In 1975, Tom Oberheim revolutionised synthesiser design with the original TVS – Two Voice Synthesizer. By combining two SEMs and a keyboard, he introduced true duophony to the world—enabling musicians to play two independent voices simultaneously and explore harmonically rich, evolving soundscapes. It was a bold step forward, embraced by visionaries including Martin Gore, Adrian Utley, Peter Baumann, Lorn, The Prodigy, and Nils Frahm.
Decades later, the TVS Pro modernised that vision, adding a built-in sequencer, extended modulation, and refined controls—all while staying true to its unmistakable sonic DNA.
Now, with the GForce Oberheim TVS Pro plugin, this landmark instrument enters a new era. Developed in collaboration with Oberheim, this recreation captures not only the depth, warmth and character of the original, but also the spirit of innovation that made it extraordinary.
Credits
Alex Ball - audio & video production and narration
Çağatay Çetin - 3D animation"
"GForce pulls the two-voice, duelling SEM, sequence and keyboard-driven TVS Pro into the software realm. It's effortlessly retro, sumptuously old fashioned and plays very differently to regular synths."
Oberheim TVS Pro Synthesizer by GForce Software (No Talking)
"In 1975, Tom Oberheim revolutionised synthesiser design with the original TVS – Two Voice Synthesizer. By combining two SEMs and a keyboard, he introduced true duophony to the world—enabling musicians to play two independent voices simultaneously and explore harmonically rich, evolving soundscapes. It was a bold step forward, embraced by visionaries including Martin Gore, Adrian Utley, Peter Baumann, Lorn, The Prodigy, and Nils Frahm.
Decades later, the TVS Pro modernised that vision, adding a built-in sequencer, extended modulation, and refined controls—all while staying true to its unmistakable sonic DNA.
Now, with the GForce Oberheim TVS Pro plugin, this landmark instrument enters a new era. Developed in collaboration with Oberheim, this recreation captures not only the depth, warmth and character of the original, but also the spirit of innovation that made it extraordinary.
Whether you’re a long-time Oberheim fan or new to SEM-based synthesis, TVS Pro is a tool you’ll return to again and again—for its tone, flexibility, and sheer playability.
Key Features
The most authentic duophonic TVS Pro experience available
The most playable SEM ever – full of character, now with an additional 3rd VCO
Over 635 patches, with 220+ new sounds and 400+ adapted SEM patches
"Crosstalk Modular combines modular samples with the unique layering and processing options of the Crosstalk engine. It was developed exclusively for NI by 10 Phantom Rooms who captured the sounds by wiring tons of modules from boutique gear builders. These samples were then transformed into an innovative instrument with features you won’t find anywhere else, like real-time morphing and creative sound pumping (aka crosstalking) for all four individual sound layers. Dive into a blend of vintage and modern processing powers and create sounds you’ve never heard before!
This is our most expansive edition yet - a powerhouse suite of 45 instruments, 3 exclusive expansion packs, and over 12,000 world-class presets, all crafted for modern music makers.
7 new instruments, 5 major updates - now included.
Fresh additions like Jup-8000 V, Pure LoFi,Augmented MALLETS along with MiniBrute V, Synthx V and Augmented YANGTZE. A completely new version of SEM V, and rebuilt Augmented instruments to push creative boundaries."
Additional details on the release further below.
Playlist:
1. V Collection 11 | Reference Instruments For Music Makers | ARTURIA
2. Jup-8000 V | Supersaw Digital Synthesizer | ARTURIA
3. SEM V | Spellbinding Analog Synthesizer | ARTURIA
4. Augmented Series 2 | Acoustic Instruments Reinvented | ARTURIA
5. Pure LoFi | Low-Fidelity Synthesizer | ARTURIA
6. Tutorials | Jup-8000 V - Overview
7. Tutorials | SEM V - Overview
8. Tutorials | Augmented Series 2 - Overview
9. Tutorials | Pure LoFi - Overview
ARTURIA V Collection V Walkthrough, Demo and Features with MATTHS
"Arturia have just released their new JUP-8 V as part of the Arturia V Collection 11! Jup-8000 V is a one-of-a-kind reproduction of the iconic JP-8000 including its legendary supersaw oscillator. Let's have a first look, discover its capabilities and dive in together to see what this can do!
