Arturia’s catalogue of effects has expanded rapidly in recent years and, for our money, the latest generation of its FX Collection bundle offers one of the most well-rounded software packages on the market right now.

While much of the FX Collection is built around software emulations of classic hardware, the company’s latest plugin is something more original.

Rev Ocean is a reverb that, as its name suggests, takes inspiration from the sea, supposedly resulting in a plugin that can turn “a simple reverb tail into a living sonic current” and “transform any sound into a fluid, ever-shifting sonic space.”

That description might sound a little New Age and vague – and the plugin’s UI design looks like it could be lifted from a flyer for your local aromatherapy clinic – but under-the-hood Rev Ocean features an interesting combination of reverb, pitch and modulation tools.

The plugin is built around a feedback delay network design with multiple stages of diffusion. It features three modes, labelled Abyss, Tide and Foam, which each offer a different combination of diffusion behaviour and modulation.

Abyss adds multiple reverse layers in parallel, with subtle pitch modulation used to spread these reverb tails resulting in, according to Arturia, “a harmonically rich evolving tail.”

Tide, meanwhile, introduces independent filtering of the left and right channels of the reverb output, to create ‘wave-like’ stereo swells.

Finally, Foam has a long, slow attack and cloud-like build up designed to destroy transients and create dense, washed-out effects that are said to be perfect for shoegaze-style guitars.

Beyond the modes themselves, Rev Ocean has controls for Decay, Size and Brightness. There’s also a high/low input filter, and controls for width, transient control, ducking and pre-delay.

Rev Ocean is available now priced at €49. Head to the Arturia site for more information and to grab a free demo.

Arturia has launched its latest synth plugin, Memory V, an emulation of Moog’s lauded Memorymoog polysynth.

Released in 1982, the Memorymoog had six voices, each with the same three-VCO architecture as its mono predecessor the Minimoog. It also packed a 24db low-pass ladder filter per-voice.

As well as generating poly patches, the Memorymoog could operate in mono mode too, where its 18 oscillators could be used to create huge-sounding unison effects.

Arturia’s plugin recreation replicates this original architecture in full, while introducing some modern touches and updated features. Memory V can expand the polyphony from six to 12 voices, also adding modernised modulation, effects and arp sections.

According to Arturia: “Memory V resurrects the analogue majesty of the Memorymoog with breathtaking authenticity. Build towering brass, dense basses, evolving leads, and cinematic pads with the living instability and triple-oscillator depth of a polyphonic classic, augmented for modern production.”

While the Memorymoog boasted an undeniably powerful sound engine, it was not a synth without flaws. The instrument was the last to be released during Moog’s original incarnation before the company fell into bankruptcy. As a result, its MIDI implementation was left somewhat unfinished. The tuning was notoriously unstable too, and the machine is known for being difficult to maintain.

Arturia has included some of these imperfections in its recreation. The plugin includes a ‘vintage dispersion’ parameter, for dialling in what Arturia refers to as “subtle, breathing detuning that sounds alive, not perfect.”

The virtual analogue filters can also be overdriven in a characteristic manner using the per-voice Drive control. According to Arturia: “At low settings it adds subtle harmonic richness; past halfway it introduces the raw, crunchy analogue grit the Memorymoog was notorious for. Combine with a slow filter opening and you have a signature ‘angry Moog’ moment that cuts through any dense mix.”

As with other plugins in Arturia’s V Collection, Memory V’s main UI closely mimics the look and layout of its inspiration, but an assortment of modern extras can be found within the interface’s drop down Advanced tab.

Here, users can access a four-track arpeggiator that allows for multi-layered patterns to be honed and routed to different octaves of the synth keyboard. There’s also a flexible drag-and-drop modulation setup with multiple envelopes, LFOs, randomisation tools and a step-sequenced Voice Modulator.

Memory V also has a three-slot effect engine that can be loaded with a variety of vintage and modern-style processors drawn from Arturia’s existing software suite.

As with other V Collection plugins, the synth also makes use of a top-level Macro system that allows users to modulate and control multiple parameters at once using four editable controls.

Memory V is MPE compatible, and comes loaded with over 300 presets covering basses, pads, leads and a variety of more esoteric sounds.

The synth is available now priced at €/$149. Owners of existing Arturia products can unlock introductory discounts by logging into their accounts.

Head to the Arturia site for more information.

What is it?

Arturia’s KeyStep range is a line of controller keyboards with a step-sequencer focus, and the new KeyStep 37 mk2 is the latest model. Offering a more performance-focused alternative to their KeyLab controller keyboards, the KeyStep devices are designed for use in both standalone and DAW-based setups.

Although visually similar to the KeyLab controllers, closer inspection reveals a bunch of features aimed at sequence creation. Meanwhile, on the back, support for CV, MIDI and USB formats means you’re all set to simultaneously control multiple types of devices.

Let’s take a look at the layout. The KeyStep 37 mk2 is built around a quality slimline keybed with velocity and aftertouch. On the left-hand side, you get ribbon-style modulation and pitch bend alongside octave shift and note Hold. A further blue Shift button provides additional functionality.

The top panel, which has been considerably reworked since the previous version, is centred on a mini OLED screen with push button rotary encoder. You’ll find various RGB backlit buttons on either side of the screen, and 4 rotary encoders on the right. Meanwhile, a line of 39 note-indicating LEDs accompanies the keys.

Back panel connectivity includes MIDI in and out, 4 CV outputs (pitch, gate, mod1 and mod2), pulse synchronisation (in and out), USB-C, sustain pedal input and on/off switch. Power is provided either via your USB-C connection or by using a regular USB-C power supply (this needs to provide 5V at 100mA). Alas, there’s no included PSU, but you do get a rather nice 2m Arturia-branded USB-A to USB-C cable.

Also included are licences for Ableton Live Lite and Arturia’s Analog Lab Intro instrument. Overall product management and activation is handled using Arturia Software Centre, and firmware upgrades and many device parameters can be set using Arturia’s MIDI Control Centre desktop app.

Performance

Much like its predecessor, KeyStep 37 mk2 is a single-track sequencer with step and real-time options and sequence and arpeggiator modes. However, with the removal of the physical arp and sequencer knobs, from an operational perspective, things have changed quite a bit. Now, buttons work alongside the OLED-based menu, which provides access to both settings and real-time parameter feedback. Meanwhile, holding down some buttons gains access to secondary functions. Global functions such as clock and transport mode (main/secondary) are now menu settings rather than real panel dip switches. Impressively, the 4 rotary encoders work with both the MIDI CC and Control buttons.

For MIDI CC output, the encoders have 4 banks, cycled through using the MIDI CC button. The Control button provides quick encoder access to parameters for the Sequence, Arp, Mutate and Chord modes once they are selected. The Shift button adds a further layer of settings and options across all the buttons, keyboard keys and rotary encoders. Thankfully, labelling is good and coupled with the OLED feedback and task-specific RGB button backlighting, it’s pretty easy to see what’s happening.

Much like the latest KeyStep mk2, the KeyStep 37 mk2 has some excellent creative features that help you enhance and manipulate patterns. For example, the Shift button, combined with the pitch and modulation ribbons, accesses the Gate and Spice features, respectively. The latter adds pattern variation with an optional dice feature (3 taps of the modulation strip) for randomisation of the outcome. However, of most interest is the Mutate feature, which is based on Arturia’s Minifreak option.

Designed to add a degree of musical randomness, it affects note length, swing, pitch and polyphony and can be applied repeatedly to sequences and arpeggios, but also completely reset back to the starting point. On the KeyStep 37 mk2 Mutate has extended functionality via the 4 encoders, allowing you to set parameters to influence the outcome. These vary slightly depending on which arp or sequence mode you’re using, but in essence, you have control over things such as probability, randomness, polyphony and density.

Verdict

The KeyStep 37 mk2, much like its smaller sibling, is an excellent upgrade and great fun to use. If you can afford the extra spend, the new encoders and particularly their excellent implementation make this the more desirable unit.

Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alternatives

Specifications

Arturia has released an update to its FX Collection, adding two new plugins and a trio of recent releases to the bundle.

The headline addition for FX Collection 6 is Efx Ambient, the next instalment in Arturia’s range of modern, creative effects, joining the granular Efx Fragments, Efx Motions effects shaper and Efx Refract unison effect.

Described by Arturia as a ‘dreamlike processor’, Efx Ambient is a plugin that combines elements of pitch-shifting, distortion and spatial processing, specialising in soundscapes and washed-out textures. This has six modes, named Reflect, Woven, Siren, Organist, Codec and Sunken, each of which is designed to generate a different form of ambience.

According to Arturia, these can create “novel, emotive textures through six expertly designed modes, using state-of-the-art spectral processing, and Feedback Delay Networks rendered usable by macros.”

On the surface level its controls are incredibly simple. Along with the list of modes, its basic UI has just Tone and Space parameters, which can be adjusted using an X/Y control surface, along with Dry/Wet mix. As is typical of Arturia plugins, an expanded Advanced view hides a variety of controls that allow for deeper shaping of the effect.

Here, users can access deeper controls for the plugin’s two main modules, along with a modulation section with a function generator LFO, as well as sequencer, envelope follower, macro and randomisation tools.

The second new addition is Pitch Shifter-910, a take on the classic Eventide H910 Harmonizer, which was launched in the mid-1970s and was known for being the first digital studio effect processor, used on countless releases across rock, pop and dance music.

The H910 was particularly popular for vocal production, due to its ability to create harmonies using pitch shifts set to specific musical intervals. The effect can also sound great on guitars, synths and drums.

Arturia’s take has both vintage and modern pitchshifting engines as well as a dedicated delay section that can be used to create pitched repeats. It also has a dual mono mode, which recreates the classic studio trick of using two H910s to have shifted versions of an audio signal panned hard left and right.

The remaining three FX Collection additions are Mix Drums, Tape J-37 and Bus Transient.

Mix Drums was first released last year, and was one of our favourite software releases of 2025. It is a multi-band processor that combines elements of saturation, compression, EQ and reverb, all specifically designed to finesse drums and percussion.

