Hey everyone, you may have noticed we added a new menu for Links on our site. These are for directing you to free and paid editor/librarian apps for different synths, effect plugins, and associates of ours that offer music services that can help you extend and improve the songs you make using our presets and samples!
Take a look and pay them a visit - you’ll be glad you did!
Bright. Sharp. Aggressive. Cold. Common comments made about the Nord Lead 2X, the successor to the famous Nord Lead 2 that came out in 1997. The 2X came out in 2003, and improved on the original with expanded polyphony, more user memory, and upgraded 96 kHz 24-bit DACs. Some users complained that it sounded a bit too ‘clean’ compared to the 2 and the 1, and that it sounds dated compared to more modern synths.
But with analog and VA synths becoming trendy again, and music reverting to the 90s in style and mood, it seems like the Nord Lead 2X may be swept up in the revival.
So is it still worthit in 2024? Let’s find out.
At first, the 2X looks simple and straightforward enough. Conventional analog waveforms like the Triangle, Sawtooth, and Pulse come standard on both Oscs, but Oscillator 1 also includes a Sine wave, and Osc 2 has Noise available, whose color can be brightened or dulled by turning the Semitones knob.
The Pulse Width can also be modulated, but unlike on the Nord Lead 3, or most other analog-modeling synths, the Pulse Width is a Master control, so turning the knob or linking PW to an LFO or the Modulation section affects the Pulse Width for pulse waves on both oscillators at the same time and the same way. There is no Pulse Width variability per oscillator to add complexity, which can be a little frustrating if you want to create more complex pulse-based tones.
However, one area the 2X shines is in the FM capabilities. By jumping between oscillators, and playing with semitones and adjusting the FM, you can create some convincing-sounding DX-like tones on it, and I even managed to recreate some classic DX7 slap bass style sounds on it fairly easily.
The Sync and Ring Mod behave more or less like normal for any synth, and I personally have very little use for them, since they don’t factor into genres of music I write.
Now the big question you’re all wondering is, “How does it sound?” And the answer is:
Excellent.
The saws and pulses are bright, pop, and full of harmonics that become fizzier higher up the keyboard you go, so midrange basses, plucks, and bright detuned leads have a very pleasing musical quality to them that cuts through a mix without being too in-your-face, and the sines and triangles are also good and clean, and lend themselves well to all manner of crazy FM tones.
The Fine Tune detuning between Osc 1 and 2 has a somewhat odd and uneven curve to it, as it seems to detune more rapidly and aggressively turned clockwise, and less aggressive detuned counter-clockwise. It can be helpful when trying to make 80s leads that are detuned by small increments, but it takes a little getting used to.
Some folks complain that the synth doesn’t sound “fat” enough on its own. And compared to a Moog, it doesn’t. But for a modern dance mix, that lack of heavy fatness is a blessing in disguise, as it requires little to no processing to sit cleanly in a mix. These oscillators are definitely the big strong point of this synth.
Now on to one of the other big critical elements of the 2X. The filter. It’s an analog-modeling subtractive synth. Does it sound analog?
The answer there, is yes, and no.
It’s not analog in the same way the Moog ladder filter is analog, in its sound. The tightness of the envelopes and the overall tone and behavior of the filter feels more in line with the Prophet Rev2, and so like the Rev2, it’s great for plucks and super snappy sounds. But juicy round 80s and funk basses can be accomplished on it with minimal effort. But it isn’t the same super round, mildly saturated filter tone that a Slim Phatty puts out. And the Resonance doesn’t quite hit as nicely on the 2X as it does on the Moog. Again, it’s more like the Rev2 in that arena.
The different filter modes are also quite nice, and the different Lopass modes are musical and pleasing, and the Hipass, Bandpass, and Notch+LP are fun and offer useful sound-sculpting capabilities.
What IS extra nice, is that it has not only a Velocity on/off button (a control knob for variable velocity mod amount would have been nice, but it’s fine as it is), and multi-level Keyboard Tracking for the filter. So for melodic toplines, midrange basslines, and arpeggios, you can really add some energy and life to your riffs with the push of a button.
The filter does have its own character that sets it apart from other VAs like the JP8000, and so it lends well to making plucks, plucky basses, and short sounds with low cutoffs that the JP can’t manage due to the filter snap baked into the sound of the JPs. For trance plucks and basses, the 2X is pretty hard to beat
Not really too much to say here. Standard ADSR envelope and Gain to be found here. Same nice and tight behavior as with the filter.
Fairly standard LFOs to be found here, although I must confess, having used the Blofeld, TI2, and Mininova, the LFO routing options and waveform choices on the 2X feel really restricted. convincing Dubstep and DnB wobbles are a challenge with these since they don’t have a Sine waveform option, and the number of potential routings is pretty small. However, for more standard types of basic modulations, it’s adequate. The Nord Lead 3 definitely spoils you a lot more with options.
This is another somewhat weak point of the synth. The settings are fairly typical, and the same can be found on the NL3, and Slim Phatty, and so on. But the inability to link the Mod envelope to more than 3 sources, and the pitch only being for Osc 2, seems like an oversight. Being able to modulate the master pitch, or fade in the LFO amount or Rate would have been helpful. At least the Pulse Width can be modded using these parameters, so I can make some of my favorite types of pluck sounds with it.
Like all the early Nord Lead keyboards, the only FX you ever get is Distortion. On the NL3, that came with an adjustable level, which you could pair with the Moog style filter for screaming acid sounds, On the 2X, it isn’t much more than a saturator that soft clips the sound and adds some gain. If you want really crunchy screaming distortion, you’re going to need to run this through external FX.
Having said that, once you run this synth through some reverb and delay, or phaser, it really starts to shine. Dry, it sounds a bit lifeless. but once you add in FX like you would use in a final track, the synth comes to life.
And so we come to the Unison. One of the most famous and beloved features of the 2 and 2X. Activating it turns on 2 voices per key pressed, which if you use Poly mode and play chords, creates some nice fat sounds that have a very pleasant stereo spread. By digging into a Special submenu using the Shift key, you can change the Detune amount for the Unison, to create more extreme effects. Great for Trance and Psytrance pads, and wide, detuned leads.
So here at the end of all things, the question arises:
Is the Nord Lead 2X still worth the money? Is it worth getting? Will it still be useful in music today?
In this sound designer and musician’s opinion, yes.
While it lacks the fearsome modulation options of a TI2 or a Blofeld, and it can’t pull off huge SuperSaws like the JP8080, nor the super heavy tones of a Moog, the Nord Lead 2X still excels at bright, punchy, bold leads, plucks, and basses, that you can record dry, add whatever reverb or delay you need to for the sound, and minor subtractive EQing to balance it, and that’s it.
Its sound fits in any mix, and with careful adjustments to the Velocity and keyboard tracking, this synth will add rich musical depth to your song that many newer synths lack. What it’s missing in mod options, it makes up for with a characterful sound that can be as modern or retro as you like.
Modern Techno and Classic Trance producers in particular will find it useful for bright plucks, and bold punchy analog-style stab sounds - and tight rolling basses.
It’s definitely worthit and it has been a reliable stalwart in several of my most recent songs, and forms the foundation of their most engaging sounds. My 2X will accompany my JP and Virus with me to my grave.
You can also attain the same sound in VST format using the discoDSP Discovery VSTi
Hear it in action:
Good news, everyone! If you use the Roland Cloud JD-800, JV1080, or XV5080 VSTs, our JD-08 and JV-2080 soundset packs now include .bin files compatible with the plugins!
So if you’re a user of those plugins, and been wishing you had access to those sounds, now you can download and use the sounds easily!
For those of you curious how our presets sound in actual finished songs, here’s a couple songs that feature our sounds!
Contains presets from:
Finally snagged a great deal on a Nord Lead 2X, and we just got a Trance soundset for it up!
By the looks of things, it’s the very first fully dedicated Trance soundbank for the 2 and 2X ever made by anyone, so if you’ve been wanting some solid NL2/X sounds for your productions, now we have some available!
And what’s more, is these patches will also load into the DiscoDSP Discovery VSTi! So All you Discovery users can use these sounds in your songs too!
User of Adam Szabo’s Viper VSTi? Wish you could use our Virus soundsets in Adam’s powerful Virus emulator?
Good news!
Our Virus soundbanks will load into the VST and work mostly the same!
They will also work in that 56300 Virus Emulator that’s been circulating around the web.
So if you wound up here on our site while hunting for Viper soundsets and are wondering why the menu option for it redirects you to the Virus page, that’s why! The banks are cross-compatible!
Cheers!
Ever wished you could run your dry-as-the-Sahara synth through some sweet effects? Have a TI2 sitting around that could use some extra love? Why not combine both and route your synth into your TI2 and turn your dry synth into a massive monster!
The user manual is vague on the process, and current info about the steps are scarce on google, so I made this handy How To video to help you get everything hooked up and running!
Having trouble installing soundbanks on your new Roland JD-08? Watch this video to get full step-by-step instructions to help you get your new patches uploaded and ready to play!
So, at last Roland has come out with a boutique for the legendary 90’s digital classic the JD-800. As always, early reactions to the synth are mixed, and frequent complaints about its size abound. It also garners a lot of praise. But how is the synth really? Is it a faithful recreation, or merely a pale photocopy? Is it a worthy synth for modern music production? Let’s dive in and take a look.
According to the Roland site, the JD-08 contains all the original waveforms from the JD800. So if you’re looking for all the OG waveforms, you will not be disappointed. Everything is on display here, from 3 different kinds of Sawtooth waves, to multiple widths of Pulse and Square waves, triangle, sine, and numerous digital and sampled waveforms of everything from guitars to pianos, to folk instruments from all over the globe. There’s even a couple human voice type waves in there, which is fun.
The oscillators are all bright, crisp, and clean, and word on the street is that the sound of the JD-08 is a bit brighter than the original, so you can get an even crisper tone from it for modern productions.
You can layer up to 4 waveforms at once using each of the Tone buttons, and because of the architecture of the synth, each Tone can have its own independent Envelopes applied to it, so you can create really cool morphing and evolving textures that few other synths are capable of.
It lacks Pulse Width Modulation though, so the various fixed-width pulse waves and squares are all you get. There’’s no pulse sweeps or subtle modulations to be done to these. Which makes sense, given that the waveforms are technically all samples stored on the synth. But it’s still annoying for those of us accustomed to analog and VA synthesis.
That limitation aside, the sheer number of possible waveform combinations and the ability to independently modulate each one makes this synth a true powerhouse for any genre.
The filter here is fairly typical of other Rolands, in that it has a bright resonance, and sounds quite nice. It doesn’t properly self-oscillate like a Moog though, so achieving squelchy round Moogy basses and acid sounds will be a bit challenging (it’s doable, but a lot of it will come from how to set the Filter Envelopes, since the filter has only one slope type).
The Hipass and Bandpass filters are great though, and allow for added tonal exploration that are a joy to work with on all kinds of patches. The bandpass is particularly nice for aggressive FM type squelches and squishes.
This is where things get interesting. All 3 envelopes are accessed using this single set of controls, and you have to button-push to dive into each one - and that’s on a per-Tone basis. So if you’re making a 4-layer patch with different layers of modulation for each Tone, you’ll be menu diving a good 12 times to get it all set up.
