear
5 (oscillators) at the top of the list. We’ll
select VCO-1. It appears in our rack. Drag it
to the upper-left. We can’t hear it yet,
because we’ve no patch cables in play.
6 cable from the Audio module’s Input 2
jack to VCO-1’s Sqr output. The Core >>
MIDI-1 module enables us to play notes
via MIDI – call it up from the menu. We’ll
Filter to get back to the top page. Click and drag on the VCO’s Sqr output in choose our attached controller as the
Now, we’ll click Fundamental to get to… the lower-right to create a cable, then drag device. Patch the MIDI-1 module’s CV
er, the fundamentals! it over and connect it to the Audio output to VCO-1’s V/Oct input, then play
module’s Input 1 jack. MIDI notes – we hear our square wave!

> Step by step 3. Expanding our VCV Rack patch
We’ve now got a simple square wave Let’s create a basic synth voice of the This is a dual VCA, with duplicate top
1 singing out from our speakers. As

lovely as it is, it is only a test to make sure
everything’s working, so let’s disconnect
the patch leads from the Audio module’s
2 sort used by such classics as the
Roland SH-101 and ARP Axxe. Such a voice
will have one or two oscillators, a filter,
envelope, LFO and VCA (amplifier). We’ll
3 and bottom sections – we’ll only use
the upper section. Patch the VCO-1 Sqr
output to the VCA’s upper In jack, then
patch the VCA’s upper Out to the Audio
inputs. To do this, click on either the input also add echo to spice up our sound. First, module’s Inputs 1 and 2 jacks. There’s our
or output jack(s) and drag the cable off, or right-click and add a VCA, found in the square wave again – turn the VCA’s top
simply right-click on a connected jack. Fundamental category. Level knob down to quieten the signal.
The most important thing about the Next, connect the ADSR’s bottom-right Let’s add a Delay module from the
4 Level control is that we can use a

modulator to control it. Right-click and
select Fundamental >> ADSR to add an
envelope generator. Envelopes require a
5 output to one of the VCA’s upper two
inputs (Exponential is good for short
percussive sounds; Linear is better for
leads and pads). We’ll patch the ADSR’s
6 Fundamental menu. Disconnect the
VCA from the Audio module, then patch
the VCA Out into the Delay In, and the
Delay Out to the Audio module’s Inputs 1
trigger or gate signal, and our MIDI Out jack to the VCA’s upper Lin input, then and 2. We now have some echo in our
module has one – we’ll patch its top- turn our VCA’s Level knob up to max. Now sound, which we can adjust. Next, call up a
middle Gate output to the ADSR’s we can play on our MIDI keyboard and use VCF (filter) module from the
bottom-left Gate input jack. the ADSR knobs to shape volume. Fundamental category.
We’ll disconnect VCO-1’s Sqr output Let’s now add in a second ADSR, then Time for an LFO-1 from the
7 from the VCA’s input, and instead pipe

VCO-1’s Sqr output into the VCF In jack. For
a standard low-pass filter, we’ll connect the
VCF’s LPF output to the VCA’s upper Input.
8 drag a cable from its bottom-left Gate
In to the MIDI-1 module’s Gate Out. After
that’s done, we’ll go ahead and patch the
new ADSR’s bottom-right Out to the VCF’s
9 Fundamentals menu. Patch its Tri
output to the lower VCA In, then crank the
VCA’s Level to max. Plumb the VCA’s lower
Out into VCO-1’s FM input, and set VCO-1’s
Play the sound again – it’s now filtered a bit, Freq input jack. Turning up the VCF’s Freq FM CV to around halfway up. Patch the
thanks to the default setting of the VCF’s CV knob will in turn increase the depth of MIDI module’s MW output to the VCA’s
Frequency knob. filter modulation. lower Lin jack, and your keyboard’s mod
wheel now applies LFO depth.

> Step by step 4. Crafting a self-playing patch in VCV Rack
Self-playing patches are popular A sequencer module is an obvious We can hear our ADSR modules being
1 among modular synthesiser

enthusiasts – let’s whip up one of our own.
In fact, we can start with the patch we’ve
created in the previous tutorials. We’ll
2 choice for self-playing patches. We’ll
right-click to get to our Fundamental
modules; select SEQ-3 from the list. We’ll
connect its Gate output to both ADSR
3 triggered by the sequencer’s clock,
but nothing is happening with the VCO.
Let’s run a cable from SEQ-3’s Row 1
output up to VCO-1’s V/Oct input. Still
delete the MIDI and LFO modules and modules’ Gate inputs. nothing. The sequencer offers three
rearrange the rack so that all of the horizontal rows of eight knobs each – let’s
remaining modules are in the top row. tweak the knobs in the first (top) row.
Note that you can change the length Our sequence is still a bit predictable. Moog’s famous 960 sequencer
4 of the sequence by adjusting the

Steps knob. Let’s reduce it. This can also
be modulated – add an LFO-1 module
from the Fundamental group and route
5 We can add more controlled chaos by
introducing yet another LFO-1 module –
route its Sine output to the first LFO-1’s
FM 1 input, then raise the FM 1 CV knob
6 module offered a neat trick whereby
the third row could be routed to the
sequencer’s internal timing.
We can do the same thing by patching
its Tri output to the input below SEQ-1’s above it to roughly 4 o’clock. We’ll turn SEQ-1’s Row 3 output into the input just
Steps control. The LFO now causes the the second LFO-1’s Freq knob down to below the Clock knob and tweaking row
step length to change automatically. around 10 o’clock. 3’s knobs.
Three awesome free add-ons
VCV Audible Instruments VCV Befaco Sonus Modular Sonus Dept

This must-have collection of diverse signal Another collection straight from the A massive haul of 20 modules, Sonus Dept
generators, waveshapers and synthesis developers of VCV Rack, and likewise based is free, but the developer welcomes
tools draws inspiration (and open-source code) on some much-loved Eurorack modules – this donations. This group contains all manner of
from the wild Eurorack moduels from Mutable time those from Befaco. A collection of seven unusual modules, many of which have been
Instruments. A non-traditional assortment that modules (at last count), they include essential tailored for live sampling, looping, and
leaves analogue in the dust, they include some utilities like the Dual Attenuverter, Mixer, Slew sequencing. There’s also bit manipulation,
killer physical-modelling and wavetable Limiter alongside more esoteric offerings like distortion, ring modulation and the ever-useful
synthesis modules among many more. Rampage – a complex function generator. blank panel. An essential download.

> make synth music now / synth secrets
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SUB DIRECT OUT SUB DIRECT OUT SUB DIRECT OUT
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1 DOT
B
UNISON DETUNE BLEND PHASE RAND CUTOFF RES PAN

N
WT POS OFF PAN LEVEL DRIVE FAT MIX
LFO 2 LFO 3 LFO 4 VELO NOTE

synth secrets / make synth music now <
1/4 Off Off 0.0
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ANCH ENV
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From beginner to pro, find out

how to design incredible sounds
and get the most from today’s
modern virtual instruments
Does the thought of wasted talent leave you feeling some of the world’s most popular softsynths – including
frustrated? Well, if you own at least one software Serum, Bazille CM, Sylenth1, Diva, Spire and more – to walk
synthesiser, it’s likely you’re sitting on a goldmine of you through common (and some not-so-common) synthesis
untapped musical potential. As a producer working in features you’ll find within the majority of electronic
today’s digital world, we all take these powerful virtual instruments: from self-modulation and polyphonic glide to
instruments for granted, only using them for specific DIY synth creation, filter tricks and much more.
tasks or their bundled sounds. Seeing as this is a tutorial feature all about building
That said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with ‘preset sounds, it makes sense to hear what we’re explaining, which
surfing’ – after all, your synth comes with plenty of expertly- is why you should download this issue’s step-by-step Tutorial
crafted patches, so use them! But if you’re a musician who Files and videos from FileSilo. If you’re a newcomer to
prefers composing with your own sounds, then we have synthesis concepts, you’ll be able to follow along at your own
plenty of features in this Music Producer’s Guide To Synths pace; but if you’re a more experienced sound designer, our
on creating your own (or tweaking others). practical examples should inspire you to fire up your
Over the following pages, for example, we’re going to use favourite synthesiser and get twiddlin’!
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HOLD DELAY SUSTAIN RELEASE
Synthesis for performers

Synthesiser presets are generally designed to be velocity values – the more aggressive the
played via a MIDI keyboard controller, so when playing, the more dubbed out the sound.
creating synth patches geared for the Aftertouch (pressure sensitivity) is the MIDI
performer, it makes sense to use these handy data your keyboard outputs when additional
performance controls to modulate parameters. pressure is applied to a key after it’s been struck.
And even if your keyboard skills suck, drawing in Map it to the tune of your oscillators for a
per-note modulation within your MIDI region is different take on pitch slides, or use it to
an awesome way to create dynamic riffs and modulate other modulators – for example, route
evolving sequences. an LFO to modulate a band-pass filter, then
When playing a traditional piano, the strength control that LFO’s depth or rate with aftertouch.
of your note strike will determine how loud and Create expressive synth patches by making your Your MIDI keyboard’s modulation wheel is
keyboard’s MIDI messages alter parameters as you play
bright the resulting note is. The equivalent to another way to control synth parameters while
this in the MIDI world is velocity data: the harder you play. While many ready-made patches are
you press down on a MIDI key or drum pad, the reality, velocity can be used to control any synth designed with vibrato pre-assigned, the mod
higher the value sent to your virtual instrument. parameter. Tell it to modulate the pan of your wheel can control pretty much any synth
Velocity is most typically used to control volume oscillators for width; apply velocity-dependent parameter, so go further and use it for distortion
– the lighter your key press, the lower the modulation amounts for more dynamic amount, LFO rate, wavetable position, filter
resulting note’s volume, and vice versa – but in responses; or make your filter close with higher resonance, envelope mod depth and beyond.
> Step by step 1. Designing a lively performance patch using velocity and pressure modulation
Load an instance of u-he’s Bazille CM Navigate to Bazille CM’s MIDI & More Next, use note velocity to scan
1 in your DAW, then call up the Bazille

Bass preset. Although the tone of this
midrange bass is OK, we can use velocity
and pressure modulation to turn a simple
2 panel. By patching the Velocity MIDI
modulator’s output (its red connector)
into one of the Cutoff’s grey input ports,
then applying mod depth via the knob,
3 through the Sequencer’s different
Snapshots (essentially eight independent
sequences), then use those sequencer
signals to wobble filter frequency. First,
riff into something a lot more dynamic our filter cutoff amount will change patch the Velocity modulator to the
and evolving. We program a 1/4-note-long depending upon the incoming note’s Sequencer’s Rotate input. Then, route the
A2 note riff, and vary the velocity values of velocity value. Sequencer’s second output to a Cutoff
the notes. mod input, then increase Mod Depth.
The Sequencer’s Rotate control lets Let’s turn our attention to aftertouch Within our MIDI region, we record in
4 you rotate between different

snapshots, accessed by clicking on
numbers on the dial. Within these
snapshots, we program different
5 modulation, which can give our patch
a more expressive sound. We take the
Press modulator’s output and connect it
to Osc 1’s Fractalize mod input, then turn
6 some aftertouch movement, creating
a short sweep at the end of the first bar
and a longer one at the end of the phrase.
This modulation creates a resonant, hard
sequencer values. Now, different velocity the amount up. In a nutshell, the Fractalize sync-style sweep. Although still a simple
values trigger different sequencer control modulates one waveform with one-note pattern, our riff now has a much
patterns, giving an evolving sound – multiple cycles of another. Time to dial in more interesting and ‘performed’ feel
perfect for this sequenced bass riff. some aftertouch modulation… thanks to some choice MIDI modulation.

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> Step by step 2. Building a playable Zebra CM patch with clever mod wheel assignments
First, program a MIDI riff, plus some Next, add mod wheel modulation to Over in LFO 1, turn up the ModWhl
1 mod wheel (MIDI CC 1) modulation,

then load Zebra CM’s Zebra Synth preset
on this track. Under each osc’s Pan, switch
its modulator to ModWhl, then drag
2 the Sym of both oscillators, thus
adding a PWM-style effect over our mod
wheel sweeps. After that, raise the filter’s
LFO 1 modulation amount. This LFO
3 mod amounts for both the LFO Rate
and Amplitude. Our mod automation now
increases LFO speed and depth. For a final
twist, assign the ModWhl to the Tune of
depth in equal opposing directions. Our sounds alright, but it’ll be more expressive Oscillator 2 for some zipping pitch
mod increase now pans the oscs apart. if we only use this in certain sections. variation at key moments.
> Step by step 3. Polyphonic glide explored
If your synth supports polyphonic Crank the Portamento knob all the The arpeggio notes at the end of the
1 glide, experiment with chords and

sequences. Load LennarDigital Sylenth1
and the Poly Glide preset: a supersaw
patch with unison detune and lots of
2 way up to maximum: the notes now
slide up in pitch from the chord’s bottom
note. We back this amount down to just
above halfway, which punctuates the
3 phrase also glide – to avoid this, we
can shorten these MIDI notes so they don’t
overlap. Back to Sylenth1’s interface,
switch the mode from Slide to Normal,
reverb. Program a chord sequence in attack portion of each chord with a subtle meaning only overlapping notes or chords
Gmin, with an arpeggio fill at the end. slide in pitch. will glide into each other.
Three keytracking tips
’Table tracking Decay away Keyboard to pitch

One of the most unique features of a When designing a key or chord sound, Try modulating your oscillators’ pitch via
wavetable synth is the ability to modulate modulate the decay of your amplitude keytracking. These will track the notes on
wavetable position or index, allowing you to envelope with keytracking. Set it up so that your keyboard by default, but interrupting this
cycle through different waveforms (frames) higher MIDI notes will have a shorter, tighter can produce inspiring results. Modulating tune
via a modulator. Assign key amount to envelope than lower notes. This emulates the by small amounts will produce subtle detuning
modulate this value, and each MIDI note will response of an acoustic piano or Rhodes, effects as you play higher MIDI notes; or go to
trigger a different frame within the wavetable. resulting in a more realistic patch. extremes for wilder pitch effects.

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The power of macros

Your keyboard’s mod wheel is one universal
source that can be assigned to affect multiple
parameters at once, but many synths also
provide multiple macro controls. You can assign
multiple parameter moves and custom ranges
to one macro knob, allowing you to tweak many
different global changes with a single mouse
twist. You could, say, hook up a macro to fully
open your filter cutoff, while simultaneously
increasing amplitude envelope decay, sustain
and release, plus reverb and delay mix amounts.
We’ll explore this approach using Xfer Serum in
the tutorial below.
Macros also make the process of automation Deploy your softsynth’s macros to influence several parameter changes at once
more efficient. Hook up a single macro to alter
several parameters at once, then draw in the controls for other preset surfers, to remind users If you want to go further, you can use macro
motion of that one knob on your DAW’s timeline. of the most important sound-altering features. controls when you’re building your own
Many sound designers preassign parameter Macros can also be assigned to your MIDI multisampled instruments, synth stacks or
changes to macros, which can be interpreted as keyboard’s rotary controls. This helps bridge the effects chains, then package them up into one
suggestions for how to edit the patch. A well- gap between software power and hands-on easy-to-build custom instrument.
designed preset could offer many variations for control – get away from fiddly mouse tweaks We’ll do exactly that on the adjacent page’s
you to instantly shape. If you’re designing your and perform your patch away from the tutorial, within Ableton Live’s powerful
own sounds, set up labelled collections of go-to computer screen. Instrument Rack environment.
> Step by step 4. Setting up macro assignments that matter
We’ll load up Xfer Serum and the Pads Let’s also use this macro to wind up Over on the FX page, the Reverb
1 » PD D_Pad 2 preset from the synth’s

factory library. To trigger the preset, we’ve
recorded a sustained MIDI chord in A#min.
Macro 1 (labelled Filter) is already mapped
2 filter ‘wobble’ speed. We drag LFO 1’s
mod ‘crosshair’ to the filter Cutoff
frequency knob – LFO 1 now wiggles filter
frequency. Drag the Cutoff’s mod ring
3 module is already engaged – pull Mix
down to around 15%, then tell Macro 2 to
control reverb Mix and Size. After that, we
turn on Delay, change Time to 1/16 for
to filter Cutoff. To make things more down to reduce mod amount to 38. Next, both Left and Right channels, then direct
expressive and ‘playable’, we right-click detoggle LFO 1’s BPM switch, then drag Macro 2 to the delay’s Mix. A quick twist
and map this macro to one of our MIDI Macro 1’s mod ring over to LFO 1’s Rate of Macro 2 now transforms the sound into
controller’s knobs via MIDI Learn. knob to assign it. a wash of ambience.
Next, flip on the Filter FX effect, set it Back on the main Osc page, let’s make With our quartet of macros set up, we
4 to a 24dB/oct high-pass filter (High 24

mode), and direct Macro 3 to control its
Cutoff. Once Macro 2 (renamed to FX
Mix) is increased, we can sweep the
5 things more twisted by using Macro 4
to detune both oscillators via their Fine
controls. Elsewhere in this patch, the
frequency of Osc B is being modulated by
6 also assign 2, 3 and 4 to MIDI rotaries.
Their names give them relevance when
we revisit this patch another time –
remember to save your preset! We then
ambient ‘wash’ out to thin air using Macro Osc A, so we assign Macro 4 to Osc B’s proceed to automate all four macros,
3 (labelled High Pass) – ideal for some Warp knob to sweep this open. We transforming the sound from a warm pad
trippy transitions! rename Macro 4 to Detune FM. to a gritty FM-style tone.

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> Step by step 5. Building an eight-knob powersynth from scratch in Ableton Live
Here in Live 10, we kick things off by In the Instrument Rack’s Chain List, Next, duplicate this second lead
1 loading an Instrument Rack on a new

MIDI Track, then calling up an instance of
u-he Diva inside the rack. We call up the
MK Bass Pack Leader preset and record
2 we hold Alt and click and drag down
on the first chain to duplicate the Diva
instance to a second Chain. In this second
Diva instance, we call up MK 90s Rave
3 synth’s Chain along with its EQ Eight.
In this third layer, we call up the
Percussive >> HS Kit 1 preset: a synthetic
tom sound that adds a punchy transient
in a moody synth melody in the key of Minor patch from the Lead section. We and white noise. After naming each Chain
Amin. This first patch will provide the low add an EQ Eight in this chain, then sweep to Bass, Lead and Top, we’re ready to
end and ‘body’ to our overall sound. away low frequencies below 100Hz. assign the Rack’s eight macros.
On Bass Chain, click Unfold Device Similarly, assign all three Divas’ filter Diva does have a delay effect, but we
4 Parameters and toggle Configure. In

Diva, click cutoff Frequency to add it into
the Device Parameters list. By right-
clicking on the Frequency control here,
5 Resonance to Macro 2. Within both
the Lead and Top Divas, the Plate 1 effect
is active: we direct their Wet controls to
Macro 3, creating a Reverb macro. Assign
6 can integrate some of Live’s native
devices into our multilayered synth for
more control. Add Ping Pong Delay to the
Lead layer. After tweaking settings, we
we Map to Macro 1. Repeat for the other the Top synth’s Plate 1 Decay to the same paste this device to the Top synth’s Chain.
synth layers, so the three cutoff Macro 3 for a longer, more dramatic Leaving the Bass layer delay-free will keep
frequencies are controlled by Macro 1. reverb space when Macro 3 is cranked up. our low end clean and uncluttered.
POWER TIP
>Layering up
One way to give your custom
Instrument Rack synth more front-
panel knobs is by nesting a Rack
within another Rack, giving you
eight more Macro controls. From
here, you can drop extra processing
devices within the Rack, and assign
even more parameters to those
same knobs.
We used three instances of the
same synth here, but you can go
further and design your own dream
We assign the Dry/Wet of both Ping Assign the Bass & Lead synths’
7 8
tool using different synths for each
Pong Delays to Macro 4 – as it’s a Waveform to Macro 5 – we can now layer. How about analogue-style
native device, we can simply right-click on switch through oscillator waveforms. For bottom end for weight, backed up
the parameter and select Map to Macro 4. hands-on amp envelope tweaking, map with a modulated digital midrange?
From here, it’s a case of deciding which the Decay of all three synths to Macro 6,
parameters will be useful to access from and Sustain to Macro 7. Drop identical
our eight-knob synth’s Macro panel… Overdrive devices onto all three layers for
crunch, then map Dry/Wet to Macro 8.

Three tips
for creative
filtering
Take your synth’s filter beyond
the basics and explore new
worlds of tone shaping…
SELF-OSCILLATION
Your synth may feature a filter that 5. Drift ’n’ shift
outputs a tone of its own. If it does,
silence all oscillators, then crank up filter To add analogue-syle ‘instability’ to a synth sound, assign an LFO to waver
resonance all the way. If your filter offers the pitch of each oscillator. Dial in very small (but noticeable) modulation
a keytrack amount, turn it up – you’ll now
be able to play this filter tone amounts, but deactivate the LFO’s retrigger, so the modulators don’t
chromatically. It’s an excellent technique retrigger from the same point in the wave over each new note. This
for synthesising flutes, organs and keys. inconsistency creates a subtle detuning effect that’s constantly changing,
mimicking the pitch drift of analogue oscillators. You needn’t stop at pitch,
either: use the same LFO to affect multiple parameters (eg, filter cutoff,
envelope decay, volume or pan). This almost ‘random’ movement will help
your patch sound much more appealing to the human ear over time.
GURGLING FILTER
Set up a sample-and-hold LFO to
modulate filter frequency and/or other
influential parameters, then direct a
second S+H LFO to modulate the rate of
the first. This is really great if you want
endlessly evolving and complex
sequenced filter movement. Try
assigning the first LFO to oscillator pitch
for some R2-D2-style sci-fi bubbling.
6. Super stepping
Start with your synth’s customisable modulator signals (such as an MSEG,
stepper or sequencer), then use this to move multiple parameters across
ROUTE TO VICTORY the entire synth. Once everything’s dancing to the same signal, small
Synths with multiple filters often feature
optional routing topologies. In serial
changes in curve shapes or mod amounts can result in massive changes to
mode, you can feed the first filter’s output the overall sound.
into the second filter’s input; in parallel, Reveal Sound’s Spire features a great Step modulator. Within each of its
the two filters will output side by side. If
possible, automate or modulate the 16 steps, add extra points, reverse the shapes, and curve the wave in various
serial-parallel control to dynamically fade ways. And with 15 modulation slots, each providing four modulation targets,
between routings. it’s unlikely you’ll run out of destinations to modulate.

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07
Sidechain
synthesis
Some softsynths (such as FabFilter Twin 2
and Logic’s ES1/ES2) feature an external
sidechain input. This allows you to use any
audio source from your DAW to trigger
modulation within the synth. Interestingly,
this modulation will be forced into the same
rhythmic shape as other elements in your
project, provided you use a prominent track
element as your trigger – the kick or snare
08
being an obvious candidate.
You could use it as a mixing technique,
too: close your synth’s filter cutoff when the
kick drum fires, or use sporadic mix sounds
Audio-rate modulation
such as crash cymbals or FX to alter LFO
rates or oscillator wave shapes.
Modulate a synth parameter with an unsynced LFO,
then dial this modulator’s speed up into the audio
range (above 20Hz and beyond). The modulation
becomes audible, and introduces gritty sideband
harmonics into the original signal. Direct this
modulation to wobble pitch, and you’ve set up a crude
form of FM synthesis. Wobble filter cutoff at audio rates
and you’ve got filter FM! But don’t stop there: use
audio-rate LFOs to modulate filter resonance, pan
See us explore the power of sidechain-driven synthesis
using Logic Pro’s workhorse ES1 synth – flip over to p34 amount, wavetable position, amplitude and more.
09 Self-modulating synthesis
Semimodular synths often allow you to route a modulator signal back into itself.
Let’s explore the concept using Aalto CM and its retro-inspired step sequencer…
Fire up Aalto CM’s Just The Facts Next, cable the Sequencer’s output to Finally, we take the output of the
1 preset. Envelope 2 is already routed to

modulate filter Cutoff. We increase the
modulation amount and change Envelope
2’s shape to a faster Attack and much
2 the filter Cutoff’s input. Turn all the
sequencer steps on, sync the modulator
to our DAW by toggling Host, then turn on
Key Trig and set the Host Ratio to 3/2. To
3 Sequencer and route it back into its
own Host Ratio amount. Turning up the
mod amount now causes all sorts of
pleasant havoc with the sequencer’s
slower Release. We push up the filter’s Q quickly call up some interesting step speed – it’s altering its own rate by itself!
(ie, resonance) and pull back the Cutoff values, select the sawtooth waveform. We also route Envelope 2 into the
for more of a resonant sweep. Some sci-fi style filter movement is now sequencer Host Ratio and add a splash of
nicely underway… Reverb for good measure.

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Available digitally on these devices
synth focus / make synth music now <
SYNTH
FOCUS
Harness the power of some popular
softsynths – from unique oscillator
detuning to DIY wavetable creation
Just as a guitarist covets his or her collection another. However, once you get your head around
of guitars, today’s computer musician is one or two synthesisers and their workings, those
typically a software hoarder – and it’s easy to skills are cemented into your subconscious and can
understand why. Despite lacking the tactility of a pretty much be applied across the board.
physical instrument, each digital synthesiser has That's why, to follow on from our broader Synth
its own unique personality: some are ‘do-it-all’ Secrets section, we're going to get more specific
chameleons that tackle multiple types of sound and celebrate those aforementioned personalities
generation, while others are more esoteric and with a hands-on guide to some of the most popular
cater to one particular sonic niche. and well-loved virtual instruments in the world
This enormous range of choice makes it today. Starting with a tour of the lesser-known
somewhat tricky for the beginner to grasp basic features hidden inside NI's frequency-modulation
synthesis principles. A guitar is essentially a guitar, powerhouse FM8, and including guide to creating
no matter the model – but every paid-for or wavetables in Xfer's modern classic Serum, we'll
freeware synth features a completely different GUI, show you around these powerful sonic weapons
and a common control on one synth is probably with the aim of inspiring your sound design
named and positioned completely differently on adventures, no matter the genre.