Built to deliver the unmistakable 2000s dance sound
and the unique euphoric melancholia of the millennial
generations in just a few clicks."
www.matthsmatthsmatths.com
Antonio Blanca, creator of the Reaktor instruments NOD-E and DRON-E, is excited to present his new work, MONTAG-E, for NI Reaktor 6.5. This granular sampler is designed for those interested in microsound exploration and creating complex, unique sonic textures. With its particular approach, MONTAG-E offers a wide range of sonic possibilities for sound designers, experimental musicians, film composers and sound artists.
What is MONTAG-E?
MONTAG-E is a granular sampling tool that allows for detailed manipulation of audio, ideal for creating sounds ranging from microsounds to abstract soundscapes, sound effects, ambiences, glitch, noisy textures and more. With four simultaneous granular playheads, the instrument allows for deep exploration of samples, creating anything from minimalistic to complex grain clouds. Additionally, its individual audio outputs are designed to create quadraphonic material, providing flexibility for multi-channel sound creation.
MONTAG-E is also designed to be fully MIDI-controllable, allowing for real-time interaction. Whether you’re performing live or experimenting in the studio, you can easily control parameters on the fly, enhancing your creative process.
Discover an innovative music production multitool, that features genre-specific collections, chord banks, sequencers, and high-quality samples for instant inspiration. Now available with a new Keyboard mode, to play full instruments presets across your keyboard.
Also included in SonicPass ➡️ www.uvi.net/sonicpass
Video credits: @VenusTheory
________
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Getting started
06:52 - Deep controls
08:32 - Load your own samples
09:00 - Drum mode
09:31 - Keyboard mode
10:49 - Editing features
12:08 - Motion engine
14:13 - Effects settings
15:29 - Outro"
LONDON, UK: VOID & VISTA is proud to announce availability of FRAMES as its latest bold virtual instrument for contemporary music creation — crafted for Native Instruments’ KONTAKT platform, pairing characterful, expressive, and unique sampling with powerful sound design features and an inspiring interface rendering it ideal for media composers, production music writers, and (obviously) sound designers, as well as also expanding the toolbox of artists and producers across multiple genres thanks to its variety of emotive sounds and textures — as of April 23…
Being built around 40 sound sources made from capturing unique, unrepeatable sonic moments, FRAMES readily represents a bespoke collection of specially curated samples created using prepared instruments, resonated sound objects, and aleatoric performances using experimental techniques. These are all recorded at 96kHz using specialist microphones to capture sound beyond the range of human hearing, ready to pitch down and explore.
Such sound sources are split into five categories: INSTRUMENTS — traditional instruments captured using extended techniques and aleatoric performances; OBJECTS — uniquely prepared objects and instruments played in experimental ways; EFFECTED — heavily effected, processed sounds, and resonated objects; TEXTURES — tonal, textural, and found sounds that are perfect for blending; and WAVES — sampled synth waveforms taken from an analogue hardware collection.
Above and beyond that, the new ZONE SHIFT feature vastly expands the timbres of each sound source, enabling immediate dynamic exploration of the movement and detail found within them. Thanks to shifting samples from different registers, sounds can shift from slow and muted to frantic and urgent with each key press.
But better still, those 40 sound sources can be layered, sculpted, and effected using the deep two-layer sound design engine, featuring multimode FILTERS; two MOTION LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators) — LFO 1 and LFO 2; six envelopes; LOFI effects; an ENSEMBLE page for blending additional voices; parallel CHARACTER insert effects; and dedicated SPACE send effects. And all of this sound design power is available from an inspiring and intuitive interface, designed to keep users focused on making music.
Music-making or otherwise, users ultimately benefit from FRAMES coming complete with a colossal collection of preset snapshots organised logically for ease of use, with pre-assigned mod wheel modulation mappings for jaw-dropping sound manipulation.