That said, the level of granularity for sound sculpting with these extended envelopes is intense. You get extended decay AND sustain parameters, allowing you to create wild evolving textures and pads that shimmer and sweep in ways few other synths can pull off.
The Pitch envelope section of this cuts back on a couple of the usable parameters/ changes their effects a bit, but other than that, these envelopes behave the same across all sets of parameters, giving you individual tonal control for everything.
It does take some getting used to though, and wrangling the Decay and Sustain amounts, levels, and slopes so you can make normal trance and house sounds takes a time to get a feel for. Your patience will be rewarded here.
Now this is nice. 2 independent LFOs give you a lot of nice options for sound manipulation. Initially they are free-running LFOs, but if you dive into a submenu, you can clock them for easier-to-manage rhythmic effects. That the LFOs can be linked to most of the front panel controls is super nice.
Between the LFO, the Envelopes, and the Bias section (which is more or less a more granular Volume control for each Tone), there’s not too much else to say about the Mod section.
There’s no internal Mod Matrix, so besides going into submenus to set various parameters to Key Follow, or Velocity, there’s not much else by way of Modulation controls here. It’d be nice if it were like the Virus TI, where you can modulate all the FX parameters, or like the Blofeld, where you can make almost anything a source to modulate against other sounds, to create crazy massive FM sounds. This synth is more primitive in that regard.
The effects on this synth are where it really shines. The Distortion is crunchy and gnarly (and comes in multiple flavors, which is cool), the Phaser is spectacular, and has enough granularity in the controls that you can use it on almost anything (it far surpasses the Rev2, JP8080, and Blofeld with its Phaser by a long mile). The Chorus is nice and expansive, and offers a lot of control. The Spectrum control (glorified 6 band EQ) helps add a lot of character to sounds, and the Enhance effect is also nice. The Delay is solid and highly flexible, and the Reverb is quite nice. It’s no Virus TI reverb, but it is definitely wide and spacious and plenty usable if you need reverb for patches in a live or DAWless setting.
The FX on this thing definitely add a big plus to the synth.
Honestly? We barely understand what the Unison actually does on this synth. As far as we can tell, it multiplies and stacks some extra voices of the sound being played, but that’s about it. There’s no Detune or Pan Spread control, so activating Unison doesn’t really allow for creating notably wider sounds. The sounds become a bit fatter, but they also reset back to the initial value with each new note, so the sound takes on a phasery washy kind of quality (similar to the Blofeld).
It’s good for big trance leads and pads, but for plucks, unison doesn’t really help much, unless you want that phasery sound.
So how does the JD-08 stack up?
In our design work on sounds for it, we found virtually no difference between the sounds of the JD-08 and its ancestor the JD800.
One issue we encountered that’s important to note is that existing JD800 soundbanks (both for the hardware and the VST) will not work on this synth. The JD-08 stores its patches in a master backup file that is proprietary to the synth, and patches can only be loaded and dumped in a single master backup file. That limits the number of soundbanks you can buy for it, and also means you can’t load in individual patches from several banks to build your own custom collections. You can save your own patches, but if you save them to the original set of patches that the synth came with, you will lose them or be forced to do a separate backup and juggle backups to use your own sounds and 3rd party soundsets. Maybe Roland will eventually release a workaround for this, or fix this in a future firmware update. But right now, banks go on the synth in an all-or-nothing fashion. That’s a definite strike against it.
Now, on other technical matters, what it lacks in PWM and certain modulation capabilities, we found it more than makes up for in flexibility and expanded sound design capabilities that put it in territory that surpasses other synths in its price range.
The FX, the USB-C connectivity, and ability to act as an audio interface and even do audio over USB make this a seriously powerful synth, in a tiny package. We’ve heard demos of the other boutiques, and we think this is a real contender for Best Roland Boutique.
Where many of the other boutiques are tiny digital emulations of older analog synths, this is a digital recreation of a digital synth, and it expands the connection capabilities of the original to territory the original can’t hope to achieve. It’s all digital and it isn’t ashamed of it. It can be powered via USB or batteries, and is small enough it can fit into a backpack or tote bag (or even a particularly large pocket). The built-in speaker is no great shakes. But how many people are buying it for that to begin with?
This is a synth you hook up to a laptop for music work while on a plane, train, or bus, or hook up to a larger keyboard and PA system to play out for some monster pads and leads (and it even punches pretty hard on basses too) at a live gig.
For $400, this isn’t merely a bargain. It’s a powerful synth on its own merit (with a few quirks) and is a welcome addition to the Roland Synth Pantheon.
If you make dance or ambient music of any flavor and need a travel-sized synth with more voicing than a Virus TI, that works well as a solid all-arounder, the JD-08 is one of the best you can get.
Just don’t try to use MIDI CH 4 or 5 for connecting it to your PC (trust us on this one)
Hear it in action:
Difficult. Unstable. Limited. These are common complaints made about the Moog Slim Phatty since it came out in 2011.
But are they deserved? Is the Slim Phatty (and its keyboard twin the Little Phatty) as hard to work with as some reviews say?
And what is a review of a Moog without talking about its oscillators? They’re 100% analog, and true too form, they’re big, fat, and drenched in the saturation that makes the Moog sound so highly prized. There’s 2 independent oscillators (which can be Synced), with membrane buttons to let you change octaves for each, and a Freq knob that acts as a Detune for oscillator 2. It can be used to create nice detuned trance leads, but you have to be extra careful with it, as it goes unpleasantly out of tune really quickly, and will require manual re-tuning of the synth with the Fine Tune knob over in the main panel to get the synth back in tune with your track.
Speaking of tuning, this is an area where complaints often come in for the Slim. As it’s fully analog, the oscillators are prone to tone-drift while warming up. So you won’t want to use it right away after turning it on. In warmer climates it may take less time to get in tune, but here in the Pacific Northwest, it usually takes 10-20 minutes. We generally turn it on right as we turn on our studio PC and let the synth warm up during bootup so we don’t have to waste valuable studio time waiting for it to get in tune. After warmup we usually doublecheck it with a chromatic tuner to be extra sure it’s in tune, but you can use whatever you prefer to check the tuning.
That annoyance aside, the oscillators really sound fat, and with full pulse width modulation capabilities, it’s really nice to sweep the oscillators and get some nice evolving tones. The sync iis bright and metallic-sounding, and we find it yields some cool bellish and dubstep tones with a little tweaking.
And of course, no review of a Moog is complete without talking about the famous Ladder Filter. This was the last synth Bob Moog designed before he passed. So this makes this the last Moog synth that still has the Original Moog Sound. And it delivers that in spades.
Moogs were always known for their low-mid saturated sound, due in part to their oscillators, but also due to their choice of filters. And the classic Moog ladder filter, which can be changed between 4-pole, 3-pole, 2-pole, and 1-pole modes, is as round and juicy as you’d expect from a Moog design. Sounds can be as creamy and warm or bright and gritty as you like.
We found that the filter frequency maximum cutoff is a touch lower than on other synths - including the Prophet Rev2. So it doesn’t hit with the same fizzy bright top end that the Rev2 or even Sub37 does. That’s isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it means that it isn’t as sharp as some others.
On the other hand, that means that lopassed sounds on the 3 and 4-pole settings are super smooth, and when you couple that with the right Overdrive and Resonance amounts, means you can get some unbelievably in-your-face Acid sounds that don’t have any residual harmonic bleed that takes away from the smoothness of the sound.
And the prized Overdrive on the Slim Phatty, a staple of Moogs for several decades, really is special and unique on this synth. It adds incredible filth and dirt into conventional sounds, and works in tandem with the Filter super well, so distorted sounds still roll off pleasantly and retain that same analog juiciness. It’s loads of fun when the synth is used in External Audio Mode, and you run digital VA synths through it to get that round gritty Moog sound with Blofeld wavetables.
While they’re Voltage-Controlled Amplitude and Filter Envelopes (VCA, VCF) they don’t really behave any differently than any other envelopes. Can behave as tight or as loose as you need for a sound. The Attack paired with moderate amounts of Resonance on the filter yields some excitingly squelchy sounds.
This one’s a bit of a strike against the Slim and Little Phatty - one LFO really hobbles it in terms of what you can do sound-wise. But as it can be free-running or set to specific clock speeds through a submenu setting, you have your choice of timed sweeps for nice wobbles and evolving textures, or you can make it move at speeds near audio rate, to add some nice grit to sounds.
What’s also neat, that isn’t immediately obvious, is that in addition to the standard modulation sources available, buried within a submenu is the ability to switch the Filt Env source over to a Sample & Hold LFO waveform, enabling you to create some cool glitchy tones.
This was the other strike against the SP. Only one modulation slot makes it challenging to make really complex tones. But as mentioned above, Filt Env can be switched to a Sample & Hold lfo, for crazy chiptuney glitchy goodness.
Note: getting the hang of engaging and tweaking Mod Amounts is a bit tricky. After setting your Mod Source and Destination, you have to hold down the Amount button until it blinks, in order to activate the Amount Level function and make the Mod actually affect the sound. It can take a little trial and error to get the hang of, but the synth becomes considerably more useful once you get the hang of it.
Not much to say here. There’s no FX on the Slim Phatty.
In all, as an entry level introduction to the Moogiverse, the Slim Phatty is a worthwhile offering. What it lacks in modulation capabilities, it makes up for in fat sound and smooth filters. It excels in basses, as Moogs are known for, but it is also very good at super warm, gentle plucks, and interesting lead sounds that have a fair amount of heft to them in the lower harmonics. If you want a capable Moog on a budget, this should top your list.
Hear it in action:
Brassy. Thin. “Not real analog.” These are a few common comments that have appeared since the Sequential Prophet Rev2 first came out in 2017. Is it, though?
Or is it the best polyphonic analog synth at its price range, as others say?
Or is it both?
Let’s take a dive into the Rev2, and see what we discover as we explore the synth.
The oscillators on the Rev2 air fairly polarizing, it seems. Because they’re not true VCOs, the traditional analog purists are dismissive of them. But despite their tuning being digitally-controlled, they are still analog oscillators. Just analog oscillators not prone to tone drift when the temperature changes.
All the typical waveforms are here - Sawtooth, Triangle, Pulse, and one extra - Saw-Triangle.
What makes these waveforms truly exceptional, is that all of them can be pulse width-modulated (not just the Pulse/ Square). Sequential calls it Waveshaping, but it is essentially pulse width modification. And it sounds cool.
The best part?
You can link the waveshapes to LFOs or any other parameter, and create exotic, moving, sweeping tones that you may not hear elsewhere.
Oscillators also have a coarse tune that shows up on the screen as the actual note you’re scrolling to (and its octave position) for creating chords or octave spreads, and also Fine Tune controls for each oscillator, for custom detune amounts (which is great for Trance and Psytrance leads).
An added bonus feature that’s super nice is the OSC Slop feature - it allows for fine-tuned mimicry of the random tuning instability present on vintage analog synths. It can be very subtle, or very extreme, and can be useful for creating detuned leads and pads with a little more organic movement
Sync is also available, for when you want to create more metallic sounds and textures.