> make synth music now / synth focus
Three more > Step by step

powerful FM 1. Processing audio with NI FM8’s MFX plugin
softsynths
Ableton Live Operator

This bundled instrument provides a
more intuitive GUI than many FM
synths. The tempo-syncable
envelopes are excellent modulators,
especially when looped. Or, draw in
your own waveforms and direct them
to modulate other operators. NI’s FM8 synth has a great Effects Now we’re getting audio through the
1 section, and you can use these to

process any other audio signal. Insert the
FM8 MFX plugin over a drum loop. First,
we need to connect the output in the FM
2 plugin, we can add a touch of FM to
the sound by routing In back into itself,
achieved by clicking and dragging up on
the box above – turn this up to 34. We then
Matrix: right-click the In box to turn it on, head to the Effects page and begin
then drag up in the square underneath processing our drum loop with some of
and set Volume to 100. FM8’s creative effects…
u-he Bazille
Although Urs' monster is (and can be)
many things, it’s an FM synth at heart.
Its semimodular architecture is a
sound designer's dream: try patching
modulators into a Multiplex slot, then
use that to modulate an oscillator's
FM parameters.
Time to use Talkwah, a ‘wah’ filter Next, PsycheDelay offers reversible

Digital Suburban Dexed
As a direct emulation of the DX7, this
freebie is a bit more complex. Use the
3 with a Mouth control that’s excellent
for automated vowel effects. Increase Size
and turn Bright on – the effect is quite
drastic, so turn down the master effect
4 and pitchshifted delays. We turn on
Sync and automate parameters, turning
on Reverse for some spot fills while
pitchshifting the delay at the end of four
Algorithm control to call up different
routing topologies, then experiment Amount a tad. We also add Reverb, bars. Finally, we add a Chorus/Delay, with
pushing the Bright up while increasing the Time low and Feedback high, adding
with tone- and timbre-altering effects.
Time and Treble. a ‘slapback’ effect of sorts.
> Step by step 2. Four-stage sweeping movement with FM8’s XY Morph Pad
Using FM8’s X/Y Morph Pad, you can Operator A and B are inactive now, but For our third morph, we change
1 create four different snapshots of a

patch, then morph between them for
drastic or subtle variations. Load the FM8
Bass For Morphing preset, then open the
2 the patch has some settings dialled in.
Click and drag up in the box routing them
into Operator Z (the filter), and modulate
each Operator with each other – and route
3 waveforms for some of the Operators,
and apply different routing in the Matrix.
This gives us a version rhythmically
similar to the first, but slightly different in
Easy/Morph page. Drag the Morph them into themselves. Turn off the output tone. For the final morph, we create a high-
square to the top-right corner, then head for Operator F. On the Effects page, take passed version of the second, increasing
to the Ops page. the effect Amount up. the FM from Operator A to B.
68 / MUSIC PRODUCER'S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

Reveal Sound Spire > Step by step 3. Spire’s oscillator waveforms and modes
Reveal Sound’s Spire is
something of an all-rounder
synth, offering many synthesis
types along with tons of weird
and unusual waveforms. It’s
found favour with trance,
progressive and electro-house
producers thanks to its quartet
of oscillator modes, flexible LFOs
and advanced modulation
system. It can do much more
than big-room sounds, though:
the hybrid architecture allows
for dubby stacked chords,
organic textures, warped
ambient spaces and beyond. Spire’s four oscillators are capable of Select HardFM (ie, phase modulation)
Spire’s four oscillators let you
stack up to nine unison voices for
supersaw heaven, and these
1 producing a multitude of tones. A
synthesis type is selected via the
dropdown at the top of an oscillator; once
chosen, the waveform is shaped via the
2 mode. Ctrl A now governs modulation
amount, while Ctrl B alters the frequency
of the modulator. For interesting timbral
movement, we’ll head to the mod matrix
unison voices can be offset by
Ctrl A and Ctrl B knobs. Start by loading and tell the Stepper 1 modulator to
musical intervals (fifth, octave,
the Spire Sequence preset. wobble both Cutoff 1 and Ctrl B.
etc). Classic, Noise, FM and
AMSync modes are available.
The waveshaping control,
meanwhile, allows for hands-on
waveform sculpting – it's ideal
for crafting novel ‘growl’ timbres,
for example.
In Spire’s mod matrix, you can
direct a single modulator to up to
60 targets – more than anyone
could ever need! – and also add
two sources in each of the 15
slots, which encourages even
more creative and experimental
modulation.
Spire’s effects are also
excellent. Shaper offers a variety
of gnarly and aggressive We can also mix in another oscillator We duplicate our Spire instance, and
flavours; Reverb includes a
pre-delay sync option for
rhythmic spatial effects; and the
one-knob compressor keeps
3 using the Waveform dropdown. Once
selected, we can use the Wt Mix control to
blend between our initial wave and this
new one. We call up the Organ 1 wave and
4 this time opt for the Vowel oscillator.
Ctrl B now affects formant frequency. The
modulation we set up in step 2 is sweeping
some nice vocal movement. We can also
dynamics in check – essential for set Wt Mix to past halfway, dirtying up our now morph between A-E-I-O-U vowels
when those voices stack up! synth signal. with Ctrl A. Finally, we drop Octave to -1
and select the Bayan 1 waveform.
> Step by step 4. Exploring Spire’s Unison modes for unique stacked chords
Load up the Spire Chord preset from Detune tunes the unison voices apart, From here, we can experiment with
1 Tutorial Files and trigger this one-

note synth stab. In the Unison Mode
section, we change Voices to 5 – this
instantly creates a thicker signal. From
2 while Density irregularly detunes
them depending on the selected mode –
we push this up a bit for now. We then
raise Wide to pan the voices out. Next,
3 Unison modes across the four
oscillators to build a custom chord overall.
We turn on Osc 2 and Osc 3 to add some
low-end weight and noise. We turn on Osc
here, we have a few options for defining from the Unison dropdown, we select 4, and dial in 5 voices, this time selecting a
how these five unison voices interact… Minor3rd – our five detuned voices now Minor7th chord.
form a minor 3rd chord.
MUSIC PRODUCER'S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 69

Logic Pro’s ES1 > Step by step 5. Old-school lead with Logic ES1’s Filter FM
Although somewhat
overshadowed by some of
Logic’s more fully-featured
instruments, the power of ES1
shouldn’t be underestimated. Its
beauty is in its apparent
simplicity, which makes
workflow and sound design a
breeze. Featuring two oscillators,
ADSR envelope, a sweet-
sounding low-pass filter (with
self-oscillation, drive and four
slope types), pre-wired velocity
assignments and a mod matrix
for hooking up LFO or mod
envelope modulation to a Call up ES1 and load the FM Lead Drag the rightmost slider’s triangles
selection of the synth’s controls.
Elsewhere, an Analog box
lets you dial in warmth, randomly
1 preset from Tutorial Files. Our MIDI is
triggering the synth in the key of A minor.
We tweak filter settings for a garage-style
tone. In the modulation matrix, the Mod
2 fully up to apply modulation, then turn
the Mod Envelope’s Form dial anti-
clockwise to -140ms, which causes the
modulation to decay out quickly, creating
applying subtle pitch and filter
Envelope is already assigned to Filter FM, tight, plucky Filter FM modulation – turn
cutoff fluctuations, while the
meaning the oscillator’s triangle wave will down the Cutoff to hear this more clearly.
Chorus function offers three modulate the filter’s frequency…
different flavours (two chorus
types and an ensemble) for
adding analogue-style thickness.
Although the factory presets
leave a little to be desired, spend
a litle time programming your
own sounds and you’ll be
crafting analogue bass tones,
Moog-esque leads and vintage
strings in no time. Dive a little
deeper, and you’ll also discover
it’s a dab hand at experimental
percussion hits, dynamic special
FX and wonky modular-style
sequences.
It’s got a few more tricks up
its sleeve, too, such as Filter FM At the top of the modulation amount We can take this velocity modulation
and external sidechain
functionality – as we’ll explore on
this page.
3 slider you’ll see Int via Vel, which
means you can very easily make the
modulation amount velocity sensitive.
This is achieved by setting a different
4 one step further by dragging the blue
range in the ADSR via Vel slider. We also
push up the filter’s Key value, which
causes the filter’s frequency to track note
value for each of the slider. Now, the Filter pitch. And for a different take on the
FM is stronger when you play harder MIDI sound, we push the mod envelope’s Form
notes, and softer with lighter key presses. towards Attack for a warpier effect.
> Step by step 6. Using an external sidechain signal to modulate Logic ES1’s filter
From Tutorial Files, call up ES1 on a Next, we’ll tell the synth’s LFO to To pipe the drum loop’s audio signal
1 MIDI track and load the ES1 Bass

preset, then place Drum Loop.wav on a
new audio track and route this track from
Stereo Output to No Output – this loop
2 modulate filter Cutoff via the Router,
then drag up both arrows to dial in max
mod amount. By setting the LFO’s Wave to
Ext, our silent audio loop is now
3 through ES1, we head to the Oscillator
section and flip the Sub’s wave to Ext. We
can now process this audio with the
synth’s parameters – here, we filter and
will act only as a sidechain trigger. Pop modulating the filter, creating a unique drive the drum loop in with our bass
open ES1’s Side Chain dropdown (top rhythmic effect that is emphasised when sound for a sweeping, funked-up vibe.
right) and select the audio track. we bring down the filter’s Cutoff.

> Step by step 7. Ableton Wavetable’s oscillators and modulation
With Wavetable instantiated in Live, Drag the Wave Position slider to scan Now turn on Osc 2, select the FM Fold
1 head to the Tutorial Files folder at

FileSilo and drag the Wavetable Lead
preset onto the synth’s interface. This
patch uses Env 2 to modulate Filter
2 through the different waveforms
contained within the table; here, this
sweeps through a sine to a pulse-style
wave. In the Mod Matrix, assign Env 2 to
3 wavetable, then set Wave Position to
64%. Back in the Matrix, modulate Osc 2
Position with Env 2 , then modulate Osc 2
Position with LFO 1 for hands-free
Frequency. In Osc 1, we navigate to the modulate Osc 1 Position. Our envelope is movement. In the green MIDI matrix, push
Vintage category and select Sub3 now gradually opening both the filter and LFO 1 Rate »Velocity up, then vary key
Shapes as our first wavetable. wavetable position with each new note. presses to dynamically alter LFO speed.
> Step by step 8. Gnarly build-up synth with Ableton Wavetable’s oscillator FX
Wavetable's oscillator FX can create From the FX menu, call up the Next, use Env 2 to modulate Osc 1
1 some incredible sounds when you

experiment. Load the Gnarly Wavetable
Effect preset from Tutorial Files, and use
a C3 note to trigger the synth. In Osc 1, we
2 Modern effect, which "uses phase
distortion to warp the oscillator." Trigger a
note while sweeping the Warp and Fold
controls – Wavetable gives an excellent
3 Fold, then dial in a slow 6.33ms Attack
for Envelope 2. With the waveform now
being stretched and shrunk all over the
place, let's set up Osc 2: load the Vintage »
load the Distortion » Clipped Sweep graphical representation of what’s JUP SawPulse wavetable, with a Wave
wavetable, and move the Wave Position happening to the wave. We set Warp to Position of 39%. Again, load an Oscillator
until you find a wave you like – we settle 3.1%, Fold to 17%, then modulate Osc 1 FX – this time, FM.
upon 52%. Warp with LFO 1 via the Matrix.
The FM mode adds classic frequency For more timbral wiggling, modulate To tighten up the sound and induce
4 modulation-style harmonics via the

two controls. Set Amt to 5.5%. Leave Tune
at 0%, but modulate it (called Osc 2 FM
Pitch in the Matrix) via Env 2, which now
5 Osc 2 FM Amnt with LFO 1. Next, by
modulating LFO 1 Rate with Env 2, our
slow envelope now speeds up the LFO
over the course of a note, which also
6 more manic wobbling, we use LFO 1 to
modulate Filter 1 Frequency. We then
direct Env 2 to modulate master Pitch of
the whole synth for increased tension as
gradually sweeps up the FM's 'pitch'. This winds up Osc 1 Warp and Osc 2 FM the sound rises. For an alternative take on
creates an uneasy rise in tone – perfect for Amount. Trippy! our wind-up tone try the inverse and
confusing a 3am dancefloor. descend a fast LFO down in pitch.

> Step by step 9. Turning audio files into Serum wavetables
Xfer Records Serum lets you easily If you don’t know your sample’s pitch As we know 808 Dist F.wav’s pitch,
1 resynthesise any audio file into a

wavetable oscillator. Although you can try
converting absolutely any audio, it’s
recommended to use a low-tuned single-
2 already, drag it over Osc A’s wavetable
display and drop it onto one of the import
options that appears. Import: Normal
(Dynamic Pitch Follow) should generally
3 click Osc A’s pencil icon to open the
Wavetable Editor window. In the
horizontal Formula Parser strip, click and
type F0. Now drag 808 Dist F.wav onto
note sample with a consistent pitch. To be the first option you try. However, if you the editor, and Serum will analyse the
demonstrate, we’ve provided a collection know the pitch of your sample, there’s a sample in 1010-sample-long chunks and
of one-shot synth samples in this issue’s better way to import it… resynthesise it into a wavetable oscillator.
Tutorial Files folder.
Different DAWs confusingly use Our sample has been divided into 87 Next, it’s a good idea to refine the
4 different octave standards, so use a

spectrum analyser if you need to measure
your sample’s fundamental frequency
before importing. 808 Dist F.wav’s
5 individual frames, indicated by the
bottom horizontal row of numbered
Thumbnail overviews. Click through the
thumbnails: you’ll notice that each frame
6 scanning through the frames. As we
converted a punchy 808 bass sample, our
wavetable has a clicky ‘thump’ at the start.
To smoothen the back and forth motion
fundamental frequency is 44Hz, meaning contains approximately one wave cycle. through the ’table, we can trim away
it’s an F1 note. But as in the previous step, Play a MIDI note as you click through the unnecessary frames from the start and
telling Serum our sample was F0 gave a thumbnails, in order to audition one of end of the wavetable…
better result. Experimentation is key! these static frames.
POWER TIP
>Refining your
wavetables
First, try all the different import
options, including the four FFT
modes, and see which sounds best
when you play across the keyboard.
If you get crackling artefacts, use
the Wavetable Editor’s Process »
X-Fade Edges option to smoothen
frame crossing points. Process »
Normalize will even out levels
across the frames.
To fill out your wavetable with
To delete the frames containing this Our wavetable oscillator contains only
7 8
interpolated frames, use a Morph
‘bump’, select Thumbnail 10 and click 67 frames of a maximum 256. Select option. Morph » Crossfade will fill in
the Add/Remove menu and choose one of the Morph options (we choose gaps with volume crossfades, while
Remove: Beginning to Selected. Next, to Morph » Crossfade), and Serum fills in the Morph » Spectral will add additive-
delete the final few inconsistent frames, remaining gaps with interpolated style resynthesised frames.
select frame 68 and choose Add/Remove wavetables for even smoother motion
» Selected to End. Now scan through the between them all. From here, you can
wavetable’s multiple frames: the manipulate and process your wavetable
interpolation is smooth and consistent. like any other synth oscillator.

Creative ways to generate Serum wavetables
01 02 03
REACH FOR LOOPS RESAMPLE SERUM’S TEXT TO
Although it’s advised to import a one-shot OSCILLATORS SPEECH
sample with a consistent pitch, this doesn’t On Serum’s Edit page, select Menu >> Type one or more words into the
mean you can’t try out other types of audio files. For Resample to Osc A/B. Serum will render one bar of Formula Parser (inside quote marks), and Serum will
example, throw in a long synth loop featuring sparse the entire synth’s output, convert the signal into a convert the speech into an 8-bit talking wavetable. In
notes, then scan through this wavetable’s WT Pos wavetable, and load it up in the oscillator you order to tame the digital harshness, you’ll want to
with a speed-shifting LFO to create animated selected. Use this to go further and further down the dive into the WT Editor’s menu options and
rhythmic bursts. sound design rabbit hole! smoothen out the timbre.
04 05 06
LFO DRAG IMPORT IMAGES DRAW YOUR OWN
Alt-drag from an LFO’s top bar to Drag a PNG file onto a Serum oscillator Use the WT Editor’s various drawing
another to copy it to another LFO slot – to convert the image into an audio tools to pencil in single-cycle waveforms.
but Alt-drag to an oscillator, and that LFO shape will wavetable. Serum maps the image’s pixel luminance Alternatively, if you want to get geeky with FFT
be turned into a single-cycle frame. Easy! Create a to amplitude – in other words, darker sections synthesis, you can precisely draw in a waveform’s
second frame in the WT Editor, go back and Alt-drag represent higher amplitude, while white equates to harmonics (and their relative phases) via the top
a second LFO shape, then choose a Morph option to minimum amplitude. Click on the Osc’s 2D wavetable Harmonic Editor.
interpolate between the two and create a unique display to see your wavetable image in 3D.
morphing wavetable.
More Serum power tips

Click the Filter’s Mix label to switch it to ‘hidden’ mod sources (such as four NoteOn menu. Now, when you change presets,
Level mode. This control is no longer a options and the Chaos oscillators) and locked sections won’t be changed.
wet/dry balance – instead, it now controls the destinations (like Master Tune) are only
filter’s final output level, so you can regain available via right-click or the Matrix. In the Mod Matrix tab, pop open the top-
your signal after filtering and drive. right arrow to reorder the Matrix list by
Need to trigger a MIDI note hands-free? Source or Destination. You can also lock the
The Noise oscillator section doesn’t Shift-Alt-click on one of Serum’s bottom entire Matrix here, as per the previous tip.
feature a Fine tune control – instead, you’ll piano keys to hold that note.
find this in the top-right Oscillator Settings When modulating pitch, double-click the
section of the Global tab. Use Serum’s Global >> Unison section to Amount slider in the Matrix and type a
precisely customise the semitone Range, semitone value, eg, 12st. This will lock your
When choosing LFO presets, Alt-click the Width, Warp, WT Pos, Stack and mode of the pitch modulation to a musical range. Use an
little folder icon to scan through them. two oscillators’ unison voices independently. LFO to do this, then type two values in its Grid
Shift-Alt-click to go back through the presets. box (eg, 8,12) to set vertical and horizontal
Right-click a module (say, the Filter’s grid sizes. Alt-Shift-click and drag in the LFO
Drag-and-drop is the easiest way to hook header bar) or parameter (eg, filter to draw steps locked to the grid. Voilà – the
up modulation in Serum, but some Cutoff) and select the Lock option from the LFO is now an arpeggiator!

Synapse Audio Dune 3

Users awaiting the latest Dune came for the Wavetable Editor – but
stayed for the improved filter section and oscillator stack
Richard Hoffman’s epic hybrid analogue/FM/ import and export of wavetables up to 256
wavetable synth has been one of our go-tos for waveforms in length; but actually, in day-to-day
all kinds of sounds ever since the arrival of Dune usage, it’s the dual filter that will prove most
2 (which we scored 10/10), which built so relevant for most.
successfully on the groundwork laid by version 1 Yes, you now get two filters, plus a re-routable
(8/10) that it might as well have been relaunched insert slot for plumbing in one of a range of filter
as a whole new instrument. effects (distortion, comb filtering, etc), massively
Dune 3 (10/10) isn’t as gamechanging a increasing the creative possibilities presented
transformation as its predecessor, but it adds by the filter section. Dune 3 offers an Equalizer section with technology from
enough new features and makes enough Then there’s the Swarm oscillator stack, Synapse’s GQ-7 Graphic Equalizer Rack Extension
improvements to existing features to rekindle which takes Dune’s already insane unison
the interest of long-term users and prove even capabilities (up to 8320 voices!) into wild new There’s really no doubt about it: Synapse
more attractive than before to newcomers. territory with its per-voice modulation; and a Dune 3 is quite simply one of the finest synths
On paper, the most significant new addition complete overhaul of the effects section, that money can buy, and if you haven’t already
to Dune 3 might appear to be the Wavetable including a considerably more flexible got it in your plugins folder, you’re quite frankly
Editor, facilitating comprehensive editing, parametric EQ. missing out.
> Step by step 10. Synapse Audio Dune 3’s Swarm oscillator and dual filter
Dune’s Oscillator Stacks enable dense The default Oscillator Stack, top right, Now switch the Stack from Linear to
1 tones to be generated by each

oscillator before you even get to the eight-
voice Unison section, and with v3’s new
modulated Swarm mode, those stacks can
2 is Linear, which spaces the oscillators
in the stack evenly. Increase the Density
from 1 to 8 and set both the Detune and
Spread to 70%. There’s your conventional
3 Swarm. Immediately, you’ll hear a bit
more movement and depth, as the
frequencies of the oscillators in the stack
are individually modulated. The Rate
sound bigger than ever. Select Initialize unison stack, with each oscillator detuned knob controls the speed of the modulation
Patch from the Patch menu, and drop the around the main frequency and spread – lower it from the default 50% for
Filter 1 Cutoff to 80% to take the edge off across the stereo field, but remaining obvious slow sweeping, or raise it for a
that naked Ramp Up oscillator. resolutely static. faster, more ‘phasey’ effect.
The most profound change made to Let’s bring the second filter in. Click The Filter Effect menu has a range of
4 Dune’s architecture for version 3 is the

upgrade to a dual filter (including loads of
new filter modes) with an insert effect slot.
Load the Miami Carpark ARK patch from
5 Filter 2’s type menu (currently Off)
and select CL Deep Notch to set up a four-
pole notch filter, then set the Cutoff knob
to 40%. Nothing happens! That’s because
6 options, including further filtering,
distortion and phasing. Make a choice and
dial in the effect with the Amount (AMT)
knob. Clicking the Route graphic opens a
the Chords section of the Dune 3 Factory the Balance control, which blends the two menu of signal flow options: Filter 1 into
Soundbank. This uses only Filter 1 and has filters, is currently set to 100% Filter 1. Filter 2 with the effect at all three possible
no insert effect loaded. Turn it to 13% F2 to get a mix of both, positions, and both filters feeding into the
biased somewhat towards Filter 2. effect in parallel.

> Step by step 11. Getting started with Dune 3’s Wavetable Editor
Dune 3 improves on the wavetable There are 47 wavetables onboard. Let’s start by editing one of the
1 features of Dune 2 with the addition of

the Wavetable Editor. Select Initialize
Patch from the Patch menu, then switch
the one active osc from VA to Wavetable
2 Load MH Phase Dist 3 from the
Wavetable menu, and then click the Edit
button to open the Wavetable Editor. Here,
you will see the 16 waveforms of the
3 existing waveforms. Select waveform
16, then click the blank menu at the
bottom right. This holds a variety of preset
waveshapes generated using the Formula
(WT) mode. The default three-waveform wavetable arranged in a row at the Editor – select Bell 1 to load that wave.
table is loaded – sweep through it with the bottom, and the currently selected Now we can edit it using the middle three
Position knob, and adjust interpolation waveform in the main window above. of the five tools at the top left, zooming in
smoothness with the Interpol knob. and out if required.
The Pen tool is used to edit the Clicking the right-most tool button The top left Menu houses a range of
4 waveshape directly – simply drag in

the main display to shape the curve. The
Line tool creates a straight line from the
start to the end of each drag. And the
5 opens the Additive Editor, where the
individual partials making up the
waveform can be tweaked – handy for
making organ-type sounds. The top series
6 waveform-transforming operations
including Invert, Reverse and Normalize.
Here, you can also import WAV files, as
single waveforms or complete wavetables
Segment tool lets you create a series of of vertical bars control the amplitude of – let’s try the former. Select Wavetable 1 in
contiguous lines by clicking nodes in and each partial, while the bottom bars adjust the bottom row, then Import WAV
dragging them around, then turn them the phase. Select any other tool to exit the (Single-Cycle) from the Menu, and load in
into curves by dragging on them. Additive Editor. a short sample of your choice.
POWER TIP
>Importing WAVs
The two Import WAV To Wavetable
options differ in how they spread
the WAV across the waveform slots.
Selecting Import WAV (Fit To
Wavetable) divides the WAV up into
exactly the number of waveforms in
the current wavetable, regardless of
length. Opting instead for Import
WAV (Adjust Wavetable) creates a
new waveform every 2048 samples,
resizing the wavetable. Pick this if
The sample is squeezed down to a tiny Select Morph Wavetable from the the WAV you’re importing has been
7 2048 samples in length and added to

the wavetable. Now we have our edited
waveform at the end of the ’table and our
imported wave at the start. Wouldn’t it be
8 menu to do exactly that. The result is a
16-slot wavetable that interpolates nicely
from our imported WAV to the edited
shape we made earlier. To make the
created for use as a wavetable and
thus adheres to the standard table
size of 2048 samples.
great if we could automatically fill all the transition even more detailed, increase
slots in between with a smooth transition the number of slots (up to a maximum of
from slot 1 to slot 16? 256), drag the last waveform slot to the
end of the row and Morph again.

Nektar Technology Bolt

You might know this American company as a manufacturer of MIDI
keyboards and controllers, but they make synths, too!
Based on the ‘multi sine oscillator’ synthesis filter. Unlike an additive setup, though, where
technology originally developed by Professor Dr the harmonics are produced by a whole bank of
Udo Zoelzer of Hamburg’s Helmut Schmidt sine wave oscillators, Bolt does it all in just one –
University, the first ever softsynth from MIDI it’s really rather clever.
controller builders Nektar Technology is Groundbreaking synthesis technology might
something of a… well, bolt from the blue! You be music to the marketing department’s ears,
see, what makes Bolt genuinely different to but if it doesn’t actually bring anything new to
anything else that’s currently out there is the the table sonically, it’s all for nought.
architecture of its two oscillators, which use a While Bolt won’t knock your perspective on
technique the developers have described as synthesis off its axis in any sense, its unique Bolt’s one-screen interface helps make it easy to use
“harmonics synthesis”. parameter array and intuitive one-screen
The way this works isn’t a million miles away interface do push it in certain directions that genuinely wonderful world, either.
from additive synthesis: a series of harmonics is other synths don’t dare travel; and it sounds Easy to use, creatively rewarding and
generated and shaped directly to effectively fantastic – punchy and energetic. perfectly affordable, Nektar’s Bolt is one of
produce what, in an analogue synth, would be At just £89, Bolt doesn’t let price stand as a the most surprising recent releases in the
the output of the filter – ie, there is no actual barrier to entry into its slightly weird but world of softsynths.
> Step by step 12. Getting started with Nektar Bolt
Bolt’s big draw is its innovative Clicking the Oscilloscope switches it to The Harmonics knob on each
1 oscillator design, which uses

“harmonics synthesis”, removing the need
for a filter. Click the preset name at the top
and select Default to initialise the synth.
2 the Spectrum view, showing the
harmonics that make up the waveform.
Bolt isn’t an additive synth, and you can’t
manipulate these harmonics directly
3 oscillator reveals more upper
harmonics the further clockwise it’s
turned, while the Rolloff knob determines
the angle of the slope at which the volume
The default patch has both oscillators within the display. Rather, the two of the harmonics above the ‘cutoff’ point
active and identical, creating a simple oscillators are manipulated and combined drops off. Cranking both of them up to
tone, the waveform of which is visible in using just a handful of controls to form around 2 o’clock for Oscillator 1 adds a lot
the Oscilloscope display. complex and characterful waves. of higher frequencies.
Clicking Odd makes the Osc output Osc 1 offers two modulation options, The triangle control on each Osc Level
4 odd harmonics only, and activating it

for both oscs gives a hollow, square/
triangle tone. Deep softens the wave and
applies a low-end boost – ideal for bass.
5 via the FM and XM buttons (only one
can be active at a time). FM applies
frequency modulation using a sine wave
LFO, while XM uses Osc 2 as a frequency
6 slider overdrives the signal to
analogue-style distortion, and the Sub-
Osc knob brings a copy of its associated
osc pitched an octave lower. Pitch Osc 1 up
Invert inverts the phase of its oscillator, modulation source for Osc 1. We’ve an octave, raise its Drive and Sub-Osc,
for phase cancellation effects when both lowered the Sustain of Osc 2’s envelope shorten both Oscs’ Attack stages and
oscs are set up the same. and activated XM for a punchy attack. activate Bolt’s Chorus for an angry bass.

Waves > Step by step 13. Easy FM and Snapshots with Flow Motion
Flow Motion
To our collective mind Waves’
best synth yet, Flow Motion
(review score 9/10) totally
succeeds in its goal of taking the
pain and confusion out of FM
synthesis without compromising
in terms of programmability and
quality of results.
The ‘sci-fi’ interface puts Flow
Motion’s four oscillators and
their brilliant hardwired
frequency/phase modulation
routing scheme on one page Let’s look at Flow Motion’s intuitive Activate Osc 2 by clicking it, and set it
(Flow), and output processing
(filtering, EQ, amp envelope and
effects) on another (Motion). Said
1 phase/frequency modulation system.
Click the Load button at the top right and
select Full Reset to initialise the synth. We
now have just a single oscillator
2 to the Saw waveform. You can’t hear
it, as its volume is set to 0. Raise its bottom
leftmost knob to send more and more of
its output to the amp and make it audible.
modulation system makes it
outputting a sine wave. We could change The waveform in the central oscilloscope
possible to freely apply FM or PM the waveform by clicking it or the arrow will change shape, as it visualises the
between oscillators in any button below, but we’ll stick with the sine. mixed output of both oscillators.
combination, without a mod
matrix or menu in sight. It’s
wicked stuff.
Ever-present in its own panel
on the right is a stack of four
modulators – each switchable
between loopable ADSR
envelope and LFO functionality –
which can be used to animate
many parameters throughout
the synth, as well as the FM/PM
amounts on the Flow page.
And that’s not all! The icing on
the cake is the awesome
Snapshot Sequencer, which
enables rhythmic switching
through a bank of up to 16
complete presets using a step
sequencer, or manually We only want Osc 2 as a modulation Now let’s get busy with Flow Motion’s
controlled scrolling via MIDI.
With no import of presets into
Snapshot slots or randomisation,
3 source for Osc 1, so turn its volume all
the way back down. Applying our
modulation is as simple as raising the
knob on Osc 2 at the end of the ‘cable’
4 Snapshot Sequencer. Located at the
bottom of the GUI, this 16-step sequencer
lets you assign a complete ‘Snapshot’
(preset) to each step, rolling through them
programming a full bank is quite connecting it to Osc 1, and switching continuously at the speed defined by
a chore, but the potential for between phase and frequency modulation Rate. To start, click the top of step 4 to
maniacally animated basslines, by clicking Osc 1’s PM/FM button. make the sequence four steps long.
pads and even percussion loops
is immense.
Certainly the easiest
implementation of FM/PM
synthesis we’ve come across yet,
and just a great instrument in its
own right, Flow Motion is a
beauty. Oh, and it’s bit of a
bargain, too, at just $99.
Click step 1 to select it and edit Flow Click Play in the Sequencer and play
5 Motion to create a Snapshot patch for

that step. Repeat for all four steps,
programming a complete sound for each
one. Snapshots can be copied and pasted
6 some notes to hear your Snapshot
sequence in action. Mess with the Rate
and order of the Snapshots. We could
extend the sequence beyond four steps in
between steps, and you can set any step length but keep to our four programmed
to any Snapshot by dragging up and down patches for more elaborate progressions
on it. without having to make more Snapshots.

