MusicRadar

One of Lector's few downsides is the hard to read GUI.

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• Review

Waldorf has enjoyed a fruitful few years, with their Blofeld synthesizer an FM favourite and the software equivalent, Largo, providing similar features in DAW-hosted form.

Its latest product takes a sideways step, offering comprehensive vocoding with the Waldorf synth engine at the heart of the carrier signal. Available for Mac and PC, Lector is its name.

Authorisation is carried out via a license transfer to eLicenser USB, or through the 'soft' eLicenser option. Thereafter, you'll find yourself with both 32- and 64-bit versions of the plug-in at your fingertips.

"It does classic vocoding beautifully, turning drum loops into pulsating pads and dreamy atmospheres."

There are a number of ways in which Lector can work, depending on the plug-in type and DAW you're using.

We tested in Logic, and here Lector is run most effectively as an AU MIDI-controlled effect with the vocoder signal routed in via the sidechain input. Even then, it's worth selecting 'Normal' mode from the preset drop-down menu to provide a good starting point.

Getting analytical

Lector's GUI is divided into four main sections, with input signal analysis covered by the grey panel in the top left-hand corner. This enables you to choose settings for the Speech signal to be vocoded, with an additional Unvoiced Detector available to add three variations of noise to the analysis signal.

A built-in compressor allows for dynamic reduction of the input signal, with a Ratio control to select compression amount and Gain to tailor output volume. Underneath is the main Synthesizer section, or carrier source, which features two oscillators with variable waveforms and PWM.

There's a dedicated Legato mode with a glide control, an LFO with syncable clock speeds and rich, mind-bending ring modulation, a multi-mode resonant filter plus three brands of emulated tube 'Drive' and envelope control over the tone and amplifier settings.

In 'Normal' mode with no sidechain signal set, it's perfectly possible to use Lector as a synthesizer alone, and exploring the synth options before applying your findings to Modulator sources often leads to better sounding results than diving straight into full-blown vocoding.

Our only gripe is that the GUI's choice of colours and text shading make it less than easy to read and until you're familiar with where things are, expect to do some squinting.

A century of bands

Up to 100 analysis bands are available to Lector, with more bands equating to a greater resolution of signal analysis and therefore, more transparent results, unless you choose to warp this transparency with more extreme synth settings.

Above the real-time readout, you can tailor the vocoder's response via dials controlling Low and High levels, Attack and Release times and Bands. Beneath the read-out you'll find the Synthesis Filter Bank, providing Low and High offset dial controls, plus those for global resonance and bandwidth.