FRAMES is initially available to purchase at a 20%-discounted price until June 4, 2025 — rising thereafter to its regular price of £129.00 GBP — as a KONTAKT PLAYER-compatible/NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®)-ready AAX-, AU-, and VST-formatted virtual instrument plug-in featuring 16 GB of samples that works with all major DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) running on macOS 12 or above — natively compatible with Apple Silicon — and Windows 10/11 directly from the dedicated product webpage here: https://www.voidandvista.com/products/frames
"Cherry Audio is proud to introduce Yellowjacket, an innovative virtual synthesizer that pays tribute to the legendary 1978 EDP Wasp synthesizer. Yellowjacket perfectly replicates the Wasp's distinct buzzy tone and its hybrid analog/digital design, while incorporating modern features that enhance its creative possibilities. The outcome is an affordable synthesizer plugin that combines a rich historical legacy with cutting-edge functionality for today's musicians and producers. "
Cherry Audio | Hive Mind for Yellowjacket Preset Pack
"Additional extraordinary sounds for Yellowjacket synthesizer plugin are available exclusively from Cherry Audio! The Hive Mind for Yellowjacket Preset Pack features 100 more presets by sound design wizard James Dyson, designed to further showcase Yellowjacket's arpeggios, effects, modulation, extended multi voice modes, and aftertouch.
"We buzz around in Cherry Audio's new Yellowjacket, a recreation of the infamous Wasp synthesizer from Electronic Data Plant. We examine all of its features in detail, and explore a few of the presets from both the Factory bank and the Hive Mind expansion bank.
To find out more, please visit https://cherryaudio.com
Cherry Audio is proud to introduce Yellowjacket, an innovative virtual synthesizer that pays tribute to the legendary 1978 EDP Wasp synthesizer. Yellowjacket perfectly replicates the Wasp's distinct buzzy tone and its hybrid analog/digital design, while incorporating modern features that enhance its creative possibilities. The outcome is an affordable synthesizer plugin that combines a rich historical legacy with cutting-edge functionality for today's musicians and producers. Yellowjacket synthesizer is available immediately for only $49. Additionally, Yellowjacket can be purchased as part of Cherry Audio's "Build Your Own Bundle" value options, Pick 3 (on sale for $99) and Pick 6 (on sale for $149), for a limited time.
Yellowjacket perfectly embodies the appearance and charm of the original Wasp, as well as the distinctive sound of its unique oscillators and signature state-variable filter. At the same time, it pushes the limits with Cherry Audio's characteristic innovations to bring this cherished classic into the 21st century. Highlights include: 16-voice polyphony alongside monophonic, unison, and cycle modes Two oscillators with options for sawtooth, pulse, or square waveforms, as well as the enhanced modulated pulse-wave based on EDP's Gnat synthesizer Innovative multi-voice modes that provide per-note variation with "chained" mini-synth panels, each featuring its own settings for dynamic tonal options that can create subtle or extreme timbres, single-finger chords and arpeggiated patterns, and more A new advanced arpeggiator featuring probability and humanize controls adds randomness to patterns. When combined with cycle modes it can create transposable and even unpredictable four-note step sequences with the touch of a single key Enhanced performance features, including support for polyphonic aftertouch, diatonic scales, transpose functions, and more Studio-quality integrated effects, including reverb, delay, phaser, chorus, and a new Octafuzz distortion A vintage-style onboard speaker emulation with adjustable hiss and hum for nostalgic, lo-fi tones The original Wasp, developed by the late Chris Huggett and Adrian Wagner for Electronic Dream Plant (EDP), was a groundbreaking instrument that combined affordability with innovative design. Introduced in 1978 for just £200, it made electronic music creation accessible to a whole new audience and influenced the sound of artists such as Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Dave Greenfield (The Stranglers), Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), and Thomas Dolby.
Considered Britain's foremost synthesizer designer, Yellowjacket is a celebration of Chris Huggett's pioneering spirit. Cherry Audio has incorporated its latest features into Yellowjacket inspired by his innovations, ensuring his legacy resonates with new generations of musicians.
Yellowjacket features more than 270 professionally designed presets across a dozen categories, providing limitless creative possibilities right from the start. Yellowjacket also supports velocity, channel and polyphonic aftertouch with compatible USB/MIDI controllers, and seamless DAW integration for any studio environment.