> Step by step 14. Virtual analogue synthesis with Audiaire Zone
Let’s create a simple sawtooth patch Time to bolster and tweak our synth’s The Filter’s Cutoff is half-closed by
1 using Audiaire’s sequencer-tastic

Zone synth (9/10). Set both Osc 1 and 2 to
Saw, then Fine tune both apart by around
2.6 cents for a detuned effect. To shape
2 tone for maximum density and power.
Turn the Sub Oscillator on, raise Level to
0.5, and swap it to a Sine shape for some
clean weight; then flip to the Noise tab
3 default, so quickly push that up to max
to open out the patch’s full range of
frequencies. Now to the top-right Unison
section: call up 2 Voices, push Unison
the amplitude, set the Amp Env up with and turn up the Bacon noise type to detune to 0.080, then Spread the two
minimum Attack, maximum Decay and halfway, giving the overall tone a crispy, voices out to around 0.5 for stereo flavour.
Sustain, and Release at 0.08. fizzy top end. Lush indeed!
Next, head to the synth’s four-slot FX Let’s spice up our saw patch. Head to Sequencing is Zone’s speciality. Drag
4 section for some reverb-like

ambience. In the final FX 4 slot, call up the
Rain Drop effect, then set Delay Time to
the minimum 0.025s, Feedback to 1%
5 the Osc Mod section and choose the
FM (Exp) mode, which is exponential FM –
ie, cross modulation, as found on classic
synths like the Roland Jupiter-8. High
6 the Osc Mod Amount’s header bar to
the main Sequencer lane and drop it there,
creating a sequencer lane to control the
parameter. After expanding this lane, draw
and Mix to 0.15. While we’re here, slightly values give unmusical dissonance, but a in slight changes in Osc Mod Amount to
push up the three-band EQ’s High and subtle Amount below 0.1 results in lush, create analogue-style fluctuation and
Low gain knobs for more fizz and weight. detuned-style thickness. drifting – subtle but effective.
Sharooz speaks
Mod modes, like Exponential FM, which is well-
Audiaire’s known from the Jupiter-8, but you don’t
Sharooz Raoofi generally see in a lot of softsynths. And also
gives us the crazier mod modes like ring mod, amp mod,
multifold distortion modulation, then putting
lowdown on that on a grid – so as a sound evolves, the osc
Zone’s very mod can evolve with it.”
distinctive : Speaking of a grid, sequencing is a big part

approach to oscillator modulation of Zone. Where did that come from?
“I hate looking at loads of DAW automation on
and sequencing screen, so the idea behind Zone’s sequencing
was to give me a way to control many, many
: What inspired you to create Zone? parameters from within the synth’s one
“It came out of my experiments with the window. And beyond simple sequencing,
[Clavia] Nord Lead 3. I love how something which can be done with automation, what
really simple like holding down an arpeggio about if there were a bunch of preset shapes,
then tweaking the Osc Mod amount or and the ability to play around and change grid
shuffling through Osc Mod modes would size? Once the osc mod and sequencing were
completely mutate the sound. So that was there, I knew this was interesting enough to
where I started. I wanted to put in a lot of Osc base a synth around.”

Kilohearts Phase Plant

Swedish software developers Kilohearts are the
brains behind the awesome multiband
processing environment Multipass, into which
the user loads individual effects modules
called Snapins.
A couple of years ago, they incorporated this
modular approach into their first virtual
instrument, Phase Plant.
In true modular fashion, each oscillator can
not only output a signal, but also be used to
modulate other oscillator parameters at audio
rates. This way, you can easily hook up FM, AM,
phase distortion and ring modulation effects. Kilohearts’ Phase Plant gives modular synthesis a fresh twist – keep an eye out for our review in a future issue
The instrument’s intuitive approach to
modular patching becomes apparent once you
start connecting modules to each other. Simply click and call up your choice of Snapin effects. on the market already, it takes something truly
click an output node, then click another Each Effects lane can be switched into Poly special to stand out from the crowd, but
module’s input port, then set the mod amount mode, meaning that each synth voice will be Kilohearts have nailed the balance between
with the depth knob. The waveforms alter in real processed independently, and each lane patchable complexity and one-window
time to indicate changes in timbre and level. features gain and dry/wet mix controls, mute/ simplicity. In this tutorial, we’re going to explore
The Generator signal then feeds into Phase solo buttons, and a routing matrix. the synth’s superb modular operation and some
Plant’s three-lane Effects section, where you With plenty of virtual modular environments of the great techniques you can try with it.
> Step by step 15. Exploring modular techniques with Kilohearts’ Phase Plant
The single-window interface has three Below this, we’ll load up a second The second sine is now changing the
1 sections. The left Generators section

is where you load oscillator modules: a
wavetable oscillator with presets,
wavetable import and the option to draw
2 Analog » Sine. The right flanking
arrows show that this second signal isn’t
being routed to the output – we’re going
to use it to modulate the first oscillator
3 phase of the first, and its waveform
changes shape to indicate this. Before we
use modulation to make this timbral
change more dynamic, let’s quickly adjust
your own; a sampler with audio drag-and- instead. We’ll click the second Analog’s the signal’s amplitude envelope – we push
drop; an Analog oscillator for classic VA; bottom-right mod button, then drag the up the Out section’s Decay to maximum,
and a noise generator. Call up an Analog green mod ring around the first Analog’s and extend Release to 100ms.
oscillator and choose a basic sine shape. Phase parameter.
Let’s modulate the second, inaudible We can also distort at the oscillator To finish off, we call up a couple of
4 oscillator’s amplitude. In the

Modulators section, we load a Random
generator, click its modulation button and
apply modulation to the second sine
5 level by loading up a Distort module
and dragging it just after the first Analog
module in the signal path. Again, the
waveform change is displayed in real time
6 Snapin processors in the first Effects
column, found over to the synth’s right. A
Faturator distortion and Ensemble effect
give us the crunch and fatness we’re after.
oscillator’s Level. We’re now wobbling the on the oscillator display. The benefit of this Each of the three effects chains can be
inaudible sine’s volume, for a ‘gurgling’ distortion is that it’s per voice – useful switched into Poly mode, so each synth
rhythmic change in phase/timbre. when playing multiple chord voices. voice will be processed independently.

Cherry Audio Voltage Modular

An audio-visual recreation of a Eurorack system, Cherry Audio’s
Voltage Modular offers an expandable experimental experience
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll be aware inevitably – software developers have joined the
that modular synthesisers are all the rage fray. Case in point: Cherry Audio’s Voltage
among the electronic cognoscenti, who revel in Modular, whose Eurorack-styled virtual
the ability to expand, interchange and framework allows users to mix and match a
interconnect a vast variety of modules. And why growing catalogue of compatible modules,
not? Electronic music has always been about some included with the basic package, others
cutting a swathe through mundanity, and available from Cherry Audio themselves and
modular synthesis allows musicians the power third-party developers – well, three so far, PSP
to create a unique instrument from an à la carte Audioware, Vult and Misfit Audio.
menu of disparate options. This second On the surface, Voltage Modular looks and
generation of modular is far more pervasive behaves like a real Eurorack modular system,
than the first, and manufacturers big and small but there are some little known tricks that can
have entered the burgeoning – even bloated – push your patches far beyond what you can
modular marketplace. achieve with even the most outlandish hardware
Still, this is the 21st century and many modular rack.
musicians simply can’t be bothered with The following tutorials will give you a taste of
something as archaic as wires and knobs – only what all the hubbub is about and, hopefully,
Cherry Audio Voltage Modular – a liberating Eurorack
virtual voltage will do. Thankfully – and perhaps show you a thing or two along the way.
experience in virtual form
> Step by step 16. Building a basic synth voice with Cherry Audio Voltage Modular
The best way to get our heads around One immediately noticeable We can test out our Vintage Oscillator
1 this new system is to use it to build

something familiar, so let’s start by
constructing a simple subtractive
synthesiser voice. Here, we’ve opened
2 difference, however, is the inclusion of
the module library along the left. This can
be hidden to expand the rack space, but
we’ll keep it open for now. There’s a
3 by patching one of its waveform
outputs to the 1L (M) input jack at the top
of the rack. This is as easy as clicking one
of the jacks and dragging a virtual cable to
Voltage Modular in our DAW, but we could module search field in the upper left. We’ll the other. Animated dots along the cable
just as easily have used the standalone type in ‘Oscillator’. All of the available indicate the signal flow, and the Main Out’s
version. As you can see, the bulk of the Oscillators appear. Let’s drag the Vintage meters show us the output level.
GUI looks like an empty rack. Oscillator into our rack.
This isn’t so exciting, so disconnect Get an Amp from the Utilities modules To play our patch, we need to go to the
4 the cable by selecting it and right-

clicking, or dragging it from the jack. Let’s
add another module. Right-click in the
rack, choose Add Module and get a
5 and patch the Filter’s Output to the
Amplifier’s Input. Now, patch the
Amplifier’s Output to the Main Out’s 1l(M)
jack. Get an envelope generator from the
6 CV Outs module in the top-left, and
patch a cable from its Gate jack to our
Envelope Generator’s Gate In jack. That
lets us trigger the sound from our DAW or
Ladder Filter from the Processor Controller’s subcategory. Patch the any connected MIDI controller. To control
category. Route the Oscillator’s sawtooth Envelope Generator’s Env Out jack to the the pitch, route the CV Outs’ Pitch jack to
output to the Filter’s Input jack. Amplifier’s CV In. the Oscillator’s Pitch CV input.

> Step by step 17. Delving deeper with Voltage Modular
In our previous tutorial, we created a We can further shape the sound by For the sake of clarity, let’s click on and
1 simple subtractive synth voice. As we

left it, it only plays a basic sawtooth sound.
We can use the Ladder Filter to roll off
some high frequencies, and add a bit of
2 tweaking the Envelope Generator.
Reduce the Sustain to nil, and push both
Decay and Release up to just under the
halfway mark. That’s a decent bass sound
3 drag that new Envelope Generator to
a position between the Vintage Oscillator
and the Ladder Filter modules. Just as we
did before, we’ll route a patch cable from
resonance by reducing the Cutoff – but we can better it by modulating the the Gate jack of the CV Outs module to
Frequency to 0 (or 12 o’clock) and the filter with a second Envelope Generator the Gate In jack on our new Envelope
Emphasis to 4. module. Add that now. Generator. Now both envelopes will be
triggered by the same source.
We’ll now patch the new Envelope That’s a more fulfilling bass sound, and We’re going to leave the cable routed
4 Generator’s Env Out to the Ladder

Filter’s topmost Freq Mod jack. Increase
the value of the knob associated with that
Freq Mod jack to the 3 o’clock position
5 it seems like ideal fodder for a
sequenced passage. Find an 8-Step
Sequencer module from the Controllers
category and stick in the rack, just to the
6 from the CV Outs’ Pitch jack to the
Vintage Oscillator for reasons that will
soon become clear. Nevertheless, we’re
going to route a cable from the 8-Step
(about 63%). Turning to the Envelope left of the Vintage Oscillator. Next, Sequencer’s Output to the Vintage
Generator, reduce its Sustain to nil, crank disconnect both Envelopes’ Gates from Oscillator’s Pitch CV input, alongside the
the Release slider, and set the Decay to the CV Outs module and patch them from first cable that we put there in the
about 20ms. the 8-Step Sequencer’s Gate out instead. previous tutorial.
POWER TIP
>Module Designer
To some, modular synths are about
ceding control to random forces. For
others, it’s the opposite: they want
full control over their music-making
tools. Cherry Audio recognise this
and have opted to allow users
ultimate control over their systems
with Module Designer, a standalone
application that allows users to code
their own custom modules using
Java. Designers use existing DSP or
Clicking Start on the 8-Step Let’s now tweak the 8-Step roll their own. Custom interfaces
7 Sequencer now triggers repeating

notes – quite slowly, as the default tempo
is 30bpm. Change that to 120. If you want
the DAW’s transport to control that of the
8 Sequencer’s sliders to create a musical
pattern. We’re going to program our
sequence in C. Why? Because it allows us
to transpose the entire sequence
may be created, too. It’s free for
personal use and $99 if you want to
sell your handiwork.
8-Step Sequencer, go to the Transport depending on the last note played by our
module up top and route cables from its DAW or MIDI controller. Now you see why
Play and Stop jacks to the similarly- we left the CV Out’s Pitch connected to
named jacks on the 8-Step Sequencer. the Oscillator’s Pitch CV!

Audio Damage Quanta

Reduce your samples to grains of digital dust, then rearrange,
reconstruct and rework them into something entirely new!
Though the idea behind granular music has also serves as the basis for some reverb effects.
been around since the 1950s, it wasn’t terribly On the other end of the sonic spectrum,
practical until the dawn of the computer. granular synthesis can (naturally) be used to
If, on the off chance, you’ve not already transform your samples into something that’s
experienced granular synthesis, some utterly unrecognisable.
explanation might be in order. Here goes: a And that’s where Audio Damage come in,
granular synthesiser (or effects processor) takes obviously. Known for their weird and wonderful
in a signal and breaks it down into a (usually) effects, it was only a matter of time before the
user-defined number of audio snippets (or big blue robot turned its attention to granular
grains). The size of the grains can also often be synthesis. The result, Quanta, is a wicked sonic
determined by the user. Those grains can then subjugator, demonically deconstructing the
be manipulated and played back in real time. digits it devours.
Very often, control will be given over the pitch, The surprising thing about Quanta is that it’s
pan position, and amplitude of the grains. remarkably easy to use. Further, the sounds that
Though you may not be aware of it, you come from it can range from industrial noises to
might already be using granular synthesis, as it’s rather beautiful, moody soundscapes.
the technology behind the time-stretch Want a taste? Fire it up in your host and Audio Damage’s Quanta makes for an easy-to-use entry
functions found in many modern samplers. It follow along with the walkthroughs ahead. point into granular synthesis
> Step by step 18. Getting started with Audio Damage Quanta
In this tutorial, we’re going to create a By default, we’re on the Sample page, As you can see, the Oscillator’s Shape
1 simple sound in Quanta, learning the

basics of its architecture before diving
into the deep end of granular synthesis.
Here, we’ve fired it up in our host, and are
2 yet there’s no sample loaded. The
synthetic sound currently in play is
generated by Quanta’s built-in virtual
analogue oscillator, and a surprisingly
3 can morph smoothly from one
waveform to another. This is a rare feature
found on some old classics like EMS’ VCS3.
We’ve landed on a shape somewhere
beginning with the default patch. Playing useful and nice-sounding oscillator it is, between a square and a sawtooth wave.
a few notes reveals a deceptively too! Note the large Shape display/knob in Another neat feature: the Pulse Width
pedestrian synth sound. the Oscillator section. Hold a note and knob affects any waveform, not just the
play around with it. pulse wave.
If we move to the next section, we find Let’s look at a some more familiar Clicking over the FLFO (F is for
4 the Noise module. This offers Level

and Color controls. Bring up the Level to
add noise to our oscillator waveform.
Rather than forcing a choice between
5 features before going on. Click the
FEG icon in the top-left. The display
switches to reveal a familiar envelope
generator. In fact, there are four. Dragging
6 ‘flexible’), we find a similarly unusual
and, well, flexible pair of LFOs. Morph
between waveshapes, and adjust Phase,
Shape, Skew, and Warp to essentially
white and pink noise, Quanta’s Color knob on a line in the graphic can alter the curve draw a custom LFO waveform. Then it can
allows a gradual sweep from one to the of the selected segment, while double- be synchronised to the host’s tempo and
other. Give it a twirl. clicking adds nodes. made to re-trigger with each note.

> Step by step 19. Granular synthesis with Audio Damage Quanta
In the previous walkthrough, we Making sure we’re in the Sample Our sample is a simple rock drum
1 looked at some of the basic functions

in Quanta’s architecture. Now it’s time to
get into the showcase feature: granular
synthesis. We’ll once again start from the
2 window, let’s load in a sample. We can
do this simply by dragging one into the
empty field that makes up most of the top
half of the GUI, or clicking the floppy disk
3 loop, but that’s not at all what we get if
we play a note from our MIDI controller –
in fact, there’s only a faint repetitive noise.
Let’s take a look at the Grains section just
default empty patch. This time, however, icon and using the browser to navigate to below the Sample area. Note that the #
we’re going to go to the Oscillator section the desired file. We’ll load in a sample Grains parameter indicates there are just
and reduce its Level to nil. called DrumsDry.wav. ten grains in play.
Let’s increase the number of grains to There are so many parameters with Once again, we can add a random
4 around 50. While we’re at it, we’ll

change the Shape of the grains, and
adjust their Length, too. Now we get a sort
of sustained waveform. It’s not very
5 which to play. Try adjusting the Tune
of the grains. We’re going to crank ours all
the way up. Looking to the right, we see a
Position knob. This adjusts the position in
6 element to the Position parameter by
using the Rand knob tied to it. The results
add a lot of interest, but our sound still
lacks any dramatic movement. Maybe it’s
exciting, though! Note that we can also the sample from which the sound is time to look at some of the modulation
add an amount of random behaviour to played. We can also adjust this parameter options on offer. Click the Matrix icon in
some parameters, including the number using the ‘handle’ in the Sample display. the upper-left.
of grains in play.
POWER TIP
>Preset persuasion
Quanta comes with many great
presets in a range of styles, created
by some of the world’s best sound
designers, including the ubiquitous
Richard Devine, Marcus Fischer,
Joseph Fraioli and Chris Carter.
Once you’ve had a play with them,
consider slotting your own samples
into existing presets. You’d be
surprised how much more mileage
you can get out of both the preset
Scroll through until you find the Grain Now, let’s click over to the FLFO patch and the sample. You can also
7 Position on the left. Follow that row

until you reach the FLFO 1 column, and
click and drag in the intersecting box until
you have a value of 77. Now FLFO 1 is
8 window and play with both sets of
FLFO parameters. Make sure the
Freq(uencies) of both are very slow – but
not identical. After that, we can adjust
create your own ‘template’ patches
of parameter settings to import
your samples into.
modulating the Grain Position parameter. their shapes to taste. The results are
We can likewise modulate the Grain Tune hauntingly pretty. This is only the
with FLFO 2. beginning – go experiment further!

AudioKit Synth One

Educational, entertaining and open source, Synth One is a
superlative subtractive super-synth that’ll put a smile on your face
Apple’s iOS platform has been graced by or charities. However, some of the recipients
countless virtual analogue synthesisers, can’t afford even the least expensive apps. That’s
especially since the omnipresent iPad debuted where Synth One comes in. Created by a
back in 2010. Many of them are free, but few of community of volunteer developers and sound
them truly are – as Linux users like to say – “free designers, Synth One is the pro-level synthesiser
as in speech”. Yet this is exactly the case with for everyone.
AudioKit’s Synth One: it’s not only free of charge, And what a synthesiser it is! Loaded with all
but its source code is freely available to anyone the features one would expect from a costly
who’d like to have a go at improving or commercial product, Synth One offers two
expanding on what’s already there. powerful oscillators, a multimode filter, dual
That largesse is in keeping with the Synth envelope generators and LFOs, a built-in
One philosophy. You see, it wasn’t designed sequencer/arpeggiator, some wicked effects and
simply to provide well-to-do musos with yet a whole lot more.
another virtual plaything, but instead created It’s a lot to take in, really, but we’re here to
with the idea that anyone should be able to help. In the following tutorials, we’ll show you
obtain a free app for making professional quality how to craft a killer classic patch that you can
electronic music. The thing is, lots of iPads have add to the already impressive collection AudioKit’s Synth One is a godsend for cash-strapped
been donated to the underprivileged via schools included with the download. producers looking for a pro-level synth
> Step by step 20. Crafting a simple lead patch with AudioKit Synth One
Synth One comes packed with preset It isn’t a terribly exciting sound, Let’s select the Sawtooth wave for
1 patches by professional sound

designers, and while they’re very good
indeed, we’re going to start from scratch.
For that, we need to initialise the sound.
2 consisting of a pair of slightly detuned
triangle waves. If we look to the oscillator
section in the upper-left, we see that each
of the two oscillators produces one of five
3 Osc 1. Our sound is now a bit more
aggressive, with more harmonic content.
However, it does seem a little muffled. A
look to the Filter section reveals why – the
This is done by tapping the preset browser waveforms. Looks can be deceiving, Filter’s Frequency is set pretty low, so let’s
at the top, selecting the User category on though: if we drag our finger across the crank it up. Wow, that’s a much more
the left side of the browser, then selecting waveforms, we see that they can be ‘in-your-face’ timbre!
the patch 0: Init. gradually morphed between the four.
Bring the Filter Frequency down to a We see our dual envelopes displayed Now the envelope is affecting the
4 more muted 1200Hz or so. The

Resonance is boosted as well, but that’s
OK for now. Our sound is muffled, but
we’re going to address that by modulating
5 across the top. As is often the case,
there’s one for the Filter and another for
the Amplitude. Note that the Envelope
Amount knob under the Filter Envelope is
6 filter, producing a sort of woodwind
tone. Return to the Main page, and set
Filter Frequency to around 4000Hz for a
brassier tone. Click the Mono button to
the cutoff Frequency. For that, we’ll turn to set to nil. Reduce the envelope’s Attack to the right of the filter to make the sound
the dedicated Filter Envelope, via the nil, Decay to 0.16 S(econds), and Sustain monophonic. Now, set the Glide to 0.01
arrow buttons at the upper left. to 44%. for a classic portamento lead patch.

> Step by step 21. Expanding and enhancing our Synth One patch
We’ve crafted a simple lead sound – Now, let’s use the arrow buttons on the We can’t hear any effect yet. For that,
1 and saved our handiwork as

‘CMLeader’. As useful as it might be, there
is much more we might do to make it a bit
more lively. Luckily, Synth One has plenty
2 lower-right to tab over to the FX/LFO
page. Synth One has two LFOs that can be
assigned to a dozen target parameters.
Each LFO has four waveforms. Let’s use
3 we’ll need to increase the level of LFO
1’s Amount knob. Let’s give it a nudge to
around 472%. Still nothing – why?
Because the LFO Rate goes all the way
of options for spicing up our sound. We’ll LFO 1, sticking with the default sine wave. down to 0.00Hz. So it isn’t oscillating at all.
start by using the Hide button to minimise Assign it to Pitch by tapping the left side of Increase LFO 1’s Rate to 6.44Hz. Now we
the keyboard. the Pitch button in the LFO section. have a nice vibrato.
POWER TIP
> Get connected

The eagle-eyed will notice the tiny
Cubase logo in some of the tutorial
screenshots. This indicates
communication between Synth One
and Cubasis on our iPad. In fact, we
used Cubasis to record all of the
audio examples for our
walkthroughs. There are actually
many ways Synth One can
communicate both in and out of iOS.
Inter-App Audio (IAA) is onboard, as
If we want all of our effects and LFOs We can play beyond the notes is Audiobus 3 compatibility. Ableton
4 to stay in sync with one another, we

can activate Tempo Sync using the button
in the middle of the page. While we’re in a
modulating mood, let’s take advantage of
5 currently displayed on the keyboard
by using the Octave buttons just above
the keys on the right. Upon playing higher
notes, we find that there are some nasty
Link will get Ableton Live users up
and running with Synth One, and
MIDI communication is available in
the usual ways, but also via
Synth One’s Phaser by bringing up its Mix digital artefacts, so we’ll go to the Global Bluetooth connectivity with
level in the lower-left. We’ll also increase section and tap the Anti-Aliasing function compatible MIDI controllers.
the Feedback for a more dramatic effect. to improve the sound. Let’s activate the
Delay for some echo, too.
Our sound is pretty cool when playing Let’s add LFO 2 to the proceedings. Finally, let’s expand the keyboard
6 in a staccato mode on the virtual

keyboard, but it’s a little bit on the abrupt
side when sliding our finger from key to
key without lifting it from the iPad’s
7 This time, we’ll use it to increase the
Filter Cutoff frequency. We do this by
tapping the right side of the Cutoff button
in the LFO section. We’re going to set the
8 again so we can have a proper jam.
Use the arrows on the top-right to tab over
to the Pad section, where we find a pair of
X/Y performance pads. The one on the left
surface. Let’s go back to the upper-right of rate to a slow four bars, and the Amount controls the LFO Depth and Rate, while
the interface and activate Legato mode to 28%. This gives us a slow, sweeping the one on the right controls Filter Cutoff
for a smoother performance. effect that blends well with the Phaser. and Resonance. Time for some fun!

PATCH
FROM SCRATCH
It’s time for the second of our three workshops on

creating modular synth sounds for free with VCV Rack
On page 54 we show you how to In that instalment, we created a basic only to the modular synthesist. By the
get up and running with VCV Rack, patch that could play itself using a time we’re finished, you’ll have gained
the free and open-source modular sequencer module. This time around, not only a better understanding of VCV
synthesiser modelled after the we’re going to widen the gap between Rack, but of synthesis itself. What we
Eurorack systems that have become input and output by dialling in a drone learn here will translate seamlessly to a
so very popular in recent years. If you patch that requires no active input on hardware Eurorack system or virtually
haven’t read it, you’ll need to quickly the part of the user. any other modular synth to which you
DOWNLOAD check it out to get up to speed on VCV We’ll also explore advanced have access. So let’s warm up our
Get the videos and tutorial
Rack and download the essential modulation techniques, using familiar oscillators, grab a fistful of virtual cables
filesilo.co.uk/computermusic software and modules, all for free. modules in unfamiliar ways available and get patching!
> Step by step 1. A quick VCV Rack recap
Let’s have quick catch up on the VCV VCV Rack is a standalone modular To hear anything, you’ll need an Audio
1 Rack environment. If you are already

familiar with it, skip ahead to the next page.
Obviously, the first thing you’ll need to do is
install VCV Rack and any plugin module
2 system modelled on the popular
Eurorack format. You can, however,
connect it with a DAW using the VST/AU
Bridge module plugin. It’s not a perfect
3 module, found in the Core category, at
the end of the chain. Modules are
connected by clicking and dragging
virtual cables from source to input ‘jacks’,
packs you might want to use. These can be solution, but it does the job. Modules are and disconnected by right-clicking a
found at vcvrack.com. instantiated by right-clicking empty space, connected jack or grabbing the patch
on which a browser will appear. point and dragging it away from the jack.