Designed in collaboration with producer Emre Ramazanoglu, Mix Drums' phase-coherent design ensures that parallel processing combining dry, distorted and compressed signals won't present any problems at the output, avoiding the phase issues that can occur when multiple signal paths are misaligned.

There's also automated gain staging at the input, along with a signal path clipper at the output stage, designed to boost perceived loudness and tame peak levels without introducing unwanted harshness and distortion.

Tape J-37 is modelled on the classic Studer J37 tape machine, and aims to impart the colouration and harmonic distortion that original machine is renowned for. It has four colour character modes to choose from. The advanced controls include EQ, delay, wow and flutter parameters.

Finally, Bus Transient is a transient shaper that offers control over attack and sustain stages across three adjustable frequency bands.

These five additions bring the full FX Collection package up to a total of 39 plugins, also featuring a variety of compressors, filters, delays, reverbs, distortions and more.

Along with the new plugins, FX Collection 6 also updates 24 other plugins, introducing 134 new presets in the process.

Although less established than its V Collection synth bundle, for our money the FX Collection is shaping up as the strongest part of Arturia’s software range. Considering both the breadth of tools on offer and the general ease-of-use that comes with its well-designed UIs, the FX Collection is one of the most appealing plugin bundles on the market right now.

For the first time, Arturia is also launching an ‘Intro’ version of its FX Collection, containing six ‘essential’ effects priced at $/€99. This includes the Plate-140 reverb, Tape-201 delay and Tape Mello-Fi tape emulation, along with Efx Fragments, Efx Motions and Mix Drums.

Naturally, this truncated selection is far less comprehensive than the full FX Collection – and what makes these six specific plugins more essential than, say, compressors or filters remains to be seen – but it’s still a good price point for a varied selection of impressive effects.

As for the full FX Collection 6, that’s out now priced at $/€499. Head to the Arturia site for more info.

What is it?

Just when you thought you couldn’t fit another keyboard in the AstroLab stable, Arturia introduced what could be the most important model in the range yet.

Following the hugely popular original 61-key and 88-key avant-garde stage keyboards is the new 37 slimkey edition with velocity and aftertouch.

The keybed seems similar and potentially identical to that of the MiniFreak synthesizer and the chassis has the sturdy build quality we’ve come to expect from the French manufacturer. In fact, it feels even more compact and portable than the MiniFreak despite the same key count.

The styling is unmistakably AstroLab, and on the face of it, it looks like Arturia has managed to cram everything into the smaller box. Even to the point of ditching the fancy screen-equipped rotary dial, instead favouring a separate screen and a smaller rotary dial for menu navigation.

While the previous two models were clearly skewed towards live performance, slipping into the pro stage-piano camp, the 37-key version looks to crossover into both live and studio scenarios with its more forgiving footprint. The build quality and form-factor will certainly lend themselves to becoming a giggable second keyboard as well as a studio mainstay.

Performance

When we first looked at the AstroLab 61, I was rather enamoured by the little screen with its integrated rotary dial. However, after the first few hours of use, the novelty started to wear off. Turns out, it wasn’t the most user-friendly experience as your hand obscured the screen whilst turning the dial, and don't get me started on the issue of fingerprints.

With this new edition, doing away with the seemingly unnecessary adornment, navigation through the menu system feels a little less cumbersome.

When it comes to the rest of the controls, it’s business as usual. AstroLab 37 features the same four master encoders for shaping sounds and four FX encoders for controlling and manipulating the onboard effects. The layout of the mod and pitch wheels mimics that of the previous models, too. Again, we’re sure serious players will bemoan the positioning above the keybed and not to the side, but it seems less of an issue within this form factor.

The overall menu user experience feels exactly the same and the interface isn't overtly cluttered. Generally, Arturia has done a great job of reducing everything down to this bite-sized package without removing too much.

The dearly de-Parted

As much as a sterling job Arturia has done, there are some unfortunate casualties in the downsizing, though they’re not real deal-breakers, mercifully.

As this form-factor is steering away from a pure performative, two-handed affair, there is less of a need for some features that really lean into this. Notably, there is a lack of physical controls for accessing Parts 1 and 2. From a performance angle, I get that the secondary keyboard in a live setting is often used single-handed. However, even in this scenario, splitting the keyboard is useful and having quick access to the individual parts is sensible.

The reason for this is that the two-part architecture of the larger models does not exist here. Rather confusingly, you can still browse patches that feature two parts in the Connect app, but you won't be able to access the controls.

The most obvious omission when peering at the rear I/O panel is the reduction of the vocoder inputs from stereo to mono. Now, while in a vocoding sense, a mono signal is fine, having a stereo input was great for processing audio into such instruments as Pigments. On top of that, looking at the rear panel, it’s not like there’s not enough room for a stereo input, so perhaps this and the aforementioned multi-Part omission are due to a reduction in processing power in this model, and a case for creating a wider gap between models and price points?

The other big change is the reduction in ports in the Control/Pedal section on the 61- and 88-key models. There, you were afforded the use of a Sustain, Expression and two customisable jack inputs, labelled Aux1 and Aux2. With that, you could connect up to four pedals, should you so wish.

Key points

Clearly, the real big change with this more diminutive edition is the keybed. It would be unfair to compare Arturia’s slimkeys against their full-size counterparts; the difference is so vast. Yes, they are way better than mini keys, but they’re not a patch on full-size keys when it comes to playability and performance. However, for a secondary live keyboard and for most production uses, slimkeys work just fine.

I mentioned earlier that it would make sense if this keybed is exactly the same as the MiniFreak. I was able to compare the two during testing, and I found they feel quite different from one another. It’s hard to say whether this is a manufacturing discrepancy or that the keybeds are totally different, but the result is that I much prefer the action and aftertouch of the MiniFreak, the AstroLab 37.

Each key on the MiniFreak unit we have for testing has a very obvious aftertouch keypress across the board. Whereas the AstroLab doesn’t have the same consistency across all 37 keys. That said, I’m not a huge fan of the aftertouch on the slimkeys anyway. Even on the MiniKreak, I wish for more of an obvious travel to the key press, allowing for greater articulation whilst playing.

The action, generally, is a lot spongier than that of Korg’s Minilogue range and the excellent Yamaha Refaces, but not unplayable, it must be said.

AstroLab Connected Universe

Reliance on external apps and software sometimes feels like a way of either shoehorning extra features or exposing deficiencies in the original design of a product. Not that either of those is a bad thing, as at least there’s a fix, right? In the case of AstroLab, it’s not just a case of one app, but the integration of a whole ecosystem, which is designed to join up with existing products.

In this instance, AstroLab Connect (iOS and Android) is the app used to bridge the gap between the hardware and Analog Lab Pro software. Thus creating a wider ecosystem that also integrates Arturia’s MIDI controller keyboards. Its main aim is to further enhance the ability to browse presets and playlists, affording you a slightly better user experience than trying to navigate the small onboard screen. I like the fact that there are a few more options available when it comes to editing sounds on the fly; however, it feels like it could go a lot further.

Another issue I had during testing was the flakiness of the app's connection with the hardware. The app connects to the keyboard of WiFi, which should be a robust and fast connection. Here, though, the process was fraught with problems. Chief among those was the connection dropping out after a relatively short period of time being idle. I also noticed the connection sometimes dropped out when I moved away from the keyboard, but only by a few feet.

Verdict

Despite my misgivings with the app and the keybed, and more specifically, the aftertouch. I really like AstroLab 37. I’m a big fan of the idea as a whole. Porting all of that V-Collection/Analog Lab Pro power into hardware is no mean feat, and the application of the top-level control with the eight macros is just right. There’s plenty of tweakability at your fingertips without the need for any prior knowledge of over 40 individual instruments. That in itself is a triumph, but perhaps the real win here is that you get all of this power distilled in such a useful and portable form factor.

That form factor, though, will not be to everyone’s tastes, but I think it throws AstroLab open to an even wider audience. An audience of not just performers, but also producers. There is one big caveat here and that’s the price. $/£799 is quite a lot and many home and small studio producers will likely think that buying a KeyLab with Analog Lab included, will suffice. However, it has to be said that there isn’t a keyboard of this size in the KeyLab range and you don’t get half as many instruments bundled in. Not to mention having all that softsynth power in a rugged, portable and standalone package.

Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Arturia produces some of the best and most stylish control keyboards and control devices available. Its KeyLab controller keyboards come in an array of sizes and performance at multiple price points. KeyStep is a parallel product that focuses on real-time step sequence and arpeggio creation and is aimed at those working with a hybrid or even DAW-free setup. Options include the original 32-key design as well as a 37-key version and KeyStep Pro, which is a 4-track design.

KeyStep Mk2 is a considerable overhaul of the 32-key version, nevertheless it still has some aspects in common with the original controller. It features the same slimline keybed, with velocity and aftertouch. Meanwhile, you get ribbon-based control of modulation and pitch bend to the left and dedicated octave buttons just above. Step sequencing is a single track with 8-note polyphony per step.

There have been some changes to connectivity, which now includes MIDI in and out, four CV outputs (pitch, gate, mod1 and mod2), pulse synchronisation (in and out), and USB via USB-C. There is simultaneous output from all outputs. Further back panel options include sustain pedal input and on/off switch. Power is provided either via your USB-C connection or by using a regular USB-C power supply (this needs to provide 5V at 100mA).

You’ll find KeyStep Mk2’s biggest changes are on the top panel, and these are primarily down to the removal of the three physical arp/sequencer controls. Indeed, the whole top panel has been redesigned to incorporate the new mini OLED screen, push button encoder and RGB backlit soft buttons. The panel buttons work in conjunction with the OLED-based menu, but also extensively via the Shift button. The Shift also works in conjunction with the keyboard keys to select patterns/arp modes, sequence banks and rate. You even get an Undo option that works when recording patterns.