Alongside the launch of Yellowjacket, Cherry Audio is introducing the Hive Mind Preset Pack for just $9.99. This pack features an additional 100 presets designed to further showcase Yellowjacket's advanced capabilities, with a deeper dive into arpeggios, effects, modulation, and aftertouch.
Yellowjacket exemplifies Cherry Audio's commitment to providing high-quality sound at an unbeatable price. At just $49, Yellowjacket is an excellent choice for synth enthusiasts who appreciate both exceptional tone and affordability. Additionally, until May 5th, Yellowjacket can be purchased as part of Cherry Audio's "Build Your Own Bundle" options. Customers can choose the Pick 3 bundle for $99 (regularly $129) or the Pick 6 bundle for $149 (regularly $169), allowing them to mix and match any of Cherry Audio's award-winning instruments for as low as $25 per plugin.
Cherry Audio’s Yellowjacket synthesizer is available for macOS (10.13 and above) and Windows (7 or above) in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats. A free 30-day demo is available. Visit cherryaudio.com for additional product details, a deep-dive introductory video, system requirements, and an extensive collection of awe-inspiring sound demos.
Arvieux, France - April 17 2025. K-Devices, developer of creative music tools, has released Fauve, a new audio effect, as VST3, AAX and Audio Unit plugin for MacOS and Windows.
Fauve is an audio processor that collects sonic fragments and replays them — not always faithfully. It forgets, distorts, and glitches into new meanings; like the hallucination of a broken machine.
By continuously recording incoming audio, Fauve analyzes and breaks sound into small units called “collections.” When playing them back, it sometimes fails, opening space for the user to edit and shape the material according to their own sonic vision.
Fauve can be a harsh distortion, a gentle shadow, a paroxysmal dance between reality and dream, and much more. It can slightly scramble your sound, completely strip it of its original meaning, or introduce subtle, almost imperceptible variations to make it richer, yet always organic.
Fauve disrupts, but never destroys.
Fauve is a totem/series plugin, and like all totems, it follows its own logic. Timing in Fauve doesn’t rely on beats or note values — it’s driven by the material itself. Every operation is triggered by zero crossings, making the outcome deeply dependent on the source. Same settings, radically different results.
== Totem/ Series == Fauve is part of the totem/ series by K-Devices: unconventional audio effects coming in a compact format, easy to use, at a lower, convenient price. == Requirements == Available as VST3, AAX and Audio Unit plugin any 64bits compatible DAW MacOS and Windows == Availability, price, and deals ==
"What if your synth reshaped reality?
Alice-9 is the next-generation sample-based synthesizer forged from the chaos of the unknown and built for creators who refuse to follow.
Powered by SCO technology, and infused with analog soul, AL9 isn’t here to emulate.
It’s here to change the rules.
🎛 Real movement, deep stereo placement, aging imperfection, and punchy compression.
🎶 Every preset is a twist. Every sound a move. Every session, your next breakthrough.
This isn’t just another synth.
This is the edge of synthesis.
Choose your sound. Be the one who rewrite the rules.
Alice-9 (AL9) is a next-generation sample-based synthesizer in the digital domain, part of the Marea virtual instrument series, and powered by the innovative MUST (Modular Unified Synthesis Technology). Early testers have described it as an instrument with a deeply organic and varied sound palette — evocative of iconic synthesizers from the 1990s and early 2000s. AL9 redefines what a sample-based synth can be, merging analog realism, playable feel, and modern digital power into a single instrument. Available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats, ensuring integration with all major DAWs. Use code: ALICESPECIAL at checkout for 41% off until August 31, 2025!
The first users compared AL9 to walking into a music store in the 1990s, hearing a synth that delivers something new and inspiring with each preset. That rare sensation of immediacy, depth, and musicality — the feeling of a “real instrument” — is the essence of AL9.
Made to Inspire The architecture of AL9 goes far beyond sample playback or wavetable synthesis. Its sound engine is built around SCO (Sample-Controlled Oscillator), a high-resolution resampling system capable of reproducing natural analog behaviors such as frequency drift and evolving dynamics. Unlike typical static samplers or rigid waveforms, AL9’s oscillators breathe and shift like their analog ancestors.