Hands-free synthesis
To most people, the word ‘synthesiser’ almost The VCS3 was users to find other means by which to ‘play’ their
(and is) a
invariably conjures up the image of a keyboard favourite for
sounds. Alternative controllers are available, but
instrument of some sort. Modular synthesists spacey drones, many users were (and are) nevertheless drawn
are, however, a breed apart, and many of them thanks to its to autonomous patches that drone on all
would never dream of attaching something so mod matrix and by themselves.
pedestrian as a keyboard to their monolithic looping Though a sequencer might seem the obvious
envelope
machinery. To these waveform wranglers, an choice for autonomous patches, many users
organ-style keyboard represents a backward, avoid using sequencers in their traditional role –
unimaginative interface that imposes an old- playing notes – preferring instead to draw upon
fashioned approach to making music. their ability to act as complex envelopes, LFOs,
Though Robert Moog famously embraced or even audio sources. Instead, LFOs, looping
the keyboard – knowing full well that it was envelopes, pulse generators and other modules
crucial to draw in the traditional musos that are called upon to generate triggers and pitches.
would bring attention to his instruments – In the following walkthrough, we’ll take a look
Californian Don Buchla had no interest in at how we can build up an engaging drone
attaching any ivories to his instruments, and sound using only a few modules in VCV Rack.
refused to do so for many years. system can be used for any musical style. First, though, you’ll need to grab the free
Likewise, Peter Zinovieff, main man behind Moog’s systems are perfectly capable of Bogaudio modules from vcvrack.com. This
England’s most famous synthesiser company, producing experimental, atonal music; and a collection of gadgets from Matt Demanett
EMS, had to be talked into offering an optional skilled user can play traditional tonal music on a includes a nifty recreation of the envelope
keyboard for EMS’ legendary VCS3 synthesiser. Buchla or EMS instrument. Still, the lack of a shaper from the EMS VCS3, among many other
It should be noted that nearly any modular traditional keyboard can be liberating, forcing powerful things.
> Step by step 2. Building a simple drone patch with VCV Rack
Let’s start by clearing out any Select your interface of choice in the We know that we’ll be routing the VCO
1 modules we might have patched up

(saving your work beforehand, of course).
Go to File at the upper-left and select New
from the available options. This provides a
2 Audio module. Now, let’s consider our
patch. We’ll obviously need a sound
source, so let’s bring up the VCO-1 module
from the Fundamental category. We’ll be
3 through a filter, so let’s grab a VCF
module from the Fundamental category.
Patch your VCO’s Sqr (square) wave into
the VCF’s In jack. We know, too, that we’ll
blank slate in which we’ll right-click, open controlling its pitch with a modulation want some echo, so let’s stick a Delay
the Core category and choose an Audio source, so we needn’t worry about tuning module in as well. This can also be found
module. This allows us to get our sound to it for now. among the Fundamentals.
the outside world.
We haven’t got any signal passing You should now hear a filtered square Now for the LFO. We’ll use the plain ol’
4 through to our Audio module, so let’s

take care of that next. Run a pair of cables
from the Delay module’s Out to Inputs 1
and 2 on the Audio module. Next, patch
5 wave. It’s pretty boring! Time to
introduce some modulation. First, though,
let’s tune our oscillator to a lower pitch.
How about cranking it down to a low E? It
6 LFO-1 module from the Fundamental
category. Patch its Sin(e) wave output to
the VCO’s FM input, and set the VCO’s
Freq CV knob to around 1 o’clock. This
the VCF’s LPF (Low Pass Filter) jack to the doesn’t have to be perfect – in fact, ours is gives us an old-school sci-fi film electronic
Delay module’s In jack. a bit sharp. It makes a nice rumble, though. pulse. However, that’s just the beginning...

> Step by step 3. Adding movement to our VCV Rack drone with LFOs and envelopes
Let’s take our basic drone patch even Let’s add another LFO-1 module. Turn That’s a drone! Still, it’s cycling, so it
1 further. Though we like our slowly

pulsing electronic klaxon, we’re going to
crank the LFO’s Frequency up to nearly
full. This provides a steadier tone, but one
2 its Frequency nearly all the way down,
and set the switch (just to the left of the
Freq knob) to the Bipolar position. Then,
run a patch cable from this new LFO’s
3 might get too familiar too quickly. The
answer is, obviously, another LFO! Route
the Sin output of this third LFO to the
VCF’s Freq input, and turn the VCF’s Freq
more complex than that of the VCO’s Triangle output over to the first LFO’s FM 1 CV to 1 o’clock. Push the filter’s Frequency
simple square wave. This is just standard, input, and set the first LFO’s FM 1 knob to down a bit and set its Resonance to
analogue-style FM. around 2 o’clock. around halfway.
This is getting quite interesting. Since We’ll add another VCF and Delay, too. We’ve now got separate signals being
4 all of our LFOs are cycling

independently, the sound slowly shifts and
changes over time. Let’s take a moment to
tidy up our rack. We can add even more
5 This time, we’ll route the new VCO’s
Saw out into the VCF. The VCF’s LPF out
will be sent to the new Delay’s In. We’ll
disconnect our first Delay from the Audio
6 sent to each side of the stereo
spectrum. Our original is coming from the
left, while the new VCO/VCF/Delay are
pumped through the right channel. We
interest by layering in a second VCO. We’ll module’s Input 2, replacing it with the need to spice up that right channel. This
use the same sort: the VCO-1 module from second Delay, and set the new modules’ time, we’re going to call upon the
the Fundamental category. parameters to slightly different values Bogaudio Shaper module.
from the first group.
The Shaper module is an envelope The Shaper is running a bit fast. Let’s Next, add another Shaper. Patch the
7 generator inspired by the unusual

looping trapezoidal envelope found on
EMS’ VCS3 and Synthi A. Set the Cycle
switch to the Loop position, patch its Env
8 set both its Attack and Decay knobs
to 1 o’clock. They do as you would expect.
The On knob acts as a ‘hold’ – set it to 9
o’clock. Finally, the Off knob determines
9 first filter’s LPF to its In jack, and its
Out to the first Delay module. Set it to
Loop as well, and set Attack, On, Decay
and Off to 2 o’clock. You’ll need to turn
output to the new filter’s Freq CV input, the length of time between cycles. Set that down the Signal level to avoid distortion.
and turn the VCF’s Freq CV knob to 2 to 1 o’clock, too. What a lovely drone we’ve got!
o’clock. You need to push the Shaper’s
Trigger button to get it started.

> Step by step 4. Modulating our VCV Rack drone’s effects
At the moment, we’ve got a pair of Let’s modulate that Time parameter Tidy the rack up once again, then
1 delays providing echo in our patch.

This is fine, of course, but it misses out on
one of the most interesting aspects of
using effects modules: the potential for CV
2 with yet another LFO-1 module, which
can be found in the Fundamental
category. Patch its Sine output to the CV
jack connected to the Time knob, and
3 right-click to the browser and grab
another Shaper module. We’re going to
route its Env output to the CV input
associated with the top Delay’s Mix
control. As you’ve likely noticed, the crank the LFO’s Frequency way down. parameter. We’ll need to reduce the Mix
delays offer CV inputs for every Now, the LFO is manipulating the delay knob’s value to around 8 o’clock.
parameter. Let’s nudge the top Delay’s time, resulting in an ever-changing
Time to around 1 o’clock. playback of echoes.
Once again, set the Shaper’s Cycle Let’s have some fun with the Delay in Patch the Noise module’s White
4 mode to Loop, but this time set the

Speed switch to the 10x position for a
really long cycle. Set each of its knobs to
around 10 o’clock and hit the Trigger
5 the second row – the one routed to the
right channel. Grab an S+H (Sample and
Hold) module from the Bogaudio
collection and patch its topmost Out jack
6 output into the S+H module’s topmost
In jack. It still won’t do anything unless we
activate the Trigger. Do that using the
pulse output of a Bogaudio LFO, with the
button to set it all into motion. Very slow to the second Delay’s Time CV input. An pulse width set high, and the LFO Rate at
motion, as it happens! S+H module requires an input, so 0.5. Tweak the Delay and VCF parameters
instantiate Bogaudio’s Noise module, too. for a deliriously dynamic drone!
Three drone-ready effects modules

Sonus Befaco Audible Instruments
Dept Ringo Spring Reverb Texture Synthesizer
Ring modulation is one of As we’ve already The texture Synthesizer is
the oldest of electronic demonstrated, even a a granular effect, capable
effects, and among the most familiar effect like delay can of taking in an audio source
recognisable, capable of become a rich timbral (or two), chopping the signals
instantly transforming any resource when controlled into bits of varying size,
input signal into the sort of by one or more modulation rearranging them and spitting
metallic, clangorous timbre sources – and reverb is them out again. Granular
associated with old-school another great candidate for processing isn’t a new thing
electronic studios. Ringo is a modular mayhem. Spring by any means, but this
classic ring modulator with a reverbs are often found in decidedly digital technology
built-in oscillator, the latter modular catalogues; most, is not usually associated with
of which can be controlled like this one from Befaco, old-world analogue systems.
by CV input. offering mod inputs. Very cool stuff.

> make synth music now / synth tips
29 SYNTH TIPS!
Here’s a selection of quick, broad and more general tips for every part
of the synthesis process to lift your sounds to completely new heights…
OSCILLATORS as you play, open up the cutoff
frequency, increase the amplifier SUPERSAW
DETUNING envelope release, and/or raise the One of the most popular (and some
EQUILIBRIUM noise volume. This is a time- might add to that, overused)
Detuning two or more oscillators in honoured way to help add energy sounds is the classic fat trance lead.
the same octave range is a great to a lead. Here’s how you can do it. Take two
way to fatten up a sound. Here’s the or more sawtooths and detune
correct way to do it. Detune each THE ELECTRO them radically, say +/-10 cents in
oscillator by equal amounts in FOURTH either direction. Open up the filter
opposite directions, say +/-5 cents. Countless electro tracks rely on the all the way, then add a really fat
This keeps things from sounding following tuning interval: set one chorus preset.
too sharp or flat in the mix. oscillator to the fundamental, then
tune the second oscillator up by an BEWARE THE
ADDING LOWS WITHOUT octave plus four semitones (an DETUNED BASS!
USING EQ octave and a major third, in musical When building punchy bass
If you want to add some body or terms). From there, play with the patches, be careful detuning your
low end to a patch, add a sine (or cutoff frequency and filter oscillators as this can often cause
triangle) wave oscillator. Tune the envelope parameters. the lows to phase in and out,
sine wave to the same octave or creating an inconsistent response.
one octave lower than your main 8-BIT NOSTALGIA For some truly fat bottom, try a
oscillator and adjust the volume of Most vintage video games relied on super-low octave range, then blend
the sine wave to taste. This square waves for their retro a second oscillator one octave
technique can be much more soundtracks. Start with a single higher. This will ensure that the
precise than EQ would be, and uses oscillator set to square, then add a phase remains consistent.
less CPU. second square-wave oscillator set
either one or two octaves higher AUTOMATED
TWO-FINGER (or lower). For some bonus points, SYNC SWEEPS
JAZZ CHORDS add a bitcrusher effect if you have It’s quite a common practice to use
Tune two sawtooth oscillators so one handy. hard sync to create metallic sweeps
that they’re seven semitones (or a via applying an LFO or envelope to
fifth) apart, then lower the cutoff THE SMOOTHEST PAD the pitch of the synced oscillator.
Modulate your pulse width by envelopes
frequency of the low-pass filter to Here’s a simple trick for creating Instead, try using the mod wheel to
to get good sweeps or plucked sounds
taste. Now play simple two- or really warm pads that take up change the pitch of the slaved
three-note chords. If your synth minimal space in a mix. Detune two oscillator. This will give you much
supports it, use sampled piano sine waves by equal amounts in more control over the sound – and increase the filter envelope amount
waves instead of sawtooth. opposite directions, then adjust the will also allow automated sweeps in up to 50% or more. As your
amp envelope to taste. Make sure your DAW. sequence plays, raising the cutoff
ADDING NOISE the filter is off (or all the way open) will morph the sound from plucked
A classic techno trick is to add a bit to ensure proper response across PULSE WIDTH to big and bright.
of white noise to your sound. Then, the keyboard. MODULATION EFFECTS
Many synths allow pulse width to WAH-WAH EFFECTS
be modulated by envelopes instead Classic guitar wah-wah pedals rely
of – or in conjunction with – the on a band-pass filter for their
LFO. This is a great way to create distinctive sound. If your synth
unusual sweeps or cool plucked supports it, activate this mode, set
sounds. If your synth allows the cutoff to 30–50% and add just a
changing the pulse width via the touch of resonance. Now apply
mod wheel, try giving that a go too. some free-running triangle-wave
LFO to the cutoff frequency and
play staccato riffs and chords.
FILTERS FAUX PHASERS
THE CLASSIC Another classic effect that can
FILTER MORPH easily be emulated via multimode
Take a sound that uses sawtooth or filters is phase shifting. To achieve
square waves. Give the filter this, set the oscillators to sawtooth
envelope a fast attack, quick decay, waves, switch the filter to notch (or
no sustain and medium release. band-reject) mode, set the cutoff to
Synths like Serum feature next-level oscillators but can still be used on a basic level Lower the cutoff down to zero and 50% and apply a very slow triangle-

synth tips / make synth music now <
You can be surprised just how much difference tweaking a synth’s envelope can make
GETTING A RISE sine or triangle wave, then route

The latest synths come with a range of filter types for maximum sonic sculpting Another classic tip is to mix in synth the S&H LFO to pitch.
bits that rise in pitch slowly. Select
an upward sawtooth – or ramp – GATING EFFECTS
wave LFO to the filter cutoff LFO waveshape, then reduce its To chop or pulse a sound, try
frequency. Adjust some resonance CHECK THE RESPONSE rate to minimum. Assign the LFO to applying a square-wave LFO to the
to taste. Not all low-pass filters are created oscillator pitch and hold a note amplitude (volume) and sync the
equally. To get a feel for your down. Add a delay for even more LFO rate to tempo. Then, if possible,
CLEAN UP A MIX synthesiser’s implementation, set dramatic results. route the LFO amount to the mod
A classic way to clean up a mix is to your oscillator waveform to wheel so you can turn the effect on
minimise unnecessary lows on sawtooth and lower the cutoff until THE BENDS and off and create new rhythms.
each instrument using a the sound is extremely muted. Classic electro basslines and leads
high-pass filter. If your synth has Then try and play some low notes rely heavily on pitch swoops. These
dual filters that can be set in series, on your keyboard – if you’re lucky can be achieved via envelopes or ENVELOPES
switch the second filter to high- enough, you may be surprised at its portamento, but if you want to
pass mode and raise the cutoff very bass response! create something really rhythmic, INVERTED ENVELOPES
slightly (between 2 and 20%) on just apply a triangle-wave LFO to Some synths allow the filter
sounds that don’t require low end. THE WHOOSH pitch and sync it to the tempo of envelope to be inverted. This
Applying a low-pass filter to white your track. Once that’s set up, try creates the following envelope
ADD LOWS noise is the secret for creating experimenting with different note shape: immediate attack, then
It seems counter-intuitive, but you nature sounds like wind, waves and pitches as you play. attack becomes decay, decay
can use high-pass filters to increase surf. It’s also the secret for creating becomes a second attack, followed
low-end in sounds like sampled those whooshes that set off the big ERSATZ RING MOD by sustain, then a release that rises
kick drums and toms. Turn the breakdowns in remixes. While If your LFO is capable of very fast back to the original cutoff
resonance up to 50%, then slowly you’re experimenting with this rates, you can use it to simulate frequency. Be sure to set the cutoff
raise the filter cutoff while technique, don’t forget to tinker ring modulation effects. To test this, to at least 50% to hear the effect.
triggering the sound. When the with the resonance too. increase the LFO rate to maximum
sound suddenly gets louder, you’ve and assign it to the amplitude STACCATO
found the frequency. (volume) of your sound. If this RELEASE TRIGGERS
TUNING FILTERS
LFO technique adds weird frequencies On most synths, the release
to your sound, you’re in luck. segment will begin from any
If your synth’s low-pass filter can THE HOUSE PAD envelope level other than zero.
self-oscillate, you can use it as a Combine two slightly detuned RETROFABULOUS Even if you lift the key during the
sine wave oscillator. Begin by sawtooth oscillators and set the 80S EFFECTS attack or decay segment, the
turning the resonance to 70–80%, filter cutoff to 40–60%. Then, set Early Depeche Mode tracks envelope will jump to the release.
then hold a note and slowly raise the LFO waveform to a downward included various burbling filter Try setting a medium decay, with
the cutoff frequency until the note sawtooth wave and route it to filter effects created by applying a zero sustain and a long release, and
jumps in volume. Next, raise the cutoff. If possible, sync the LFO rate sample and hold LFO (also known then playing staccato notes.
keyboard tracking to 100% and and set it for eighth-notes. Now as a random LFO) to the filter cutoff
increase the resonance until the play some minor chords. frequency and adjusting the CREATING
filter generates an additional tone. resonance to taste. For extra credit, ATTACK TRANSIENTS
try syncing the LFO rate to tempo If you feel like adding a bit of snap
using either eighth- or 16th-notes. to the beginning of your sound,
simply create a pitch envelope with
SUPERCOMPUTER an immediate attack and very short
SOUNDS decay. Next, adjust the amount
Sample and hold LFOs can also be until you hear a ‘thwip’ at the start
used for old-school ‘computer’ of the note, then adjust the decay
Using a synth’s sample & hold functionality can bring a random element to your sound sounds. Simply set an oscillator to a and amount as needed.

under-the-radar synth classics / make synth music now <
UNDER-THE-RADAR
SYNTH
CLASSICS
Some synthesisers are celebrated,
while others rarely get a mention.
Let’s look closer at some of the
world’s less-lauded machines…
Take a look at your plugins folder. How bargain, most of which were sold off the moment
many Minimoog, TB-303 and DX7 something better became available.
emulations are in there? If you’re anything like Still, some of those bargain-basement
us, you’ve amassed a collection of classic machines made their way onto hit records. It’s no
clones, and you can count yourself among coincidence that the post-punk ‘New Wave’ took
those fortunate enough to have access to the off just as manufacturers were scrambling to
sounds of such legendary instruments. provide cheaper alternatives to the lofty and
Aping the big names is big business, and for luxurious models that had found favour with
good reason. Secondhand prices of famous chart-topping MTV stars. Artists such as Thomas
instruments have skyrocketed thanks to their Dolby, the Eurythmics and Prefab Sprout cut their
scarcity and collectibility. If you’re lucky enough teeth – and their early hits – with affordable
to be able to own the real deal, you’ll no doubt synths, a few of which can still be had today for
have learned that maintenance costs are reasonable secondhand prices.
equally offputting. Over the next few pages, we’re going to take a
As most of you will be aware, software look at some of these instruments. We’ll cover the
simulations represent sound alternatives, best analogue also-rans and digital underdogs in
allowing us to relive the past without the hassles an attempt to uncover the qualities that might
(or price). have made them stand out – if only anyone had
And yet, how many of us actually owned an paid attention. We’ll look at cut-price near-classics
original Prophet-5 or Jupiter-8? Those from big name manufacturers, as well as cottage
instruments cost a king’s ransom in their day. The industry curiosities.
average gigging muso was forced to settle on a More importantly, we’ll clue you in to software
cut-down, cut-price compromise, or scour the that will allow you to recapture the special
pawnshops and classified ads in search of a qualities of these cutout bin classics.

> make synth music now / under-the-radar synth classics
UK classics – Huggett’s legacy

Despite the fact that one of the most collectable Paul Wiffen and Anthony Harris-Griffin. Another
synths ever created – the exquisite EMS Synthi – aesthetically unusual design, this offered a
hailed from the United Kingdom, few electronic typical subtractive signal path, augmented by
aficionados would ever cite the UK as a hotbed rudimentary additive synthesis that let users
of inventive electronic instruments. create custom waveforms using a quaint data
And this, dear readers, is a shame, as it entry system that consisted of entering values
overlooks the considerable contributions of one with the instrument’s keyboard. Released in
man whose name should be mentioned 1983, it wasn’t a big seller, but still found its way
alongside the Moogs, Rossums, and Smiths that into the charts courtesy of Stevie Wonder,
pepper the pages of synthesiser history. Ultravox, and Jean-Michel Jarre.
That man was Chris Huggett. Huggett’s first The eye-catching Wasp was a hallmark of UK design Alas, OSC went the way of EDP, but that wasn’t
contribution to the world of synthesis came in the end for Chris Huggett, who later wrote the
the form of the Electronic Dream Plant Wasp, a multimode, resonant filter, LFO and a pair of OS for Akai’s standard-setting S1000 sampler
tiny black and yellow monstrosity with a two- envelope generators. Released in 1977, the Wasp (the hardware of which was designed by
octave, touch-plate keyboard. Designed with had many endorsees including Vince Clarke, another Brit, EMS’ David Cockerell), as well as
partner Adrian Wagner, the Wasp could be had Nick Rhodes and 808-State. many of its successors.
for a couple of hundred quid – a pittance After the demise of EDP, Huggett formed the Eventually, he landed at Novation, designing
considering the instrument’s powerful Oxford Synthesiser Company, whose one-and- the Supernova and contributing to the Bass
architecture of dual oscillators, noise, only product was the OSCar, co-designed with Station and Peak.
> Step by step 1. Wasp-style synthesis with NuSofting daHornet
NuSofting’s daHornet is a virtual Looping envelopes must be a UK Let’s get the filter in on the act. We can
1 version of the EDP Wasp, and it can be

had free (32-bit) or for a small donation
(64-bit) from NuSofting. Like that other
British synth that preceded it, the Wasp is
2 thing, as they appear on the EMS
Synthis as well as the Wasp. We can loop
daHornet’s amplitude envelope by
reducing its Sustain knob to nil. The
3 loop the filter envelope by reducing its
Delay to nil. Set Decay to just under 9
o’clock. Increase its Control knob up to 2
o’clock. We’ll reduce the filter’s Frequency
excellent for Doctor Who-style sound Repeat LED will illuminate. Let’s set the to nil, and crank its Q (resonance) up.
effects. Let’s make one with daHornet. Fire Decay to 11 o’clock. Now we get a rhythmic That’s an effect that’s worthy of the
it up and dial up the preset called Buzzy. sound when we play and hold a note. Radiophonic Workshop!
> Step by step 2. Emulating the OSCar with G-Media’s impOSCar
The OSC OSCar had a lot going for it, Go to the Mix section and turn the Osc Find the rows of vertical LEDs in the
1 not least its ability to generate a

custom waveform. G-Media’s ImpOSCar is
likewise endowed. Let’s load it and see.
Here, we’ve gone for the factory preset.
2 Balance knob fully anti-clockwise.
Now we hear only Osc 1. We’ll go to the
Osc1 section and use the Wave knob to
select User Wave 1. This renders our patch
3 lower-left, where we’ll program our
waveform. It’s a bit like additive synthesis,
with each vertical bar representing a
harmonic. However, once we’ve made our
It’s a bit muted, so let’s change the filter silent. At this point, there is no waveform wave, it’s subjected to a subtractive
mode to one of the low-pass jobs and programmed into the User Wave 1 slot, so synthesis signal path. Let’s draw in bars
crank the Frequency. we hear nothing. until we have a decent digital waveform.

Additive > Step by step 3. Additive synthesis with KarmaFX Synth

dream
machines
By the late 70s, analogue
synthesis had been pretty much
dominant for over a decade.
Aural explorers longed for
something new: total control
over sonic creation.
Or at least they thought that’s
what they wanted. When such a
technology was presented, it was
largely rejected in favour of
familiar analogue instruments or
preset-packed digital devices. We’ve explored additive oscillators in Click the middle button just to the
Whereas subtractive synths
start with a harmonically
complex waveform and whittle it
away with filters, an additive
1 a subtractive architecture. Now let’s
build a proper, if simplified, additive signal
path with no filters and multiple envelope
generators. For this, we’ll use KarmaFX
2 right of the Monics knob. Now reduce
the value of the Monics knob until the left
display reads Harmonics: 32. It’s not
many, but it’s a start. To hear it, we must
synth builds up complex sounds Synth. Start with the CMBasic preset route it to the Amplifier, but first, we’ll
by piling on loads of simple found in Tutorial Files. Right-click in an right-click in an empty area and select
empty and choose Add Module > Add Module > Modulator > ADSR.
waveforms. A full additive
Generator > Additive.
system offers individual pitch
and amplitude envelopes for
each sine wave. Complex, to say
the least.
Still, that hasn’t prevented a
few manufacturers from delving
into the heady realm of additive
synthesis. Spinning off from
research by Bell Labs, Crumar
offered the GDS system, of which
only a few were sold. It was
reimagined by Digital Keyboards
Inc as the Synergy. Initially, the
Synergy was a preset-only
instrument, requiring said GDS to
program it. However, an upgrade
gave access to its many
parameters using a Kaypro II Let’s now right-click on Amplifier1’s Ideally we’d have an amp envelope for
computer – futuristic in 1982!
Despite offering a mere 32
partials, the Synergy was a
3 title bar and choose Generator1 as its
input. Next, we’ll right-click on Amplifier1’s
Amp knob and select Modulator1 as that
knob’s input. We can then adjust our
4 every harmonic, but that would take
ages to patch. Instead, let’s control the
harmonics in blocks of eight. We’ll reduce
all but the first eight harmonics in our
capable machine in the hands of
ADSR knobs. Increase Decay and Additive Oscillator to nil, and tweak the
someone with the patience to Release. If we now trigger some notes, we levels of the remaining eight. Let’s add
program it. Wendy Carlos created hear the rather plain waveform produced another ADSR, this time lashed to the
a number of convincing by the Additive oscillator. Additive Osc’s Out slider.
orchestral sounds for the
Synergy, and you can hear both
the Synergy and the GDS system
on her LP, Beauty In the Beast.
Japanese instrument maker
Kawai is one of the few
companies to attempt to put
additive synths into mass
production. Their K5 – released in
1987 – offered up to 126
harmonics per voice, and some
interesting methods by which
large numbers of them could be
edited at once. A lovely-sounding
machine that utterly failed to set
the world alight.
The same applied in 1996 to Let’s add a second Additive Generator, Finally, let’s reduce the onscreen
their ambitious K5000 which
offered more partials, more
envelopes, more… everything. A
5 also with the Monics knob set to 32.
We’ll reduce all but Harmonics 9-16 to nil
and tweak those remaining. We’ll once
again add an ADSR and patch it to the
6 clutter by minimising our oscillators
and ADSRs. Then, fill the remaining space
with another two additive oscillators – one
with only Harmonics 17-24, the other with
fantastic source of atmospheric
timbres, it was an inspiration for new Additive Oscillator’s Out slider. Now, only Harmonics 25-32 – and tie an ADSR
we’ll adjust all three ADSRs so that the each to their Out sliders. A few tweaks
Camel Audio’s Cameleon 5000,
values of Attack, Decay, Sustain, and later, we’ve got an interesting timbre…
the forebear to Apple’s Alchemy. Release differ. without a filter in sight!

