Rapid is an 8-layer morphing wavetable synthesizer with a bright, modern, vivid core sound and massive (if you’ll pardon the pun) potential as a track-wide workstation thanks to the inclusion of complicated modulation and sequencing tools and the addition of scores of multi-sampled instrument sounds. Each of Rapid’s eight layers is bordering on a self-contained [...]

View post: Parawave Audio Rapid Synthesizer Review

Softube Modular is a modular analog synth emulation, presented in a rack format. You are given a range of modules, a rack to put them in, and endless virtual cable. Each module may be instantiated as many times as your computer can handle, and it is designed to be very close to a 1:1 emulation [...]

View post: Softube Modular Review (+ Intellijel Modules Expansion)

Drum Leveler by Sound Radix is a VST/AU/AAX/RTAS plugin for PC and Mac that is best described as a surgical gain tool, primarily suitable for use on percussive material. If, like me, you have struggled a bit with compressors and similar dynamics tools, you may find Drum Leveler’s unique approach refreshing and empowering, both from [...]

View post: Sound Radix Drum Leveler Review

Psychic Modulation brought out Phonec a fair while back, a synthesizer designed to create the warped, nostalgic leads, pads and washes that remind us all of worn out VHS tapes, Boards of Canada and forgotten, dusty footage once again found and exposed to the light of our attention. Phonec 2 is something of a re-write, [...]

View post: Psychic Modulation Phonec 2 Review (Winner Announced)

Wiggle is a virtual synthesizer developed by newcomers 2nd Sense Audio, based on dynamic waveforms. The main premise is that each of the four oscillators are constructed out of four control points which, combined with a shape mode offering different ways to interpolate between the four points, allow the creation of dynamic waveforms where each point can [...]

View post: Wiggle Synthesizer Review

KiloHearts Multipass is a streamlined multi-band effects processing suite with a lightning-quick workflow, intuitive and fun interface, and a selection of “Snap-In” effects, most of which are sold separately – something of an unusual move in the world of VSTs. Multipass can break up an audio stream into up to five distinct frequency bands, apply [...]

View post: KiloHearts Multipass Review

I check the Instruments forum at KVR semi-regularly to look for new synths, and ones like ArcSyn are the reason why. Clicking on the new product announcements, reading the blurbs and feature lists, you never quite know what you’re going to discover. There, from a company I had not heard of, with a GUI screenshot [...]

View post: SPC Plugins ArcSyn Synthesizer Review

Strobe has been a permanent fixture in my VST collection for several years, and the sequel expands on it in a number of ways and also changes some of the architecture. At its core, Strobe was a single oscillator synthesizer with extensive modulation and unison capabilities. Its “Transmod” system allowed almost arbitrary modulation set-ups, with a [...]

View post: Fxpansion Strobe2 Review

Obscurium is something strange and new to behold. Just look at it. Those rainbow-coloured blobs. The scientific-looking markings… What could possibly be going on in this picture? Doesn’t it intrigue you? It does me. There are three parts to this new offering from Sugar Bytes – firstly, it’s a generative and morphing sequence creation and [...]

View post: Sugar Bytes Obscurium REVIEW (Winner Announced)

Togu Audio Line or TAL have some serious property to their name. TAL-NoiseMaker (included as one of the top picks in our free VA synth round-up) is still one of the best sounding freeware VA synths despite being several years old, and their more recent recreations of the SH-101 and Juno 106 are simple, cheap and [...]

View post: Togu Audio Line TAL-Sampler REVIEW

D-16 Group’s Antresol styles itself as an “analog BBD stereo flanger” and is the latest product in their Silverline range, all of which are known and loved parts of my virtual studio. This is one of the most comprehensive and tweakable flangers I’ve ever seen, and if that wasn’t enough, a subset of it’s features [...]

View post: D16 Group Antresol Review (Stereo Flanger)

Waldorf’s Largo wavetable synthesizer has been around for quite a while now, but it’s one I missed out on when it was released. Largo is a three oscillator, two filter, modulation matrix toting, four part layered sound station with both analog modelled waveforms and 68 wavetables culled from several of Waldorf’s flagship synths. For the uninitiated, [...]

View post: Waldorf Largo Review (Wavetable Synthesizer)