In the 8th instalment in the heralded V Collection Arturia have improved the accuracy of synth engines throughout, while adding new legends to the offering: There are more legendary synths to choose from than you could shake a stick at, even if you had a stick-sjhaking machine and an endless supply of miltary-grade twigs. So if you’re in love with the sounds of classic synths, pianos and organs from yesteryear, such as the Minimoog, SEM Oberheim, Roland Juno-106, Buchla Easel, ARP 2600 or just about any legendary synth you can mention, Arturia V Collection could be everything you need. Looking back to move forwards is sometimes a shrewd move, particularly in music. Think of it like adding a polyphonic sequencer to each oscillator, with each step being a remapped modulation source attached to any synth parameter of your choice. It’s wonderful for adding textures to tracks, and can also produce intricate and idiosyncratic leads, basses, pads and much more. Combining wavetable synthesis with spectral modulation of every conceivable parameter, it’s visually arresting, and capable of intense, evolving digital synthesis. Alongside impressive modulation developments within Ableton Live 11, and the above-mentioned Equator, Vital Audio must be reckoned with. Modulation could be the name of the game for 2021’s synth winners. Apply modulation to aftertouch or an MPE keyboard and a world of intesnse expression awaits, transforming the routine into the radical! Vital Audio Suddenly simple synth sounds start to evolve and augment in weird and wonderful ways. So while you have 3 oscillators, a multitude of FX, LFOs, waveshapes and all manner of envelopes, plus sampler instruments galore, Equator comes to life when you start patching modulation sources. It’s clearly designed for use with ROLI hardware, but is nevertheless a breathtaking synth in isolation. Not only creating a range of MPE-enabled expressive controllers such as Seaboard, they have also crafted a stunning polyphonic VST Instrument to boot. The pioneering developers behind ROLI have been busy.

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