> make synth music now / under-the-radar synth classics
Phase distortion classics from Casio

Over the decades, Casio – makers of watches, angular modulation waveform. The results were
calculators and toys – have occasionally dipped different from analogue waveforms, and
their toes into the world of professional music decidedly, deliciously digital.
instruments. Perhaps because they’ve become The CZ-101 – and its full-sized followups – sold
associated with cheap toy samplers, Casio’s in blockbuster numbers that, while massive by
professional offerings are often overlooked. This musical instrument standards – paled against
is a shame, as a number of them have been the company’s consumer electronics products.
serious instruments rivalling anything else on That didn’t stop ’em from producing a more
the market at the time. advanced version of Phase Distortion
Only once did a Casio instrument make any (Interactive Phase Distortion) and using it as the
kind of significant splash, and even that one was Casio’s CZ-101: more formidable than at first glance basis of the woefully undervalued VZ-1, VZ-10M,
pretty hard to take seriously… at first. Unleashed and VZ-8M synthesisers.
just as MIDI sequencers were becoming more Under the hood, the CZ-101 offered an Due in part to its inclusion in Jeff McClintock’s
popular, Casio’s diminutive CZ-101 offered an alternative to Yamaha’s powerful (and patented) wildly popular plugin construction kit SynthEdit,
eight-voice, multitimbral competitor to FM synthesis. Called Phase Distortion synthesis, phase distortion synthesis has made a big
Yamaha’s blockbuster digital synths. Coming in it was not dissimilar to that used by Yamaha, and comeback in more recent years, although most
at a measly £395, it was a hot seller in 1984, could indeed produce the same sorts of crisp, of the developers in question have been content
despite its resemblance to the company’s other percussive tones that made the DX series so with cloning the more popular CZ variant, rather
toy keyboards, with its mini-keys and shoulder popular. Phase Distortion produced complex than going for the more hybrid approach of
strap pegs. waveforms by distorting a carrier wave with an Casio’s VZ series.
> Step by step 4. Classic Casio sounds with Plugin Boutique Virtual CZ
Casio’s CZ synths gave a cheaper, The default Init patch sounds a bit We’ll use Line 1 to define the
1 easier way in to digital synthesis than

the DX7. It was still capable of those cool,
digital tones, though. Like Yamaha’s FM,
Casio’s Phase Distortion synthesis was
2 ‘analogue’, but we want a woody,
percussive patch – so we need to grok
VirtualCZ’s architecture. Note that the Osc
section consists of two ‘lines’. Each can
3 percussive strike in our patch. We’ll
need to shorten the Amp envelope.
Currently, the Amp envelope has two
stages. First, we’ll turn the Sustain off for
ideal for tuned percussion patches that produce two ‘shapes’, or waveforms. Click every envelope. This is found in the upper-
were hard to get with analogue on Line 1’s A and B buttons, and select a left of each. Stage 2 defines release time.
instruments. Let’s try it with VirtualCZ. Square wave for each. Let’s turn it clockwise, to a value of 270.
Now, let’s use the Pitch Envelope to Let’s get Line 2 in on the action. We’ll That’s getting close to the sound we
4 simulate our strike. We’ll crank up the

first slider (Level 1), as well as its Rate
knob just below. We’ll set the second Rate
knob to 87 (15ms). Next, we’ll go to the
5 click the button in the Mix section and
select Line 1+Line 2. Once again, we’ll
select a pair of mellow square waves for
our wave shapes, and we’ll set all of Line
6 want. Let’s use Line 2’s DCW envelope
to bring it home. We’ll set its second Rate
knob to 77. Line 1 is a bit loud, so we’ll go
to its Amp Env and reduce the level of the
DCW Env. This behaves a little like a filter. 2’s envelope sustains to Off. We’ll go to sole active slider. Now we can fine tune,
We’ll set its second Rate knob to a value of Line 2’s Amp Env, and set its second Rate tweaking velocity and keyboard
around 88 (11ms) in order to define our knob to a value of 56, or 296ms. modulation of the envelopes until we have
transient strike. a perfect percussive patch.

Underrated > Step by step 5. Exploring Roland Cloud’s JX-3P

analogues
The first wave of analogue
produced many classic
instruments, but far more that
have been forgotten. Some were
given a miss for good reason:
poor designs, thin sounds or
lousy distribution. Others,
however, were the casualties of
poor timing or a fundamental
misunderstanding of their value
by both pundit and performer.
Some were simply
overshadowed by more Roland’s JX-3P has always been At first glance, the JX-3P looks almost
important instruments. This
would be the case for Roland’s
JX-3P. Roland’s first full MIDI
machine, the JX-3P was one of
1 overshadowed by its more famous
stablemates, yet it’s a terrific source of
thumping basses, searing leads and thick
analogue textures. Roland themselves
2 like a preset string machine, with few
controls on offer. However, a flip through
its rather small list of presets reveals a
capable – if oh-so-80s – instrument. We
the first to relegate its knobs and have given the old dear some long want to start from scratch, so we’ll click on
sliders to an optional controller overdue respect, including the synth the Patch button to reveal the available
among the many offerings in its Roland patches and click the New button to
(the PG-200). Maybe this is why it
Cloud subscription service. create a new bank of blanks.
isn’t as highly regarded as, say, a
Juno-60. Or perhaps it’s because
the much more mature Juno-106
followed quickly on its heels.
Whichever the case, the JX-3P
offered a lot for its low asking
price of £1075, with dual
oscillators, cross-modulation,
squelchy filter and onboard
sequencer. Still available for
stupidly low prices, it deserves to
be rediscovered.
Another Big Name, Oberheim,
were unused to producing also-
rans. Having (literally) shaken
stadiums with their venerated
OB-X and OB-Xa polysynths, the
company went through a rough We select the A1 slot and close the It isn’t really a vast playground, but it
patch in the mid-1980s, but not
before trundling out the massive
Matrix-12 and XPander. These
3 Patch window. Now we’ve got a very
plain sound. There are only a few
parameters on the front panel. On the
original, parameters could be edited one-
4 isn’t bad, offering some things that
other budget Roland synths lacked, such
as a second oscillator with cross-
modulation. Let’s find the Source Mix
polyphonic behemoths would
at-a-time or via an optional hardware box, section and bring DCO-2 into the mix.
become the last of the great the PG-200. Fortunately, Roland has Now, let’s go to DCO-2 and change its
Oberheims before the company hidden the PG-200 under the Edit button. Waveform to PLS (pulse). We’ll also
ended up in the hands of Gibson. Let’s open it up. decrease its Range to 16.
Though the Matrix-12 and
XPander were priced only for the
moneyed few, the company
offered a pair of stripped-down
variants in the form of the preset
Matrix-1000 and Matrix-6. Under
the hood, these two were
functionally identical, with the
latter offering a membrane touch
panel for programming sounds
(the Matrix-1000 could be
patched using software).
While offering nowhere near
the power of its bigger siblings,
these units were still hugely
flexible, thanks to the many
routing possibilities offered by Next, let’s go to the Cross Mod section Turning to Env-1, we set its Decay and
the modulation matrix – at the
time a new concept. Somewhat
hampered by pokey digital
5 and set its switch to the Metal
position. It gives the sound a little extra
bite. Let’s turn to the JX-3P’s VCF section.
We’ll set both Cutoff Freq(uency) and
6 Release knobs to 183. We set its
Sustain to 62. This causes the filter cutoff
to decrease after a bit. Now, for Env-2 for
the amplitude. Decay should be at 77,
envelopes, these machines
nevertheless were – and are – a Resonance knobs to 12 o’clock. Now, we’ll Sustain at 112, and Release at 172. This
set the Env-1 Mod knob to a value of makes for an evocative, chiming sound.
terrific source of complex
about 48. This causes Envelope 1 to Set the first Effect Type knob to Chorus
analogue timbres. modulate the filter cutoff. and slam the Depth amount.

PATCH
FROM SCRATCH
Continuing our look at patching and modular synthesis

(from pages 54 and 86) we enter a daring digital world…
It’s easy to assume that the current ennui of electronic musicians who adopt the Eurorack format that
fascination for all things modular found calling up yet another neatly cemented the format’s popularity.
is merely an extension of the analogue multisampled nylon guitar patch The modular musician now knows all
synthesis revival. To be sure, when antithetical to the romantic image of too well the limitations of analogue
Dieter Döpfer kicked around the idea the knob-twiddling synthesist. circuitry. Fortunately, there are now all
of his new modular format back in It would take over a decade, but manner of esoteric modules that
1995, he began with a few familiar Döpfer’s chosen Eurorack format combine digital processing power with
DOWNLOAD analogue modules. This was a eventually took hold. Yet its popularity the immediacy of knobs, jacks, and a
Get the videos and tutorial reaction against the hardware was not due to mere nostalgia – freely patchable environment.
filesilo.co.uk/computermusic ROMplers that filled the shelves of the electronic musicians are too forward- Over the next few pages, we’ll explore
day, and though his Doepfer A-100 thinking to fall for that. No, it was the the modern digital side of modular
series didn’t exactly set the world compact size, relative low cost, and the synthesis using the free and open source
alight at the time, it did tap into the willingness of other manufacturers to VCV Rack. Let’s crunch some numbers!
What you’ll need
VCV’s Audible Instruments Matt Demanett Bogaudio adbrant Arable Instruments

To start, we’ll need some plugins from vcvrack.com. We called upon Matt Demanett’s Bogaudio This bundle offers alternate versions of Audible
The first, Audible Instruments, is a collection of comprehensive collection of modules in our previous Instruments take on Mutable Instruments’ popular
modules based on popular Eurorack modules VCV Rack tutorials and we’ll be drawing for them granular synthesis module called Clouds. The one
produced by Mutable Instruments, a company that once again. In addition to the analogue fare on offer, we’ll be using is called Joni, a nifty granular effects
specialises in exotic digital tools. These are spot-on, the Bogaudio bundle features a pair of dynamite processor. Though the Audible Instruments version
fully endorsed reproductions of their hardware digital oscillators, including a fully-featured FM of Clouds more closely resembles the hardware, we
counterparts. We’ll use modules from the free bundle. ‘operator’ that brings DX-flavoured FM to VCV Rack. like the breezier interface on offer in Joni.

Crossing the streams: analogue does digital

The first wave of modular synthesisers were all musicians who work with modular Eurorack
but a distant memory when digital samplers first systems. The modular synthesis revival may
hit the scene, and though digital FM synthesis have been borne of boredom, but it has thrived
was developed concurrently with analogue’s thanks to the flexibility of today’s hybrid
initial heyday, it wouldn’t reach maturity (or the systems. Synthesists now have access to a vast
masses) until 1982. By that time, analogue number of digital modules, ranging from simple
synthesis was considered played out and sample playback devices and loopers to
musicians were dumping their old ARPs and complex granular choppers and sample
EMSs for gritty, grainy 8-bit synths, samplers, manglers, and familiar digital tech such as FM
and drum machines. These early digital Precise digital oscillators and warm analogue filters synthesis is now joined by modern DSP tools like
doodads may have sounded a bit lo-fi, but at can lead to unique timbres, as the PPG Wave proved acoustic modelling.
least they sounded different. These techniques spring brilliantly to life
Eventually, of course, musicians grew bored when used in a modular environment. For
with menu diving and preset patches, and It’s not the first time. Wolfgang Palm’s PPG example, where once samples were maligned as
rediscovered the hands-on allure of analogue Wave series of hybrid synthesisers deftly being static and lifeless, here they may be
modulars. However, they had not forgotten the blended digital wavetables with analogue filters transformed into sources of ever-changing
crystalline highs and biting basses of digital and amplifiers, and Ensoniq’s price-busting sonic interest – or even used as modulation
oscillators. In fact, today’s synthesist knows full Mirage sampler plumbed 8-bit digital samples sources in their own right.
well that combining digital waveforms with through a similarly analogue signal path. It’s no Likewise, FM synthesis’ reputation for ice-
analogue filters and real-time CV control offers coincidence that both the Mirage and its cold sterility melts away when plumbed through
up an exciting palette for the creation of new wavetable-based twin, the ESQ-1, have been a warm analogue filter or VCA. We’ll look at our
tone colours. embraced by many of the same modern favourite such uses in the following tutorials.
> Step by step 1. Building a wavetable synth voice in VCV Rack
Let’s build a PPG-style wavetable We’ll need a MIDI controller to hear Right-click into our Fundamental
1 synth voice. The idea behind

wavetables is simple – some single-cycle
waveforms are strung together end-to-
end to form a single digital audio file. The
2 what we’re doing. Right-click in the
empty rack, go to the Core category and
choose MIDI-1 and Audio modules. Once
they appear, select the correct interface
3 modules and grab a VCF, ADSR, and a
VCA. We’ll also nab a Delay for
sweetening. Connect the MIDI module’s
CV Out to the Oscillator’s V/OCT In jack
oscillator can instantly call upon any for each. Next, instantiate an Audible for pitch control. We’ll connect the MIDI
waveform in the ‘wavetable’ or modulate Instruments Macro Oscillator. This is a module’s Gate Out to the ADSR’s Gate In.
through them. We’ll start by going to File multi-purpose digital module based on a We’ll route the Oscillator’s Out to the VCF’s
and creating a New empty rack. design from Mutable Instruments. In. The VCF’s LPF goes to the top VCA In.
The VCA’s top Out goes to the Delay’s That’s only one wave in the wavetable. Tweak the ADSR to push Color into
4 In, and the Delay’s Out to Inputs 1 and

2 on the Audio module. The ADSR’s Out
goes to the VCA’s LIN jack. We can now
play a sound. Crank up the VCF’s Freq for
5 The Color knob is used to select the
wave in the table. Give it a twirl, then set it
fully anti-clockwise. What if we modulate
that knob? Call up another ADSR and
6 action. Turn the Attack fully down and
both Decay and Release to about 2
o’clock. Sustain will be at 10 o’clock. Now,
if we play and hold a note, the wavetable
now. Scroll the Macro Osc’s Edit knob until connect its In jack to the MIDI module’s sweeps through its waves for a classic PPG
the display says Wtbl. You should hear a Gate output. Patch the ADSR’s Out to the sound. Modulate the VCF with the same
decidedly digital bell-like timbre. Color input on the Macro Oscillator. ADSR and tweak the patch a bit to taste.

> Step by step 2. DAW-driven sample manipulation using VCV Rack’s VST Bridge
For this tutorial, we’re going to need to Now, let’s open our DAW – in this case, We’ll drag a drum loop clip onto an
1 connect VCV Rack with our DAW. For

MIDI sync, we’ll need to set something up.
We’re on a Mac, so we can go into Audio
MIDI Setup, choose MIDI Setup, open the
2 Ableton Live. We’ll go the Live menu
and open Preferences. There, we’ll click
the Link MIDI tab. Near the bottom, we
see options for connecting both our MIDI
3 audio track in Live, then drag the VCV
Bridge VST plugin into the same track –
this renders the track output silent. Next,
we’ll fire up the standalone VCV Rack app
IAC Driver and check Device Is Online. Tracks and Sync to the various available and start with a new, clean rack, into
Windows users will use something like the MIDI devices – including the IAC Driver which we’ll instantiate MIDI and Audio
free LoopBe1: bit.ly/Loop_Be1 we’ve just enabled. We’ll make sure both modules. In the MIDI module, we select
IAC Driver Input and Output are On. IAC Driver Bus 1 as the Core MIDI Device.
In the Audio module, we’ll select If Live is playing, we’ll now hear our We can now remove the Audio
4 Bridge as our Audio driver and

choose Port 1 as our audio device. This is
VCV Bridge’s default port. Now to our
patch. Let’s grab a Campione live sampler
5 drum loop playing through VCV Rack.
Let’s patch our Audio module’s Output 1
to Campione’s In jack. This will allow us to
sample the beat. We do this by clicking
6 module’s patch cables. We’ll call up
fresh VCF and VCA modules. We’ll patch
Campione’s Out to the VCF’s In, and the
VCF’s LPF to the VCA’s top In. The VCA’s
module from Sonus Modular. We’ll use it to Campione’s Record button to activate top Out will go to the Audio module’s
sample the drum loop loaded into Live. recording, and again to deactivate it. We’ll Inputs 1 and 2. Let’s add a SEQ-3 module.
We’ll temporarily connect our Audio try to time our button toggling so we We’ll patch our MIDI module’s CLK 1 jack
modules Output 2 to its own Input 2. catch a perfect loop. to the sequencer’s Ext Clk input.
The sequencer will now get its tempo Crank Campione’s Speed knob down, Finally, call up Arable Instruments’
7 from Live. We’ll patch the MIDI-1’s Strt

to SEQ-3’s Reset. We’ll connect the
sequencer’s first Gate Out jack to
Campione’s Play jack and toggle the One-
8 and run a cable from SEQ-3’s Row 1
jack to Campione’s Speed jack. Tweaking
the knobs in the sequencer’s top row
causes the sample to play at different
9 Joni module and route it between
VCA and Audio modules. Granular
processors like this chop the sound into
tiny grains that can be manipulated on a
Shot and Loop switches. We can now hear speeds for each step. Similarly, patch Row microscopic level. Use a second
the filtered sample playing on every 2 to the VCF’s Freq input and use it to synchronised sequencer to modulate
second pass of the sequencer. Let’s boost control the filter cutoff per step. Don’t parameters for a nightmarish granular
the VCF Freq and VCA Level knobs. forget VCF’s Freq and Freq CV knobs! ambience. Weird and wonderful!

> Step by step 3. FM synthesis with VCV Rack
For our final digital patch, we’ll look at We’ll need a VCA, too. And why not Let’s drop in our first FM module. For
1 one of the most popular and powerful

forms of digital sound generation: FM
synthesis. Start by clearing the rack. For
this patch, we’ll need an Audio module, so
2 throw in a Delay module for
sweetening? We’ll route the top Out of the
VCA into the Delay and the Delay’s Out to
Inputs 1 and 2 of the Audio module.
3 this, we’ll use Bog Audio’s FM-OP. This
is a single FM operator complete with a
built-in envelope generator. We’ll route its
Out to our VCA’s topmost In jack. It
let’s grab one from the Core collection. Rather than using a MIDI module to drive generates a simple sine wave. This will be
This time, we’ll use our audio interface our patch, let’s choose a SEQ-3 module our carrier. Let’s run a cable from the SEQ-
drivers, rather than those of a DAW. from the Fundamental category. 3’s Gate Out to our FM-OP’s Gate In.
There is a tiny button labeled Env just Let’s add a second FM-OP. This will be Patch SEQ-3’s Gate to the second
4 to the lower-right of the FM-OP’s Level

knob. Click it to lash the module’s level
control to its internal envelope. Now the
sequencer is triggering the envelope. Set
5 our ‘modulator’. Usually, FM synths
offer four or six operators, but we can
make a nice percussive sound with two.
We’ll patch this new FM-OP’s Out to our
6 FM-OP, and route the sequencer’s
Row 1 to our carrier and Row 2 to our
modulator and tweak the knobs for both
rows. A classic metallic FM sound! Activate
FM-OP’s Attack and Sustain to 0, Decay to first one’s FM Input. Reduce the pitch of Env switch for the modulator FM-OP’s
9 o’clock and the Release to 1 o’clock for our second FM-OP to 10 o’clock. Crank the Level and tweak envelope settings for a
a percussive envelope. first FM-OP’s Depth knob up full. punchier sound. Get experimenting!
Three must-have digital modules

EE
EE
22
FR
€5
FR
SONUS MODULAR SONUS VCV AUDIBLE INSTRUMENTS MODAL BACON MUSIC

DEPT ADDICTION SYNTHESIZER AND RESONATOR5 CHIPYOURWAVES
Though additive synthesis is nearly two These are powerful physical modelling-based Bacon Music’s collection features – among
centuries old, it only reached maturity with modules. As it uses mathematical algorithms many other things – a handful of modules
the advent of computer-assisted synthesis in to recreate the physical behaviour of actual that are based on the chips used in Nintendo
the 70s. This is mainly because of the vast acoustical objects, physical modelling is by game boxes. Unlike the others found in the
number of oscillators, envelopes and nature a purely digital technique. However, as bundle, ChipYourWaves isn’t based on a
amplifiers needed to create anything but the owners of Mutable Instruments Elements and specific chip or circuit. Instead it’s an original
most basic waveforms. Addiction is a Rings know, physical modelling can be a design intended to capture the quirky spirit
powerful, free additive oscillator. great addition to a modular rig. of those devices.
bit.ly/Sonus_Dept bit.ly/AudibleInstruments bit.ly/Bacon_Chip

> buyer’s guide / the 6 best budget softsynths
the 6 best …
Budget synths
Fancy a cost-effective plugin synth for less than a ton?
Here are some of the best and most unusual we’ve tested
Plogue Chipsynth MD
£49
This is effectively the sound engine from the
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis games console of
the 90s used as the core of a synth… and it
works! Make no mistake about it: Chipsynth
MD is a fine retro FM synth in the broadest
sense, capable of far more than the blips and
bloops its gaming origins imply.
plogue.com
Puremagnetik Nighthawk
$20
This “1980s-inspired soundscape
synthesiser” might boast one of the
simplest interfaces here, but it’s also one of
the cheapest synths you can buy. Sure it
focuses on its retro credentials so won’t
appeal to all, but there’s enough going on WA Production Babylon
here to get some lovely sheeny sounds. $69
Nighthawk easily delivers on its neon-lit Ignore the looks as Babylon has lots of
retro-styled promise, and this is another features… and fine presets. A very capable
satisfyingly weird and wonderful addition to synth with lots of onboard flexibility, meaning
the Puremagnetik catalogue. you can throw it at a lot of tasks.
puremagnetik.com waproduction.com

the 6 best budget softsynths / buyer’s guide <
Native Instruments
Super 8
£59
This is Native Instruments’ first virtual
analogue polysynth since Pro-53 and wraps
up lots of lovely features in a brilliantly simple
interface, resulting in a very capable synth.
Super 8 beefs things up, yielding the kind of
weight demanded by contemporary
production without losing the essence of the
20th century synths that inform it. A brilliant,
synth that will win you over with its single-
screen immediacy and huge sound.
native-instruments.com
Rob Papen
Quad
€99
Quad features two oscillators,
each with their own sub
oscillator and four XY pads
(the quad bit) and delivers
loads of synth bang for your
Euro. Quad has a sonically
interesting and intuitive
design and covers a lot
of ground. It is easy to
program and delivers many
awesome sounds.
robpapen.com
Nektar Technology
Bolt
£89
Bolt uses ‘harmonics synthesis’ which
creates a frequency-shaped waveform
entirely within the oscillator, so you don’t
need a filter. And thanks to a sleek one-
window interface and intuitive workflow,
it’s easy to get great sounds from the
plugin. Bolt’s streamlined oscillator design
makes synthesis straightforward and fun,
and delivers the goods sonically.
Impressive basses, leads, keys, pads, FX,
percussion and anything else you could
ask of a quality synthesiser.
nektartech.com

> reviews / arturia v collection 8
BROWSER ADVANCED SIDE PANEL
Select presets either from the Deeper settings and enhancements Click icon to open
dropdown or search browser are found in this foldaway top panel the side panel and
SOURCE access the four
Choose from a voice tabbed pages
input or internal
sample playback to
EDIT MACRO
act as vocoder
Select and edit the
modulator signal
destination
parameters for the
ADVANCED TAB four Macro controls
The advanced panel
often includes multiple
tabbed panels FILTER
Use the filter
sliders to tailor the
SAMPLE output of Vocoder
Vocoder V’s sample V’s onboard
modulator mode includes carrier synth
a sample library or you
can import your MACRO
own samples This new feature
offers four broad
brush controls
PATCH BAY CARRIER standardised across
Cross-patch filter bands to create Vocoder V includes its own all instruments
more interesting vocoder sounds two-oscillator synth which
EDITOR’S CHOICE
handles carrier duties
Arturia
V Collection 8 €599
The move to improve, enhance, add to and tweak already impressive
software bundles continues apace with this latest package from Arturia
Arturia’s V Collection (VST, VST3, AU, AAX E-mu and Roland. The recently released OB-Xa V brings with it a new preset browser, streamlined
and standalone) is a mainstay of the VSTi is joined by three completely new emulations – in-app tutorials (see box later), and four Macro
world that has grown over the years to Jun 6V, Emulator II V and Vocoder V. There are knobs in the bottom right of the plugin window.
incorporate a combination of mainstream and also two major updates in the form of Jup-8 V 4 The Macro controls provide standardised broad
rare synths, pianos, organs and string machines. and Stage-73 V 2. Once again the sound library brush editing across all instruments (Brightness,
Of course, you can purchase the instruments has been expanded and the PatchWorks bundle Timbre, Time and Movement), although note
individually, but the collection delivers a adds 700 contemporary presets. Across all that the parameters they control vary.
considerable financial saving and also includes instruments you now have over 10,000 presets, All instruments now have a foldout side
their Analog Lab package, which is a preset- which is a staggering number. The 27 classic panel, which is accessed on the right hand side
packed workstation that pulls together patches instruments are ARP2600 V3, B-3 V2, Buchla using the gear icon. This panel has four tabs –
from all of the instruments (see box out). Easel V, Clavinet V, CMI V, CS-80 V3, CZ V, DX7 V, Settings, MIDI, Macro and Tutorial. The MIDI tab
Although the names are sometimes modified, Emulator II V, Farfisa V, Jun-6 V, Jup-8 V4, accesses MIDI CC mapping and incorporates
Arturia’s V instruments are full-on emulations of Matrix-12 V2, Mellotron V, Mini V3, Modular V3, parameter ranges as well as save and recall of
original hardware synths and use their own OB-Xa V, Piano V2, Prophet V3, SEM V2, Solina specific mapping configurations. If you’re using
component accurate analogue (TAE) and V2, Stage-73 V2, Synclavier V, Synthi V, Vocoder an Arturia controller it’s also where you can
physical (Phi) modelling emulation technology. V, Vox Continental V2 and Wurli V2. specify which one. Macro provides access to
The highly accurate emulations are then settings for the four pre-assigned Macro
enhanced with plenty of software-only extras. Refresh controls. As mentioned, these are standardised
V Collection 7 added some tidy new To coincide with the release, all instruments across all instruments, but the parameters
emulations based on classics such as the Casio have received a refresh. And whether you’re a controlled vary considerably and this is where
CZ 101, EMS Synthi AKS and Mellotron. In new purchaser or existing user, Arturia’s you can edit them. Additional multiple target
contrast, V Collection 8’s additions are very Software Centre app handles the download, parameters can be added and the existing
mainstream instruments from Oberheim, Moog, install and authorisation process. The refresh routings removed if you wish, and a handy

arturia v collection 8 / reviews <
“Without question, V
Collection 8’s hottest
addition is Jun-6 V,
based on Roland’s ever
popular Juno-6/60”
multipoint curve lets you specify precisely how
Analog Lab V –
the macro behaves within its high and low limits.
your one-stop
shop hub – gets a
Roland slick new refresh
Without question, V Collection 8’s hottest
addition is Jun-6 V. Based on Roland’s ever
popular Juno-6 and Juno-60, these are synths
whose simple architecture make them easy to
Analog Lab V
program. Admittedly, the toy-like colour scheme V Collection 8 includes Analog Lab V, assignable insert slots with a choice
and slider controls may not be to everyone’s the latest version of Arturia’s from eight effects including chorus,
taste, but the sound is killer. Jun-6V does an workstation-style host plugin. flanger, distortion and filter. The global
excellent emulation job and a quick look at the Designed for in-DAW use or as a 3-band EQ provides further overall
presets reveals a bunch of numbered patches to standalone app, it acts as a user hub for shaping. In addition to looking
match the original Juno-60 sound set. There are all the Arturia instruments. It also considerably slicker, Analog Lab V now
of course further presets (around 180 in total) provides library access to almost 7,000 features a dedicated Stage mode which
and many of these take advantage of options factory presets (including some from upgrades the Concerts option from
not found on the original hardware. Enhanced their Pigments synth), management of Analog Lab v4. This provides a live
parameters are accessed via the Advanced user presets and also a purchasing performance preset hierarchy that
panel and here you’ll find a second ADSR storefront for additional Sound Banks. uses Playlists made up from Songs.
envelope, a second LFO, Delay and Reverb What’s more, if you’re a KeyLab or Each Song can contain as many presets
effects, and flexible mod wheel, velocity and MiniLab owner, navigating these as you like, and any Macro and effects
aftertouch assignments. The second envelope sections and controlling key preset settings that you make are saved with
and LFO are both far more flexible than the parameters is integrated into your the Playlist. Once in Stage mode the
original ones. The LFO has six waveforms hardware. Analog Lab V allows you to screen provides a less cluttered
including sample-and-hold and both envelope combine two presets either as a interface, and you can simply page
and LFO have two assignable destinations with keyboard split or dual layer and through the songs in your set and
many parameter options. includes a pedal-style effects section. select the desired presets, adjusting
If you like to use chord memories, Jun-6 V’s is This has two hard-wired global send key settings using the macros and
accessed via the Chord Select button. This busses with reverb and delay, and two effects panels at the bottom.
opens a floating window with a variety of handy
voicing presets (octave, fifth, suspended and so
on). Finally, for analogue completeness there are
two further features. Voice Calibration emulates
the subtle variations that can exist from voice to As you might expect, Jun-6 V delivers solid Dark Triad, ethereal Voix Uno and arpeggiator-
voice on a hardware Juno. The three options basses (Velo Bass and Under The Basement) and based Dub Sensation. It’s an excellent emulation
(good, average and poor) let you choose how pads of various timbres (Poly Unison Pad is a that really captures the essence of the original.
much analogue drift is emulated. Chorus Noise particular favourite). It also has plenty of Also new in V Collection 8 is Jup-8 V4. Based
adds audio hiss when the chorus is in use. contemporary presets including the rave-ready on the Jupiter-8, this long-running Arturia
instrument has been rebuilt from the ground up
with a brand new sound engine. This includes
more authentic filter emulations, as well as core
engine enhancements such as Unison Detune
and adjustable Voice Dispersion. Throw in two
additional complex LFOs, three effects and
extensive keyboard response assignments
using Velocity, Aftertouch, Mod Wheel and
Keyboard Tracking and Jup-8 V4 can easily take
you to new tonal pastures. However, our
favourite enhancement is the integrated
Sequencer. This two-layer design provides both
note and modulation sequencers and is great
for creating specific note patterns or finessing
evolving textures. Finally, it’s worth noting that
one aspect has been removed from this update
and that is the keyboard split option.
Vocoder V
Software vocoders can be frustratingly
disappointing and confusion surrounding how
to implement the carrier and modulator signals
Juno 6/60 emulation Jun-6V is our pick of the new additions is often partly to blame. Vocoder V is Arturia’s