Performance

Although KeyStep Mk2 is primarily a sequence and arpeggio creation device, it can also work as a straight-up MIDI controller keyboard. Meanwhile, you can incorporate KeyStep Mk2 into your setup as both a clock and transport master or slave. On the original KeyStep, setting this up required fiddling with the back panel dip switches. Thankfully, this is now handled via the OLED menu, as are many further settings.

As you might expect, the reworked top panel directly affects KeyStep operationally, and although options such as tempo are easily set via the metronome button and encoder, this is less immediate than the original physical knobs. However, this is a minor inconvenience, and the panel upgrade now includes more creative options. Two of these – Gate time and Spice – are Shift options that are assigned to the pitch bend and modulation ribbons, respectively. Spice is a pattern variation feature that influences both sequences and arpeggios. As you increase the modulation ribbon, the variation becomes greater, meanwhile returning the modulation to zero returns to the original pattern. Tapping the modulation strip three times activates Dice mode, which further randomises the Spice outcome.

The other main generative feature is Mutate and this primarily influences the notes played. A short press of the Mutate button creates small changes, but holding the button down longer and changes become much greater. This is great for adding more left field pitch changes to a sequence. However, if you don’t like the outcome, you can simply use the handy Reset option to return to the original.

Verdict

Overall, the KeyStep Mk2 is a well-designed and creative sequencer. With an expanded feature set for real-time sequencing and performance, it offers a straightforward yet well-featured entry point for anyone wanting to control a hybrid sequencing setup.

Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alternatives

Specifications

As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on another exciting year of new music technology gear, packed with characterful synths, hard-hitting drum machines and cutting-edge software.

In our two-part gear of the year video round-up, MusicRadar’s Managing Editor Si Truss and Reviews Editor Simon Arblaster each select their three favourite hardware and three favourite software releases from the past twelve months.

You’ll find the full list below. Watch the videos to hear us explain our choices and highlight a few wild cards and honourable mentions.

These are our personal highlights of 2025, but there's so much other great gear we've not had time to mention. Tell us what you've been loving and using in the comments below.

The best music tech hardware of 2025

Sequential Fourm (Chosen by SA)

What is it?:

Despite a slightly clunky name, Sequential’s latest polysynth is its most accessible instrument in years, thanks to a sub-$/£1000 price point and compact form factor.

Why we love it:

It might be at the cheaper end of the Sequential range, but Fourm sounds just as top-quality as any of the brand’s other instruments. The big winning feature here is poly aftertouch, which is brilliantly implemented and leads to some wonderfully expressive chord and arp patches.

Any downsides?:

The slim keys are likely to upset some users, and there’s a lack of onboard effects.

Read the full Sequential Fourm review

Akai MPC Live III (Chosen by ST)

What is it?:

The third iteration of Akai’s most portable and self-contained MPC doubles down on the standalone DAW-in-a-box capabilities by vastly increasing the power of the CPU, improving the pads and adding a host of new features to the hardware.

Why we love it:

The new multi-zone MPCe pads are great, and feel brilliantly responsive for finger drumming and playing software instruments. The addition of a more X0X-like step sequencer is a really nice touch too, particularly for those working with modular gear and external hardware. The real highlight here is the additional power though, meaning there’s far less of a reason to hook up to a laptop to get projects over the line.

Any downsides?:

Some might argue that the extra features make the interface feel cluttered.

Read the full Akai MPC Live III review

Arturia AstroLab 37 (SA)

What is it?:

The third, and smallest, addition to Arturia’s AstroLab range, which draws on the company’s Analog Lab software to offer, essentially, the much-loved V Collection as a standalone instrument.

Why we love it:

We really enjoyed using AstroLab and the AstroLab 88, but both are big commitments in terms of price and space. For studio users that don’t need the full stage keyboard playability of the bigger units, this offers a convenient route into the expansive and slickly designed AstroLab system.

Any downsides?:

Again, some will bemoan the slim keys. It also lacks the flexible sound layering of the larger units.

Roland TR-1000 (ST)

What is it?:

Undoubtedly the most high profile hardware release of the year, the TR-1000 is Roland’s new flagship drum machine, combining virtual analogue, digital percussion, flexible sampling and – yes – fully analogue recreations of the classic TR-808 and TR-909.

Why we love it:

The analogue drums are nice to have, but the real highlight of the TR-1000 is how flexible it is in terms of connectivity and sequencing, particularly thanks to the inclusion of a fair few ideas ‘borrowed’ from Elektron machines.

Any downsides?:

Yes. It’s very expensive and as much as the analogue sounds good, honestly, we kind of wish it was all digital and £1000 cheaper. There were a fair few bugs at launch too, particularly when it comes to syncing to external clocks – although Roland is working on ironing these out.

Read the full TR-1000 review

Novation Launch Control XL 3 (SA)

What is it?:

The third gen iteration of Novation’s knob and fader-equipped controller. As with other devices in the ‘Launch’ range, while this was originally launched as an Ableton Live controller, this latest generation is much broader and more versatile in its uses.

Why we love it:

The general look and design is a big improvement on v2, but our highlight here is the inclusion of full-sized MIDI ports, allowing the Launch Control XL to be hooked up to your studio hardware without the need for a computer.

Any downsides?:

The OLED screen is a little small, meaning some functionality requires slightly confusing use of the shift button.

Read the full Launch Control XL 3 review

Erica Synths Hexdrums (ST)

What is it?:

After Canadian modular brand Hexinverter Électronique went out of business in early 2023, Erica Synths stepped in to ‘rescue’ some of its best loved designs. This means that Hexinverter modules like the Mindphaser are back in production. The two outfits also collaborated on a standalone drum machine, Hexdrums, which converts the sounds of Hex’s Mutant Drum series into a desktop, mostly-analogue beatmaking beast.

Why we love it:

Where the analogue drums of the TR-1000 are refined iterations of vintage sounds, Hexdrums’ generators are fresher, more modern and hit like a frying pan to the face. This is a wonderfully hands-on, intuitive machine that sounds massive right out the box.

Any downsides?:

For the price, there are considerably more capable options out there. Hexdrums’ raw and gritty sound is likely to suit some users more than others.

The best music tech software of 2025

Xfer Serum 2 (Chosen by ST)

What is it?:

One of the most widely-used and well-loved software synths of all time returns for a full v2 refresh. New additions include a host of new sample-based oscillator modes, including sample, granular and spectral synthesis.

Why we love it:

Serum has always been a fantastically deep and rock-solid synthesizer, making it a real workhorse for modern bass, lead and pad sounds. This update only doubles down on that, adding a wealth of new sound design capabilities. What we really love, however, is the fact that Serum 2 is a free update for existing owners, meaning that even if you bought v1 in the early 2010s, you’re still getting everything for free – a great bargain.

Any downsides?:

Arguably if you don’t already own Serum and you do own, say, a power synth like Pigments or Phase Plant, there’s not a lot you can’t achieve in those other synths. Other than that, there’s little bad to say about it.

Read the full Serum 2 review

Acon Digital Remix:Drums (Chosen by SA)

What is it?:

Acon Digital's AI-powered Remix:Drums separates drum recordings into individual stems in real-time, giving you precise control over each percussive element in a mix. It allows users to apply targeted processing to each component of an existing recording, rebalance their levels or simply remove them altogether.

Why we love it:

There are a lot of AI-powered stem separation tools out there, most of which work in a broadly similar manner. Remix:Drums stands out by focusing on a specific track element – percussion – which allows it to be a deeper, more powerful studio tool.

Any downsides?:

Although the technology and usability really impressed us, there are still occasional imperfections and artifacts in the extracted audio.

ValhallaDSP FutureVerb (ST)

What is it?:

The latest plugin from reverb and delay specialists ValhallaDSP, FutureVerb is said to be based on eight years of research and development. The result is a plugin that combines reverb and echo modules, each with an array of new algorithms that run the gamut from clean, modern sounds to wonky, ethereal effects.

Why we love it:

As with other Valhalla plugins, FutureVerb is neatly designed and incredibly easy to use. It’s versatile too, capable of both realism and extreme effects. The ‘80s-style nonlinear reverbs are a particular highlight. At $50, it’s a bargain too.

Any downsides?:

Although it has its own character, there’s a fair amount of crossover between what FutureVerb does and other ValhallaDSP plugins – including the free SuperMassive – meaning it’s not quite a must-buy for those who own the rest of the range.

Arturia Mix Drums (SA)

What is it?:

The latest addition to Arturia’s rapidly-expanding effects line, Mix Drums is pitched as an ‘all-in-one’ drum processing plugin combining dynamics, reverb, distortion, tone-shaping and much more.

Why we love it:

Mix Drums lives up to its promise of quick and easy drum mixing by providing all our usual go-to percussive processors in one place. It’s packed with genuinely useful presets and comes contained in a stylish and easily navigable interface. Easily the most day-to-day useful plugin we’ve tried this year.

Any downsides?:

Although Mix Drums ties up a lot of functionality in a single package, arguably much of what it does could be reconstructed using stock tools in your DAW.

Native Instruments Absynth 6 (ST)

What is it?:

Absynth is another bonafide classic softsynth. Combining elements of granular, FM, spectral and subtractive synthesis with sound-shifting effect modules, Absynth has long been a go-to for creating soundscapes and textural synth patches. Version 5 was discontinued by NI a few years ago, but Absynth has now returned, re-built to run on modern architecture and with original designer Brian Clevinger back in the fold.

Why we love it:

Everything we used to love about Absynth is still present and correct, but version 6 has given its dated UI a lovely modern refresh. It’s not all about looks though, the new interface adds a neat preset map that makes it quicker and easier to browse similar sounds. The best new feature is MPE compatibility, which really suits a texturally-minded synth such as this.

Any downsides?:

Beyond the improved UI and a few new sound design tools, Absynth 6 isn’t a huge leap forward from version 5. It’s great to have it back on our hard drives nonetheless.

Spectrasonics Omnisphere 3 (SA)

What is it?:

The return of another synth icon. Omnisphere is a sample-powered behemoth beloved by countless pro producers. Omnisphere 3 arrives with thousands of new sounds, a new global control system, an expanded effects engine, patch mutation, MPE support and more.

