Klevgränd Enkl Review (WINNER ANNOUNCED)

Enkl is a new monophonic virtual analogue synthesizer developed by Klevgränd, available as an iPad app and a VSTi/AUi plugin for Windows and Mac OS based host applications. We are taking a closer look at the Windows version of this rather interesting virtual instrument and giving away one free copy (any version of choice) to one lucky BPB reader!

I’ve been a fan of Klevgränd products ever since their early Mac OS releases, due to the company’s fresh approach to GUI design and attention to detail when it comes to workflow efficiency. As a matter of fact, their awesome SquashIt multi-band distortion effect was included in BPB’s round-up of top freeware VST plugins released in 2014.

Enkl is the first virtual instrument coming from Klevgränd, so I was quite eager to check how it compares to their line-up of innovative and easy to use virtual effects. The thing is, instruments (especially synthesizers) are a totally different breed and it’s much harder to build an uncluttered instrument interface without limiting the versatility and sonic capabilities of the synthesis engine.

The instrument features two oscillators (with triangle, saw, pulse waveforms and white noise) which can be added, subtracted or multiplied together. Multiplying the two oscillator signals can result in some really neat FM style timbres, suitable for making bell-like tones and weird SFX patches. Each oscillator also comes with its own dedicated LFO module which can be used to modulate the amplitude or pitch. The LFO frequency ranges from 0.1 Hz to 20 kHz, however the LFOs can’t be synchronized to the host application’s tempo and it’s not possible to change the phase of the LFO waveform. On the other hand, the oscillator waveform’s start offset can be adjusted using a handy slider which is positioned next to the waveform selector. One really cool thing about the two LFOs is that they come with their own pair of ADSR envelopes for the modulation amount, so you can gradually introduce FM/AM modulation to your patch, or have just a short modulated bit at the beginning.

The timbre produced by the OSC section can be further shaped using the HP/LP filter module and the global ADSR envelope for the volume. The filter is one of the most important parts of a synthesizer for me (even the most feature packed synthesizer is a no-go if it comes with a boring characterless filter) and Enkl really nails this part. The filter module is nice and tame at low resonance settings, but it gets really wild and unpredictable as you push the resonance higher and increase the oscillator gain. The resonant low-pass and high-pass filter combination works great for creating all sorts of aggressive leads and bass sounds, making it a bit of a tragedy that the filter doesn’t have its own ADSR envelope (it only features an attack parameter). Even so, Enkl’s filter module is really fun to use and it would be really cool if some future version of the plugin could also be used to process external audio input. I’d love to hear what this filter could do to a drum loop, for example.

Other features include a simple arpeggiator (which can be pushed to super high speeds for that classic chiptune arpeggio sound), glide mode and an FX section with a delay effect and a nice 3-band parametric EQ. It is also possible to adjust the pitch bend range and the amount and speed of vibrato which is controlled by the modulation wheel.

I’ve already mentioned that previous Klevgränd plugins had innovative GUI designs which were optimized for an efficient workflow and Enkl follows that same approach to interface design with almost the same amount of success. I say “almost” because the interface didn’t click with me right away, but it did kind of grow on to me after a couple of hours of use. I still can’t get over the knob behavior which has this weird (IMHO) acceleration thing going on. It is great for making precise adjustments, but a bit cumbersome if you want to increase a certain parameter from 0% to, say, 90%. In my case, I’d always end up pushing the knob to 100% by accident and then spending some extra time fiddling with the mouse until I hit exactly 90%. I personally prefer linear knob movement with a modifier (usually CTRL + click) for finer adjustments. That minor (and highly subjective) drawback aside, the interface is really well thought-out and a joy to use once you familiarize yourself with it.

The Verdict

“Enkel” is the Swedish word for “easy”, but Enkl is more than just a simple and easy to use virtual instrument. Granted, the interface is optimized for a convenient and efficient subtractive synthesis workflow, but the gritty filter module and handy modulation features (such as the chiptune style arpeggiator and ADSR envelopes for modulation amount) make it a very capable sound design tool. With the low price tag of $14.99 (and just $5.99 for the iPad version), Enkl is definitely worth a look for any synthesizer aficionado who appreciates a virtual instrument with a well thought-out feature set and a distinct signature sound.

More info: Enkl ($14.99)

The Giveaway

We are giving away one copy of the Enkl synthesizer, kindly provided for BPB readers by Klevgränd. The winner will get to choose his preferred version of the instrument (iPad app or Windows/Mac OS plug-in). To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below (only one comment per person is allowed). The winner will be announced on this page and notified via email on May 11th, 2015.

The giveaway is now closed! The lucky winner (as picked by random.org) is our reader who left the 63rd comment on the page – Finnbogi Ragnar Ragnarsson. Congratulations! :)

Thanks everyone for joining in! We have an awesome freebie coming later today, so stay tuned.

Klevgränd Enkl Review

8.3 Awesome

Enkl is definitely worth a look for any synthesizer aficionado who appreciates a virtual instrument with a well thought-out feature set and a distinct signature sound.

• Features 6
• Sound 8
• Workflow 8
• Stability 9
• Design 9
• Pricing 10