The general sound of the oscillators, especially the Sawtooth, is, as some users describe, very brassy and in your face. This is due in large part, to the Curtis filter (discussed below), and the lack of innate low-mid saturation common among Moogs and other analog synths. Any saturation baked into the signal chain on this synth appears to emphasize the upper mids, and as such, this synth is well suited for biting leads, and really tight plucks.
What review of the Rev2 would be complete without talking about one of its biggest selling points?
The Curtis filter.
An analog filter that’s seen use in Prophet synths since the 1970s, it can self-resonate in 4-pole mode (but doesn’t in 2-pole mode), it’s what helps give the Rev2 its characteristic tight sound and brassy character.
Compared to the filters on synths like the JP8080 or Slim Phatty, the Curtis filter and attached ADSR+Delay Envelopes are tight, clean, and perfect for making wide long pads, and tight, punchy plucks and basses.
One thing we’ve noticed is that if you’re trying to do plucky lopassed techno rumble type basses, you’ll need to keep the Filter and Amp Release times longish, otherwise you end up with a peculiar snap-back sound from the filter. It won’t impact the bass movement at all, even when in Unison/ Mono mode, so Psytrance and Techno enthusiasts won’t have problems with longer release tails on driving basses. It’s just somewhat unusual.
In general, the filter is great, and is reminiscent of the Nord Lead 3, but much much smoother. Juicier, even.
It’s a very warm, organic sound.
The ADSR Envelope may be VCA, but it behaves more or less like any other, so there’s not really much to say here. Each parameter is nice and tight, so you can achieve as snappy or as gentle of sounds as you need.
And most importantly, it has a Pan Spread feature that in single voice/ oscillator mode acts like an alternating auto-pan feature, and like a stereo widener in Unison mode. The Pan Spread is mono-stereo compatible, too. So you can make bouncing binaural plucks and midrange basses, and they’ll pingpong back and forth for stereo width, and will collapse to mono with no phase cancellation. Very helpful for adding width without using any external tools.
This is where things start to get really interesting. The Rev2 sports 4 LFOs, and multiple LFO types, including a Random waveform that can be sped up into something like using Noise as a modulation source.
The other waveforms are pretty standard - Triangle, Saw, Reverse Saw, Pulse. Nothing too out of the ordinary here. Initially they’re free-running, but can be clocked, and can be assigned to most other parameters, which gives you piles of sound designing capabilities.
Be wary of modulating pitch with it though. It tends to cause extreme pitch warping effects at even moderately low amounts.
Now the Modulation section is where this synth stands apart from other analogs. It has 8 slots in the Mod Matrix, and has an additional 3rd envelope with full ADSR controls, so you can modulate an additional parameter freely of the other slots.
And the regular Mod Matrix slots allow you to control just about any parameter by 22 sources, giving you tremendous sound sculpting capabilities with minimal effort.
The effects on this are something of a mixed bag. The Delays are all great - and increasing their rates doesn’t cause any pitch warping effects that plague a few VST Delay FX.
The Chorus is decent, although limited in editable parameters. It does a nice job widening sounds and unless pushed to extremes, doesn’t cause super unpleasant phasing or pitch warping effects.
The Phasers and Flangers are alright, although they lack the degrees of flexibility that the Virus, Mininova, and Blofeld offer, so unless you’re very careful with dialing them in, you can end up with weird metalllic howls rather than pleasant swooshes.
Now, the Unison is both the Rev2’s great strength, and also a little bit of a weakness. Being able to sum as many oscillators as you want and then detune them in the Unison section is great, and can yield some fat SuperSaw type sounds, which are great for leads and arps.
But.
Unison is Monophonic only. So no big SuperSaw pads or stacked chord leads like you can do with a Virus, or JP8080, or Blofeld.
Sweet lead toplines and low octave lead support, that’s where this shines in unison mode.
One interesting feature, similar to the Blofeld, is that you can dial in the amount of voices being summed in Unison, and then you can detune from there. So you can make a 2 voice sound with detuning for oldschool detuned Saw leads, or you can go for all 16 voices with a tiny touch of detuning, and creating huge solo leads that’ll shake your speakers.
Pity there isn’t a variable unison mode that lets you sum however many voices for a monophonic aspect, and then use the remaining voices polyphonically. That would yield some interesting and exciting tones. Can’t have everything, we suppose.
So, is the Prophet Rev2 worthit? Does it live up to the hype?
Yes.
It’s bold, in-your-face, yet just neutral enough to sit cleanly in a mix. It has modulation capabilities that outstrip many of its competitors, and it has enough voices to be usable for both pads, supersaw leads, and dirty punchy basses. A small touch of distortion fattens it up to sound comparable in warmth to a Moog, and the Curtiss filter adds a bouncy roundness to sounds that makes it fantastic for plucks. And the Pan Spread function is incredibly useful for creating wide sounds, and sounds that bounce around the stereo field, adding mono-compatible customizable width.
The Rev2 is a definite winner for analog polys.
Hear it in action:
Clinical. Cold. Thin. These comments tend to commonly pop up in reviews and comments about the now-20-year-old 24-voice Nord Lead 3 virtual analog polysynth by Swedish keyboard company Clavia. Frequently overlooked for its younger sibling the Nord Lead 2 (and the later 2X), the NL3 is a synth that garners criticism for not sounding analog enough and having weak factory presets, yet also receives high praise for other aspects of its sound and design that race ahead of its competitors. It’s a synth that folks seem to either love or hate.
So is the NL3 still worthit in the 2020s? Should you get one?
Let’s have a look.
At first glance, the NL3 looks fairly simple and minimalist, with on 2 oscillators to generate sound. But digging a little further into the panel, one will find not merely the usual analog-style Sawtooth, Pulse, and Triangle waveforms, but also Sine, Noise, and Dual Sine oscillators that open up sound design possibilities far beyond the typical early 2000s VA.
In fact, it’s the Sine and Dual Sine oscillators that transform the NL3 from a typical VA. When engaged, the NL3 can become a 4 operator FM synth, with the push of a few buttons. So for DX style pianos, clangorous bells, hollow slap house basses, or ripping dubstep wobbles, this synth opens up a world of possibility with very little tweaking. It has in fact, one of the easiest FM implementations of any hardware synth on the market. And you can use any of the waveforms for FM, which provides many opportunities to make new and never-before-heard sounds.
The standard waveforms are what you’d expect, and the detune and pitch controls are easy to use and sound sweet. As far as how they sound, some say they sound thinner or less aggressive than the NL2’s, but we find that it sounds like a midpoint between the Prophet Rev2 and the Blofeld, with a bit more leaning toward the Rev2. They don’t sound Analog in the Moog sense with heavy low-mid saturation (although there are settings built into the synth to make it sound more analog), but they do have that bright slightly fizzy (but not brassy) analog quality of the Sequential synths - making the NL3 perfect for plucks, leads, and midrange basses, as well as huge pads.
Manipulating the pulse width is pleasant and yields very nice crisp sounds, and the Noise generator can lend a little nice extra air to a sound when the OSC MIX is dialed in right.
The OSC MOD section is where a lot of the fun happens. each of the settings will send you down fun rabbit holes of Frequency Modulation, Distortion Modulation, Ring Modulation, Differential Frequency Modulation, Distortion, Filter Frequency Modulation, and experiment with them on different oscillators. Anything from 80’s FM bells to filthy riddim snarls can be managed here, as well as crazy atonal pads and effects.
Sporting the 3 basic Filter types, plus 3 additional ones (one of which is a 12 dB Distortion filter), with 3 different filter slopes, Filter 1 is more or less what you’re expect from a VA synth of the era. Tight, clean, and has a Resonance that can make for nice and squelchy sounds, but doesn’t quite self resonate (although you can get nearly there in Classic mode, which is a filter intended to emulate the Moog Ladder Filter).
What’s truly unusual about the NL3’s filters is the secondary Multi Filter. It essentially acts like a series of comb and multi-pass filters that combine different curves, and can yield some exciting sounds and effects with a little tweaking.
The standard filters can be a little steppy during sweeps, but compared to the JP8000 that came out a few years earlier, it’s much smoother, and has the added bonus of not adding any weird artifacts to the sound, so you can make super tight warm plucks and bouncy basses with ease.
Analog purists may be disappointed at the lack of full self-oscillation at high resonance settings, but for most dance music producers, it’s not that crucial of a feature.
There’s really not too much to say here. The ADSR envelopes are typical of any VA, and behave similarly to any other.
Now we get into some fun. A decent number of parameters can be modified by the 2 onboard LFOs, and besides the standard free-running lfo speed, they can also be clock synced, and any of the timing and amount parameters can be linked to the modwheel, so you can do on-the-fly sound manipulation.
Each LFO modifies slightly different parameters though, so you’ll need to be choosy about what you modify, and how.
There are loads of LFO waveform types which is nice, but sadly it does not have a Sine wave type, so you can’t get as smooth of a curve as you might like for certain classes of sounds. But the smooth random and other waveforms are great for chaotic psychedelic textures.
An interesting note is that Pan will modulate the stereo position of the entire sound on patches that are Mono/ not in Unison. When Unison Stack is turned on and some detune is applied, the Pan will modulate the sound semi-randomly on a Per-Voice and Per-Note basis, creating wide, spread out stereo movement that doesn’t feel overly Binaural-y. It’s great for large unison pads when you want to expand the stereo field further. When using LFO modulation on a pluck or other non-Unison sound, the patch will behave more like on other synths, with the sound bouncing back and forth across the stereo field evenly.
This section is rather limited. A very basic AD envelope lets you modulate a handful of standard parameters. It’s helpful for making nice plucky pitchy sounds and for some clever pulse width modulation effects. Those are mainly what we use it for.
In general, the Nord Lead 3 doesn’t really have any effects, per se. The Distortion Filter, and the DIST in the OSC MOD sections sort of quality as effects, and they are quite nice for adding saturation and crunchy distortion for basses and acid and dubstep sounds. Pairing the distortion with the FM yields some fantastic ripping growls and snarls that put Massive and Serum to the test.
Many folks discounted the NL3 when it first came out because of its lack of onboard FX, when competitors like the Virus, SuperNova, Q, and even the JP8080 had good onboard effects. By comparison, the NL3 is super bare bones.
Within our studio however, we have found it to be highly capable, and we have no trouble envisioning how it will sound in a song, because we have our NL3 routed into a Virus TI2, and so as we design and review sounds for songs, we can switch on some reverb, delay, phaser, chorus, or whatever else we want, and have a clear idea of how the sound will fit in the final mix (we do of course, record Dry once we have everything set the way we like on the NL).
And finally, we come to the Unison section. This is one of the features the NL3 is best known for, and for good reason. It adds an extra 4 voices on top of the base sound, for a total of 5 voices, which spread over the stereo field as you increase the detune. And the best part? It doesn’t impact polyphony.
So you can make huge pads and unison leads and still have 24 voices to work with!
The Mono, Glide, and other sections are fairly standard as with other VAs, so there’s not much to tell there. The tight filters and bright cutting oscillators do mean that gliding leads and leads with some pitch mods have a lot of energy in them, which is nice.