Why we love it:

Omnisphere sounds exceptional and in this latest iteration it really is stuffed with a mind-boggling amount of creative sounds. The new MPE support and hardware control features are excellent too.

Any downsides?:

Omnisphere is massive in both sound and size – it requires a download of more than 60GB to install.

Read the full Omnisphere 3 review

Ever since it was launched in late 2018, new versions of Arturia’s flagship softsynth Pigments have rolled around on a fairly consistent annual schedule.

Its last major update, v6, landed in January of this year, adding features including a physical modelling engine and a vocoder. Now, a little less than eleven months later, Arturia has unveiled Pigments 7.

On the face of it, v7 isn’t as radical an update as some we’ve seen in the past. There are no new synthesis engines or significant changes to the workflow here, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to get excited about.

For one thing, Pigments 7 adds several new sound design tools to the synth’s already-comprehensive suite of features. The most notable of these are a trio of new filter modes, named Rage, Ripple and Reverb filters.

The first of these, the Rage filter, includes a feedback loop in order to create distortion effects, with a variety of saturation styles on offer. Coupled with the ability to boost the resonance, Arturia suggests that this can create gritty acid tones by modulating or sequencing the cutoff.

The Ripple filter, meanwhile, is a phase-based modulation filter that Arturia says can “achieve frequency based phase offset, creating laser transient sounds to ringing high ends, great for modern sound design.”

Completing the trio is the Reverb filter, a particularly interesting module that combines elements of filtering and spatial effects. Arturia describes this as capable of “timbre-thickening space and weight designed for modern bass design”.

It’s also capable of creating swept non-tonal FX by modulating the cutoff and, at higher resonance levels, can create metallic-sounding tones.

Alongside these new filter modules is a new Corroder effect. This is a new distortion tool that combines elements of noise and frequency modulation that can be targeted at a specific frequency band using the onboard filter.

Pigments 7 also introduces an overhauled design for the Play View. This is the simplified UI window that offers users top-level control over presets without the complications of the full synth engine.

Here, it’s reworked to offer an audio-reactive representation of the sound on offer, designed to provide quick visual cues for the character of each preset. According to Arturia, this new Play View is aimed at allowing users to “quickly grasp tone, timbre and intention behind each preset, helping you browse presets and find your sound.”

There are under-the-hood improvements throughout Pigments too. According to Arturia, this version now offers “updated default amplitude behaviour with smoother, S-shaped envelopes that reduce clicks and deliver cleaner, harder-hitting transients.” It’s said to be lighter on the CPU too, optimised for creating layered, complex and effects-rich sounds.

Along with these updates, Pigments comes with fresh content including 150 new presets, 50 wavetables, 30 samples and 20 noises. There are also new in-app sound design tutorials that will teach users the fundamental theory behind its synth sounds.

As with previous updates, Pigments 7 is available for free for existing users, who can update now via Arturia’s Software Center app.

For new users, Pigments is on sale for $/€99 until 7 January 2026. There’s also a new instalment of Arturia’s Pigments Explorations preset bundle, on sale for $/€29.99. Head to the Arturia site for more info.

What is it?

Arturia really does have all quarters covered; it was one of the first companies to reincarnate the classics in virtual form, shored up by MIDI controller keyboards and sequencers. The MiniBrute hardware synthesizer was also one of the first of the new breed of analogue synths, reigniting interest in new analogue designs, culminating in the MatrixBrute and PolyBrute.

Arturia’s Analog Lab software has often been seen as a stalwart, delivering a huge number of quality sounds, culled from its extensive catalogue of virtual instruments, within an easily accessible wrapper. Back up this software with MIDI controllers, and you have a popular design solution for the studio, or anyone brave enough to take their laptop out to play live.

If the mere thought of taking your laptop out to a gig fills you with dread, AstroLab 88 may be the answer. It’s a full-size 88-note keyboard, offering a player’s solution for live, while occupying the coveted slot of quality keyboard controller when you return to your home studio.

Build and design

AstroLab 88 has a very striking style. It sports a rugged but elegant metal casing, which is detailed with wooden end cheeks which wrap around the rear of the casework. The off-white colour adds to its elegance, but only time will tell how clean this will remain, if used live. It’s almost too nice to gig with!

For the keyboard action, Arturia has adopted a Fatar TP-40L keybed with aftertouch, which is undoubtedly a premium and very playable unit. Being the ‘L’ iteration, it’s the lightest keyboard action in the range. As you play, it feels reminiscent of a lighter-weight piano, but it does pose a curious question: the AstroLab 88 is classed as a Stage Piano/Keyboard, lending itself to the concept of live use. The metal casing adds considerable rigidity and weight, but Arturia has chosen to employ a light-weight action to help keep the unit's weight down. The upshot is a playing experience which is lighter, by definition, but a keyboard which is still heavy at 22.2kg. You may question whether a heavier keyboard action in a lighter case might be a more appropriate route for an 88-note stage keyboard, with keyboard players in mind.

The front panel mirrors the design previously seen on the AstroLab 61, with the centred wheel and display, which guides your path when menu diving. Eight rotary encoders sit to the right, providing control of basic timbral settings and effects, with a further ninth pot providing a master volume control. LEDs line the front of the panel and illuminate when playing, as well as guiding keyboard zoning. There are buttons for quick selection of patch category, and buttons to activate the onboard arpeggiator and MIDI looper. Pitch and Modulation wheels reside on the far left, above the keybed, with octave switches immediately available too.

In a nice touch, Arturia includes a retro-foldout music stand, which attaches to the AstroLab directly, along with a dedicated external power supply and USB cable. Strangely, there is no sustain pedal included, which seems like a rather odd omission for an 88-note pianistically biased keyboard.

Performance

The AstroLab 88 ships with an extraordinary number of included sounds. The 1,600 patches in the palette include pianos, electrics, synthetic sounds and some acoustic colours too, making good use of the entire gamut of Arturia virtual instruments.

With the release of v1.5 firmware, which accompanies this model, there are some valuable new inclusions to the sonic lineup. The Arturia MiniBrute now makes an appearance in software form, with the legendary Brute-factor distortion providing an excellent direction for distinct lead sounds and crunchy basses.

The Synthex, SEM v3 and JP-8000v are now also added to the AstroLab backline. These instruments are new to the AstroLab ecosystem, and all are very different and characterful in their own right. A quick move through some of the available presets reveals predictable sonic depths, often layered with substantial effects. Thankfully, employing the four FX pots located on the front panel, it’s easy enough to disable these elements, should you want to record your sounds to your DAW, adding different effects at a later time, although you could just as easily use the Analog Lab Pro software in your DAW – it’s certainly flexible!

There are also two further instrumental additions, drawn from the Arturia library; Augmented Yangtze and Mallets provide some really interesting percussive colours, although it’s worth remembering that through the included Analog Lab Pro software, it’s possible to organise patches, and even include patches from other products in the Arturia virtual lineup. In librarian terms, it is comprehensive, but depending on how deep you wish to go, it could become an expensive pursuit, as you find yourself moving towards the purchase of the entire V Collection 11, which would add considerable programming enhancements to your desktop environment.

Get yourself connected

Connectivity is pretty comprehensive, with the ability to connect microphone and line inputs in stereo, via 2 XLR/line inputs. There are also four inputs for external control, such as sustain and expression pedals, with two fully assignable inputs.

MIDI operates via conventional in/out sockets or through the use of a USB connection. When working at the studio level, it is fairly likely that you may want to transfer data between a computer and AstroLab, so permanently maintaining a USB data connection that can also handle MIDI seems sensible, being dependent upon a single cable.

Purchase of this unit also includes access to the AstroLab Connect app, which allows a smartphone connection to the keyboard for editing and expansion capabilities. The connection operates via Bluetooth, making it particularly handy, as long as you don’t mind using the smaller screen of your phone for any organisational duties.

The v1.5 update also includes some other basic enhancements; it’s now possible to send MIDI program change data from the keyboard to external devices. There has also been a tweak to the chord and scale settings, which can now be locked, preventing alteration to settings when switching patches.

The live debate!

AstroLab 88 presents us with quite the conundrum! It’s a beautifully designed keyboard with a playable action, which will suit many players. We will place a caveat here, because many pianistic purists may find the action a little too light. The design quotient is really striking and beautiful, particularly if you choose to mount the keyboard on the additionally available stand. Its minimal fascia, with a small back screen, presents a very elegant form factor for a stage piano, being used in a studio environment. It does lack a bank of faders, which would be exceptionally useful to anyone using sample libraries (particularly orchestral sample libraries), but that can be worked around, and of course, it would sully the onboard appearance.

However, as a proposition for live work, AstroLab 88 feels far too restrictive in terms of immediacy and control. At the most basic level, the patch loading times can be quite sluggish, especially for the synth-based patches, and take anything between half a second and two seconds, depending on the complexity of the patch. This means that if you need to switch sounds mid-song, while playing live, the chances are your sound will not be ready when you need it.

Adding further to this, the basic onboard controls and small screen do not really go far enough for live use. Having immediate access to the various layers of sound that you may be using, with the ability to switch them in and out on the fly, is really important in a live environment. You can certainly set up your patches and set lists with relative ease (using the accompanying software), but you could very quickly find yourself in hot water, should you require a different sound at a different time.

Verdict

To our minds, the AstroLab 88 is a desirable studio-based keyboard, but for serious live use, it is likely to yield frustrations. It obviously depends entirely upon the way you use your keyboards live. You may just need to be a bit more organised prior to any gig, but the sonic payout may feel worthwhile, as many of the sounds (particularly synthetic timbre) do extend beyond those available within other stage pianos or keyboards.

Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

We’re big fans of Arturia’s controller keyboards, and with good reason. They play well, look great and offer tailored control of its Analog Lab instrument framework. The latest model to get the mark 3 upgrade is the MicroLab, which is the smallest in the range, and like many other Arturia keyboards is available in both black and white versions.