This realism is further enhanced by the proprietary Superstereo system for natural stereo placement , the Age control that adds subtle imperfections, emulating the warmth of aged hardware and Integrated multiband dynamics processor inspired by the popular OTT compression paradigm, delivering musical glue and energetic punch.
Whether you're chasing nostalgia or forging new paths in sound design, AL9 provides an inspiring playground that rewards musicianship and creativity.
Beyond Emulation The idea for THING originated during the development of Thing (TH8 – TH5) — an emulation of a classic 1980s DCO synth. During that process, a question arose: what if, instead of replicating digital waveforms, we could capture and reproduce the actual behavior of an analog VCO? What if we could push timbral diversity beyond the limitations of traditional synthesis methods?
"Meet Nightshade, part of the Scene series – a collection of lightweight, cinematic tools crafted for media composers. Featuring over 100 horror-inspired presets, Nightshade blends eerie synths, droning strings, and haunting choir textures to summon unsettling soundscapes. From ghostly whispers to deep, cinematic swells, it’s perfect for effortless scoring of fear, tension, and suspense."
The sounds of Scene: Nightshade | Native Instruments
"Join product specialist Matt Lara as he dives into the eerie world of Scene: Nightshade. Explore how this compact cinematic instrument blends haunting choirs, droning strings, and spectral synths into one intuitive XY pad interface."
Press release follows:
Berlin, April 17, 2025 – Native Instruments today released Scene: Nightshade, a powerful virtual instrument designed to create immersive horror and moody soundtracks, and the latest addition to their Scene series. Nightshade delivers a sinister fusion of deep strings, haunting vocal pads, eerie plucks, and ominous synth textures, wrapped in a streamlined interface for effortless sound exploration. At the heart of Nightshade is an XY pad, enabling composers to morph between 16 ghostly sound layers, creating evolving soundscapes instantly.
Designed to evoke the full spectrum of cinematic horror, Nightshade vividly conjures feelings from creeping tension to overwhelming dread with unsettling plucks and shimmering overtones. Nightshade empowers artists to design truly chilling soundscapes that will captivate audiences.
Key Features:
· Sinister Palette: Haunting synths, droning strings, and eerie plucks crafted for cinematic horror soundtracks.
· XY Pad Control: Quickly morph between 16 hybrid sound sources for dynamic sound manipulation.
· Scales and Modes: Easily stay in key with a wide selection of scales and modes.
"Sugar Bytes Dialekt is a groovebox plugin for Desktop, iPad and iPhone designed for quick groove programming and capturing new musical ideas on the fly. Its 8 tracks offer a vast selection of synthesis methods, built-in effects, a song sequencer, and a powerful Song Randomizer. The core concept is that each step in the sequencer contains all the synth parameters, so that when you move a step, its entire sound moves with it.
With 27 distinctive sound engines, flexible sequencing tools, and genre-based groove generation, Dialekt lets you create unique and professional tracks in seconds. Perfect for sketching, jamming, or performing live.
"The best instruments I have made solved a problem for me, and my new filterbank Skulptur with Bram Bos is no different. It was designed for a very special performance with Ensemble Modern, and worked wonderfully there. Now, a much expanded final version is available on iOS and MacOS, this it what it can do."
"This is my walkthrough, demo and review of Skulptur, the new, very enjoyable performance-oriented filterbank app from Hainbach and Bram Bos. It works on Mac, iPad and iPhone, standalone and AUv3. Enjoy, and smash the like, comment and subscribe if you find the vid helpful. Cheers! Gav"
"A very basic noodle with Circa, our six-track looper plugin. In this instance, Circa is on the iPad, hosted in AUM. MIDI CC from the Quad Cortex's foot switches is being routed to Circa in order to control the layers."
"Equal parts workhorse and abstract creative tool, Circa is a six track multi-layer looping environment that can do most of the things your popular floor pedal looper can while also paying homage to the serendipitous world of ambient looping.
Each layer can sync to the host, a master loop, or free run, and can be triggered in sync, with an audio signal, or freely. Circa has seven stereo outputs (including a dedicated cue output for monitoring) and built-in reverb and delay. Add in a complete MIDI control system and Circa is a full looping workstation."