> reviews / arturia v collection 8
new Moog-inspired 16-band vocoder and it aims

not only to capture the beauty of this classic
effect, but also to make the process of using it as
rewarding as possible. To that end Vocoder V is a
voice analyser, synth and sampler all in one.
What this means in practice is you can simply
load it up and play it as an instrument, as each
preset includes one or more samples from its
accompanying library of over 700 samples.
These act as modulators and the onboard two-
oscillator synth handles carrier duties. If you’d
rather use your own modulator, you can route in
audio from another track or an external DAW
input. You’ll find instructions for your particular
DAW in the Tutorials. You could also simply
import your own samples. Vocoder V can handle Stage -73 V2 is based on a
classic Fender design
up to 12 samples, includes keyswitch or cycled
playback and even has real-time timestretch.
Vocoder V’s actual vocoder section includes expand our sound palette and Emulator II V hitting basses such as FM Operator are joined by
modulator envelope shaping and a 16-band filter does just that. It includes a collection of both some awesome sample-driven chord patches
bank with global shift and global bandwidth classic and contemporary samples (over (Acoustic Wall). All told Emulator II V sounds
settings. The carrier synth output can be 300MB) spread across over 250 presets, and great and is very easy to program.
carefully tailored using the band sliders, and you can of course import your own samples as
there’s also a Patch Bay option. This means you well. The reasonably straightforward keyboard Stage-73 V2
have much more control over how the interface gives way to a retro-inspired full Basic electric piano instruments are pretty
modulator controls the carrier as you can cross window Screen option and this is where you edit commonplace. More complex instruments that
patch bands. If you’re not feeling inspired there the eight-voice sample engine. actually capture the feel and individuality of
are five patching presets to get things rolling. Editing functions are spread across three these amazing keyboards are harder to find, and
Rounding things off is an extensive modulation tabs – Edit, Assign and Effects. In the Assign Stage-73 V2 is clearly aiming for the latter. Based
section with LFO and Envelope Follower, and a page you set key spans, velocity response and on the classic Fender design it includes both
three-module multi-effects section. keyboard tracking. Meanwhile in the Effects Stage and Suitcase versions (the latter has
With over 200 presets, getting started with page there are three rack effects. These include additional treble, bass and vibrato controls), and
Vocoder V is easy. The patches include excellent chorus, reverb and delay as well as parametric the Stage option comes in two versions, ‘73 and
loop-based examples (Bright Future and House EQ and multimode filter, and the rack can be ‘74. The core piano is then enhanced with a four-
Butterfly are particularly good) and some good configured either in series or parallel. pedal FX rig, amp rig and reverb. The 13 pedal
pads (Ghost In The Cabinet). What’s more, the Unsurprisingly most of the action happens in effects including Rhodes-friendly options such
100 or so vocal-based presets deliver classic the Edit page, and here you can load and finesse as analogue delay, auto wah and analogue
vocoder effects into which you can easily your samples, choose loop points, adjust pitch phaser. Meanwhile the amp rig includes either a
substitute your own vocal audio should you and set play direction. Each sample voice gets rotary speaker or classic twin reverb amp. The
wish. A great plugin that delivers classic sounds its own insert effect and a choice of Modern or V2 update features a new engine, updated
combined with contemporary functionality. Vintage digital to analogue converters. pedals and seven underlying model presets that
Meanwhile global processing stages are low- emulate the tone of specific hardware versions.
Emulator II V pass filter and amplitude envelope. The model option is found in the Advanced
E-mu’s Emulator II was hugely popular during Emulator II V has some great early drum settings panel, and it’s here that you can really
the 1980s both for its sound and its included samples with over 50 kits that include plenty of tailor the sound. First up you have three audio
sample set. Now that we have pristine sampling Roland classics. Modern sounds are also output options (mono, stereo or room) along
at our fingertips, revisiting older sampling included and showcased by presets such as Lofi with hammer hardness. Three further sections –
devices to capture their flavour is a great way to 808 Kit and Trap Hell Kit. Meanwhile hard- mechanics, noises and acoustics – provide an
impressive array of parameters ranging from
pickup distance to tonebar resonance. It sounds
complex but the results speak for themselves
and we absolutely love the massive range of
tones these advanced settings can deliver. This
is all demonstrated admirably by the 65 presets.
There are some excellent workhorse options
such as Dark Funk Keys and 1972 Latin Fusion.
There are also some great phased patches
(Sweet Dual Phased EP 2) and stereo spread
options (Nice Panner). Across all patches
coupling the core instrument with pedal and
amplifier effects means the patches not only
play well but are polished and production ready.
Oberheim
The OB series synths are well renowned and
slightly quirky 1980s analogue synths. Arturia’s
OB-Xa V was released a few months ago and has
now been updated in line with the latest V
Collection 8. It’s primarily based on Oberheim’s
OB-Xa, however some aspects of other OB
synths are included such as OB-X’s x-mod option
whereby oscillator 2 controls oscillator 1.
As you might expect OB-Xa V has many
Emulator II V based on E-mu’s Emulator II further software-only enhancements and

arturia v collection 8 / reviews <
“Features like the

Macros may seem
small, but it creates a
cohesiveness”
features and one of the most significant is how it
delivers stereo sounds. The original hardware
synth had internal tweakers to adjust the pan
position of each of the eight voices. This is
replicated in OB-Xa V’s Pan mode and when
active a small panel with eight pan pots is
available just above the lower keys. As an
alternative, Arturia have also added a Stereo
mode. This duplicates the oscillators into two
parallel paths and has an accompanying
settings panel just above the mod wheel. Tutorial features such as this for the CZ V instrument help you get to know the lay of the land
Parameters include relative oscillator tuning,
left/right filter variation and LFO phase offset.
There’s also an additional LFO that modulates
the stereo position of each channel. To round In App Tutorials
things off, both options then go through the
stereo Spread control so you can tailor the final Over the years Arturia have features, these provide a great way to
stereo width. Overall these stereo settings can considerably refined the look and learn how these classic synths and
be anything from subtle to transformative and features of their instruments and when instruments work. If you want to really
the Stereo mode in particular allows you to you compare some of the early get to grips with things, the Sound
create impressive stereo width at source. examples like the Jupiter 8 with its Design tutorials help you achieve
Further additional features include a latest Jup-8 V 4 incarnation the certain sounds, and the interactive
syncable LFO with a choice of shapes and key difference is striking. In-App tutorials process is quick and intuitive. As an
retrigger, an arp, individual level controls for the are an enhancement feature that first example, you’ll find three such tutorials
two oscs and noise generator, and a pop-up appeared in V Collection 7 and these for the CZ V including a rather nice pad
chord memory window. Meanwhile the are now refined in 8. sound (Noisy Pad). This has more than
Advanced panel plays host to three effects Available from the new right hand 60 tutorial steps starting with
modules and four function generators with side panel, tutorials are divided into oscillator choice and finishing with the
user-definable curves with up to 16 breakpoints. Learn The Instrument and Sound effects section. Alas, not all
The original Oberheim OBs are rich-sounding Design categories and once launched instruments include Sound Design
polysynths capable of delivering aggressive bite provide walkthrough-style text tutorials and this is certainly something
that will cut through and OB-Xa V really delivers instruction in the panel below. As you we’d expect to see in future updates.
this. From punchy basses (Weight Squares) and work through, the pertinent aspects of That said, the overall execution is
earthshattering subs (Big Sub) to oodles of the interface are highlighted and great and it really is a more enjoyable
80s-style ‘brass’ sounds, the presets cover a lot whether you’re just after a quick learning experience than trawling
of ground. The more contemporary sounds overview or explanation of deeper through the manual.
stand out (DNB Chord Lead for example) though
we also like the many super rich pads (C-3 Slow
Strings) and textures (Moving Drone). There are
also plenty of edgy – though not spiky – leads
(Hard Lead), thick plucky sounds (Take Turn 19)
and some cool chord memory patches (Chord
Repeater). Finally, it’s great that the presets are Alternatively
not bathed in effects when you load them, and Verdict
also that if you do wind up an effects mix, the For Considerable cost saving over
effect has been chosen to work with that patch. buying individual instruments
It can be tricky assessing the strengths and Vocoder V is one of the best vocoders
weaknesses of a multifaceted bundle like V we’ve used
Collection. Still, it’s certainly proved itself over Excellent new and updated UVI Vintage Vault 3
time (although in hindsight the earlier versions Roland synths €599
seem basic compared to what’s on offer now). Very useful and informative With 65 instruments and over
Overall, V Collection 8 clearly adds some gems In-App tutorials 10,000 presets, UVI’s sample-based
and we really like Jun-6 V and Vocoder V. It’s also Extensive software-only enhancements package delivers an incredible
great to see their Jupiter 8 emulation getting a Great new macro feature selection of classic sounds
full on rework. But for us what makes the new and implementation
version a success is that the overall user
experience is slicker than before. Features like Against Choice can be overwhelming
the Macros may seem small, but across all
instruments it creates a cohesiveness that It’s certainly not a cheap bundle and can be
wasn’t there before. This is Arturia’s best a bit daunting, but the latest incarnation of
Native Instruments Komplete 13
offering yet and as a vintage instruments bundle this classic package offers so much that it’s
£499
with a modern twist, it’s hard to beat. impossible to ignore
This ever-expanding bundle
covers more ground and is
Web arturia.com 10/10 always worth checking out

> reviews / softube model 84
The DCOs offer The legendary 106 Beautiful 24dB

Assignable LFO, for Saw and sub-oscillator, White Noise, for filter, with exacting
PWM, filter and Square/Pulse equipped with percussive sounds self oscillation
pitch modulation volume fader and more capability
The beautifully
beaten up and
gigged fascia
panel of the
Model 84 Super-clean
chorus
Polyphonic Voice modes, for Classic Roland-style The HPF is

portamento time different poly- 4-stage envelope repurposed
operation and huge to a boost/
Unison stacks cut EQ
Softube
Model 84 €159
As another software rebirth of a vintage classic from 1984 arrives,
Softube delves into Greek mythology (via Japan) for inspiration
Back in the 80s, Roland had the good sense Analogue issues aside Fast-forward, then, to 1984, and the third
to do a really smart thing. The late 70s poly- Those earlier Junos sounded rich and deep, in coming of the Juno arrived in the shape of the
synth behemoths, which in many cases required part thanks to the rather noisy chorus circuit, 106. Gone were the wooden end-cheeks,
hair of a similar magnitude, were big, bloated placed on the backend of the signal. The arpeggiator and DCB. In came portamento
and expensive. This provoked a reaction from premise being that with only one oscillator per (glide) and a new protocol called MIDI, in one of
Roland to produce a more affordable polysynth, voice on board, the chorus would help thicken its first fully-fitted deployments.
in part thanks to the shrinking of electronic the sound, and so it did! At the time, Roland was going to quite
components, that made a sensible price point considerable efforts to try and prove that the
more obtainable. And so the path was laid for analogue stylings of the 106 could compete with
the future classics from the Juno Series. the new great pretender from Yamaha, called
With reference to Greek mythology, Juno was
the wife of Jupiter, better known among mere
“Roland went to huge the DX7. Hence the sound of the 106 was tighter,
sharper and crisper. The argument about which
synth-mortals as the flagship synthesisers in the
Roland range. Anyway, Roland created the Juno
efforts to prove that Juno sounds better is one that we’ll save for
another day, but it is nevertheless significant
6; a six-note polyphonic synth, now recognised that the 106 has its notable fans, for punchy
as a vintage classic. Within a matter of months, the analogue stylings synth lines and weighty basses, within the
the Juno 60 appeared. In essence, this was the commercial and production psyche today. This
same synth but with added patch memories and
a connectivity format called DCB (Digital
of the 106 could might explain why Softube have zoned their 24k
magic on the 106, in much the same way that
Communication Buss) which allowed easy
connection to Roland sequencers et al.
compete with the DX7” the recently applauded Model 72 provides a
MiniMoog re-born.

softube model 84 / reviews <
“It sounds über cool,

the DCOs presenting
an almost perfect
match to the original
harmonic makeup”
DCO/VCO - boogie with
a suitcase!
The fashionable architecture of the Juno is
carried forward to the Model 84, through a
familiar fascia. With reverence to most second
hand originals, the paint work appears chipped
and scratched, with a couple of lumps taken out Tactility is the
name of the game
of the rear edge, presumably where it’s been with Softube
slammed up against its ‘virtual’ X-frame products
keyboard stand.
It looks really cool and engaging, but more
importantly it sounds über cool, with the DCOs
Gaining control
presenting an almost perfect match to the One oddity with Softube softsynths is relevant MIDI CCs, for a more Juno-istic
original harmonic makeup. The early Juno synth the lack of stand-alone operation. It’s experience. Of course, this moves
range used a form of oscillator which was sometimes quite nice to load up a synth immediately into focus when hooked in
overtly analogue, but placed under digital on-screen and get lost in playing, rather with your DAW, as is Softube’s
control. Hence they were known as DCOs (rather than getting bogged down with the intention, where the ability to control
than VCOs), producing more reliable tuning DAW. However, Softube have made the all elements in realtime bring the
stability, unlike the synth cousins from some process of assigning a MIDI CC to a Model 84 to life. It’s so easy to
years earlier. plugin fader very easy, so much so, it introduce a filter swell or increase
As this is a virtual facsimile, Softube have invites the user to get extremely hands amounts of PWM, as your track builds,
sought to follow through the 106 thread, with on with a suitable hardware controller. that it could really set apart your
buttons allowing the activation of the You could also employ one of the many sound. Let’s face it, this is a Juno 106 in
fundamental saw and square waves. There is no assignable MIDI controllers for iPads/ plugin form, and the only person who’ll
volume control for either, but there is a fader to tablets, building a template with the know that it’s not a real Juno is you!
control the sub-oscillator volume. This is pretty
essential, as the sub can quickly obscure the
fundamental, while associated with more
polyphonic patching.
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is applied to with extended phases too. This isn’t going to
the square/pulse wave, either through manual impact hugely on usability, and wouldn’t be
Alternatively
control to LFO modulation. The earlier Junos noticeable unless placed in direct line against an Roland Juno 106
also allowed for envelope control of PWM, and original, but it’s worth noting for purity. $149 (or as part of Roland Cloud)
while it’s easy to get dragged along with the Truly authentic emulation, with
attention to 106 detail, that’s one addition that The final output some tasty enhancements
would’ve been a welcome reintroduction for the One crucial element of the Juno’s architecture is
Model 84, although Softube have implemented the chorus, which unlike the original is clean, Arturia Juno 6v
an additional control panel, which springs open effective and displays enormous reverence to €199
from the right of the window, allowing PWM the original. For just about all purposes, the Close to the original Juno 6, but
control via velocity and aftertouch. Model 84 sounds just like a 106, with all of the with added patch capability and
associated conveniences of a plugin, such as the other modernising enhancements
Filters and Envelopes ability to easily apply a hardware MIDI CC
The filter, being a 4-pole design, sounds controller to a pot or fader, allowing simple
incredibly exacting. Softube have even editing within the DAW, either on-the-fly, or Verdict
recreated the obvious stepping, exaggerated in under DAW control.
self oscillation, which was a recognisable trait Sonically it delivers well, but it does feel like a For Cool-sounding facsimile
for the 106. The resultant sine sounds incredibly slightly missed opportunity which invites the The GUI is really inviting
accurate, compared to the original. Softube return of certain much-missed elements or Great emphasis placed on accuracy
have slightly repurposed the High-pass filter, enhancements; envelope control of PWM, an The Chorus is nice and clean
changing it by way of description to EQ. It offers arpeggiator, and while we’re on this thread, EQ Bass boost does the job brilliantly!
two levels of high pass filtering along with a bass access to a second envelope would have been
boost, which is handy when using the Unison nice too, along with the ability to extend the Against Lacking embellishments
mode, which stacks all six voices for a great bass voice count beyond six. No standalone version
texture. It’s also possible to detune these, using Don’t get us wrong, it’s a great sounding
a fader from the ‘spring-out’ control panel. synth and a huge bargain against a hardware This is a great clone of the original Juno
Juno envelopes were never the strongest original, but we’re nearly 40 years on, and extra 106, which sounds relatively authentic, but
designs on the originals. They were useable bells and whistles would go a long way to it’s a shame that enhancements weren’t
enough, but never the snappiest, and this enhancing the DAW-based Juno experience. incorporated to breathe new life in
transcends to the Model 84. If we’re honest, the
shape and behaviour feels less convincing here, Web softube.com 8/10

> reviews / korg collection 3
GUI CONTROLS
The miniKORG 700s had an usual Most of the controls are beneath the keyboard,
design. See it here in 2 or 3D allowing you to put your sheet music on top! SCALE & MODE
TRAVELER/FILTER Really just the names
What you’ll recognise as for transpose and
the filter is called oscillator type
Traveler for high and
low frequencies
PROPHECY EXTRAS
Just the top two
LOADS OF SOUNDS sections of this UI are
Select from 4,000 from the original synth
presets in Triton
Extreme here
TABS MAKE IT EASY

The huge engine of
Triton Extreme is nicely
set out in tabs so you
can select each one
EVEN EASIER
An Easy Mode tab just
reveals the most EDITOR’S CHOICE
important parameters
ALL ON DISPLAY DUAL ACTION RIBBON ALL NEW
You get just a couple of parameters The original touch strip/mod Detail means you can
within each main section to tweak wheel is replicated but might really go to town on
make you miss the hardware your sound
Korg
Collection 3 $399
Korg’s Collection is updated with three classics from three different eras:
the 70s, 90s and 2000s. And it’s now better value than ever…
In this Buyer’s Guide section of The Music Eventually and thankfully – it was a bit significant saving over buying them individually
Producer’s Guide To Synths you will see confusing – the whole lot were put together into (as they are each priced between $99 and $249).
pretty much two types of synth reviewed: those Korg’s Collection version 1, featuring the five So let’s have a look at the latest additions.
based on classic hardware and those at the very synths and effect plus the fantastic ARP Odyssey
cutting edge of sound. Korg’s Collection sits emulation (Korg had produced the ARP 70s and beyond
very much in the former camp with classics hardware by this point). The Triton was added First up, you get one of the earliest Korg
from Korg – and other companies – repackaged for Collection v2 and now this latest Collection 3, instruments, oft called the company’s first synth,
into sleek software form to run as virtual adds a miniKORG-700S, Korg Prophecy and the miniKORG-700s. This curious device had
instruments on any Mac or PC. Triton Extreme. This means you now get 10 controls for its 2 x VCO/VCF monophonic engine
Before we get into the new (old) three synths plus the MDE-X effects for $399, a below the keyboard and to the left, and the
additions for this third incarnation of Collection, software emulation allows you to switch
just a quick recap. Collection is actually an between a 2D and 2D view to get access to
update to one of the oldest sets of softsynths
ever, the Korg Legacy Collection, released back “$399 for the bundle them. Korg didn’t label their synth controls with
the familiar names we now know them by – this
in 2004, then comprising the Korg MS-20, was early days after all – so you get a Traveler
Polysix and Wavestation. We heaped a 10/10 on is a significant (sic) controller for the hi- and lo-pass filters and
that in Computer Music, and since then there Expand for the envelope.
have been several variations, notably the Digital
edition (with the Wavestation, the M1 and the
saving over buying As with all Korg softsynths it uses Korg’s CMT
(Component Modeling Technology) to
MDE-X effects) and Analog Edition (with the
Polysix, MS-20 and Mono/Poly).
them individually” accurately emulate the original synth, with 150
presets covering a wide variety of timbres. You

korg collection 3 / reviews <
“Other sounds bring a

tear to our eye,
wondering where that
quarter of a century
has gone…”
get classic synths leads, plucks and basses with
more modern, programmed pads, motion
sounds and complex arp sounds, many of which
are bolstered with modern flourishes like the
effects (see right).
Next up we have one of our favourite 90s
synths, the Korg Prophecy. This arrived as dance
music was at something of a peak, and offered Modern extras include the ability to show miniKORG in 2D; so much more like a modern synth
not only hands-on, real-time 303 bassy sounds
but a whole lot of real instruments, all given life 21st century extras
and lustre thanks to a unique (for then) touch
strip modulation bar that allowed you to add a Korg’s CMT standard is really used to make this monster synth easy to deal
dose of any controller to any sound. It was a full effect here to recreate the sounds with! You get an ‘Easy’ mode that just
mono synth and quite weird in that it straddled of the original synths in exacting detail, has the main parameters on screen,
so many sounds and styles, but we loved it. but as good as that is, it’s the modern and the (literally) thousands of presets
Here it is recreated in all of its glory, guts and flourishes and additions that make can be navigated by type or character
all. You get to see right inside its MOSS (Multi- Collection 3 a relevant set of synths for (Bright, Dark, Acoustic, Electric and so
Oscillator Synthesis System) architecture and the modern producer. on). The old sequencer has been
reminisce in those preset sounds. The pros are The plugin pedal effects on removed, though – you can do all that
that you get polyphony and to see much of the miniKORG, for example, really do add in your DAW – but the original dual
guts of Prophecy on screen, only achieved with necessary dirt and dynamics, and the polyphonic arpeggiator is there along
the original if you surfed down through layers of 2D top-down view plus three screen with 307 patterns to aid songwriting.
menus. This opens up its sound design size options make it a welcome UI for Finally, Prophecy has polyphony and
possibilities and if you didn’t know this from contemporary softsynth users. more on display to allow for more
using the original hardware, you’ll soon realise With Triton Extreme, the modern scope for experimentation, something
what a flexible beast it was. However, negatives twists are there for other reasons: to you can say about all three plugins.
are that the original hardware really did invite
lots of hands-on modulation action – tweaking,
sliding and bending that modulation strip – and
unless you have a decent hardware controller,
you won’t easily recreate much of the fun of the arpeggiator, sequencing, sampling, kitchen
original. Still the sounds are spot on, many still sink… The Extreme features extra sound packs Alternatively
surprisingly relevant and many others bringing and that vacuum tube Valve Force circuitry, Arturia V Collection 8
a tear to our eyes wondering where that quarter something Korg championed at the time to give €599
of a century has gone! their synths a more rounded analogue sound. The original synth collection covers
Finally we get the Korg Triton Extreme, a Here you literally get all of those sounds and just about every other synth – great
2004 synth that Korg describe as ‘the vacuum features in software but also a clever filter value for what you get
tube-equipped high point’ of the Triton range. system and tabs to access sounds and features.
And it’s exactly that. The original featured just It’s much easier to use than it really should be IK Multimedia Syntronik
about everything that was ever thrown at the given the scope of the original, and top marks to €299
Triton range, a synth that already had just about the Korg designers for making it work so well. Another set of 17 non Korgs that
anything your could throw into a synth! could complete your classic synth
Launched at the end of the 20th century, it was Is it a hat-trick? collection for decent cash
one of those famous Korg workstations that had Overall, then, you really do get a great cross-
every sound you could think of, effects, section of synth technology in the v3 update,
from the quirky 70s, through to the equally odd Verdict
but beautifully controllable Prophecy right up to For Good value considering…
the do-it-all and know-it-all Triton. Fantastic reproduction of synths
That’s pretty much all you need synthwise in covering four decades
just the three update synths, then, making this Love the easy side of Extreme
easily the most significant update to Korg’s Surprisingly modern sounds from mini
Collection, Legacy or otherwise, since launch.
And that means the best value too. You can buy Against Original Prophecy owners will
the instruments individually, but, honestly, we’d miss the hardware touch strip
recommend going for the lot if funds allow, as it
makes so much more financial sense. The biggest and best update to Korg
Collection 3 is a serious contender for your Collection makes it more of a bargain
cash and offers the best of all eras. Fabulous. bundle and great way to buy classic Korgs
Extra character options in Extreme for sound filtering Web korg.com 9/10