It’s worth mentioning that just below this section lurks the Performance and some extra modulation controls - the Performances let you load up different patches into each section for quick recall, or even play multiple sounds at once (or stack the same patch 2-4 times!) and achieve huge monster sounds that still have loads of polyphony to play around with.
So for you Trance producers, you could effectively make a window-shattering 4 layer multi-octave SuperSaw Pad, or layer a couple leads and plucks together and not have to worry about note timing issues between each layer while recording parts.
And the stone Modwheel can be linked to any parameter, and to multiple parameters at once, giving you almost Blofeld-like sound manipulation capabilities.
The wooden thumb-operated pitch bend gizmo is a pretty neat touch. It’s very unique, and in some ways even more useful than the standard pitch wheel on other synths.
Some of you may be wondering how the Arpeggiator sounds, and it’s nice. I will admit I rarely ever use the built-in arps on hardware synths, but this one sounds nice, and there’s submenu options for tweaking it further, but I must confess I haven’t really fussed with them (as I do most of my arranging ITB).
So, at the end of all things, is the Nord Lead 3 still worthit? There are certainly other VAs and digital synths out there with more FX, more voices, and more bells and whistles, some for less money.
However.
The NL3 has hands on controls unrivaled by anything except a handful of analog mono synths.
It has unison capabilities that are superior to most of its competitors.
It balances the cleanness of VA/ digital with the fatness of analog for a bright sound that isn’t overwhelming.
As a keyboard (which is what we have), its keybed feels great, and it’s a joy to design sounds on the fly with. So if you have ambitions of bringing a live Trance/ Psytrance/Dubstep act to the world stages, pairing the NL3 with some outboard FX units would take this synth to a whole new level and make it the centerpiece of your live rig (plus, it looks super cool on stage, too).
Still worthit today?
Totally.
Hear it in action:
Glassy. Digital. Metallic. These are the most common words you’ll hear when asking about how the Blofeld sounds. And to those who don’t explore too deeply into it, that’s all the Blofeld will surrender. But for those with a more adventurous spirit, this synth will reveal treasures beyond their wildest dreams.
But first, a little history.
Back in 2004, the Waldorf company, manufacturer of such iconic synths as the Microwave, Pulse, Q, and their assorted iterations, had gone under. The company had gone belly up, and their engineers and staff were all left naked in the breeze. That is, until 2007, when Joachim Flor, a sales rep with a big idea, reassembled the team, gathered some funds, and relaunched Waldorf with a brand new synth. A Virtual Analog synth that would combine the best features of the best Waldorf synths, in a compact affordable unit bearing an elegant, minimalist look. And a sound that punched far above its 2.25 kg. It would go on to change their fortunes, and fuel their ascendancy back to the forefront of the industry.
And that brings us to 2021.
Amidst a sea of wavetable hardware and software synths, and with VSTs having progressed markedly since 2007, one could be forgiven for asking “Is the Blofeld even really worth the money now when I can just use Serum?”
To which I would say, Yes. Yes it is. Let’s go over why.
Off the bat, the Blofeld sports 3 oscillators, all of which have basic Analog Waveforms (Pulse, Saw, Triangle, Sine), and the first 2 also offer wavetables. With the SL License (pre-loaded on the keyboard, and costs extra for the desktop) you can load in your own custom wavetables and samples, and expand the possibilities of your synth. The analog waveforms are distinctly Waldorfy in character, which is to say, bright and a little glassy. If you need the sound to be sharper or more cutting, every oscillator also has a Brilliance setting that mimics the aliasing behavior of the older Waldorf synths, which for making Trance plucks or super dirty riddim basses, is perfect.
All that is fairly standard on any synth though.
What makes the Blofeld shine is the FM and PWM capabilities every oscillator has in its submenus. You can use a variety of FM sources per oscillator AND PWM on every oscillator without using up Mod Matrix slots, and it helps conserve a little DSP power. So without even leaving the Osc section, you can create insane ripping dubstep and electro sounds using just the analog waveforms!
Once you start diving into the wavetables, that’s where things get truly exciting. These wavetables are full bodied, and you can experiment with modulating their position, and even use other wavetables as FM sources, to create truly devastating Dubstep wobbles and snarls that put Massive to shame. And if all you want to do is make some simple Trance leads, a little quick detuning and some Brilliance boosts will give you a nice epic lead that’s ready to roll in your next anthem.
Here’s where things start to get really wild. The Blofeld comes with 2 filters, which each oscillator can be freely assigned to. Your basic 2 and 4 pole LPs and HPs are in there, as well as some bandpass, notch, and comb+ and - filters that really mutate the sound. For the old schoolers out there, the Blofeld even iincludes the classic PPG filter from Wolfgang Palmer’s original PPG Wave synth from the 80s. Vice vibes, anyone?
That’s not where the story ends, though.
Each filter has multiple submenus full of options including everything from Keytracking, to FM (yes, you can pick frequency modulation sources for the filter!), to filter drive, to even panning. For the moment let’s touch on the Filter Drive. This is where the Bass Music crowd will want to sit up and sharpen their pencils.
It contains multiple distortion types, which you can dial in for something as subtle as mild Tube saturation to a pluck, to dirty bitcrushing (the Overflow drive type) on a square lead, to sine folding a wavetable bass. And the filter drive can be modulated by just about any source in the Mod Matrix, so you have mountains of options for how much you want to destroy your sound.
Having covered that terrain, the big question is, does the filter itself sound nice? A lot of folks harp on about it because it doesn’t sound “analog” enough and doesn’t behave like a Moog ladder filter. And yes, they are correct. It’s not a Moog.
But it’s not supposed to be. The Blofeld is its own animal, and the real secret to getting nice tight sounds is to switch to the 24 dB Lopass filter, and then experiment with Filter Envelope settings until you dial it in (a decent touch of resonance doesn’t hurt either). The sounds may not be as creamy as what you’d get from a Minimoog, but you can make incredibly tight plucks that cut through a mix. Big Trance pads on the Blofeld also sound incredibly smooth, and with the right pan spread settings, rival anything a Virus or Rev2 can make. If you want your sounds to have that same bouncy roundness that true analog yields, you can apply mild filter saturation and some resonance to make the sound more analog in character.
We don’t need to devote a lot of time to this, as it comes with the standard ADSR envelope for Amp, Env3, and Env4. What IS special is that there’s a number of modifiable parameters for each that allow you to sculpt sounds in more complex and unique ways, to yield even more interesting sounds. Personally, I rarely use those extra features, as most Trance sounds don’t utilize that level of depth for sound design. But for modulating modifiers, the 3rd and 4th Envelopes are pretty cool, and allow for twisted sonic exploration when dabbling in dubstep and drum n bass sound design.
Now this is where things get exciting. The Blofeld has 3 LFOs that can be clocked or run freely, and they come in a multitude of oscillator types. Saw, Pulse, Triangle, Sine, Sample & Hold, and Random. So you can do everything from tremolos and vibratos to chaotic glitches, and even talking psytrance sounds (if you link the S&H lfo to the wavetable pulse width and then apply some crafty distortion).
This here, this is what the Blofeld is most famous for. 6 Mod slots, that allow you to modulate almost any parameter on the synth. The options are deep, and it’s easy to get lost down a Mod Hole just messing with potential settings in here. This is why the Blofeld is a sound designer’s dream. The one thing you can’t modulate, and it’s the one thing holding the Blofeld back from being truly equal to the Virus TI2, is that you can’t modulate any of the FX. For certain types of sounds I like to use in my own productions, that’s a hassle, and it’s the one lacking feature that really bothers me. Besides that, there’s myriad possibilities, and for most sounds most commercial producers use, it’s more than enough (most of us record dry and use ITB FX anyway).
This is a somewhat divisive section in the Blofeld user community. Some folks love all of the FX, others hate them. It’s true, compared to the Virus, the effects on here are by and large not the best. With deep tweaking you can make most of the effects solid, but some are better than others. The Distortion for example, is excellent. In some ways it even surpasses the Virus’ onboard distortions. Plus, unlike the Virus, the Blofeld’s FX sections are independent of each other, so if you want to absolutely destroy an FM bass sound for maximum nastiness, you can pile on 2 different kinds of distortion plus add filter drive from one or both filters. And if you’re a fan of talking robot sounds, if you dive into the Triple FX effect, the S&H effect is a very good rate reducer. Sadly, it isn’t modulatable by internal parameters. So if you want to morph it, you have to do it manually.
The Chorus and Delay are good though, and the Phaser sounds great once you turn the Feedback and Spacing down.
And finally, we come to the Unison section. In here we find the Poly vs Mono Modes, the Unisono Voice count and spread section, the Ring Modulator, and the variable-color Noise generator. The Voices can be increased to 6, which for you SuperSaw junkies, is great news (although if you’re using all 3 oscillators, you probably won’t want to go higher than 3 on Unisono, so you don’t hit a voice-stealing wall).
You’ll want to be wary of increasing the Unisono too high while using wavetables - wavetables take extra DSP on their own, and the voicing reduces that amount further. With a little clever tweaking, you can make some monster trance pads that rival the Virus and Mininova in power. It doesn’t quite touch the JP8000’s sound, but it doesn’t really need to. Its own unique sound is quite exciting and it comes with the added benefit of being tonally neutral, so it won’t be prone to frequency creep that piles up a ton of white noise and sibilants that drown out your percussion like Virus and JP SuperSaws can do when the Treble EQ controls get turned up.
In all, the Blofeld is a powerful, incredibly flexible machine with a distinctive sound that can be both shimmery and ethereal, and dark and ferocious. It’s not a perfect synth, and the menu diving can be intimidating for new users, but the glitches that plagued early models have been largely ironed out, making it a worthy companion to any other synth in your studio.
14 years on, its sound is just as useful and relevant when it came out, and deploying one in your songs will give you a unique tone that stands apart from the rest. For those of you in the market for a hardware Serum that can manage glimmering sparkling Trance pads and leads equally as well as devastating DnB reeses and dubstep growls, this is the unit for you.
Still worthit today?
Absolutely.
Hear it in action:
Hit a wall with Serum and Massive, and looking for something more to produce with? Looking to integrate some hardware into your setup? Just want something more hands on to work with? Then read on, and check out 5 hardware synths that are ideal additions to any basshead’s studio. These synths are are beasts capable of everything from insane wavetable snarls to filthy FM growls, and near-infinite combinations of both! These are listed in no particular order, and includes a mix of bigger flagship synths and budget units.
A modern, underrated classic. Known mostly in synth geek circles as a drone and soundscape machine, it’s a modern descendant of the Q and Microwave series, and it packs serious punch. Being a VA and Wavetable synth, it can easily make any standard sub basses and leads you might need, as well as all the filthy growls and snarls you want for your nastiest riddim bangers. It has a deep mod matrix, piles of FX, and many parameters (including the wavetables themselves) can be used as FM sources. Some of the onboard FX aren’t super great, and the interface can be intimidating for newcomers to sound design, but the distortion options and wavetables are perfect for dubstep that goes beyond what Serum can pump out. And it even has the ability to use User Samples and User Wavetables (with the separate SL License)!