Imaginando Launches GRFX – Granular Effects: Turn One Sound Into a Universe
7th April 2025 – Braga, Portugal – Imaginando is proud to announce the release of GRFX – Granular Effects, a powerful new audio plugin designed to radically transform sound through the magic of granulation. GRFX takes granular processing to new creative heights—offering a flexible, expressive, and highly playable environment for sound design, experimentation, and exploration.
With GRFX, users can break down ordinary audio into micro-particles and rebuild it into evolving pads and drones, glitchy rhythms, ethereal textures, or alien soundscapes. Whether sparse or dense, shimmering or chaotic, GRFX is your sandbox for bending reality—layering, modulating, and shaping sound through time and space.
At the heart of GRFX is the Harmonic Triangle: an interactive, three-point control panel that morphs your sound into chords, arpeggios, and microtonal variations. This unique interface invites exploration and 'happy accidents,' especially when combined with the plugin’s four cross-modulatable LFOs.
Modulation is made effortless with drag-and-drop routing, instant amount control, and a global
Modulation Panel. A probability-based routing system lets users direct grains to the two
multi-effect engines, the Mixer, and dedicated Delay and Reverb sends—each with independent routing for rich, layered sonic results.
"TrainDeer is my live musical project mixing breakbeats with ambient, tape loops, eurorack and utilising a mixing of my own instrument designs and software alongside Ableton live.
TrainDeer is now available as a free download for Windows and Mac.
This is a personal plugin that was put together to create dusty, textures and tones for my TrainDeer music. It uses extremely basic waveforms and modulation to create a wide variety of sounds.
It is now free to download."
The Crow Hill Company creates VAULTS - ACID SYNTH as an homage to the revered Roland TB-303 Bass Line synth and associated Acid House genre
EDINBURGH, UK: music-making community tools-maker The Crow Hill Company is proud to announce availability of VAULTS - ACID SYNTH as the latest entry into its lengthening line of free and accessible virtual instruments arising from company co-founder and composer Christian Henson effectively opening his ‘vaults’ for everyone to enjoy — this time creating an homage to the revered Roland TB-303 Bass Line, launched with high hopes in 1981 as a so-called Computer Controlled bass synth by the Japanese giant of electronic musical instrument manufacturing responsible for its creation before being deemed a commercial failure and discontinued quite quickly thereafter, though it was later instrumental in driving Acid House into the musical mainstream as a whole new EDM (Electronic Dance Music) genre and associated cultural movement, the popularity of which triggered a dramatic rise in the price of used units — as of March 19…
It is fair to say that when Roland released its TB-303 Bass Line in 1981 as a so-called Computer Controlled bass synth with the intention of mimicking the characteristics of an electric bass guitar, there were far fewer tools to create electronic music available. But buyers of the TB-303 Bass Line were possibly swayed by the fact that it could be time-synced — using Roland’s proprietary five-pin DIN sync interface (later superseded by MIDI) — to its contemporarily-released Computer Controlled sibling, the TR-606 Drumatix drum machine, making for an affordable rhythm section that could conceivably fit into a small briefcase as a beautiful backing combination for the solo gigging musician, further helped by both devices being battery operated as an attractive alternative to their (included) AC adapters… or so Roland had hoped.
Though the engineers involved tried their best to imitate the sound of an electric bass guitar with the technology of the time, the TB-303 Bass Line fell short in capturing its subtleties as an instrument, sadly, so it was discontinued within a couple of years, with Roland cheaply selling off the last of the 10,000 units manufactured. Now, normally this would be the end of the story, yet something incredible happened…
Helpfully, for the benefit of anyone not already in the know, The Crow Hill Company’s Theo Le Derf picks up what is an incredible story in itself: “DJ Pierre and his band called Phuture found a used TB-303 in a music shop in Chicago for a bargain price. They started experimenting with the bass sequencer and a drum machine while playing about randomly with the filter and resonance knobs. The sound they produced was so unique and, frankly, weird that they decided to commit the jam session to tape. With the release of this experiment on Trax Records in 1987, they unwittingly birthed a new genre: Acid House. This slimy, hypnotic, subversive sound subsequently built a cultural movement, and was the soundtrack to many illegal warehouse parties of the late Eighties — all of this from a tiny synth that was used ‘incorrectly’.”
