![]() Visually, the main change comes in the shape of fully resizable UI for all instruments. Upgrades for version 5 go beyond the new additions, however, as the collection's legacy plug-ins have been given a UI overhaul and various sound engine improvements. Those who are willing to dive below the surface will get the most out of the Synclavier V, however with so many layers of editing on offer, it's a real sound designer's dream. ![]() ![]() The broad range of presets helps considerably with finding and editing sounds too, with a very usable selection of quality leads, basses, arps and esoteric sounds providing a solid base for tweaking and editing. An expanded view, meanwhile, adds an additional panel for tweaking the major parameters of each Partial Timbre.įinally, an additional window offers a pleasingly retro replication of the original's operating system, offering full graphical editing of the harmonic content of each Partial Timbre. The standard 'surface level' window gives access to a truncated selection of master parameters, such as envelopes, polyphony mode, effects and the arpeggiator. If it all sounds quite complicated, that's because it is the Synclavier's multi-layered, endlessly editable sound engine is a deep rabbit hole that many producers will likely find too daunting to venture down.įortunately, Arturia's interface does a good job of making the synth seem significantly more approachable. Each of these can be assigned up to 50 Times Slices too, which are essentially parameter snapshots that can be used to sequence animation within sounds across a duration of up to 300 seconds. The number of Partial Timbres (individual synth engines) that can be layered together to create a full patch has been increased from four to 12. The already powerful FM and digital engines have been beefed-up for this plug-in version too. Even if you were to strip it of all historical context and remove the nostalgia factor, you'd still be left with a powerful, multi-engine digital synth capable of going toe-to-toe with any of its contemporary plug-in rivals. Whether the Synclavier is faithful to the original or not is almost beside the point here anyway. The combination of additive and FM synthesis approaches opens up a world of timbral complexity, and the Synclav's deep editing capabilities allow for the creation of highly detailed sounds with a whole lot of movement. While we've not been lucky enough to spend sufficient time with an original Synclavier in order to judge how close the plug-in's behaviour is to that of its forebear, there's no doubt that sonically the Synclavier V is absolutely on point.Įven the most cursory scroll through the plug-in's presets demonstrates the huge range of rich and sonically complex sounds the synth can create from retro-sounding leads to gorgeous digital strings, glistening pads and ominous, soundtrack-ready drones. NED co-founder Cameron Jones - who wrote the original's OS - has been brought on board to assist with creation of the emulation. "Sonically the Synclavier V is absolutely on point and can create a huge range of rich and complex sounds."Īrturia's take on the Synclav focuses purely on the synth elements of the original, foregoing the more workstation-like features in favour of replicating the full FM and additive engines and expanding on the capabilities of both. ![]() As a result its sound is quintessentially '80s, instantly bringing to mind classic soundtracks and the bold, polished sound of early synth pop. Unsurprisingly the Synclav was very expensive - and is even more so vintage - but it still made its way into the studios of many notable pop producers and soundtrack composers. The original Synclavier was a direct competitor to the Fairlight CMI, which combined sampling and sequencing with additive and FM synthesis into a huge proto-workstation that required a rack-mounted CPU and its own (at the time hugely-powerful) 16-bit operating system. Certainly the most exciting of the new additions is the Synclavier V, a software recreation of New England Digital's hugely powerful digital synthesizer from the late-'70s/early-'80s. ![]()
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