Polyphony - 25 voices maximum (Poly, Mono, Dual or Unison modes)
Multitimbral - 16 parts
Sampler - 44.1kHz mono with 60 Mb RAM
Oscillators - 3 oscillators per voice (128' to 1/2') plus noise, frequency modulation, ring modulation
Waveforms - All Q Oscillator models: sine, saw, triangle, square with PWM; 68 digital 16-bit wavetables from Microwave II/XT/XTK
LFO - 3 LFOs per voice with square, sine, saw, triangle, S&H, random with delay and fade in/out
Modulation - Modulation Matrix with 16 Slots, freely programmable
Filter - 2 independent Multi Mode Filters per voice: Low pass, High pass, Band pass, Notch, Comb; 12 or 24 dB/oct modes
Envelope - 4 Envelopes per voice, ADSR, AD1S1D2S2R, One Shot, Loopable
Effects - 2 Effect units with Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Overdrive, Decimator, Delay, Reverb
Vocoder - None
Sequencer - None
Arpeggiator - Programmable, 16 steps, Up, Down, Alt Up, Alt Down, Random
Memory - 1,024 sounds, 128 multi sets
Control - MIDI IN (plus OUT on Keyboard), USB
Another underrated synth, the NL3 has the distinction of having one of the best user interfaces of any hardware synth ever made. It’s great for bread & butter sounds for the more trance-like Future Bass and Chillstep sounds, but despite being a VA from 2000, it packs a powerful 4 operator FM synth under the hood, and a surprisingly versatile modulation engine. While it lacks the wavetables of later Nord Leads, with a little cunning, it can generate some gritty FM screeches and growls that rival anything from Serum or Massive. And the keyboard version of this synth has a really nice and playable keybed that’s ideal for live performances.
Polyphony - 24 voices
Oscillators - 2 oscillator groups each with Six waveforms: sine, saw, triangle, square (pulse with width modulation), noise, synced noise, dual sine; 2- and 4-op FM and differential FM; osc-sync; ring-modulation; variable unison.
LFO - 2 per voice, syncable to MIDI. Triangle, saw, square, smooth and stepped random, and triple-peak sine waveforms. Seperate vibrato effect.
Filter - 2 multi-mode filters (series or parallel). Lowpass, Bandpass, Highpass, LP-HP, LP-LP and Classic mode. 1-, 2-, or 4-pole.
VCA - ADSR envelopes for amplitude and filter; Amplifier Gain control
Memory - 1,024 patches, 256 performances
Control - MIDI IN/OUT/THRU (4-parts)
An unexpected synth on this list, it’s one of the least expensive, and one of the most powerful. The minimalist interface hides a powerful sound engine (based on the Radias no less), and Korg packed a ton of features into it. The XL can pump out standard synth sounds as well as grittier sounds from its PCM library that are great for riddim snarls - and the synth has a surprisingly high headroom, so you can really push its distortion without hitting a wall of clipping.
Voice polyphony - Maximum 8 voices (when using Vocoder, it is 4 voices)
Synth 2 oscillators + noise generator
Oscillator 1 Waveform - 8 types (Sawtooth, Pulse, Triangle, Sine, Formant, Noise, DWGS, Audio In), Modulation: Waveform, Cross, Unison, VPM
Oscillator 2 Waveform - 4 types (Sawtooth, Pulse, Triangle, Sine)
Modulation: Ring, Sync, Ring+Sync
Tone Generator System MMT (Multiple Modeling Technology)
Program Multi Timbral Maximum 2 (when using Layer, Split, or Multi)
Waveshape Type - Drive, Decimator, HardClip, OctSaw, MultiTri, MultiSin, SubOSCSaw, SubOSCSqu, SubOSCTri, SubOSCSin, LevelBoost
Multimode Filters Filter 1 - -24 dB/oct LPF ~ -12 dB/oct LPF ~ -12 dB/oct BPF ~ -12 dB/oct HPF ~ Thru
Filter 2 - LPF, HPF, BPF (switchable)
Vocoder - 16 channel vocoder, adjustable level and pan for each channel, Formant Shift function, Formant Hold function
Keyboard - 37 notes (Natural Touch mini-keyboard, velocity sensitive)
Controller - Pitch bend wheel, Modulation Wheel
Effects - Timbre 2 band EQ Master effect 2 units, 17effect algorithms.
Arpeggiator - Six types: UP, DOWN, ALT1/2, Random, Trigger, Individual step on/off function
Programs - 128 programs (A/B banks x 8 genres x 8 category)
Inputs - [AUDIO INPUT 1] (1/4” phone jack, unbalanced, with MIC/LINE switch) – Rear Panel
[AUDIO INPUT 1 (MIC)] (XLR jack / balanced) – Front Panel
Outputs - [L/MONO, R] (1/4” Standard phone jacks / unbalanced)
[Phone] (1/4” Stereo Standard phone jacks)
MIDI In/ Out: USB Type B
A newcomer to the game, the Modwave is Korg’s reimagining of the classic DW-8000 with piles of new features. It isn’t talked about too much in the Dubstep world, but a wavetable synth with as many modulation capabilities and features as the Mofwave definitely has all the potential to be another hardware Serum. It even has an X-Y touch pad for exotic modulations beyond what anything except Omnisphere can do. Plus, it boasts 32-voice polyphony, and multiple filter types and 200+ wavetables that can be cross-modulated, so what’s not to love?
Keyboard - 37 keys (velocity and release-velocity sensitive)
Maximum Polyphony - 32 stereo voices
Sound generating system - modwave synthesis engine
Controllers - Mod Wheel, Pitch Wheel, Kaoss Physics, 4x Mod Knobs
Other Sources - 4x Envelopes, 5x LFOs, 2x Mod Processors, 2x Key Track, Seq Lanes A-D, Step Pulse, Tempo, Program/Performance Note Count, Program/Performance Voice Count, Poly Legato, Velocity, Exponential Velocity, Release Velocity, Gate, Gate+Damper, Note-On Trigger, Note-On Trigger+Damper, Note Number, Aftertouch and Poly Aftertouch (external MIDI only), MIDI CCs +/-, MIDI CCs +
Destinations - Most parameters can be modulated, including parameters of individual Motion Sequence Steps. Depending on Motion Sequence length, there can be more than 1,000 potential modulation targets per Program.
Effects -Pre FX Decimator, Graphic EQ, Guitar Amp, Modern Compressor, Parametric EQ, Red Compressor, Ring Modulator, Tremolo, Wave Shaper
Mod FX Black Chorus/Flanger, Black Phase, CX-3 Vibrato Chorus, EP Chorus, Harmonic Chorus, Modern Chorus, Modern Phaser, Orange Phase, Polysix Ensemble, Small Phase, Talking Modulator, Vintage Chorus, Vintage Flanger, Vintage/Custom Wah, Vox Wah
Delay L/C/R Delay, Multiband Mod Delay, Reverse Delay, Stereo/Cross Delay, Tape Echo
Master Reverb Early Reflections, Overb
Master EQ 4-band parametric EQ
Inputs/outputs - Headphone (6.3 mm stereo phone jack), OUTPUT L/MONO and R (impedance-balanced 6.3 mm TRS phone jacks), DAMPER (6.3 mm phone jack, half-damper not supported), MIDI IN and OUT connectors, USB B port
No list of killer dubstep synths would be complete without the TI2. It has the most mod options besides the Blofeld, and it sports the best onboard FX of any hardware synth on the market. Its oscillators aren’t quite as bright as some of the other synths on this list (that’s a feature, not a bug. It’s intended to sound more Analog and Warm), but the onboard EQs can solve that conundrum. It has wavetables and rudimentary FM, allowing you to take it into some seriously gnarly territory with only a few knob twists and button presses. If you have the $$$ this one is not to be missed.
Polyphony - Over 90 voices
Multitimbral - 16 parts
Oscillators - 3 osc + subosc + noise, FM, Sync
Waveforms - Sine / pulse / saw / hypersaw / wavetable / granular / formant
Filter - dual LP/HP/BP/BR with envelopes and addtional multi-pole analog emulations (includes Minimoog 4-pole emulation)
LFO - 3 LFOs, multiple options plus mod matrix 18 slots
Envelope - Amp / Filter / 'LFO as envelope' option
Sequencer - none onboard
Arpeggiator - Up / Down / Random / Chord / Multiple additions, editable in software to any variation
Effects - Reverbs, Delays, EQs with Q and freq control, Tape Delays, Distortions (multiple), Phasers, Flangers, Chorus, Analog EQs, Vocoder.
Memory - 128 patches in each of 30 banks plus USB storage / Librarian with additional free patchbanks provided regularly by Access
Control - MIDI, USB, 16-part multitimbral in Multi or sequencer modes
While the Ultranova isn’t what comes to most folks’ minds when talking about dubstep synths (despite it and the Mininova having Dubstep as one of its preset categories!), it’s another budget keyboard that hides a mountain of features and killer capabilities that are grossly overlooked. Like its smaller sibling the Mininova, it is perfectly-geared towards Trance, House, and Psytrance sounds, and can make Chillstep and Future Bass leads and pads as good as the Virus or Nord Lead 3. But it also has wavetables and a deep mod matrix that makes it useful for wobbles and gritty tones. It lacks FM, sadly, but its onboard FX are great, and expand its capabilities greatly. And the VST librarian and editor that Novation makes available for free opens up the synth considerably.
Polyphony - Up to 18-note polyphony (dynamic voicing)
Multitimbral - Mono-Timbral (1 Part)
Synthesis Method - Based on Supernova II
Waveforms include: Square, sine, tri, sawtooth, pulse, 9 x saw:pulse combinations. 20 x digital waveforms. 36 x wavetables
Effects- Distortion - up to 2 instances. Compressor - up to 2 instances. Chorus/Phase - up to 4 instances. Delay - up to 2 instances. Reverb - up to 2 instances. Gator. EQ. 12 band vocoder.
Arpeggiator - 33 patterns. Chord function - lock up to 10 notes
Patch storage up to 512 on hardware (ships with 300 factory patches)
Controllers - 8 x touch sensitive encoders. 1 x large smooth encoder (with back-lit filter lock buttons). 1 x large patch select/speed dial encoder. 2 x volume & monitor mix dials. 39 x LED lit/indicated buttons. 1 x Pitch wheel (LED lit). 1 x Modulation wheel (LED lit)
37-note keyboard with velocity and aftertouch
Connections - XLR dynamic mic input. 2 x ¼" jack inputs. 2 x ¼" jack outputs. 2 x ¼" jack aux outputs. 1 x ¼" jack headphone output. SPDIF digital output on RCA connector. Expression pedal on ¼" jack input. Sustain pedal on ¼" jack input. MIDI in/out/thru. 12 volt power input. USB port (UltraNova can be powered via USB). Kensington Lock port
The Nord Lead A1 may not be the first synth that comes to mind when one thinks of dubstep, it’s a synth that definitely deserves a proper look. While some of its modulation and envelopes are limited compared to the NL3, it shares a sound engine with the Nord Wave, and has additional waveforms hidden in the second oscillator that expand it beyond conventional virtual analog synths. Its FX are better than the NL4’s, and with 2-op FM capabilities, and hefty distortion, with some layering and adventurous use of the sampled waves, you can achieve some gritty, screaming sounds worthy of any peaktime dubstep banger.