Thanks to VAULTS - ACID SYNTH’s GUI (Graphical User Interface) being as intuitive as always, correct — or ‘incorrect’ — usage of the virtual instrument in question comes quickly. “The first large dial — CUT OFF — is a 24dB lowpass filter that controls what high frequencies you cut out, and it is automatically assigned to MIDI CC1.” So starts Theo Le Derf by way of an appropriately quick guided tour, before continuing: “RESONANCE determines the peak of the filter as it opens and closes, which creates that characteristically ‘squelchy’ sound that the synth is known for. The small dials are more concentrated effects — MOD controls how much voltage is being sent to the filter, so you can get some really interesting sounds by adjusting the CUT OFF dial and MOD simultaneously; DECAY controls the decay for all the envelopes; and, of course, there is also our standard ECHO and SPLOSH, with the SPLOSH being an algorithmic imitation of a cave, which suits this synth so brilliantly.”
It is as easy as that, though Theo Le Derf is keen to add: “Another thing to mention is that you can obviously play staccato, but when you play legato — MIDI notes overlapping with one another, you get a glide between the notes. This glide effect is another characteristic that the ’303 is renowned for.”
No need, necessarily, then, to risk dropping a bank-balance-busting four-figure sum on a decades-old Roland TB-303 Bass Line when The Crow Hill Company’s ‘tribute’ truly captures the essence of its distinctive sound for all to enjoy for literally nothing. Notes Theo Le Derf, ending on a high note: “The story arc of this synth is so amazing — from its unpromising beginning to completely defining a genre and an era, it’s so exciting to have this celebrated instrument at my fingertips for free!”
VAULTS - ACID SYNTH is free for everyone — as are all VAULTS… releases from The Crow Hill Company — from here: https://thecrowhillcompany.com/vaults/
"We are excited to share that our friends at UJAM, creators of countless plugins and sample libraries, released a Vox Humana plugin today to benefit the Bob Moog Foundation!
Vox Humana is a standalone virtual instrument that faithfully recreates the Polymoog's legendary Vox Humana setting, which is regarded as one of the most recognizable and coveted synthesizer sounds, most notable for being prominently featured in Gary Numan's iconic 'Cars'.
The plugin is built on the sampled sounds of the Polymoog 280A, meticulously captured by composer, producer, and lauded YouTube synth educator Alex Ball. With these recordings as the basis, the Bob Moog Foundation partnered with UJAM to transform them into a fully realized virtual instrument. Utilizing UJAM's proprietary Gorilla Engine, a platform widely used by top plugin manufacturers, the team designed an interface that is both intuitive and faithful to the instrument's original character.
The Vox Humana plugin features include:
Authentic Recreation — Sampled directly from a vintage Polymoog 280A to preserve the signature Vox Humana sound
Four Timbral Modes – Original, Bright, Hollow, and Octaves
10 Factory Presets – Ready-to-use sounds with the option to save custom user presets
Envelope Control – Attack and Decay sliders for precise dynamic shaping
Built-in Effects – Integrated Chorus, Phaser, and Delay for added depth and movement
Standalone Plugin – No additional software required, available as a VST3, AU and AAX plugin
The plugin retails for $19/22€, with 100% of the proceeds benefitting the Bob Moog Foundation's important work in education, archive preservation, and the operation of the Moogseum, located in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
UJAM and its distribution partners are waiving all fees to ensure that every dollar directly benefits the foundation's mission.
Evoke a bewildering variety of polyphonic organ sounds directly from your guitar! Valkurë (pronounced VAL-KUR-EE) transforms your raw strings into a big, multi-timbral instrument in realtime, and without resorting to guitar-to-MIDI trickery. Preserve the crucial dynamics of your playing -such as vibrato, bends, and slides- while maintaining thorough control over the final sound. Complete with a full range of organ parameters, extensive options, built-in rotary speaker emulation, virtual tube amplifier, and analog inspired effects, Valkurë is a powerful addition to your guitar arsenal.