> reviews / rob papen blade 2
Rob Papen
Blade 2 €99
A mere decade after the original Blade, Blade 2 is here and there’s not
a Wesley Snipes in sight. That’ll be because this one’s a synth…
It says a lot about the increasingly long simple drop-down menu allowing you to select Conclusion
history of computer music making that some your controlled destinations with ease. For less than a ton in at least two currencies,
soft synths have been with us for more years Other new additions include an analogue- Blade 2 offers a huge wealth of sonic options for
than we realise. Only the other day we were style oscillator, noise oscillator, an expanded 32 your Earth credits. You could – and very
discussing how NI’s Massive is 15 years old! (How filter types, extra effects (Blade 2 has three probably should – spend an age exploring its
the winter nights fly by here.) The original Blade multi-effects processors) and a souped up nooks and crannies, unearthing routing and
is not quite as old, but at over a decade since its arpeggiator with more linkage with the X-Y pad. arpeggiation options that will take your sounds
release, it has done the rounds and helped Of course all of these extra features demand to unexpected, and mostly great places. It’s a
establish its developer, the mighty Rob Papen, a completely redesigned UI, and while Blade 2 is vast improvement over v1 – of course it is, after
as one of the biggest names in this business. So very obviously related to the original – it’s blue, all this time – and will pay back any time you
is v2 worth the wait? has the X-Y pad in the middle and various synth invest in it many times over.
modules scattered around the outside – it’s
A Marvel? much sleeker, more gun-metal and the blade Web timespace.com, robpapen.com
The truth is that the original does look a little old graphics have shifted from winged slicers to a
when we load up our original review of it, more subtle circular affair. It’s more Saw than
although we did note that “Rob Papen’s take on Blade, but let’s hope not quite so bloody.
additive synthesis has some clever tricks up its Alternatively
sleeve and does the business”. Another first for Blade running Air Music Technology Loom II
Papen with Blade was the recordable X-Y pad With Additive Mode plus an extra analogue and €99
that sat slap bang in the middle of the UI. It noise oscillator, Blade 2 really does deliver a Same price, slightly complex
connected to the synth’s ‘Harmolator’ allowing wide range of sounds and textures. On a very looking but lovely additive sound
you to change (record and edit) the synth’s basic level, the extra oscillators add weight,
waveform harmonic content in real time. punch and grit to the Blade sound which might Native Instruments Razor
This concept has been expanded with Blade have been a tad lacking in analogue warmth for $99
2, not least with the addition of an Additive some. Indeed these extras shouldn’t be One of the original additive synths,
mode which lets you mix between four additive understated as they are really the keys to the it still packs a punch and with,
waveforms using the X-Y pad that really does let extra sonic flexibility that v2 has over the arguably, a leaner set of controls
you get deep quickly and very easily. The X-Y original. Yes, you get additional additives(!) but
pad can also control a whole host of other the oscillators complete the set, as it were. With
parameters in Blade 2, an obvious feature you exploration and time, there’s very little, sound
might think, but very well implemented with a wise, that Blade 2 can’t conjure up. Verdict
For Refreshing new update
Lots of extra features
Sonically rich and varied
Additive to love Fantastic effects
Goes as deep as you want, then deeper
At its core, Blade 2, like its predecessor, is an doing – experimentation is both encouraged Great value considering the power
additive synth – albeit one with extra bells and fun). The slightly confusingly titled
(digital ones) and whistles – which uses sine Additive Mode – we thought we were already Against The additive options demand
waves of different frequencies to synthesise in Additive Mode – is perhaps best explained some time spent learning
different timbres. Also like Blade, v2’s as an alternate use of the Harmolator in that it
additive heart is the Harmolator, an additive allows you to mix and match between four Blade 2 is very much a synth for now in
oscillator with 96 partials and general ‘Wave-sets’ (16 partials), altering things like terms of its varied sound and looks, and at
controls for things like Range, Symmetry, pitch, volume, wave and phase. Honestly it’s this price is worth a punt. Just be prepared
Timbre and Timbre Type to shape the sound one of those synths where words don’t do it to work with it to achieve amazing results
so you don’t have to get your hands too dirty justice; you’ll be better off throwing yourself
(or, really, know too much about what you are in there for that ‘oh I get it’ moment. 9/10

kv331 synthmaster 2 ios / reviews <
KV331 iOS
SynthMaster 2 iOS £10

Bringing their fully-featured flagship synth to iPad/Phone users, is this
breakout version of KV331’s creative powerhouse the master of all?
We’ve long been tinkerers with SynthMaster fluid, and before too long, the sonic magnitude want) is just as fun as it was in SynthMaster One.
One, KV331’s 16-voice semi-modular beauty of SynthMaster 2 is revealed. Across diverse The only issue that got in the way of our
that first appeared in our App Store in 2018. presets such as the retro-vibed cool of FM enjoyment, was making those quick, subtle
While we were dazzled at the high-quality Strings MS, the percussive impacts of BAS rotary tweaks as we performed – often they
wavetables and flexible sound design potential Aluminium or the dirtied up synth-basses like wouldn’t detect that they had been touched,
that this ridiculously underpriced monster the ones provided by the BA Chaos Bass preset, though perhaps this is more a design flaw with
provided, we couldn’t help admit that a truly it’s clear to us that this app can contend with the the iPad (and our sausage-like fingers).
mobile version of the more versatile desktop likes of Arturia’s Pigments and the other big It’s clear from our experiments that
version of SynthMaster would be a much more boys of synth sound design. SynthMaster 2 will be our new go-to for quick
appealing prospect. Nevertheless, SynthMaster The primarily rotary controls are pretty synth-idea generation. Every aspect of the
One has remained a reliable go-to for years. straightforward, and you’ll be on familiar ground already top-notch experience has been refined
Now, with the desktop SynthMaster being if you’ve used any of the previous iterations of to complete the story as it always was meant to
periodically updated and still maintaining its SynthMaster. The softsynth’s engine is built be – fully featured and mobile.
status as a renowned player in the softsynth around its dual-layer oscillators, which can be
hierarchy, KV331 Audio have released the iOS set to four different wave-generating Web synthmaster.com
successor. This time though, this isn’t any kind of approaches. Basic provides single-cycle
‘lite’ version. SynthMaster 2 sports all the bells waveforms or samples, while Additive allows
and whistles of its desktop parent. eight oscillators to be stacked up, resulting in
some beefy tones, Wavetable mode allows for Alternatively
Synth-pop master more gradual and nuanced waveshape
Audiokit Synth One
The main headline here is that KV331 have blending, and Vector mode mixes four
essentially ported SynthMaster 2.9 – in its oscillators in a 3D, spatial audio-leaning way. FREE
feature-packed entirety – to the iPad. So, what A sublime – and free – iOS synth
are its key attributes? Well, first off there’s the Swipe left with huge sound sculpting scope,
robust sound engine, which houses the virtual Next up is a supremely detailed raft of but nowhere near the depth
oscillators, modulators and filters. The app’s modulators and filters which can muddy, detune
synth stages are programmable via a slickly or hammer your sounds into shape. You can also Waldorf Music Nave
re-tooled, cross-platform UI which also supports view your sound-chain with real-time visual $19.99/£14.00
the native resolutions of numerous iPad types. feedback, giving the user a better grasp of how Waldorf’s wavetable app lets users
We’re also given 1000 top tier presets as sound is being effected – editing in this section play in a hybrid wavetable/
standard, designed by such luminaries as is all the more simple, too. The depth here is analogue world. A real contender
Ubukata, NatLife and Yuli Yolo – a notable staggering, inviting you to experiment with each
increase on SynthMaster One’s 500. encoder to see how far you can go.
Upon installing the app, we dive straight into Playing notes via the keyboard (again, hugely Verdict
preset land. Navigation through the browser is modifiable depending on the type of layout you For Awesome modulation effects
Flexible UI options
Perfect for sound design on-the-move
Great value for the price
Insert (effects) here Against Steep learning curve

At times hard to control multiple rotaries
Further shaping of your unique sounds two global effect send busses to see how they
is achievable using one of SynthMaster sound across every channel. Brimming with sonic potential,
2’s 12 insert effects, these include Delay, The shimmering Chorus effect is SynthMaster 2 iOS is the solid culmination
Compression, Chorus, Tremolo and the like. particularly noteworthy, especially when of one of the best mobile synths around
Both of its layers have five insert effect slots you’re using Additive mode to build up bigger
each, while you can also harness the power of synth-constructs. 8/10

> buyer’s guide / the 6 best softsynths of all time
the 6 best …
Softsynths… of all time!
Time to put our heads on the block as we pick the six
best software synths… ever (and still available to buy)
Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2.x

£339 XFer Records Serum
If being at the cutting edge of sound design appears on
your list of music production priorities, Omnisphere is an $189
instrument that you simply have to own. Most sound Where every sound designer says that they favour
designers – and other producers, for that matter – have Omnisphere over all other synths, so every dance music
producer says they favour Serum. It has so many incredible
hailed this as the ultimate in synths. Take whatever audio
component parts – oscillators, wavetable engine, effects,
you want, plus a huge amount of great quality supplied modulation and much more – that the end result could not
material, and mangle it through the best engine in the biz. fail to be disappointing, and it sounds incredible. The most
If there was a top synth spot, this might well be on it. sonically versatile synth we’ve ever used, and certainly one
spectrasonics.net of the best-sounding.
xferrecords.com
u-he Diva
€179
There are many (many) virtual analogue
synths we could have included in this top 6,
and many of those emulations of hardware
classics. Instead, we’ve included possibly the
greatest virtual analogue synth ever, as it
provides parts of many a classic synth to
become a classic softsynth in its own right!
And Diva means ‘Dinosaur Impersonating
Virtual Analogue’. What more could you ask?
u-he.com

the 6 best softsynths of all time / buyer’s guide <
KV331 Synthmaster 2.x

$99
The multi-award-winning soft-synth-to-end-all-
soft-synths offers pretty much any synthesis
type you can think of (including VA, Additive,
Wavetable, PM, FM, and PWM) yet, incredibly,
a pretty damn easy interface to control
everything. And it sounds incredible. Quite
simply one of the very finest softsynths
money can buy.
kv331audio.com
Native Instruments
Massive
£129
The fact that the original Massive
came out in 2006 (yes, really) and
that it is still popular says it all, really.
With its morphing wavetable engine
it was and still is capable of
producing incredibly dynamic
sounds that have become the
backbone to many a cutting-edge
track. A classic, pure and simple.
LennarDigital
Sylenth 1
€167
“Never judge a synth by its presets,”
is probably the way-too-sensible
advice your parents might tell you.
But you can always cockily fire back,
“unless it’s Sylenth 1”. 30 seconds
(maximum) after dialling in the first
and you will be drawn in for hours.
The best 303 sounds, the best
thumping basses, the best tearing
leads and all behind an unassuming,
easy interface.
lennardigital.com

> reviews / gforce software ob-e
VELOCITY AND AFTERTOUCH
ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS Easily add velocity
Each SEM has a dedicated LFO REAR VIEW
dynamics and aftertouch to Use the small icon to reveal
and additional third oscillator multiple parameters additional parameters for each SEM
LEVEL AND PAN

Set these for each
individual SEM ZOOM
Use this button
for a focused
view of the
SEMs front and rear
Edit the core of a single
oscillator settings selected SEM
for each of the
eight synth
expander modules
MIDI
SEQUENCER
Click this icon
to open the
GLOBAL EDIT sequencer view
Choose from
Group or Offset
modes to assist
with editing PLAYBACK MODE PRESETS SEQUENCER
multiple SEMs Choose whether each new note Load the default Activate the EDITOR’S CHOICE
starts on the same SEM or preset or open the sequencer with its
moves to the next SEM browser to access main on/off switch
600 factory presets
GForce Software
OB-E £149.99
We love a good vintage synth emulation, but does this latest offering
from GForce honour an Oberheim synth classic? OB one way to find out
Back in the day and before polysynths outputs and pans simultaneously visible. SEMs options. On the lower right is a 49-key keyboard
became a thing, Oberheim upscaled their are also grouped for the Split keyboard mode – and the corner icon switches this to show the
SEM (Synthesizer Expander Module) monosynth Lower (SEMs 1 to 4) and Upper (SEMs 5 to 8). The MIDI Sequencer and Stereo Delay. SEMs also
into a number of multi module designs. The bottom section of the window includes the have more parameters on a Rear Panel view and
most ambitious (EVS-1) used eight SEMs and was preset browser, global controls such as playback can be flipped individually or collectively. A
better known as the 8-Voice. This delivered mode, Portamento, Vibrato and global editing Zoom option places one SEM – front and rear
8-note polyphony where each voice was views – across the whole SEM section. There are
basically a different synth and could therefore no further hidden panels, which is great, but the
create rich polytonal sounds. But things moved
on and Oberheim developed a synth (the OB-X)
“GForce have interface is quite busy. Thankfully, the window
can be accurately resized to work best with your
that achieved polyphony in a more efficient
fashion. Thankfully software developers (and finally got round screen resolution.
proud 8-Voice owners) GForce have finally got Sound Generation

round to emulating this complex synth – no to emulating this Each SEM has two main oscillators (VCO1 and 2)
mean feat – and OB-E is now available for Mac with either sawtooth or pulse (with adjustable
OS X (AU, VST, AAX, standalone). complex synth – no pulse width) and two ADS envelopes. A third
oscillator (VCO3) adds sawtooth, sine or square
Nitty Gritty mean feat” wave shapes and can be used for audio (as a sub
OB-E is arranged with all eight SEMs and their oscillator for example) or as another syncable

gforce software ob-e / reviews <
“What we’re
really interested in
is how those
eight SEMs
work together”
LFO using either its wave shape or pink noise.
Meanwhile the main syncable LFO (LFO1) has six
shapes (including noise) and adjustable onset
delay. VCOs 1 and 2 can choose from three
hardwired modulators (envelope, LFO1 and
VCO3) and these can modulate either pitch or
pulse width (if used). Each SEM also has
dedicated controls to assign velocity to up to 11 OB-E’s two sequencer modes combine hardware feel with software features
parameters and aftertouch to up to five
parameters. For ease of use, target controls are
colour coded and it’s good to see plenty of
aftertouch assignments in the presets.
Double Feature
The 12dB/octave filter is based on both OB-E’s MIDI Sequencer is inspired by few ways to input sequence notes,
GForce’s 8-Voice filter and a modern reissue Oberheim’s original add-on eight-step including manually and via MIDI. You
SEM. In addition to cutoff, resonance and sequencer module (MS-1) and to be true can also control the sequence starting
modulation (ENV2, VCO3 and LFO1) you have a to the original, OB-E’s SEM 8 Output pitch using a DAW MIDI part or drag the
knob to adjust smoothly between low-pass, mode uses the eighth SEM for your MIDI for the sequence from OB-E back
notch and high-pass. A further switch selects a sequence, leaving the remaining SEMs into your DAW. Further overall
dedicated band-pass mode. At the bottom you to play live. However, far more sequence options include Swing, Rate,
balance the VCO levels into the filter. interesting is All mode, which, if used in Octave, number of Steps, Start step and
conjunction with the Cont playback Start SEM. Finally, the Rhythm knob
Massive setting, activates all eight SEMs in selects one of 14 presets (these affect
Conjuring some rich fuzziness from one of order, one-SEM-per-sequence step. the Velocity and Swing settings). So still
OB-E’s SEMs is pretty easy. But what we’re really Whichever Output mode you use, very much a programmable analogue-
interested in is how those eight SEMs work each sequence step has a dedicated style sequencer, but one designed to
together. To GForce’s credit, OB-E is still very Gate and Velocity setting, and there are showcase the eight-SEM design. If we
much led by the original 8-note polyphony limit, five overall sequence styles (Modes) have one gripe, it’s simply that you
but you have a variety of ways to use it. First up, including a chord option. There are a can’t zoom the sequencer window.
successive notes can either Reset or move
through (Continuous) the SEMs, and this ties in
with the chosen playback mode (Mono, Poly or
Legato). So, in Poly mode with Cont selected
each time you play a three-note chord it shifts patches, but for a quick fix head straight for the Alternatively
three SEMs along. Unison mode, much like the 600 categorised factory presets. The Alpha Arturia SEM V2
original 8-Voice unison, plays all SEMs together Patches showcase 30 of the best presets and €149
and on OB-E, one MIDI note puts 24 oscillators at beyond this, basic folders (Bass and Effects) give Arturia’s SEM-inspired synth
your disposal, so you can build massive chords way to type-driven categories (Mono, Poly Pad, includes an 8-voice programmer to
across the eight SEMs. Finally, Split mode adds Sequence Poly, Unison Chord and so on). Among help emulate the multi voice sound
an adjustable key split with four SEMs per split. these, OB-E delivers characterful basses, great
The massive sonic potential could require mono leads and honest, straight-up pads. Brainworx bx_oberhausen
quite a bit of knob twiddling, but thankfully you However, we are fundamentally drawn to the big $249
have many efficiencies including SEM-specific track-filling patches, as these are what set OB-E TMT modelling, 32-note polyphony
copy, paste, solo, mute, save and load as well as apart from other synths. From the Unison and a powerful unison mode
global editing (Group and Offset). All this makes folders, many patches deliver harmonically rich deliver great sonic flexibility
OB-E easy to program. sounds from the Holdsworth-like Epiphany with
OB-E has dedicated Mono and Poly starter Inversion 01 to the portamento beauty of Ice
Cold From Alex 01. For sheer fatness, Unison Verdict
Sync is hard to beat and there are also some For Faithful emulation
great splits (Triumphant Unison Split). All eight SEMs on one screen
GForce have always developed software Sounds amazing particularly in Unison
versions of the synths they like and, in that Enhanced yet retro-style sequencer
respect, OB-E is no exception. However, the Resizable window/SEM zoom options
8-Voice is itself a truly exceptional synth and Excellent set of 600 factory presets
OB-E a particularly good emulation that not only
does justice to the original sound but also Against No PC version as yet
enhances it in ways that are both useful and
sympathetic to the original. We would love to An impressive emulation: sounds awesome
see a PC version, but it’s full marks from us and enhances the original design with
nonetheless. fantastic features and efficiencies
Combine the SEM zoom and the global edit options to
make editing all 8 SEMs quick and clear Web gforcesoftware.com 10/10

> reviews / uvi 8-bit synth
MAIN PAGE SID LAYER PRESET BROWSER

The central hub of control, with Control global settings for SID layer’s Cycle through 375 patches,
an overview of each sound layer selected preset, Volume and Pan organised into category type
EDIT PAGE
Edit the modwheel
settings, plus voice mode, CHIPS LAYER
pitch and stereo width Control global settings for
Chips layer’s selected
preset, volume and pan
MODULATION PAGE
Control settings for
the step modulator, FILTER
and affect the Apply filter settings
LFO waveshapes such as envelope,
velocity, depth
EFFECTS PAGE and resonance
Apply a range of colourful
effects, including Phasor,
Thorus and Drive
AMPLITUDE
ARPEGGIATORS PAGE Adjust velocity,
Build up expressive arps, attack and
with options for Step, standard
Speed and Gate settings ADSR envelope
MASTER VOLUME
Satisfyingly rendered as a classic
arcade machine joystick
UVI
8-Bit Synth €99
Recapturing the endearing charm of classic arcade machines, 8-Bit Synth
may seem gimmicky at first, but a vibrant instrument lurks within
Over the last ten years, we’ve seen a boom in games, arcade machines and early computer- UVI software. These presets have been carefully
media aimed at scratching that 80s nostalgia sounds, 8-Bit Synth provides 30,000 individual sampled, and are ready to serve as the building
itch, from Stranger Things’ infatuation with the samples, and 375 retro-tinged patches, all of blocks of a quirky chip-tune track, or as
era’s cinematic tropes (and a lush synth which are neatly organised into a diverse array flavourful sprinkles to layer over more
soundtrack), Wonder Woman’s recent colourful of categories, including Bass, Leads, Chords, conventional fare.
adventures in 1984 and the trend for the bleeps Composite, Drums, FX, Plucks and Polysynth, all Though it may seem a niche product, a
and bloops of classic, 8-bit video game selectable via the familiar UVI Workstation cursory skim through some of these presets
soundtracks that pepper EDM and even creep framework which houses this (and, indeed all) showcases the variety of sonics on offer, ranging
their way into mainstream soundtracking. It from the purposefully nostalgic such as Crispy
seems that as long as there are sentimental Dream, which provides a rewarding ‘twinkle’
memories to conjure, the past will never die.
With that in mind, Paris-based UVI has
“The building blocks of effect, reminiscent of picking up a coin in Super
Mario to the more sound design-oriented DMG
painstakingly built what, at first glance, appears
to be the ultimate retro sample library and a quirky chip-tune Artefacts, which presents a shifting sea of
processed sound.
performance instrument, specifically tailored for Of course, these presets are highly
8-bit music-makers. First bundled as part of their track… or flavourful tweakable, mainly via the Amplitude and Filter
gleefully fun, humungous Toy Suite (2019), the controls, which are presented as the central
8-Bit Synth now stands on its own two feet… sprinkles over more options on the Main window.
The sound engine running the show here is
Sid games conventional fare” actually divided into two. The first layer
Taking its inspiration largely from vintage video harnesses the cherished tone of the three-voice

uvi 8-bit synth / reviews <
“Its visual ethos being

in-keeping with old
school arcade
machines, it’s less work,
more like a game”
SID chip, originally used within the beloved
Commodore 64. The second consists of a
variety of Chip sounds cribbed from machines
like the GameBoy and Mod Machine. These
layers can be blended in a whole range of ways,
leading to some interesting aural creations.
1up With the hard work done, you can focus on the fun of effecting and tweaking your 8-bit excursions
The UI is comfortingly child-like, daubed with
decals that are based on some of those iconic
video game characters. The arcade machine- Would you like chips with that?
feel is complemented further by the circular
page selection buttons that run down the left- Formerly the domain of dedicated the 8-bit genre include 8bitpeoples
hand side, culminating in a rendering of a classic enthusiasts, chiptune music is typically label founder Nullsleep and renowned
joystick, which controls the master volume. The made via the use of trackers. Making soundtracker Jake Kaufman (aka Virt).
five main control pages are Main, Edit, 8-bit music was originally a delicate 8-Bit Synth presents a way into this
Modulation, Effects and Arpeggiator, and it’s on procedure, though there are now many world previously restricted by the need
the Main view that we can easily select which software trackers to choose from, to adjust your process to the upside-
layer to activate, edit (via the Amplitude and many of which float around the web as down approach, demanded by the
Filter controls) and modify global settings such freeware and, if you’re curious about tracker. UVI have done the hard work
as Pan and Volume. delving further, you should certainly for you, and provide ready-to-go
The Edit page is where the nuts and bolts of take for a spin. The most noticeable samples from both computers and
8-Bit synth can be manipulated. Here, we can difference to a traditional DAW being gaming systems. The plugin’s familiar
toggle between mono and poly voicing per chip that the track lanes are vertically parameters and controls, and of
(or both) adjust portamento depth and time, aligned. Shared characteristics among course, the ability to work with it within
scale the pitch in octaves and route our multiple trackers are the ability to a DAW environment, allow your lo-fi
controller keyboard modwheel to familiar modify samples, notes, effects, concoctions to live happily alongside
parameters such as vibrato, filter and tremolo. patterns and orders. Notable artists in all manner of instrumental bedfellows.
The Modulation page justifies the inclusion of
‘Synth’ in the product’s name, as it’s here we can
go to town on step modulation, LFO speed,
waveshape, sync and mode, as well as deeper, All these options are remarkably easy to
layer-specific, modifications. The Effects page understand, and with its visual ethos being Alternatively
contains EQ settings, as well as Drive, Chorus (or, in-keeping with old school arcade machines, it AudioThing miniBit
UVI’s patented ‘Thorus’, rather), Delay and feels less like work, more like a game. The €20
Reverb amongst others, all of which have editing of parameters like the amp envelope and Similarly meant for quick-fire
powerful bearing on the resulting shape and feel LFO routing are made extraordinarily simple, chiptune sonics, its waveforms
of the tone. and arguably child-friendly. In fact, aside from came from classic consoles
The final page is perhaps where some of the 8-Bit Synths’ own attributes, it’s also potentially
most fun experiments can be undertaken. The a great ‘way-in’ piece of software that could be Plogue Chipsounds
Arpeggiator invites us to build up rolling used to quickly – and enjoyably – demonstrate £86
arpeggios, with myriad options for speed, steps the principles of synthesis to newcomers. Realistically emulating vintage
and note velocity. This is where we can really 8-bit sound chips, this is a more
start to bring some of the retro tones to life, Game over serious synth, but harder to learn
layering up evolving, bright riffs that scream to By taking a fastidious approach to sampling, UVI
be foregrounded in our mixes. have yielded a treasure trove of classic video
game-recalling textures and tones. As we’ve Verdict
previously said, the application of these can For Meticulously sampled retro sounds
vary massively, but during a few hours of initial Diverse effects, arps and modulation
experimentation, we amusingly built up our own options to sculpt sounds to taste
little video game themes, that wouldn’t have Dual-layer engine blending
sounded out of place in a seaside arcade back in Awesomely fun and instantly accessible
1989. If you’re an indie game developer, with a
penchant for the retro, then this could prove a Against Limited long-term appeal
valuable tool. For the rest of us, a satisfying
diversion into the quirky realm of 8-bit provides Hard to remember a more enjoyable time
fun – and nostalgia – by the bucket load, coupled with a plugin. 8-Bit Synth doesn’t just
with the potential to build out some truly provide aural nostalgia, but heaps of sound
original sounds by probing its nuances. modifying potential. UVI wins.
The Step Modulator allows for us to breathe some life
into our sounds, and re-shape our waveforms Web uvi.net 9/10

> reviews / arturia pigments 3
PRESET BROWSER UTILITY ENGINE EFFECTS SEQUENCER

Access a multitude of New Utility Engine adds Click to add effects Access controls for arpeggiator
factory presets, and noise, analogue samples, including filter, EQ, and sequencer, with polyrhythms
save your favourites and sub osc compressor, and delay and randomisation
HARMONIC
ENGINE
Pigments 3 MIDI
features the Click here to
Harmonic Engine, view and
which includes change MIDI
additive synthesis CC control
assignments
TABS
Click on these
tabs to view the
keyboard,
envelopes, etc
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MODULATION COMBINATORS MPE

STANDALONE AND PLUGIN
Use this panel to configure The Combinate tab now Configure your MPE
Pigments runs standalone as
global modulation and has three Combinators parameters here for deeper
seen here, or as a plugin
macro settings for modulation tasks hardware control response
Arturia
Pigments 3 €99
The Pigments powerhouse gets upgraded to v3, adding more engines,
more waveforms and more effects. Have we reached saturation point?
After 20 years of successfully producing improvements. Pigments 3 installs as Audio inconvenient but not unusual for such a full-
software synths based on classic hardware Unit, VST, or AAX plugins, as well as the featured synth. From left to right, there’s the
products, Arturia released their first unique standalone mode. The review was conducted preset browser, Synth, FX, and Seq tabs, a Tips
synth, Pigments, in 2018 – and now we have with a 2019 iMac running macOS Big Sur, icon, and Master Volume. Below that, there are
Pigments 3. Pigments is a synth instrument that Ableton Live 11, and assorted MIDI keyboards the tabs for three Engines – 1, 2, and Utility,
works as a standalone application so you can and controllers. followed by a Filter section, then a row of
play live with a keyboard controller, or as a All of Pigments’ controls are contained in one modulation controls, with more tabs – this time
plugin within your favourite host software. panel, but some tab-clicking is required – toggling views of an on-screen keyboard,
Pigments combines virtual analogue and envelopes, LFOs, Functions (three complex
wavetable synthesis, and includes filters, effects, modulation sources), randomisation, and
modulation, sequencing and arpeggiation.
Version 2, released in 2019, added sample-based
“More focused Combinators (another type of modulation
source that combines two other modulation
and granular synthesis, as well as MPE (MIDI
Polyrhythmic Expression). on blatantly sources). Finally at the lower right are four
Macro controls, and a button which enables
Now we’re looking at Pigments 3, which MPE and displays some relevant options.
includes a new Harmonic Engine for additive being a synth rather The extensive preset library tells you
synthesis; a Utility Engine, with a sub oscillator, everything you need to know about Pigments in
supplemental analogue waveforms, and two
noise sources – so now up to three Engines can
than emulating general – excellent quality sounds, with depth
and movement, more focused on blatantly
be layered together. There are also 80+ new
wavetables, and other additions and
real instruments” being a synth rather than emulating real
instruments, and many using the built-in

arturia pigments 3 / reviews <
“Pigments has always

stood apart from
Arturia’s more
‘traditional’ collection of
vintage softsynths”
arpeggiator and Sequencer, which are always
good with Arturia.
Beyond that, as we’ve reviewed Pigments
before, let’s focus on what’s new in version 3,
Arturia’s
starting with the Utility Engine, which is a third
Analog Lab
sound engine in its own right – you can even
turn off the first two, and use Utility on its own,
dialling up two different noise forms, and adding Analog(ue) vs digital
the oscillator and filters. The noises are based on
a range of samples including machine noises, As far as Arturia’s software synths go virtual classics. Unlike the more
digital tones, and natural sounds such as forests (they also have a range of hardware focused synth instruments of the past,
and rain. The oscillator presents a choice of synths), they’re primarily about synths like Pigments aim to cover as
waveforms, and each element, noise and emulating vintage hardware products – much ground as possible, with
oscillator has its own Filter, Mix and Volume anything from a Synclavier V, to a Moog synthesis types including wavetable,
controls (two filters are shared by all Engines). Modular, to a Roland Jupiter 8. The virtual analogue, granular, and sample-
Being able to stack up three of these Engines Moog Modular V software instrument based. Arturia are offering a discount
leads to some profound sound design moments, was designed in collaboration with Dr price for current users of their Analog
the third Engine enhancing what’s already an Bob Moog himself, and has been Lab, which is kind of a ‘greatest hits’ of
excellent sounding synth. In the same way, a supported and maintained with the their analogue-style offerings – with
third Combinator takes modulation into wild necessary updates since it was first that, and Pigments, you’re pretty much
new areas. As we said earlier, these are a way of released in 2003 – we’ve had it that covered for synths!
building a modulation source from others, with long and still use it. Anyway, the point is that
assignable behaviours for each, so you might Against that background, Pigments philosophically, Pigments is quite
take LFO 1 and LFO 2 as sources, then choose stands out as something unique and different from the analogue offerings,
how they’ll combine (difference, multiplication, unashamedly modern, although and it’s so comprehensive, we can’t
and so on). Each Combinator can also use the Arturia have certainly benefited from imagine that Arturia could ever come
other two Combinators as a modulation source. the experience of working with the up with a second original synth!
Four new audio effects have been added, in
the form of a rather excellent pitch shift delay, a
multiband compressor, the BL-20 flanger, and
Jun-6 Chorus, derived from Arturia’s V Pro’s Alchemy. The truth is, we all end up with
Collection. We didn’t have an MPE-compatible more synths than we know what to do with. Alternatively
controller available for this review, and it’s not a Pigments has always stood apart from Arturia’s XFer Serum
new addition to Pigments 3, but we just want to more ‘traditional’ collection of vintage softsynth $189
mention that we used Live 11’s new MPE instruments, and we mean that in the best Ever-popular wavetable synth that
envelopes features to control Pigments, and it possible way. This isn’t a situation where you includes sample loading and
worked very well, with some of Sensel’s free choose one style or another, and for Arturia, editing in the synth
Pigments presets. we’d guess it’s a way of keeping users connected
Pigments 3 is up against many other big to them even when they want different, more Izotope Iris 2
name synths, but really it’s not a competition in modern, sounds – especially as bundle prices $149
that sense; they all have their good points. A list and discounts for current users are available. Iris 2 is primarily about sample-
of the usual names could include Serum, And why on earth not? Pigments isn’t a token based synthesis, but also includes
Massive, Iris 2, Hive 2, and Sylenth. And let’s not gesture – it’s a fully functioning, potentially osc-generated synth waveforms
forget that most DAW software includes a great deep, synth in its own right. There’s no need to
synth or two, examples being Ableton Live’s debate the value of upgrading, as it’s free for
Operator, Bitwig Studio’s Phase-4, and Logic anybody who’s using Pigments 1 or 2 already.
For those who aren’t using Pigments already,
Verdict
this could be a good time to jump onboard. For An incredibly powerful modern-
This is a great-sounding synth that can go sounding synth
very complex in function while still being easy Upgrade greatly expands potential
to use, with some fantastic presets, and the Pigments 3 includes four new effects
control layout is impressively clear and rewards Runs as a plugin or standalone
experimentation. Sometimes we wish we could Users can import samples/wavetables
see more of the content contained in the various
tabs at once, but that’s about it as criticisms go. Against Too much to fit the display
Used as a plugin or standalone, Pigments 3 is a Almost too much factory content!
fine addition to any synth library.
A great synth and a bargain given the
Web arturia.com number of features and sound quality
Now that Ableton Live 11 includes MPE control, it can
send those messages direct to Pigments 3, with or Info Free update for current users, discounts
without a compatible hardware controller for other Arturia customers, see the website 9/10