MicroLab Mk3 is a 25 mini key USB-powered controller keyboard. It looks a lot like a cut-down version of the MiniLab Mk3, and features a similar slick design with wood effect panels at each end. However, the layout has been tweaked a little bit and with the touch zone strips for expression and pitchbend at the left-hand end, it’s slightly wider, though considerably shallower, front to back than its bigger sibling.

On the back you’ll find a USB-C port, Kensington lock aperture, and single ¼” control pedal jack, although there’s no MIDI out, which is a bit of a shame. Meanwhile, on the bottom are six sturdy rubber feet. If you’re using it on a desktop these keep the keyboard steady but also generate enough friction to keep it firmly in position when playing.

Finally, in the box you also get a 1.5m USB C to USB A cable, and the registration card which unlocks the software package. This includes Analog Lab Intro, which features 500 presets from Arturia’s V Collection instruments, and Ableton Live Lite.

Performance

MicroLab Mk3 has the same key bed as the MiniLab 3, and this has a positive and quite springy synth style action. Despite being smaller than a regular keyboard it’s also very playable and is mechanically pretty quiet. This is a hallmark of Arturia’s controller keyboards and definitely contributes to the overall sense of quality.

The touch zone strips are very sensitive, making pitchbend and modulation moves easy, although this sensitivity does make it easy to inadvertently activate the strips with your left hand.

Just above the touch strips you get dedicated backlit octave buttons (+/- 4 octaves), and the backlight intensity helps indicate which octave is selected. Just above this is the note Hold button, and by default this sends out CC64 (Sustain), which is great if you’re unable to use a pedal.

Finally, the Shift button accesses further features and these are labelled in grey. Options include MIDI channel selection using the keyboard keys, and also the chord memory using the Hold key. Selecting Shift and Hold together activates Chord mode and you then simply select the notes you want (up to 16). The Hold key blinks slowly to indicate the mode is active.

Shift also allows patch selection in Arturia’s Analog Lab software. You’ll find if you have Analog Lab’s browser open you can use the touch strips to quickly spin through patch categories, USB categories and specific presets. Meanwhile the octave buttons will cycle through the presets.

Finally, MicroLab is supported by Arturia’s MIDI Control Centre software, and although the options here are more limited than more complex controller keyboards, you can adjust velocity curve and various other MIDI output parameters such as the Hold MIDI CC number.

Verdict

MicroLab Mk3 is Arturia’s simplest keyboard controller, and it would be easy to focus on what it doesn’t do. However, the remit for this backpack-friendly controller is to keep things small and simple, and it meets that remit admirably. What’s more at under £50, it’s ideal for beginners or more seasoned users after a sofa or travel device.

Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Arturia’s V Collection updates come around as regularly as the positive reviews for them. These revisions to the company’s famed collection of emulations of keyboards gone by – and increasingly newer models – are usually packed with new plugins, presets, and sounds, plus new versions of existing titles. The updates inevitably score well, we end up using the words ‘as always’ too many times in the reviews, and this latest release is no different. But v11 has more surprises than you might expect, and if you are a fan of 1990s dance music, it’s got one of the machines you have been waiting for.

Over the last ten releases – and an incredible 20 years – V Collection has gone from just four emulations of vintage synths to well over 30 recreations of all sorts of classic keyboards. As the number of vintage instrument targets from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s have been ticked off the list in each update, the last couple of versions have seen Arturia ‘augment’ the collection with new acoustic Augmented instruments. While v11 has two more additions of these, and big updates to the existing five, a major new plugin addition points to another path for Arturia to tread: the 1990s! And as the famous sample from that decade goes, that’s a big ‘ah yeah’ from us.

OK, version 11 of V Collection is not a massive stride through that decade of dance – and, yes, most of those of the tunes from that time were produced by the 1980s classics already present in the collection – but you do get an emulation of a 1990s dance icon, the Roland JP-8000, and the inclusion of a non-emulation Pure LoFi synth, which could be seen to cover the filthier and trippier side of that decade and beyond.

1990s gear is an interesting potential new direction for V Collection as it could – copyright issues aside – see it wrap its emulation tentacles around some absolute belters from E-mu (samplers and sound modules), Clavia (the Nord range), Yamaha (SY range, CS1x), Roland (JV) and many more for future VC versions. However, the question for this 20th anniversary of V Collection today is, does version 11 reach synth heaven? And, yes, you probably already know the answer…

Overview

On top of the JP-8000 emulation (called Jup-8000V) and Pure Lofi additions, V Collection 11’s new additions also include Synthx V, a recreation of the 1981 Elka Synthex polysynth, and a remodelled SEM V, an emulation of the 1974 Oberheim SEM. Arturia has also recently added emulations of its own hardware synths to V Collection, so we now also get MiniBrute V, a polyphonic Brute (PolyBrute, anyone?), alongside the excellent MiniFreak plugin.

Final additions include two more Augmented instruments – Yangtze and Mallets – and while these will no doubt add some traditional and contemporary spins on Chinese and percussive sounds, it’s most definitely Jup-8000V and Pure Lofi that we’re downloading first via Arturia’s slick Software Center.

Performance

We’ll start with Jup-8000 – we’re too excited not to – and the original machine scored big time back in the ’90s for a couple of reasons. The first was the re-introduction of hands-on controls so lacking in a lot of digital synths of the time, and the second was the machine’s sound which was a genuine reflection of what was ‘happening’ at the time, with its supersaw character in particular laying the groundwork for dance music well into the next century.

This was a surprise as very often the big guns of synthesis would try to be cool and pack their machines with what they envisaged to be the ‘in thing’, and more often than not, they would fail miserably, rather like your dad dancing to the latest chart smash at a wedding. Not so with the JP-8000 and this version: there’s everything from lush and atmospheric pads and strings, plus those very super saws, to bendy and squealing bass, frantic arps and stabby pianos. Everything you need to don those gloves and bend those glowsticks – if there is ever yet another ’90s revival, then this will be your go-to plugin.

Our hardware JP died just before this review, so not only are we over-the-moon happy with this software replacement, but we can confidently report that its spirit easily lives on here. There may be some producers under 25 who find just a few of the sounds a little too twee and retro, but there are many contemporary inclusions, and the effects and modulation extras under the Advanced tab can easily drag Jup-8000’s sound 30 years into the future.

As expected, we’ve spent way too much on one headline act, so we’d better quickly run through some other VC11 extras. We reviewed MiniBrute V, and it’s a gnarly and polyphonic version of Arturia’s original analogue hardware mono. Add in effects and you can get a very different feel from the original, but it’s a very characterful synth overall.

The two extra Augmented titles didn’t exactly fill us with high expectations – mallets and Chinese instruments aren’t usually our first-choice instruments – but we know from previous VC iterations that you ignore these titles at your peril. Each has a dual-layer setup, with each layer made from two synth or sampler parts selected from drop-down menus. You then get filter and envelope sections plus plenty of effects per layer and for the overall mix, and with modulation and arpeggiator options, you can quickly change the fundamental sound ingredients and dramatically create something off-the-wall, evolving or ambient.

The Play page on each – showing some key controls and a big Morph dial – delivers some of the more dramatic options to you in an even easier way. Don’t be fooled by the instrument subject in their titles, as the emphasis is most definitely on the word ‘Augmented’.

SEM V is Arturia’s v3 update to the American classic analogue, first released in hardware back in 1974 and first released by Arturia as v1 software in 2012. This latest version has been, as they say, “rewritten from the ground up”. What this means in practice is an improved sound engine with continuously running oscillators and a reworked filter.

The sound is as lush and analogue as ever, helped by that big (for Oberheim) 8-voice polyphony. It’s basically everything analogue, with a surprisingly up-to-date-feel on occasion. Many of the presets feature a good amount of wonk and wobble – two words you might not always associate with Oberheim.

Synthx V is another newbie from Arturia, first announced last year and an emulation of the Elka Synthex polysynth. It features the two multi-waveform DCOs, multimode filter and modulation options of the original, plus, of course, Arturia extras including more effect, arp and modulation features.

The original Synthx was renowned for its slightly off-the-wall sound compared to standard analogue, and that is present and correct here, with an off-beat and slightly crunchy direction taken with some of the presets, while others give you a very 2020s sound while showing off Arturia’s extras. It makes for a different option to use over the many other analogue synths included in VC, so is a welcome addition.

That leaves Pure Lofi, another big VC11 highlight. Adding a lower fidelity feel to overproduced computer music has, of course, become big business – where once we tried to hide noise and distortion, we now welcome them into our over-polished world. Pure Lofi takes this ethos and runs as far as you like with it, and in as simple a way as possible.

You start with a pair of sources where you can blend instrument sounds, samples and synth waveforms, and then put them through hardware emulations based on old samplers and synths, or through Arturia’s less subtle distortion. You can then add noise from tape, percussion, nature and more before going through both a filter and envelope stage.

Finally, add in a ‘unique’ lo-fi processor for disc-swapping, tape-inspired mayhem – and a big knob to crank it up – and then up to four effect slots, and what often start as ‘too polite’ presets can be filthed up in a much easier way than perhaps our description implies. A final touch is a similar effects and modulation setup to Jup-8000 opened by an Advanced tab. All told, you’ll wonder why Arturia hasn’t made a similar effects plugin to use on your own sounds, as it’s so simple and effective.

Verdict

As ever, just when you think that V-Collection has run its course, Arturia pulls out all the stops and assembles a compelling update. To us, Lofi and Jup-8000 are its highlights – which might be an age thing, to be honest – but there is plenty more to appeal to many producers. It’s pricey, yes, but also, as ever, we must add that the considerable outlay of €699 can be balanced against the sheer number of instruments, now some 45, making it €$15 a plug.

Another ‘as ever’ comes with the nagging feeling that you’ll have some of these instruments already, albeit possibly made by other developers or included in your DAW. To temper this, Arturia now has a cut-down Intro version available. €$199 gets you ten great titles, including Prophet 5 V, DX7 V, and MiniFreak – a great spread of instruments all told. However, we’d love the option – possibly a logistical nightmare – of choosing 10 instruments for the same money, or handpicking other custom and smaller collections. Yes, we can only ask.