Keyboard - 49-key octave velocity sensitive keyboard with octave shift buttons (+/- 2 octaves)
Keyboard Split with 2 slots for the upper and lower section
Controls - 1x Modulation wheel, 1x Pitch stick (with no dead zone at zero crossing), 1x 1/4" (6.3 mm) pedal input for sustain pedal, 1x 1/4" (6.3 mm) pedal input for expression pedalPitch Bend RangeProgrammable up to +/- octaveUser Interface3x LED displays, 23x knobs, 3x encoders, 20x buttons for program and performance editing
Waveform - Multiple Oscillator waveforms; traditional analog, extended analog, pulse waveforms, wavetable
OSC - Configuration Knob Categories: pitch, detune, shape, sync, ring modulation, noise, dual OSC, FM
Filters - Multi-mode Filter: 12 dB (2-pole) low-pass, 24 dB (4-pole) low-pass and band pass, high pass
Ladder M and Ladder 303 characteristics
Control - Cut off, resonance, envelope amount, LFO amount, drive
Envelope - ADR/ASR
Tracking Ability - Filter keyboard tracking can be set to off, 1/3, 2/3 or full
Distortion - Filter Distortion: Adjustable
Modulation - LFO1 Generates: triangle, square, sawtooth, inverted sawtooth or sample and hold waveforms
Routing - can be routed to filter frequency, pitch, shape and OSC mod
Sync - Can be synchronized to the Master Clock
Modes - can be switched to Env mode with three different characteristics and sample and hold is manually triggered by keyboard
Arpeggiator - Range: 1 to 4 octaves
Modes - up, down, up/down, random, Poly
Sync - arpeggio rate can be synchronized to the Master ClockEnvelopeADR/ASR
Velocity control - on/off
Inverse Envelope - on/off
Amplifier - ControlADR/ASR envelope
Gain control
Individual Pan Control - per program
Velocity Control - on/off
Voices - Poly, legato with portamento, Mono, True Unison 1, 2 & 3
Layering - 4x program slots for layering possibilities
Effects - Types: flanger, phaser, ring modulation, chorus, ensemble and drive
Delay - Types/Controls: Tap tempo, four stages of feedback, ping-pong, dry/wet mix
Sync - delay speed can be synchronized to the Master Clock
Reverb - Types: room, stage 1, stage 2, hall 1, hall 2
Programs - Single Sounds: 8x 50 (400) locations
Performances (Multiple Sounds): 4x 50 (200) locations
Audio Output
Output - 4x unbalanced 1/4" (6.3 mm) (each slot can be assigned to its own output), 1x 1/4" (6.3 mm) stereo headphone output, 24-bit DACs
MIDI Type - USB MIDI
5-pin DIN in
5-pin DIN out
THRU - soft
Control - All control knobs and switches send and receive control change messages
MIDI Dumps - System exclusive or all programs
Sync - Master Clock will sync to incoming MIDI clock
It may seem strange to be veering into DX7 territory with an FM synth, but for those of you who don’t already know, a lot of the craziest gnarliest dubstep sounds, especially from the 2010 era, were FM-based, not wavetable based. The gritty monster growls of Skrillex? Originally came off the FM7 vst. While wavetables may be back in vogue again, FM will always be useful paired with distortion and crafty modulation for some filthy wobbles and snarls. And now Korg has a 6 operator FM synth out that aims to capture some of the glassy, metallic, gritty magic of the DX7, and even go beyond the DX series, but in a more compact, easy to use keyboard.
Keyboard - 37 Keys (Velocity and Release-Velocity Sensitive)\
Sound Generation - Altered FM Sound Generator
Polyphony - 32 Voices (or Maximum of 24 Voices, Depending on Settings)
Structure - 6 Operators
11 Filters
3 Envelope Generators
3 LFOs,
3 Effect Engines,
Step Sequencer
Arpeggiator - Algorithm40 Presets + User Algorithm (Unique to Each Program)
Operators - 5 Modes - FM, Ring Mod., Filter, Filter FM, and Wave Folder
Oscillators - 21 Waveforms: Sine, Sine 12-Bit, Sine 8-Bit, Triangle, Saw, Saw HD, Square, Square HD, Additive Saw3, Additive Sqr3, Additive Tri3, Additive 12345, Additive 1+2, Additive 1+3, Additive 1+4, Additive 1+5, Additive 1+6, Additive 1+7, Additive 1+8, Noise S/H, Noise White
Filters - 11 Types: LPF 12, LPF 24, LPF MS-20, LPF POLY6, HPF 12, HPF 24, HPF MS-20, BPF 6, BPF 12, BRF 6, BRF 12
Envelope Generators - 3 x ADSRLFO23 Waveforms: Triangle, Saw Down, Saw Up, Square, Sine, Sample&Hold, Guitar, Exp. Triangle, Exp. Saw Down, Exp. Saw Up, Step4 Triangle, Step6 Triangle, Step4 Saw Down, Step6 Saw Down, StepRnd:Time, StepRnd: Lvl & Time, StepRnd:Level, Random:Time, Random: Lvl & Time, Triangle+, Saw Down+, Saw Up+, Square +Virtual Patch12 Routings
Effects - 30 Types: Chorus, Unison Ensemble, Phaser, Phaser (BPM), Auto Pan, Auto Pan (BPM), Flanger, Flanger (BPM), Rotary Speaker, Auto Wah, Exciter, Enhancer, LFO Filter, 3-Band EQ, Distortion, Guitar Amp, Decimator, Grain Shifter, Master Limiter, Compressor, Delay, Delay (BPM), Autopan Dly, Autopan Dly (BPM), Tape Echo, Tape Echo (BPM), Early Reflection, Reverb, Shimmer Reverb, Spring Reverb
Sequencer - Step Sequencer (Up to 16 Steps, Up to 6 Notes per Step), Motion Sequencer (Up to 6 Lanes)
Arpeggiator - 7 Patterns (Manual, Up, Down, Alt1, Alt2, Random, Trigger)
Programs - 500 (250 Preset Programs and 250 User Programs as the Factory-Set Default)
Favorite - 64 (16 Slots × 4 Banks)
Controllers - Modulation Wheel, Pitch Wheel, Ratio OP 1-6 Knobs, Level OP 1-6 Sliders, Data Entry A-F Knobs - Inputs/Outputs
Headphone - 1/4" / 6.35 mm Stereo
Output (L/Mono and R) - 2 x Impedance-Balanced 1/4" / 6.35 mm TRS
Damper - 1/4" / 6.35 mm (Half-Damper Not Supported)
MIDI In and Out - 2 x 5-Pin DIN
USB Type-B Port
Most folks don’t think of analog mono/duophonic synths when they think of dubstep, but they’re the ones missing out. Like the Nord Lead 3, the Sub37 has a very nice, easy too navigate physical user interface. And its analog oscillators and filters give it a fatness and grit that enables you to create some super heavy saw, triangle, and pulse basses (and even detuned reese basses with the right settings!), and the feedback oscillator and overdrive circuit allow you to push your sounds to even dirtier depths. It’s flexible LFOs allow you to make some nice hefty wobbles and growls, and if you want to counterpoint your colder wavetable and digital sounds with something with more weight, the Sub 37 is your best option.
Polyphony - Monophonic / Duophonic
Timbrality - 2
Oscillator - 2
LFO - 2
Synthesis type - Analog subtractive
Filter - 1 selectable 6, 12, 18 or 24dB/octave low-pass
Attenuator - ADSR
Aftertouch expression - yes
Velocity expression - yes
Storage memory - 256 patches
Effects - none
Keyboard - 37 keys
External control - MIDI, CV/Gate
And what synth list would be complete without a Roland? Boasting more waveforms and modulation and synthesis capabilities than the JP and SH series synths, the JD-Xi is a solid budget option that, like the Blofeld, hides a lot under its hood. With 129 voices for the digital parts, the possibilities are near-endless, once you figure out the interface. What’s more, there are piles of free banks and patches available for it, so you have access to loads of useful sounds for your bass tracks.
Keyboard - 37 mini keys (with velocity)
Sound Generator Section Maximum Polyphony - 129 voices (Digital Synth/Drum Kit: 128, Analog Synth: 1)
(Max. polyphony of the Digital Synth parts: 64 voices)
Parts - 4 Parts (Digital Synth Part: 2, Drums Part: 1, Analog Synth Part: 1)
Tones - Digital Synth Tone (SuperNATURAL Synth), Analog Synth Tone, PCM Drum Kit
* For an analog synth tone, the oscillator, sub-oscillator, and filter sections consist of analog circuits.
Effect1 - (Distortion, Fuzz, Compressor, Bit Crusher)
Effect2 - (Flanger, Phaser, Ring Mod, Slicer)
Delay - 2 types
Reverb - 6 types
Pattern Sequencer - Tracks: 4
Vocal Function - Vocoder, Auto Pitch, Auto Note
Other - Favorite, Arpeggio
Controllers - Pitch Bend/Modulation Wheel
Display - 16 characters 2 line LCD
Connectors - Headphones Jack: Stereo 1/4-inch phone type
Output Jacks (L/MONO, R) - 1/4-inch phone type
Input Jack (LINE(MONO) / Guitar Input) - 1/4-inch phone type
MIDI Connectors (IN, OUT) - USB COMPUTER Port (USB Hi-Speed AUDIO/MIDI)
(Use a USB cable and a computer with a USB port that support Hi-Speed USB.)
DC IN - Jack
MIC Input Jack - XLR type, unbalance
Just got a Slim Phatty, and finding it drifts out of tune? Looking for a quick way to check it and make sure it stays in tune during your production sessions?
Watch the video below for a quick tip to keep your Slim and Little Phatty in tune!
Achieving sounds that are both wide and spcaious, and also able to collapse to mono without phasing out of existence, is many producers’ biggest nightmare.
Thankfully, the Blofeld has a number of handy features buried within its many menus that allow you to manage both, and we’ll show you how right here!
Looking for a hardware synth for your Trance productions, and unsure which one to get? Curious to hear how your favorite synth’s SuperSaw sound stacks up against other synths’ SuperSaw style sounds? Bored, and want to find out what the best hardware SuperSaw sound is?
Wonder no more!
Watch our Grand SuperSaw Showcase, a big A vs B vs C vs… test of many classic and modern VA and analog synths’ SuperSaw sounds, and decide for yourself which is your favorite!
Just got a JP80x0, and finding that your sounds are either too narrow and sound thin, or are super wide, but disappear the moment you sum your song to mono?
Fret no more! In here we cover a few simple methods you can use to achieve full mono-stereo compatibility with this classic synth, no fancy effects or plugins required!
In the market for a solid, awesome keyboard synth to take your Trance productions to the next level? Did you read our previous article about the Top 10 Desktop Hardware Synths For Trance, and wonder what else is out there for live play?
Whatever your reason, here's a list of 10 keyboard synths ranging from tiny budget synths all the way up to monster flagship units. This list contains virtual analog, digital, and analog synths. We've tried not to repeat any synths from our previous list (since most come in a keyboard and desktop version). This list is in no particular order, but you can listen to soundset samples of each to decide which keyboard suits your music best.