> reviews / cherry audio mercury-4
PRESET BROWSER LFO SECTION VCO SECTION

Control all low Set the VCO NOISE SECTION
Load, save and create A simple switch that
sound presets frequency oscillator parameters including
parameters, including pitch range, and activates a white noise-
Waveform and Rate frequency modulation type effect
TRIGGER
Control the
timing of the
arpeggiator VCF SECTION
and filter Affect the
sample and sliders that
hold control the high
and low-pass
MASTER TUNE filters
CONTROLS
Modify the
overall volume, VCA
pitch and tuning SECTION -
drift Controls the
VCA,
essentially an
automated
Volume knob
PERFORMANCE CONTROLS ARPEGGIO TAPE ECHO
Modify the pitch bend wheel, Activate the arpeggiator and An in-built reproduction of a Roland
portamento and master switch the animation-type here Space Echo-type tape echo
transposition
Cherry Audio
Mercury-4 £30
The bygone, underappreciated Jupiter-4 hums with life once again,
thanks to this new, intricately modelled software adaptation
Roland’s Jupiter series is often held aloft as visually appealing, with its surrounding wooden presents a largely similar (though significantly
one of the most important synthesiser lines enclosure and tacky push buttons not exactly augmented) version of the original layout of the
of all time. There’s good reason for that, of the most compelling of designs. Its lack of MIDI Jupiter–4. With each of the synthesiser’s key
course, with 1981’s state-of-the-art Jupiter-8 and CV/Gate, not to mention its single VCO-per- control sections arranged in their respective
igniting the potential of keyboard analogue voice architecture, were all further reasons why areas of Trigger, LFO, VCO, Noise, VCF, VCA, and
synths as slick and cool sound-crafters to many this initial Jupiter mission piffled out at launch. Performance Controls.
for the first time. Its kinetic stew of sounds Still, there were those who found much to Comparing it side-by-side with an original
informed the development of synth pop, new relish, including The Human League’s Phil Jupiter-4 exterior reveals a few striking
wave and bombastic rock, continuing to be used Oakey, Thomas Dolby and The Cars’ Greg innovations that Cherry Audio have brought to
all the way into the dance music decades. With a Hawkes. In fact, it is Hawkes’ own Jupiter-4 the table, however. Most obvious is the
veritable who’s who of artists pulling futuristic which Cherry Audio have carefully modelled incorporation of a Space Echo-eseque tape echo
sounds from within its tantalisingly colourful here. The resulting product is Mercury-4, a and reverb simulation into the plugin. Presented
veneer on Top of the Pops, many Vince Clarke complete softsynth recreation of the Jupiter-4. in a suitably green-tinted section to the upper
wannabes hankered for this tomorrow-proof Now sporting a few added enhancements, we right of the keyboard display, the Space Echo
instrument. While a far more affordable version wonder if this digital resurrection has super- sim is a sweet addition, with a light application
– the Jupiter-6 – was released shortly after, what charged this maligned machine. of genuinely spatially enhancing pretty much all
many didn’t realise was that the Jupiter-line’s of the synth’s sounds.
arrival was heralded by its clunkier precursor, Fantastic four So what of these sounds then? After all, it’s
the Jupiter-4. Installation is extraordinary simple, and within certainly the unit’s distinct tonal characteristics
Released in 1978, this little-loved, diminutive minutes we’ve got our AU instance of Mercury-4 that spurred its cult of aficionados. In the top left
four-voice, polyphonic synth wasn’t all that loaded into our Logic project. The large GUI we have the preset selector, which handily

cherry audio mercury-4 / reviews <
“It’s plainly
apparent that
there’s a lot more to
Mercury-4 than meets
the eye”
divides over 400 sounds into their respective
categories, including leads, basses, arpeggios
and pads. There’s a distinctly retro flavour to the
vast majority of ready-to-go sounds, particular
when cycling and triggering the arps. Those
designing quirky video game soundtracks will
find a lot to mine from here. Our quick preset
skim highlights include the spritely, 8-bit- These simple switches and dials allow you to assign your pitch bend wheel accordingly
sounding Brush Taps, the arpeggiated Square
Space and stinging Edgy Arp, and the emotive
Modern Classic bass sound. While many sounds
have that 70s kitsch quality to them, it’s plainly Does it bend?
apparent that there’s a lot more to Mercury-4 Though it lacked the pitch bend wheel the same function, albeit more fluidly
than meets the eye. that its bigger brother, the Jupiter-8 and in a more performance-ready way.
would later sport, the original Jupiter-4 It’s nice to be able to jiggle around
Cherry on top included a small joystick bender modifiers like this, developing evolving
Mercury-4’s sonics might have something of a control on a horizontal axis that textures as modulation is introduced
day-glo veneer, but it’s clear that there’s a lot of allowed some rather rigid control of and removed musically.
sound-creating potential here. Lifting the hood VCO pitch, VCF cutoff, VCA volume or Couple this with the velocity-
of this software reveals a signal path built how much LFO modification is applied sensitive MPE support and the
around a modelling of that original oscillator to the VCO, VCF or the VCA. Mercury-4 offers a radically different
and sub oscillator, while all of the Jupiter-4’s dual The Mercury-4 now allows your MIDI experience than the one offered by the
filter nuances have been captured with peerless controller’s pitch bend wheel to serve hardware’s original capabilities.
detail – these sounds feel like they’re coming out
of a dusty old relic, especially when you add a
touch of Drift for a little more authentic
analogue unpredictability.
Not feeling content with just making an
exacting remake, Cherry Audio have also
indulged in a little revisionism. While the original
Jupiter-4 was limited to just eight memory
locations for homemade sound design (saved the keyboard as opposed to being assigned
via its ‘Compuphonic’ internal storage) we’re manually. While initially confusing, it’s quick to
Alternatively
now gifted with infinite scope for preset-saving. get the hang of when you figure out where Roland ProMars
Full 16-voice polyphony over the original’s four these areas are located. The four arpeggio £90
and – perhaps the most attractive new aspect – controls allow you to cycle between Up (lowest A smaller variant of the Jupiter-4;
MPE support. to highest notes), Down (the opposite), Up & this official software version has
Controlling these sounds via MPE reveals Down and Random. similar character to the Mercury-4
new dimensions which would have been
unimaginable back in ’78. Enabling MPE mode Mercurial magic Arturia SQ80V
allows you to map an array of parameters to Whoever you are, you’ll undoubtedly have a £145
your MPE device, across the three standard blast with Mercury-4; it’s an authentic-sounding Provides an accurate modelling of
dimensions of pitch, pressure and timbre. While and majorly editable synth that has been the similarly lo-fi and under-loved
there are too many to list here, our VCO replicated with absolute love and respect for its Ensoniq SQ-80
Modulation Amount and Resonance mid- source. Whether it becomes a beneficial
performance opens up sounds in astounding addition to your own tracks is another story,
new ways. with its intrepid tones maybe a little too garish
Verdict
Another major high-point here is the flawless for many sound designers. Either way, at a For Very thorough reproduction of an
arpeggiator, controlled via simple switches and double-take-inducing £30, you’d be unwise not often overlooked golden age synth
yielding pulsing runs via a unique method of to take a tour of Mercury. High quality sounds given new life
implementation. Basically, the octave range is Fluid and authentic arpeggiator
dependent on where the notes are pressed on Web cherryaudio.com Improves on the original’s capabilities
Against Distinct sonic character may

not be for everyone
A lovingly crafted tribute that widens the

aural capabilities of this once-limited synth,
revealing a colourful sonic playground
The GUI is true to the aesthetic of the original Jupiter-4, while adding a few extra goodies 8/10

> buyer’s guide / 17 greatest freeware synths
The 17 greatest freeware

synths of all time!
As we close our Music Producer’s Guide To Synths, it’s
time to go free! Here’s a roundup of the best dozen free
softsynths of all time plus, over the page, the five best
freeware classic synth emulations…
02
GREEN OAK CRYSTAL
MAC/PC, 32/64-BIT
Almost as old as this magazine’s
editor, Green Oak software Crystal has, like
Synth1 after it, been a mainstay in the freeware
music scene for many a year. And it’s easy to
understand why… at least once you look past
those aged looks, as it still sounds very good.
With a relatively simple operation but
powerful LFO and modulation sections, it’s easy
to get something complex out of Crystal. And
not a synth to be pigeonholed particularly, you
can also get some pretty varied sounds out of it
too. Crystal has also made a great (but sadly not
free) transition to the iOS platform).
greenoak.com
03
MATT TYTEL HELM
PC/MAC/LINUX, 32/64-BIT
Some freeware has been around the
block a few times… and looks like it. Not so Matt
Tytel’s Helm. With the kinds of looks, graphics,
movement and click and drag pointers found on
newer synths, this looks anything but free, but
most certainly is. The synth features a great little
step sequencer, some nice LFO options and
some superb (and easy to use) effects which
Patchable, tweakable and an incredible sound. Quite possibly the best free synth out there help take its sound up a level or two. Great
looker and a great sound.
tytel.org
U-HE BAZILLE CM
01 MAC/PC, 32/64-BIT
We’d stress that this list is ‘in no particular
order’, so this number one does not actually mean ‘the
04
NUSOFTING SINNAH
MAC/PC, 32/64-BIT
Another sleek and up-to-date
interface, Sinnah is a relatively modern piece of
freeware, but has a slightly different take on
best’. But it is a great synth from the Suite

(Computer Music magazine’s suite of free plugins)
which means you can download it now – see page 8
onwards. This is a cracker, a patchable modular synth
with a sequencer and enough power to wrestle
incredible sounds from.
“When I look back upon my life, it’s always with a sense
u-he.com of shame, I’ve always been the one to blame”

17 greatest freeware synths / buyer’s guide <
32-bit. Other than that, it’s great! No, the real

reason this makes the cut is that it’s one of the
best bombastic dance freebies out there. OK, it
might be dance music from a few years back –
dubstep included – but we all know a few tweaks
can update it. So if your machine’s old, give this
a go, you won’t regret it.
acoustica.com
09
STAGECRAFT INFINITY
PC/MAC, 64-BIT
One of the newer and more unusual
synths in this roundup, Infinity promises lots of
features that other synths here can’t deliver,
including MPE (Multidimensional Polyphonic
Expression) support for extra expression and a
sample-based synthesis engine that helps it
deliver a wide range of sounds, some acoustic,
some electronic. The only catch is you might
want to increase its library with paid-for
additions, but there’s plenty you can achieve
Not one synth, but hundreds of modules for you to select and assemble yourself
without doing so.
stagecraftsoftware.com
05
VCV RACK
10
FUTUCRAFT KAIRATUNE
PC/MAC/LINUX, 64-BIT PC/MAC, 32/64-BIT
Kairatune is an out-and-out electronic
Now this is the synth – actually entire music producer’s dream freebie, and ideal for
dance music of all genres. It can cover your
modular system – taking the freeware world by storm. leads, basses, arps, pads and beats and is
“designed for musicians rather than engineers”
Developed over the last few years, it’s an open source so relatively easy to get to grips with. It wears its
heart on its sleeve – and is damned good at what
modular environment, complete with dozens of add- it does.
futucraft.com/kairatune/
ons developed by many developers, making it one of
the most exciting, and complex free systems out there.
Look out for the features on pages 54, 86 and 98.
vcvrack.com
synthesis. It has a single oscillator, albeit one (including reverb and delay) and loads of
with five shapes to choose from, and an presets that cover a lot more bases (and, indeed
envelope to tweak. However, a ‘resonant delay basses). We’re pretty sure TAL will be appearing
network’ replaces the expected filter and once in later pages of this feature too, such is their
you start tweaking everything, you realise that girth of quality.
the sound is as difficult to categorise as the tal-software.com Synth1 is still the number 1 synth. Albeit at number 11…
overall synth architecture. It therefore sits within
08 11
the more unusual box of freeware in our studio, ACOUSTICA NIGHTLIFE ICHIRO TODA SYNTH1
but is all the better for it. PC, 32-BIT PC/MAC, 32/64-BIT
nusofting.nusofting.com/ One that breaks all of our rules from No freeware synth roundup would be
the off; it doesn’t work on a Mac and is only complete without this mainstay of the free
06
SYNAPSE AUDIO world, a synth that has propped up many a ‘best
DUNE CM of’ list since its release back in the 18th century.
PC/MAC/, 32/64-BIT Synth1 takes some of its features from the
Whether you like it or not, you already own this mighty Nord Lead 2 and while it might look
synth (unless, that is, you are borrowing this antiquated, it sounds great, will run in modern
book from a friend, in which case they own it). DAWs and is still, incredibly, supported by its
Dune CM comes free with this bookazine (see developers (albeit not in English). Still essential.
page 8) but sounds anything but free. With VA daichilab.sakura.ne.jp/index.html
and wavetable oscillators plus a comprehensive
12
modulation section, you really can get some TYRELL NEXUS 6
varied and pro sounds from it. A cracking synth. MAC/PC/LINUX, 32/64-BIT
synapse-audio.com Amazona and u-he teamed up to
produce this synth back in 2010 but updates
07
TAL NOISE MAKER have kept it fresh and able to run in up-to-date
PC/MAC, 32/64-BIT DAWs. Of course, we chose it initially for the
Togu Audio Line have been making name but actually there’s a great synth behind a
great plugins for many years now and were one great fascia here, similar to a Roland Juno-60,
of the earliest flagbearers for the freebie. Their albeit with added extras. 580 presets are easily
Elek7ro specialised in sharp percussion and enough to demo its power and it’s a worthy
cutting basses and Noise Maker is a new and TAL – Togu Audio Line – have two decades of experience inclusion in our synth dozen.
improved version of that synth, featuring effects making both paid-for and free plugins. Very nice too u-he.com and amazona.de

> buyer’s guide / 17 greatest freeware synths
> Step by step 1. Understanding FM synthesis… for free!
Yamaha’s original DX7 was the synth You’ll hear a very dull sine-wave type This signal structure is called an
1 that brought FM (or Frequency

Modulation) synthesis to the masses. Only
it didn’t really as it was far too complex to
program, and only the likes of Brian Eno
2 sound because this is the raw,
initialised basic patch. FM synths use
Operators to produce their core sounds
and these use sine waves – hence the
3 algorithm and on Dexed you can see
the algorithm in use in the bottom centre
of the UI. Dexed comes with several
premade algorithms that can be selected
ever ‘got it’. Fortunately, it’s much easier to sound – but the idea is that Operators can using the Algorithm dial at the top right of
understand with one of our freeware stars, modulate themselves and each other to this section.
Dexed. First, initialise a sound at the produce complex waves, hence the name
bottom left of the UI. Frequency Modulation.
Select Algorithm number 9. The grid To get some sonic action going As Operator 2 is modulating Operator
4 shows the structure of the Operators,

with the bottom two Operators – in this
case numbers 1 and 3 – feeding to the
output, while the ones above them are
5 between the Operators, edit each one
individually. We’ll start by going up to
Operator 2 and raising its level to 1 o’ clock
and then the Coarse Tune knob to F=4.
6 1 (and itself) changing 1’s envelope
should also yield results, so play with the
dials on that, setting them as shown. The
resulting sound is like a marimba – a very
modulating them. Here, then, Operator 2 is You’ll hear a slight variation in the sound. typical FM sound. You can see and hear
modulating 1 and itself, while 4 and 5 are For more drama, you need to modulate this in action from the classic video
modulating 3, while 6 is modulating 5. the modulators! Now turn EG levels 2 and available to download from filesilo.co.uk.
3 down, and EG Rate 3 to 1 o’ clock.
Five of the best freeware synth emulations
13. TAL-U-No-62 14. Dexed 15. disco DSP OB-Xd 16. FB-3300 17. Wave 2.2 V6
Mac/PC, 32/64-bit (PC) PC/Mac/linux, 32/64-bit Mac/PC, 32/64-bit Mac/PC, 32/64-bit Simulation
It seems like merely a page Not so much a direct Unashamedly an emulation of We could have filled this top PC, 32/64-bit
ago that we predicted that emulation of a Yamaha DX7 famous OB-X, OB-Xa and OB-8 five with Full Bucket’s free Getting a bit fed up with all the
TAL might have one or two but about as good an synths, ’ OB-Xd has been plugins, as they are so good, classic analogue recreations
other entries on our top emulator of DX synthesis as around for quite a few years but this is just one out there? Well how about this
Freeware Apps and here they you’ll get for free. This FM but still remains one of the outstanding emulation from final emulation of the PPG
are again with their classic beauty lays all those FM best classic recreations out the German developer. It’s Wave, one of the most leftfield
take on a Juno-60. An original synthesis controls out for you there. There’s a question mark their take on a 1977 Korg synths ever created. This is
Juno synth was used as a and makes the process a lot over whether it’s still free – PS-3300 polyphonic synth PC-only, we’re afraid, but
reference point for the simpler than it should be, as there’s a newer 1.5 update that and has some incredible semi includes a set of presets from
oscillators and filter. Classic our walkthrough above does cost – but we think v1 is modular detail to get original developer Wolfgang
freeware classic synth. demonstrates. still freeware. tweaking with. Palm. PC users will love it.
tal-software.com asb2m10.github.io/dexed/ discodsp.com/obxd/ fullbucket.de hermannseib.com

100 greatest 9 top ipad synths / buyer’s guide <
9 top iPad synths

The best new synths and classic emulations
SIX AMAZING SYNTHS
AUDIOKIT SYNTH ONE BEEP STREET SUNRIZER ICEGEAR INSTRUMENTS LAPLACE

$FREE $9.99 $7.99
AUV3 (COMING)/AB/AL/IAA | 300 PRESETS | HYBRID AUV3, MIDI, IAA, AUDIOBUS 2.0 | 380+ PRESETS | AUV3/ AB/AL/IAA | 24-VOICE | PHYSICAL MODELLING
ANALOGUE/FM 6-VOICE | SEQUENCER 6-20-VOICE | PHRASE SEQUENCER | ARPEGGIATOR
They say “completely free, fully functional, and This VA synth features ‘True SuperSaw sound Laplace employs physical modelling to create
ad-free – the ultimate free iPad music emulation’ – the kind of fat trance lead sounds sounds like strings, plucked instruments and
instrument app”… And we’re not going to made ubiquitous by the Roland JP-8000 and metallic sounds although IceGear suggest, “it is
argue. Synth One is an open source tool to used on many a dance and trance tune. Add in designed not to reproduce real acoustic
develop but is actually one of the best synths flexible effects, modulation and an instruments but to create new synthesizer
out there. A unique tone, brilliantly flexible UI arpeggiator, and this could well be seen as the sounds in different new ways”. Basically, if you
and of course it’s free! No brainer… Massive of mobile in years to come. want something a little different this is it!
audiokitpro.com beepstreet.com icegear.net
SYNTHMASTER ONE MIRACK

$FREE $9.99 MOOG ANIMOOG
AUV3 | 950 PRESETS | VARIOUS VOICE SETUPS | AUV3/AL/AB/IAA | 500+MODULES | VARIOUS VOICES $19.99
ARPEGGIATOR & SEQUENCER | MANY SEQ AND OTHER MODULES AUV3/AL | 100SOF PRESETS IN PACKS | VARIED
KV331 have ported the multi-award-winning If you are interested in modular synths but POLYPHONY | ANISOTROPIC SYNTH ENGINE
Synthmaster – in its feature-packed entirety – hate the idea of all those boxes and leads, this Animoog is not a standard synth emulator but
to the iPad. Brimming with sonic potential, this could be your future: an entire modular system contains the best parts of the classic Moog
is a fantastically creative tool for sound design on your iPad. miRack has 500 modules and will sound behind new UI sensibilities. It allows you
on the move as well as a go-to for quick idea even integrate with hardware Eurorack gear, to create sounds with loads of movement and
generation. One of the most fully-featured iPad although if you can do it all from an iPad, why control them all in real time, all with that Moog
synth experiences you can have. would you want to? quality as its sonic bedrock. It was free at one
kv331audio.com mifki.com point but still comes highly recommended.
THREE INCREDIBLE SYNTH EMULATIONS
ARTURIA ISEM KORG ODYSSEI MINIMOOG MODEL D

£9.99 $29.99 $14.99
AU/IAA/AB | 500+PRESETS | 4 OR 8-VOICE AB/IAA | 100 PRESETS | 2-VOICE AU3/AB/IAA/AL | 160+ PRESETS | 4-VOICE |
POLYPHONY | ARPEGGIATOR | CLASSIC ANALOGUE ARCHITECTURE ARPEGGIATOR
Three absolute classic synths for you now, Odyssei is a faithful recreation of the ARP Last but not least, the best synth of all time and
starting with the Oberheim SEM, a much-loved Odyssey made famous by the likes of one of the best iPad apps. The 1970 Moog
1974 synth. iSEM sounds magnificent, has loads Ultravox’s Billy Currie. It’s expensive but Minimoog Model D, gets a fantastic emulation
of modern twists including effects and chord sounds incredible. You also get effects and by the company that made it in the first place.
modes, and is one of the best emulations that optional sounds. Get it and the Moog for the All with added presets, polyphony, the ability to
you’ll find on the iPad. iSuperb. most popular synth combo ever! run it in any iOS DAW and effects.
arturia.com korg.com moogmusic.com

> buyer’s guide / the 6 best future synth classics
the 6 best …
Future classic softsynths
We have six all-time classics on p114. Here are six young
pretenders from recent years vying to steal their crowns
UVI Falcon 2
€349
If you want an easier modular-based system, then
Phase Plant (bottom right) might be a better
option – Falcon 2 delivers a wider scope but the
complexity that comes with that depth. Once
mastered, though, it really delivers the wide-
ranging goods. The learning curve is well worth
the rewards. A stunning sound design and
production platform of infinite potential.
uvi.net
Synapse Audio Dune 3

£139
*Whisper* Dune 2 was already close to classic status, a
favourite with the dance community and right up there with
Serum. Dune 3 was never going to dramatically change the
situation but does enough to seal the classic deal. If we had
to choose a single instrument to cover all our synthesis
needs without making compromises in any of them, Dune 3
would be right up there. Great value too.
synapse-audio.com
Native Instruments
Massive X £179
On the assumption that NI are going to carry on
improving Massive X – and you can’t deny the
effort they have put in so far – there’s no reason
why it won’t become as successful as its dad. Sure
there were issues at launch, but many of these
have been ironed out and it sounds incredible.
Massive X is a fab instrument with real personality,
that can do things no other synth can.
the 6 best future synth classics / buyer’s guide <
u-He Hive 2
€149
Like Dune, Hive has become one of the
new breed of softsynths that effortlessly
combines both analogue and wavetable
synthesis into a totally inspirational
package that is as easy to use as it is
capable of delivering great sounds. V2 is
a solid update that makes an already
excellent workhorse synth even more
powerful and flexible than before.
u-he.com
Arturia Pigments
€199
This analogue and wavetable synth
was Arturia’s first non-emulation
and what a cracking debut! With a
beautifully-visualised modulation
process, incredible looks and an
easy workflow this is one of the
loveliest softsynths to use as well as
to hear. Ambitious, expansive and
oozing quality from every pixel,
Pigments easily earns a place at the
top table of synthesis.
arturia.com
Kilohearts
Phase Plant
€169
There’s modular synthesis and
then there’s Kilohearts modular,
essentially bolting things
together from scratch, but
without any of the head-
scratching stuff that goes with
‘proper’ modular. Phase Plant
can be anything you wish, and
very quickly indeed. Up with
the best, capability-wise, but it’s
the flexibility that makes Phase
Plant stand out.
kilohearts.com

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THE ICONIC SYNTHS AND HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT RACK AND
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Music Producer's Guide To Synths

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NEW Presents

MAKE BETTER SYNTH

PRO TUTORIALS PATCH UP FREE SYNTHS

Andy Jones, editor

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO

How To Use This Guide

>Step by step Using FileSilo

1 and custom password at filesilo.co.uk.

4 you will be granted access to all of the

8 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

Installing your free plugins

1 opposite and it’s your first time at

4 which is an accompaniment to the

the plugins. on your computer).

7 a plugin. If it is shown as a .vst file it is

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 9

Your Free Synth Samples

ULTIMATE SYNTHS C OLLECTION ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION

Sinister synths Bass synth, FX and

10 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

ULTIMATE SYNTHS COLLECTION

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 11

Oli Bell of Groove Criminals was set a mission

12 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

The Synthwave packs

Synthwave Power New Wave Synth

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 13

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 15

iOS v hardware v desktop (out of shot).

16 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

Other ways to get

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 17

18 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

Creating Moog patches – the classic Thriller patch

1 plugin or in a standalone mode, so

4 the upper frequency band, using Osc

7 little bit of bite, we will use the

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 19

Creating Moog patches – something not so classic…

> Step by step 2. Creating Moog patches – the one-key chord

1 our Thriller patch, we’ll start by

4 alterations to the pitch and wave of

7 Osc 3, we’ll make some alterations to

20 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

Ten Great Things about

Ladder filter, with its 24dB/4-pole design, which

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 21

George Duke was

Kraftwerk’s Autobahn featured Moogs a-plenty

harsh; something for every musical eventuality,

22 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 23

24 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

Other ways to get

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 25

26 / MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS

Create a classic ARP sound patch

1 classic Odyssey sounds now. You can

4 quickly (or if you get too many

7 minimum – for now! On the Oddity

MUSIC PRODUCER’S GUIDE TO SYNTHS / 27

The ARP Odyssey can do bass (and lasers)

> Step by step 2. Going low on the ARP