The upgrade price for existing users is a little unclear, but we’re seeing prices of between €$99 and €$199, and the latter could be seen as pricey. Otherwise, V-Collection 11 is a triumph. We’d close with another well-trodden line – that we expect the French developers to struggle to produce such a worthy update next time around – but by now we’re starting to realise this probably won’t be the case. VC 11 is a surprisingly rich and varied update to a now classic collection of vintage and modern instruments.

Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alternatives

Specifications

When Arturia’s Pigments synth launched back in 2018, it was already built on pretty solid foundations. Combining elements of wavetable and virtual analogue synthesis, the original Pigments took much of what the French developer had learned via two decades of slowly expanding and updating its V Collection emulations, and applied it to an original instrument designed to hold its own against ‘power synths’ like Serum or Phase Plant.

Since launch, the capabilities of Pigments have expanded significantly, thanks to a regular stream of annual updates that have, laudably, all arrived as free upgrades for existing owners.

These releases have varied in how substantial they are – ranging from the sample engine added for Pigments 2 to the CPU and UI improvements of v4 – but each iteration has expanded and refined the synth to the point that it's now one of the best sound design tools around.

Pigments 6 arrived in January 2025 and is one of the most significant upgrades since the synth first launched. Not only does this latest version add a new oscillator engine based around physical modelling synthesis, but expands the instrument’s capabilities with the addition of a vocoder, improved granular capabilities and an expanded range of filter and modulator options.

What is it? The core of Pigments

For those new to Pigments, the core of the synth is its ‘engine’ system, which allows users to mix and match two multi-oscillator sound engines each making use of a different approach to synthesis.

The various engines are capable of virtual analogue, wavetable, additive or sample-based synthesis, the latter of which includes one-shot and multi-sampled instruments, as well as granular synthesis capabilities. Added to these for version 6 is the new Modal engine, which brings physical modelling into the mix.

These two core engines are joined by a third Utility engine, which is effectively an additional VA oscillator (that can be used as a sub) plus two noise sources. It’s designed to play a supporting role, but can be very important, in processing external audio, for example.

These engines feed into a dual filter section that can make use of a wide variety of filter designs, ranging from straightforward multi-mode filters through to analogue modelled designs and creative tools such as comb and formant filters.

Pricing

• $199/€199, rent to own available from $9.99 per month

Other highlights of the synth include its comprehensive effects section and easy-to-use modulation system – which owes a debt to the click-to-assign simplicity of Massive and Serum before it.

Ever since v1, a particular highlight of Pigments has been its virtual analogue elements, which are found in the Analog engine, but also in various filter and effect models.

Arturia has a long history recreating analogue hardware for its V Collection synths and that shows in the quality here, which nods to a multitude of vintage classics with elements such as Moog-style ladder filters and Juno chorus.

There are also numerous wavetable options that draw on sounds akin to classic hardware. All of which adds up to making Pigments a solid emulation tool to rival a synth like U-He Diva, as well as being able to tackle the more cutting-edge sounds of Massive X or Serum.

New for version 6

The headline feature of Pigments’ v6 update is its new Modal engine. This is based around the concept of physical modelling, which replicates the behaviour of an object resonating in a physical space, making it perfect for emulating sounds such as plucked strings or mallets.

Physical modelling instruments work using two elements: an exciter, emulating the collision that triggers the initial sound, and a resonator, which generates the subsequent vibrations.

Pigments’ Modal engine offers two forms of exciter. The first is labelled Collision Exciter, which emulates an impact like the plucking of a string or the beating of a drum. The second are the Friction Exciters, which emulate an ongoing impact more like a bowed stringed instrument.

These two exciter elements can work in tandem, and each can be switched to use a variety of different modes. The Collision module can make use of a synthesized exciter, a sampled transient or an external audio input. Friction uses either randomised impulse generation, sampled noise, granular synthesis or an external audio input.

The resonator section itself is equally flexible. This uses two styles of resonating object – beam and string – each with six timbre options on offer for further variation. The sound can then be further manipulated using Stereo Spread, Warp and Shaper controls, which apply additive synthesis techniques to the output sound.

As with the other synthesis approaches applied within Pigments, you can find deeper and more complex takes on physical modelling in dedicated plugins such as Chromaphone. The Modal engine still manages to be impressively comprehensive within its confined UI though, and there’s a broad spectrum of sounds that can be created, even if you were to use the engine as a standalone synthesizer.

The fact that it can be used alongside – and interact with – Pigments’ other elements, magnifies its potential exponentially. After seven years of updates, those other elements are now an exceptionally well-rounded suite of tools.

The filter section now offers 13 different styles of module, covering functional designs, creative sound shaping and vintage emulation. Version 6 adds tools for each of these use-cases, with an upgraded multimode filter, a cluster – aka multi-peak – filter and a new lo-fi design, which has a lovely grungy tone great for over-saturated, old school dance music.

The new vocoder in the effects section is another welcome addition. This has vintage, modern and dirty tonality modes and a decent level of control over factors such as bandwidth, output frequency and formants. It works nicely for those classic robotic vocal sounds, but is arguably more fun when used with Pigments’ internal synthesis engines or external audio – particularly when applied to percussive and rhythmic sounds.

My personal favourite of Pigments 6’s new additions is the Voice Modulator added to the random modulation section. This generates a different output value for each new incoming MIDI note, set to cycle by a value between 1 and 8 notes.

Used subtly, this can be a neat tool for introducing analogue-like variations in tuning and tonality, but pushed further it can act like the round robin voice cycling of Korg’s classic Mono/Poly, whereby each new synth note triggers its own voice with distinct tuning and waveshape functionality.

Performance

For my money, Pigments is the best softsynth on the market right now. For the sheer breadth and versatility of tools it offers, there’s nothing else that can compete.

The likes of Xfer Serum and Kilohearts Phase Plant are in a similar ballpark – and both are top-tier instruments in their own right. The former, however, puts more focus on wavetable and sample-based synthesis than Pigments, going a little deeper in those areas, but falling short of the overall versatility.

Phase Plant, on the other hand, puts more emphasis on modular flexibility, but loses a little of Pigments’ user friendliness in the process. The same could be said for Native Instruments' Massive X.

This latter front is another of Pigments’ strongest assets. For all the depth of its expanding capabilities, its approachability has remained intact since launch.

In fact, it’s only got more user-friendly, thanks to the addition of the simplified ‘Play’ UI added with Pigments 4. This gives users access to surface-level sound shaping without the need to unpick the more complex elements of a patch.

The Play view works in tandem with Pigments’ well stocked and organised preset library, as well as its macro control system, to make it a powerful source of varied and useable sounds, even for those not interested in designing sounds themselves.

This is certainly helpful. If there's a criticism you can level at Pigments, it would be that it can occasionally feel like overkill, if all you're after is a simple synth tone.

Although opening an initialised patch disables the bulk of the modulation routings and additional capabilities, there's still a lot of synth to wade through if all you need is a simple two-oscillator bass patch or a simple pad.

Conclusion

For those that are looking to design sounds from scratch, Arturia’s synth is a true sandbox. Arguably, the risk for Arturia at this point is that Pigments is becoming so powerful that it’s making the company’s V Collection look increasingly obsolete.

While the recreated UIs and authentic designs of those emulations will still appeal to many, there’s increasingly little in that vintage synth collection that couldn’t be convincingly recreated in Pigments.

In its current form, Pigments can create provide analogue polysynth tones, the lo-fi wavetables of early digital synths, and even the low-pass gates and wavefolding oscillators of East Coast synthesis.

At version 6, Pigments is a true power synth in every sense, and one of the finest pieces of music making software around.

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Long before the era of digital dominance, tape was the be-all and end-all of recording technology. It was the principal format on which everything was recorded, stored and edited. But, being a fundamentally physical mechanism, the clunky character and technical quirks of the mechanical machines used would often be audibly present (for better and for worse) on the final recordings.

It’s a quality that many people point to when discussing the ‘superiority’ of analogue over digital. That being the presence and sparkle (or dirt, depending on who you ask) that added a certain tangibility.

As we’re now living in a digital age, the only way to achieve the same results today is via a pricey emulation (or hitting up auction sites for any good deals on an antiquated tape machine!).

French software guru Arturia is a dab hand at modelling vintage tech, particularly when it comes to synths (its blinding synth anthology V Collection is case in point). It has now firmly turned its attention to the tape emulation domain with Tape J-73 – its first dedicated reel-to-reel reproduction.

Tape J-37 is an exacting model of the vacuum tube-driven Studer J37. It was the very first true multi-track recorder and was a fixture of the hallowed halls of Abbey Road, regularly relied upon by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and many other luminaries of recorded music. A real J37 – once owned by legendary French producer Eddie Barclay – was sampled during the making of the plugin.

Performance

The Tape J-37 brings that classic, tape-reel aesthetic firmly into the centre of its UI, with a moving visualisation of an original J37 putting you into the classic mindset straight away. If you’re already familiar with Universal Audio’s top-tier forays into tape emulation, you’ll be on familiar ground, but if you’re new to working with (virtual) tape, then let’s dig into that UI and just what Tape J-37 can bring to the table.

Firstly, there’s the J73’s particular warm sound – a combination of the aforementioned vacuum-tube stages, and the machine’s hard-wired EQ curve and compression, as well as the crispy saturation that is part and parcel of its physical mechanism.

These particular quirks have been beautifully bottled here, but – being Arturia – some ultra-modern expansions of that core sound can be achieved.

The UI is pretty straightforward, with just four major control areas. Firstly, there’s the ‘Color’ section, comprising four distinct tape/EQ curves as well as a ‘Modern’ mode.

These are finely-tuned variations of factors such as tape specification, dirt level, age, wonkiness and overall ‘warmth’, spanning from ‘Pristine’ to ‘Dirtiest’. Cycling through these gives an immediate feel for the gulfs of tape-quality Tape J-37 can span – from a subtle coat to outright crunch.