The successor to the legendary SuperNova II (its engine is even based on the SNII), this is a solid all-arounder workhorse synth that can make any type of sound you need, and it’ll fit right in the mix with ease. While minimal on knobs and front panel controls, its submenus are logically arranged, and there’s a free VST Editor/Librarian from Novation to help you create, edit, and save patches. If you’re looking for a JP8000 alternative with more polyphony (and FX), or want that classic Nova trance sound in a more modern synth, this is a great choice.
The only differences between the UltraNova and the MiniNova are the size difference, and the Mini will not double as an interface/ sound card. Otherwise the two are functionally the same and sound identical.
Polyphony - Up to 18-note polyphony (dynamic voicing)
Multitimbral - Mono-Timbral (1 Part)
Synthesis Method - Based on Supernova II
Waveforms include: Square, sine, tri, sawtooth, pulse, 9 x saw:pulse combinations. 20 x digital waveforms. 36 x wavetables
Effects- Distortion - up to 2 instances. Compressor - up to 2 instances. Chorus/Phase - up to 4 instances. Delay - up to 2 instances. Reverb - up to 2 instances. Gator. EQ. 12 band vocoder.
Arpeggiator - 33 patterns. Chord function - lock up to 10 notes
Patch storage up to 512 on hardware (ships with 300 factory patches)
Controllers - 8 x touch sensitive encoders. 1 x large smooth encoder (with back-lit filter lock buttons). 1 x large patch select/speed dial encoder. 2 x volume & monitor mix dials. 39 x LED lit/indicated buttons. 1 x Pitch wheel (LED lit). 1 x Modulation wheel (LED lit)
37-note keyboard with velocity and aftertouch
Connections - XLR dynamic mic input. 2 x ¼" jack inputs. 2 x ¼" jack outputs. 2 x ¼" jack aux outputs. 1 x ¼" jack headphone output. SPDIF digital output on RCA connector. Expression pedal on ¼" jack input. Sustain pedal on ¼" jack input. MIDI in/out/thru. 12 volt power input. USB port (UltraNova can be powered via USB). Kensington Lock port
No doubt the more seasoned persons among you will recognize this name. Dave Smith Instruments (now Sequential) have been long been pioneers in the music world. While their Prophet 5 and 10 are true icons, and nearly every big name has (or did in the past) use a DSI synth in their music, their synths remain relatively underutilized in Trance. A scant few like Above & Beyond and Tritonal use a Prophet 08, and Zombie Nation used a Prophet 5, but Prophet users in Trance are far and few between. So this makes the Rev2 perfect for this list, since it hasn’t been used to death in a million records, and has enough features and flexibility to make a solid all-arounder for big uplifting anthems (we recommend the 16 Voice version, to experience the real power of this synth).
Polyphony - 8 or 16 voice polyphony (8 voice version is expandable to 16 with installation of additional voice card)
Oscillators - 2 digitally controlled analog oscillators (DCOs) per voice (plus sub octave on oscillator 1) with selectable sawtooth, triangle, saw/triangle mix, and pulse waves (with pulse-width modulation). Glide (portamento): separate rates per oscillator. White noise generator. Analog VCAs. Hard sync
Filters - 1 analog Curtis low-pass filter per voice, selectable 2- and 4-pole operation (self-resonating in 4-pole mode)
Envelopes - 3 envelope generators: filter, VCA, and assignable (four-stage ADSR + delay); Envelope 3 can loop.
Sequencer - Polyphonic step sequencer with up to 64 steps (6 notes per step), and ties and rests. Separate 16 x 4 gated step sequencer. Each layer can have a separate sequence.
LFOs - 4 LFO’s with key sync per LFO
Modulation - 8-slot modulation matrix, 22 sources, 53 destinations, 5 additional dedicated sources: mod wheel, pressure, velocity, breath controller, footswitch
Arpeggiator - Programmable arpeggiator with up, down, up+down, random, assign modes. Selectable note value: 16th note, 8th note triplet, 8th note, dotted 8th note, quarter note. One, two, or three octave range. Re-latching arpeggiation. Note repeat
Controls - 5-octave keyboard with semi-weighted action, velocity, and aftertouch. 55 knobs and 35 buttons enable deep and comprehensive editing with little to no menu diving.. Spring-loaded pitch wheel and assignable mod wheel
Memory - 512 Factory Programs (4 banks of 128) and 512 fully editable User Programs with 2 layers (2 separate sounds) in each Program
In/Out - MIDI In, Out, Thru. Main stereo audio output: 1/4″ unbalanced. Output B stereo audio output: 1/4″ unbalanced. Sustain pedal input: accepts normally on or normally off momentary footswitch.
Pedal/CV input - responds to expression pedals or control voltages ranging from 0 to 5 VDC (protected against higher or negative voltages). Headphone output: 1/4″ stereo phone jack.
A thoroughly underrated mini synth that punches far above its weight. Based on the sound engine of the Korg Radias, its tiny cheap-feeling plastic frame hides synthesis and sonic capabilities that rival synths hundreds of dollars more expensive. Between its unison mode and extra waveform features, it’s capable of a wide variety of tones, and its many distortion and FX options (except Reverb, strangely) can turn it into a powerhouse synth that could serve as a primary synth for tech trance or hard trance producers.
Voice polyphony - Maximum 8 voices (when using Vocoder, it is 4 voices)
Synth 2 oscillators + noise generator
Oscillator 1 Waveform - 8 types (Sawtooth, Pulse, Triangle, Sine, Formant, Noise, DWGS, Audio In), Modulation: Waveform, Cross, Unison, VPM
Oscillator 2 Waveform - 4 types (Sawtooth, Pulse, Triangle, Sine)
Modulation: Ring, Sync, Ring+Sync
Tone Generator System MMT (Multiple Modeling Technology)
Program Multi Timbral Maximum 2 (when using Layer, Split, or Multi)
Waveshape Type - Drive, Decimator, HardClip, OctSaw, MultiTri, MultiSin, SubOSCSaw, SubOSCSqu, SubOSCTri, SubOSCSin, LevelBoost
Multimode Filters Filter 1 - -24 dB/oct LPF ~ -12 dB/oct LPF ~ -12 dB/oct BPF ~ -12 dB/oct HPF ~ Thru
Filter 2 - LPF, HPF, BPF (switchable)
Vocoder - 16 channel vocoder, adjustable level and pan for each channel, Formant Shift function, Formant Hold function
Keyboard - 37 notes (Natural Touch mini-keyboard, velocity sensitive)
Controller - Pitch bend wheel, Modulation Wheel
Effects - Timbre 2 band EQ Master effect 2 units, 17effect algorithms.
Arpeggiator - Six types: UP, DOWN, ALT1/2, Random, Trigger, Individual step on/off function
Programs - 128 programs (A/B banks x 8 genres x 8 category)
Inputs - [AUDIO INPUT 1] (1/4” phone jack, unbalanced, with MIC/LINE switch) – Rear Panel
[AUDIO INPUT 1 (MIC)] (XLR jack / balanced) – Front Panel
Outputs - [L/MONO, R] (1/4” Standard phone jacks / unbalanced)
[Phone] (1/4” Stereo Standard phone jacks)
MIDI In/ Out: USB Type B
For a more unconventional Trance synth, the Moog Sub37 (and Subsequent37) is a standout unit. It’s monophonic, and comes from the newer generation of Moogs, so it has a somewhat brighter, more in-your-face tone, but it has that analog grit and warmth that makes it perfect for basslines, midbasses, leads, and monophonic plucks. Pair it with a quality reverb, delay, and chorus, and you have a killer keyboard that can shake windows from their frames, or peel the paint from your walls. It can even manage rudimentary SuperSaw-like sounds with its 3 oscillators, and the detuning and modulation capabilities that make it able to do detuned leads that will add serious dirt to your lower layers.
Polyphony - Monophonic / Duophonic
Timbrality - 2
Oscillator - 2
LFO - 2
Synthesis type - Analog subtractive
Filter - 1 selectable 6, 12, 18 or 24dB/octave low-pass
Attenuator - ADSR
Aftertouch expression - yes
Velocity expression - yes
Storage memory - 256 patches
Effects - none
Keyboard - 37 keys
External control - MIDI, CV/Gate
A newcomer on the scene, the Summit is the Novation Peak’s bigger sibling, with more polyphony and a generous keyboard for playing epic sounds in realtime. Its Oxford oscillators are digital, and based on a new design that recreates much of the magic of pure analog, without the more annoying quirks of true analog. Its signal path after the oscillators is all analog though, and that gives it a special character untouched by any other. Trance artists who use this will certainly stand in a class of their own with this synth.
Polyphony - 16 note polyphony (dependent on voices used per note). 2-part-timbral. Layered, Split, Dual Bi-Timbral Modes. 5 Voice Modes - Mono, MonoLG, Mono2, Poly, Poly2
Oscillators - 3 oscillators, 1 noise generator with HP filter control, 1 ring modulator, 2 LFOs, 1 amp envelope and 2 mod envelopes (ADHSR + looping), 1 filter
Waveforms - Sine, tri, sawtooth, square / pulse, plus 43 wavetables of 5 waveforms per row
Filter - 1 state variable OTA filter per voice, 12/24dB slope, Low-pass / band-pass / high-pass / dual filter (separation of each 12dB filters), dual filter: LP > HP, LP > BP, HP > BP, LP + HP, LP + BP, HP + BP, LP + LP, BP + BP, and HP + HP, Pre-filter overdrive, Post-filter distortion
Modulation - 16 modulation slots per patch, 2 sources per destination per slot
Mod Sources - Direct (depth), Modulation wheel, Aftertouch (polyphonic and channel AT), Expression pedal 1, Expression pedal 2, Keyboard velocity, LFO1 positive, LFO1 bi-polar, LFO2 positive, LFO2 bi-polar, Amp envelope, Mod envelope 1, Mod envelope 2, Animate 1, Animate 2, CV mod input bi-polar, Bend Up, Bend Down
Mod Destinations - Oscillator 1-3 frequency, v-sync level, shape amount and level, Noise source level, Ring modulator output level, Overall synth output level, Filter drive, distortion, cut-off frequency and resonance, LFO 1 and 2 frequency, Amp env / mod env 1 / mod env 2 attack, decay and release, FM Osc 1 -> osc 2, osc 2 -> osc 3, osc 3 -> osc 1 and noise -> osc 1, Osc 3 -> filter cutoff frequency, Noise -> filter cutoff frequency
Effects - FX are per part, Analogue distortion, 3 chorus types, Delay with 16 types of delay sync, LP and HP damping, slew and stereo
FX Mod Matrix Source - Direct (depth), Mod wheel, Aftertouch, Expression pedal 1, Expression/breath pedal 2, Velocity, Keyboard, LFO 1 +/-, LFO 2 +/-, LFO 3 +/-, LFO 4 +/-, Amp envelope, Mod envelope 1 & 2, Animate 1 & 2, CV +/-, Bendwheel +/-, Bend up, Bend down
FX Mod Matrix Destinations - Distortion level, Chorus level, Chorus rate, Chorus depth, Chorus feedback, Delay level, Delay time, Delay feedback, Reverb level, Reverb time, Reverb low pass, Reverb high pass
Misc - FM controls on front panel, Global LFO 3 & 4, Arpeggiator with key latch – 33 patterns. Patch storage - up to 512 on hardware (ships with 256 factory patches). All knobs (excl. volume), sliders and most buttons transmit and receive MIDI cc commands for external control and mapping. Microtuning with Scala table import and table tuning creation. Manual mode. Multi pot mode: Relative, Pot pick-up, Snap
If there were ever a Holy Grail Synth in the trance world, this just might be it. The Virus and the JP8000 may be more popular, but the A6 commands a degree of respect few others do. And for good reason. It’s 100% analog. It’s got 16 Voices of polyphony, and comes loaded with plenty of knobs and features. It’s a sound designer’s dream, and it makes fabulous trance tones like no other. Sadly, it was expensive to build, notoriously finicky, and prone to needing a lot of repairs. As such, it proved to be Alesis’ undoing in the early 2000s. You can still find these synths floating around in the market, and if you can afford it, and are willing to maintain it, this synth can give you an edge unlike any other.