The unique organ module achieves guitar-to-organ transformation via proprietary signal processing algorithms, thereby retaining full polyphony. Valkurë offers three different organ models that vary from mellow to aggressive. The main tone generator features nine registers (drawbars) that allow you to dial in overtones in a five octave range — much like a tonewheel organ. In addition, two special “pedal” registers provide harmonically rich bass and sub bass tones that can work alone or in combination with the principal organ tones.
A built-in percussion generator inspired by “B” and “C” series organs is triggered by pick attack, and features switches for percussion length, level, as well as harmonic. Additional preferences allow you to modify these, as well as specify the sensitivity of the trigger detector. The Chorus/Vibrato unit is modeled after the famed scanner circuit, and features six modes.
The rotary speaker module offers three unique cabinets to choose from. Each cabinet features individually configurable virtual horn and drum drivers. The rotary unit provides many options, including micing angle, inertia, slow/fast speeds, additional room microphone, and more. The built-in amplifier is designed to complement the rotary speaker, and offers three different amp models that feature our newest tube emulation technology, as well as a full range of tonal controls.
The settings panel contains a wide variety of parameters for fine tuning the organ. These include variable attack to obtain an auto-generated volume “swell” effect, as well as thorough control over the organ’s timbre and dynamics via Taper, Resonance, Body, Air, and Leakage parameters. Dedicated variable Boost controls for organ and pedal modules help add fullness and sizzle to the basic tones. Valkurë is rounded out by the addition of analog-modeling effects, including tape delay, 3-band Baxandall style EQ, as well as built in compressor.
Besides working as both a standalone app and an AUv3 plugin, Valkurë is also compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. It comes packaged with many professional features, including convenient MIDI learn for over 75 parameters, a powerful preset management system, 128 factory presets, and more.
"ANALOGyX2 is a virtual analog synthesiser with a variable shape oscillator, including sub and noise generators with independent envelopes, a variable mode ladder filter with dedicated envelope and LFO, a pre-wired mod matrix including PWM, vibrato, tremolo and auto-pan, and last but not least, a selection of built-in effects comprising distortion, chorus, delay, grain pitch shifter and reverb.
Times two. Or as we like to say here at Waverley Instruments - 'X2'.
ANALOGyX2 isn’t just a dual oscillator, or even a “dual voice” affair, it’s two totally independent instruments. Unlike most 'A+B' or 'layered' designs, the only parameters common to both instruments in ANALOGyX2 are the master volume control and pitch bend range. Everything else, including the effects, are totally independent.
On the one hand, this means the ANALOGyX2 sound designer has twice as much to think about. On the other hand, we think this also means there’s twice as much fun to be had, and exponentially more sonic possibilities!
How do you pronounce ANALOGyX2?
Some people pronounce it “anna-loggy-ex-two”. Other people pronounce it 'analogy times two'. To be honest, we don’t mind how you pronounce it. We’re just delighted that you’re talking about ANALOGyX2!"
Taking its name from the spaceship in Douglas Trumbull’s 'Silent Running', Valley Forge draws inspiration from themes including space, environment and nature, and explores the relationship between the organic and the technicological. At the heart of this carefully curated assembly of instruments is an expansive sampling session with an extraordinary 15-piece timpani ensemble. Performed by world-class percussionists at Studio Richter Mahr, the library features a number of classic acoustic timpani instruments: hits, clusters, rolls, superballs and FX, all with their own custom controls. Alongside those, the recordings have been processed via an array of analogue electronic devices to form a unique drone instrument, and, in addition, Max’s original Minimoog has been sampled and included as an essential synth accompaniment. All of these instruments share an FX hub which are linked to keyswitches, and the result is a percussive, textural and tonal super-device that allows for an infinite exploration of sonics, and is perfect for scores and works that call for an outer and otherworldliness."
By combining two SEMs and a keyboard, he introduced true duophony to the world—enabling musicians to play two independent voices simultaneously and explore harmonically rich, evolving soundscapes. It was a bold step forward, embraced by visionaries including Martin Gore, Adrian Utley, Peter Baumann, Lorn, The Prodigy, and Nils Frahm.