The ‘Modern’ mode surgically excises the original machine’s in-built EQ mode, yet allows you to retain its particular colouration – something impossible to do with an original unit.

At the centre of the UI, we find the central Drive knob – this can be cranked up to reveal some truly delicious levels of saturation and stressed-out distortion.

Speed controls on the right of the UI can have a big bearing on the overall effectiveness. Switching up to 15 ips can give a more frequency-wide fidelity, while 7.5 ips results in much more analogue simplicity and warmth. The latter is great for daubing atop vocals, lending them an authentically vintage quality. The former notably enhances synth pads and can squeeze further harmonic juice from digital lead sounds.

Further tape-wrangling can be achieved by switching between the two Transport buttons to the left of the Speed controls. These can affect the rate at which the audio slows when pausing and playing the tape machine. The number of bars the resulting slowdown/speed-up spans is selectable from a drop-down. Manipulating this area can be a really cool way to achieve some classic-vibe vocal manipulation, building up transitions between song sections, or even slowing down an entire mix bus.

There’s much more to get stuck into here too, including some more 21st-century-angled advanced controls which include a dedicated EQ section, a delay visualiser and the ability to implement a high- and low-pass filter, should the authentic button-based switch-controls not give you enough to work with.

So, while Tape J-37 gives you (more than) complete mastery over this tape legend, for our own tape-quality imparting purposes, simply cycling through the array of pre-designed presets – neatly tagged and categorised into distinct sections (Delay, Distortion, Tape, EQ etc) present numerous routes to gracefully inject just enough authentic grit and harmonic girth to our developing tracks.

Verdict

Tape J-37 has a fantastic sound, especially when compared to its pricier competitors. Everything about the interface and general user experience is designed to push your sensibilities back into a simpler age, while just beneath the surface lie some much more complex sonic-sculpting tools. It can also harmonically open up (or degrade) your audio sounds in creativity-triggering ways.

Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Owning an 88 key hammer action MIDI controller keyboard is a major commitment. They are large, heavy and typically pretty expensive. However, whether you’re performing keyboards or programming beats, that hammer action is without question a highly seductive experience.

Last year Arturia began the process of upgrading its flagship Keylab controllers to their third version and that process has now reached the 88 key model. Built around the latest Fatar TP/110 hammer-action keybed with aftertouch, and housed in a slick metal case with Arturia embossed wooden end panels, the Keylab 88 Mk3 is a solidly built and stylish unit. It comes in both white and black colour schemes, and further features include a slot-in sheet music stand and top panel laptop extender. Should you want to continue the wooden design detail, it can also accommodate Arturia’s bolt-on wooden legs.

Like other Keylab Mk3s, the Keylab 88 is more streamlined than its predecessor with fewer panel controls. Obvious changes include 12 aftertouch equipped RGB pads (there were 16 on the Mk2), meanwhile less obvious changes include ditching the CV outputs on the back.

Even so, the feature set is in many ways better suited to contemporary needs, with progress being made in DAW and plugin integration. At the heart of this is a new 3.5” colour screen, as well as dedicated DAW transport controls and touch-sensitive faders and knobs.

Rounding out the package are bundled Arturia plugins (Mini V, Augmented Strings, Piano V, Rev Plate-140) alongside NI’s The Gentleman, and Analog Lab Pro, which includes over 2,000 sounds. You also get Ableton Live Lite and time-limited subscriptions for Melodics and Loopcloud.

Pricing

• Price: $1,299 | €999 | £839
• Wooden legs €199

Performance

Keylab 88 Mk3’s keyboard has a great feel with an action that leans slightly towards the heavier side. As you would expect there’s a subtle thump when played harder, but with no other extraneous noises the overall build is reassuringly solid and is a joy to play. It also balances performance and DAW integration features in a manner that’s easy to navigate. Onboard options include 2-part keyboard split, arpeggiator, chord mode with predefined and custom chords, and also scale mode, which is handy if you’re not the greatest player. Much of this is accessed via dedicated buttons. Deeper global settings such as velocity curve, pedal calibration, controller assignments and pad settings including pad colours are accessed via the screen menu. Settings are saved in User presets, which are also editable using Arturia’s MIDI Control Centre desktop app.

Keylab 88 Mk3 has two further screen selected modes for DAW control – DAW and Arturia. DAW mode supports HUI and MCU protocols, but we think is at its best using the DAW specific scripts, which you install on your desktop. These are currently available for Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, Live and Bitwig. In addition to transport and utility controls, each script delivers DAW specific use of the screen and its contextual buttons as well as pre mapping of Keylab’s encoders to DAW track controls and native DAW instrument parameters. In Logic Pro for example contextual buttons let you switch between track and plugin modes and solo, mute and record arm tracks. In Ableton Live there’s similar use of contextual buttons, plus pads are used for clip launching.

Arturia mode works in conjunction with their Analog Lab platform either in standalone or plugin form, with the encoders and faders matching the visual layout of Analog Lab’s main controls. Meanwhile proper preset browsing and selection is available via Keylab 88 Mk3’s display.

Verdict

Keylab 88 Mk3 may not be a groundbreaking product, but Arturia’s continued drive to streamline DAW integration both with their own Analog Lab software and with onboard DAW instruments, coupled with the latest version of Fatar’s reliable hammer action keybed makes for a fantastic combination. Meanwhile further features such as the laptop stand and optional legs will appeal to many users. Top marks.

Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alternatives

Specifications

Hot on the heels of last year's fifth major iteration, Arturia has kicked off 2025 with another considerable update to its sound design powerhouse Pigments. Last year, we described said previous update as "One of the finest tools to take you on that sound design cruise you’ve always promised yourself you’d have one day." To keep that same analogy going, with version 6 we're parking up that leisurely cruise and boarding a rocket bound for the outer reaches of space.

Pigments 6 introduces a wealth of new features, namely a vocoder, a Modal engine, a platter of new filters and modulators and a refined user experience. Overall, Pigments now sports six synthesis types, an expansive modulation system, a palette of effects and a tightened-up, intuitive control system.

One of the most significant additions to the mix is Pigments 6's new Modal engine. This system collates what Arturia describe as 'physically-inspired' tones and interactions such as collisions or friction-based simulations. The system incorporates a wealth of starting points, including delicate plucked strings and warm, resonant pads.

The brand-new vocoder allows users to distort and modulate their voice beyond all recognition, or to add some more subtle colours. External vocal (or other instrument) input blending is possible or you can choose to use it in conjunction with Pigments' own engines.

The new filters come in the shape of an analog-centered Multimode V2, Cluster filter (to stimulate kinetic textures), and LoFi to generate those worn-out tones that are still highly en vogue.

More on these new additions are explored in Arturia's official update overview video below

Further improvements come via the all-new modulators - varieties of which can be assigned to different voices with different modulation values. This is a big benefit for sculpting curves, adding deeper 'randomness' and tightly-locked automation to mix elements.

Granular improvements now allow users to scan through samples mid-playback to concoct time-stretched atmospherics, random grain playback for each note and expansive adjustment controls.

Couple these improvements with a general tightening-up of the UI (improved file browser and polished light theme) and this latest evolution of Pigments' seems like an absorbing and option-packed tool for those of us who want to immerse fully in the ocean of sound design. Our hands-on review will be dropping soon - so stay tuned.

Pigments 6 is available now from Arturia for the launch price of €99/£82/$103 (full price €199) - but if you've already purchased a previous iteration of Pigments, you can download the update in its entirety for absolutely free.

Arturia Astrolab is one of my favourite releases from the Grenoble-based developer in recent years for two reasons: first off, it scratches that itch of knowing what it would be like jamming a whole bunch of amazing plugins into a standalone instrument and secondly, it’s such a joy to play.

There’s no denying this is one powerful stage keyboard, but one of our misgivings is that you don’t get full control over all the plugins, leaving you wanting more and wanting to dive deeper into V Collection.

It makes sense then, that Sweetwater has teamed up both Astrolab and V Collection X for a mega deal this Black Friday, with the software coming free when you buy the hardware.

Originally retailing for $599, V Collection itself has been given a whopping 50% off and while it’s now only $299 you get it completely free when purchasing Astrolab for $1,599.

This is not the only plugin deal you'll find this weekend, we’re gathering up all the best Black Friday plugin deals on our hub page.

Arturia MiniBrute V: What is it?

If you think too hard about Arturia’s history of synth design, it’s enough to make your head spin. The company started out developing software synth emulations of classic synths (25 years ago, believe it or not!), then developed its own range of hardware synths, and now regularly brings out software emulations of these synths. All we need now is Pigments in hardware and some kind of synth circle will be complete!

Anyway, the original MiniBrute analogue synth was the company’s first foray into the world of analogue hardware back in 2012, and that synth, along with Novation’s BassStation 2 and Korg’s Volca range, should probably be given a large slice of the credit as key players that heralded the return of true analogue synthesis that we enjoy today.

But now MiniBrute has gone digital – albeit very ‘analogue’ digital – and a virtual version can be yours, for (quite) a price.

Arturia MiniBrute V: Performance and verdict

The first incarnation of the MiniBrute hardware synth was often compared to an original Roland SH-101, but was a lot more than that thanks to its fully-featured single oscillator, which is present and correct in MiniBrute V. You get a mixer to blend sawtooth, square and triangle waveforms, noise and an extra sub oscillator. But the big character definer on the original is that each waveform has extra options. So the sawtooth has UltraSaw parameters for bendy, supersaw style sounds; the triangle has a Metalizer option to really gnarl up the sound; and the square has pulse width modulated by the filter envelope.

While MiniBrute V features all of these, it lacks the audio input of the original. What it does have over the hardware, though, is polyphony – eight voices to be precise (although of course, you could stack up multiple versions on different tracks for more, if you wish). There are also effects, with four slots available and various effects to choose from – see below for more on these. A Unison mode, top right of the UI, also really helps beef up sounds when you ladle on some detuning.