Polyphony/Multitimbral Parts - 16/16
Waveform Memory ROM/RAM - N/A
Filter Types/Resonance - 4-pole/2-pole multimode/Y
Single Programs ROM/RAM - 256/128
Multitimbral Performances ROM/RAM - 128/128
Portamento - Yes
Number of Keys - 61
Number of Keyboard Zones - 16
Left Hand Controllers - (2) wheel; (1) ribbon
Aftertouch (Poly/Channel) - Y/Y
Number and Type of Controller Inputs - (2) switch; (1) pedal up to 16 steps
Number of Sequencer Tracks/PPQN - 1/16
Sequencer/Memory (Notes) - 16
Arpeggiator - Yes
Number of Effects Processors/Effects Programs - 2/28
Number of Outputs/Type - (4) 1/4" bal mains + aux/16 indiv outs
And here we come to the newest synth on the list. The JD-08 from Roland. It’s their boutique take on the 1991 classic digital synth the JD800, and despite the tiny size, it packs a lot of power. Where the original could only muster 24 Voices of polyphony, the JD-08 can manage 128.
While not strictly a “keyboard” synth by default, the additional purchase of the Roland K-25M keyboard turns this into a minikey synth in the same vein as the Mininova or MicroKorg XL, and thus merits inclusion on this list. Right out of the box it comes with all the original waveforms and presets from the JD800, and it comes with the added bonus of USB-C connectvity, a 3.5mm stereo analog out port, and a headphone jack, and it can function as its own audio interface. So you can pack this synth in your backpack and take it on the road. And it can be powered via USB or batteries, giving you even more flexibility for where and how you use it. It seems to be a little bit brighter in sound than the original, which makes it perfect for more modern productions (and means sounds need less processing to fit in the mix). This synth it is digital through and through, and is proud of it.
Number of Keys: 25 (with optional K-25M keyboard)
Polyphony: 128 notes (dependent on patch load)
Presets: 64 x Original JD-800 Presets, 21 x Factory, 171 x User
Oscillators: 4 x Tone Palettes
Waveforms: 108 x Waveforms
Envelope Generator: Multi-phase Time-variant Envelope
LFO: 2 x LFO (triangle, sawtooth, square, pulse, noise)
Filter: Multimode Lowpass/Bandpass/Highpass
Effects: Distortion, Phaser, Spectrum, Enhancer, Delay, Chorus, Reverb
Arpeggiator: Yes
Sequencer: 2-part, 8-note per part, 64-step, 128 patterns
Analog Inputs: 1 x 1/8" (mix in)
Analog Outputs: 1 x 1/8"
Headphones: 1 x 1/8"
MIDI I/O: In/Out/USB
Other I/O: 1 x 1/8" (clock in)
USB: 1 x USB-C
Power Supply: USB bus power / 4 x AA batteries (included)
In the continuing tradition of excellence, Clavia brings us the Nord Lead 4. A powerful synth with a distinctive sound, it has less polyphony than the Lead 3, but comes with more Unison options, FX, and a number of extra modulation features that make it especially attractive for deeper sound design than most of its predecessors. You can find it in the studios of legends like Giuseppe Ottaviani and Tinlicker (and even Deadmau5).
Oscillator - OSC 1 generating sine, triangle, sawtooth, fixed and modulateable pulse waveforms and 128 wavetables. OSC 2 generating triangle, sawtooth or fixed and modulateable pulse waveforms or noise. OSC MOD section with Hard- and Soft sync plus 3 different Frequency Modulations of OSC 1 from OSC 2.
Filter - Multi-mode filter with 12 dB (2-pole) low pass, 24 dB (4-pole) and 48 dB (6 pole) low pass, band pass, high pass, Ladder M and Ladder 303 characteristics. Cut off, Resnance, envelope amount, envelope amount controlled by velocity. ADSR envelope. Filter keyboard tracking can be set to off, 1/3, 2/3 or 1/1. Adjustable Filter Distortion.
Amplifier - ADSR envelope, velocity control on/off, gain control
Mod Section - LFO 1 generates a square, triangle or any of 4 different types of saw- and inverted sawtooth waveforms. LFO 1 can be routed to Filter Frequency, Osc Mod, Osc Mix, Osc 2 Pitch, Amplitude and FX section. The modulation amount can be set as positive or negative/inverted. The LFO 1 rate can be synchronized to the Master Clock. The LFO 1 section is used to control the rate, range and directions for the arpeggiator. Arpeggiator: Range: 1 - 4 octave. Modes: up, down, up/down, random, Poly. The Arpeggio rate can be synchronized to the Master Clock. LFO 2 generates a square, a regular and inverted sawtooth, LF filtered noise and random staircase waveforms. LFO 2 can be routed to Filter Frequency, Osc Mod, Osc 1 and/or Osc 2 Pitch, Pan and Pulse width. The modulation amount can be set as positive or negative/inverted. The LFO 2 rate can be synchronized to the Master Clock. Modulation Envelope (Attack, Decay/Release) for Osc Mix, Osc Mod, Osc 1 and/or 2 Pitch, FX section and LFO 2 amount. The modulation amount can be set as positive or negative/inverted. The Modulation Envelope can be manually triggered by the Impulse Morph buttons. Patterns: the cyclic waveforms of the LFOs can be replaced by a pattern behavior. There are 128 different patterns, grouped in 6 different styles.
Performance - Voice modes: Poly, Legato with portamento, Mono, True Unison 1, 2 & 3. Four program slots for layering possibilities.
Effects - FX section with continuous Drive/Modulation control. Crush, Drive, 2 different Talk effects, Compressor and Comb Filter. Selectable Delay or Reverb. Delay times at up to 1400 ms can be manually set or synchronized to the Master Clock. Reverb has three algorithms, Room, Stage and Hall with adjustable brightness.
Number of keys - 49-key octave velocity sensitive keyboard with octave shift buttons (+/-2 octaves).
External Control - 3 momentary Impulse Morph Buttons, 7 combinations. Keyboard Split with 2 slots for the upper and lower section. Modulation Wheel, Pitch Stick (with no dead zone at zero crossing), Programmable Pitch bend range, up to +/- 4 octaves, Separate up/down bend range: -12 or -24 semitones, + 2 semitones, 1 pedal input for sustain, 1 pedal input for expression pedal.
User Interface - 3 character LED display, 29 knobs and 20+ buttons for program and performance editing
Memory - Programs (single sounds): 4 x 99 locations. Performances (multi sounds): 99 locations
Audio Out - 4 outputs. Each slot can be assigned to its own output. Headphones output. High resolution low noise 24 bit DACs.
MIDI Features - All control knobs and switches send and receive control change messages. System exclusive bulk dumps. One program or all programs. Master Clock will sync to incoming MIDI clock. Soft Thru.
Connections - 4 Line Level Audio Outputs - ¼", 6,35 mm jacks, unbalanced. Stereo Headphone Output - ¼", 6,35 mm stereo jack. Sustain Pedal - ¼", 6,35 mm jack. Use a momentary pedal, like e.g., Roland DP-2, DP-6, Yamaha FC-4, FC-5, Fatar VFP1-25 etc. Control Pedal - ¼", 6,35 mm TRS stereo jack. Use a Yamaha FC-7, Roland EV-7, Roland EV-5, Korg EXP2 or Korg XVP10. USB connector with MIDI capabilities. MIDI In & Out - 5 pin DIN connectors
Waldorf returns, this time in the form of the MicroQ! Based on the legendary Q, this synth condenses the Q’s keyboard and controls into a more compact package for traveling musicians and artists with smaller studios. Some say it sounds different from the Q, but we think whether or not it does is irrelevant - it sounds awesome. Interesting note: its voicing can be expanded, and can be found in different versions with different voice counts.
Polyphony - 25 voices, expandable up to 75 voices Oscillators - 5 oscillators per voice (Pulse with Pulse Width Modulation, Sawtooth, Triangle, Sine, 2 wavetables with 128 waves each and sub-oscillator per alt-wave); Noise generator
Memory - 300 single programs, 100 multi programs, 20 drum-maps
Filter - 2 Filters (including FM and distortion): Low Pass (12dB/24dB), Band Pass (12dB/24dB), High Pass (12dB/24dB), Notch (12dB/24dB), Comb Filter (positive/negative feedback)
VCA - 4 envelopes, enhanced ADSR configuration with loop and one shot function, bipolar; different trigger modes for each envelope, poly, mono, dual, unison, manual trigger etc.
Modulation - 3 LFOs up to audio range;
Modulation Matrix with 16 slots, freely routable, pre-routed modulation destinations, sources selectable
Effects - 2 effects per program, up to 5 effects in Multimode (Effects: Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Distortion, Delay, 5 FX, Vocoder)
Arpeg/Seq - Arpeggiator with 16 preset plus 1 user pattern, including accents, timing information, swing, glide, chords and more
Control - MIDI In/Out/Thru (16 parts)
A newcomer, Behringer brought classic analog sound in an affordable package to the masses, and musicians have taken notice. Modeled after the famed Juno 106, it’s intended userbase are synth enthusiasts looking to add some classic and vintage analog vibes to their music. But don’t let that fool you. It’s not just a synth for brass stabs and funk leads. This machine can dish out some sweet sounds great for any trance tune, and at a much lower price than the bigger more pedigreed analogs further up the list. This is a synth to watch out for - it may find itself on a future list of Classics before we know it.
Polyphony (max) - 12 voices
Oscillators - VCO: 2
VCF - 1
Envelope Generator (EG) - 3
LFO - 2
Mixer - Info not available
Included presets - Info not available
User preset slots - 1024
Number of keys: 49
Key size: Full
Aftertouch / Velocity: Both
Output - Stereo TRS
MIDI Connectivity - MIDI In/Out/Thru
Line input - Info not available
USB Connectivity - Yes
Headphone out - Yes
Onboard Features - Sequencer: 32-step. Arpeggiator: Yes. Display: LCD. Effects: Yes. Pitch bend/Modulation: Both
Analog synths? Virtual Analog synths? Digital? Virtual synths? There's so much out there, and so much contradictory information, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed right now.
If you're new to synthesizers, or music production in general, and have been browsing forums and Facebook groups, you might be feeling a little lost right now…
Read More