The modulation is where the synth comes alive, especially with the option to modulate some extra waveform parameters. This comes by way of the simple LFO, which can be set to one of six waveforms (with Rate and Clock options) to control the PWM and Metalizer, plus the overall Pitch, Filter and Amp values.

Other notable controls include Brute Factor. This controls the gain in a feedback loop within MiniBrute’s great-sounding Steiner-Parker multimode filter and introduces anything from subtle warmth to distorted aggression. There’s also a Vintage knob whose effect is dependent on other settings but is designed to bring in old-school variances, although it can be ineffective. A decent arpeggiator with four modes finishes our tour.

As to the sound, the 168 presets cover a wide range, from the usual arpeggiations and in your face basses to many more pads than the original could possibly muster. Overall it sounds terrific and the simple interface is fun to get to grips with, and will have you producing many more great sounds.

The extra effects

Arturia knows a thing or two about effects, make no mistake – just check out the company’s FX Collection 4, doing what V Collection does for vintage keyboards. So there was clearly plenty of effects expertise to ladle into MiniBrute V, and it’s all the better for it.

You get four slots, each with 17 effects to choose from over Spatial, Dynamics, Filter/EQs, Distortions, and Modulations categories. Each effect comes with a decent number of individual parameters to tweak, but also a useful visual aid, whether that be to indicate tape delays, frequency bands, or even the width of a stereo pan.

The FX sound large and dramatic too – the reverb, for example, taking your sounds to another world entirely when pushed. These obviously weren’t a feature on the original hardware so make MiniBrute V a very different sounding synth, and a very flexible one at that.

Is Mini a Maxi?

As is so often the case, software developers can’t help add in those extras when they emulate hardware – it is the beauty of software after all. But then you have to ask how many extras can you add before it becomes a new synth and, really, that’s what MiniBrute V is; with the polyphony and effects it has effectively ‘crossed the line’ into all-new polyphonic Brute territory. Yes you can use it in mono mode and switch off the effects if you want to get ‘real’, but that would be a little like using just three strings on a guitar (possibly).

So while MiniBrute V is the solution if you’ve yearned for a MiniBrute in software, it becomes more appealing when you consider it ‘just’ as a great sounding and very characterful virtual analogue polysynth, with enough snarl, gnarl and bite to make it stand out from the VA crowd. It’s a brute, yes, but maybe call it a poly brute.

MusicRadar verdict: MiniBrute V is now more PolyBrute and can take you to some very different places compared to the original. Sounds fab either way, though, but is pricey.

Arturia MiniBrute V: The web says

"MiniBrute V delivers a unique and individual-sounding single oscillator synth with some sensible and, most importantly, useful extras."
Gearnews

Arturia MiniBrute V: Hands-on demos

Arturia

Molten Music Technology

CatSynth TV

Emlyn In The Mix

DKS SYNTH LAB

Arturia MiniBrute V: Specifications

• Mac OS 11+.
• Windows 10+. (64-bit).
• Formats: Standalone, VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).
• CONTACT: Arturia

Arturia KeyLab 61 mk3: What is it?

Arturia’s flagship keyboard controller range has had a revamp. The KeyLab range are premium keyboard controllers, offering a serious uplift in features and price from Arturia’s more affordable and more compact KeyLab Essential range.   

On first impressions, the KeyLab 61 Mk3 (which is what we have for review) has things in common with its predecessor, including nine faders and nine rotary encoders (which dovetail with Arturia’s Analog Lab instrument), dedicated DAW transport controls, a central control section and a high quality keybed. But despite the familiarity, much of this has been redesigned, including the all-important keybed. This new design delivers a wonderfully positive action but is also mechanically quiet. It also includes aftertouch, which is a must for a premium controller.

Arturia KeyLab 61 mk3: Performance and verdict

Visually, the most obvious of the changes would be the new display, which features a high-quality menu driven colour screen with eight contextual buttons and a push button rotary data encoder. Also different are the backlit RGB pads. There are 12 (not 16 as before) and you now have four banks. In the fader section there are no longer selector buttons as these features are handled via the screen. However, the faders and encoders are now touch-sensitive, so you get immediate on-screen feedback of values without having to move them. Excellent stuff. 

Overall the new layout is cleaner, more professional and oozes quality, with the genuine beech wood end-panels finishing the job. But despite all these positives it’s worth saying the KeyLab Mk3’s physical connectivity has been downscaled somewhat, with fewer pedal inputs (three not five) and removal of the CV options.

KeyLab Mk3 has excellent software integration with DAWs and software support via their own MIDI Control Centre desktop app, which handles user customisation of encoders and so on. However, customisation via the onboard menu is now much more extensive and coupled with the Chord, Scale and Arp modes and keyboard split options provides a more self-contained approach, if needed.

In terms of DAW integration, dedicated onboard buttons including transport, save, quantize, undo/redo and metronome are further enhanced by DAW-specific scripts for Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, Cubase, FL Studio and Logic Pro. These provide DAW features via the screen contextual buttons and also pre-mapping of faders and encoders for use with Arturia and native DAW instruments. 

From a user perspective, the dedicated DAW scripts vary in features and are at their best with DAWs such as Ableton Live, where all eight screen-contextual buttons are used, and the pads are used for clip selection. For wider compatibility, KeyLab Mk3 also supports HUI and MCU protocols and includes DAW control protocols for Pro Tools, Reaper, Studio One and Reason.

Finally, KeyLab 61 Mk3 comes with a software bundle, featuring five of their own products (Analog Lab, Mini V4, Piano V3, Augmented Strings and Rev Plate-140) plus Ableton Live Lite, Native Instruments The Gentleman and introductory subscriptions for Melodics and LoopCloud.

All told, KeyLab 61 Mk3 is an impressive update, and though the removal of some features is a shame, improvements to its core features are welcome.  

MusicRadar verdict: A new keybed, solid DAW integration, touch sensitive controls, and deep configuration all unified via the new display.

Arturia KeyLab 61 mk3: Hands-on demos

Arturia

Sanjay C

Creative Sauce

Arturia KeyLab 61 mk3: Specifications

• 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard with aftertouch
• 12 touch/pressure RGB pads
• 12 DAW controls
• Touch assignable encoders and faders
• USB-C-powered/12V input
• Three pedal inputs, sustain, expression and one assignable
• Pitch bend and mod wheels
• Chord, Scale and Arp play modes
• Plenty of DAW scripts
• CONTACT: Arturia

YouTuber and musician Venus Theory has announced the launch of a new series of free sample instruments, kicking off with a free library of sounds sampled from the Arturia Polybrute 12. 

In a new video, embedded above, Cameron explains that he was saddened to learn that Spitfire Audio had launched a paid subscription service, LABS+, alongside its free and long-running series of sample instruments, LABS.

Spitfire will continue to release free sample libraries as part of the LABS series and all previously released LABS content will remain free, but users have now been offered the option of subscribing to a paid-for tier to access additional content.

"I think that fucking sucks, really bad," he says. "Had I not had access to free music-making software like Audacity, or all the free plugins I've used over the years... I don't think I would be making music today. 

"This is a huge loss for the aspiring musician and composer community. But instead of just sitting here bitching about it on the internet, I thought: why not just do something about it?"

Cameron's answer was Auras, his own series of free and professionally-recorded sample instruments designed to run in Decent Sampler, a free sampler plugin. The first instrument in the series is Auras:Polyscape, a collection of "deep and cinematic" sounds crafted with the Arturia Polybrute 12 synthesizer. 

The sounds in Polyscape were sourced from Cameron's custom-built patches and recorded through analogue tube preamps to "capture the glorious and imperfect nature of analogue synthesis". 

"Featuring a brand-new UI design and editor, Polyscape brings the expressive nature of these custom patches featuring 'motion recording' to life with new dynamics and expression controls, a re-designed velocity response mode toggle for more organic and realistic velocity performance, custom IR's captured directly from the Polybrute 12, and a hand selected A-B layer system."

Cameron has put a hell of a lot of time and money into this project, so if you find yourself enjoying Polyscape, you can support him by becoming a patron.

Download auras:polyscape from Venus Theory's Gumroad.

Arturia Augmented Yangtze: What is it?

Arturia’s Augmented Instruments are a growing series of software instruments that focus on a specific class or family of acoustic instrument, and do so in a way that favours musical performance and creativity over untrammelled sound design power.

The latest addition to the series, Augmented Yangtze, is built around a collection of traditional Chinese instruments, blending meticulous, high-quality samples with modern tones, textures and synthesis techniques to deliver an achingly seductive suite of sounds that positively drip with far-eastern mystique.

Arturia Augmented Yangtze: Performance and verdict

In keeping with the series as a whole, Augmented Yangtze’s main view is dominated by a set of eight macro controls that reach down into the parameters of the underlying sound generation engine. 

While the parameters controlled by the macros vary from patch to patch, each has a fixed name and aim, so you always know roughly what to expect when adjusting it. For example the Color macro always affects the brightness and timbre of the sound, and Time impacts envelopes, delays and other time-based elements. This continuity is particularly helpful when mapping the macros to real-time hardware controllers, as you don’t need to configure and/or learn a different knob layout for each patch. 

The large, central Morph macro is, perhaps, the most important of the bunch. Unlike the other macros, whose parameter modulation values increase from zero to a maximum as the macro is turned up, the Morph macro defines both a start and end value for the six parameters it controls. The result is more variable and organic than a simple crossfade, with unique tones and textures waiting to be discovered throughout the macro’s movement range.

Augmented Yangtze’s included patch library is packed with evocative, dramatic and emotive sounds, every single one oozing with quality and clarity. Arturia’s sound designers have truly excelled themselves here, not only with the sounds themselves, but also in the way the macros have been configured for perfect expressiveness and performability. 

Nevertheless, there will still be occasions when you want to dig deeper than simple macro adjustments, which is where the instrument’s Advanced overlay comes in.

Here you can configure each of Yangtze’s pair of sound generation layers (see below), and set the balance between them. Layers also have their own dedicated filter stage, offering a choice of six filter models taken from other synths in Arturia’s range: SEM, MultiMode, Surgeon, Comb, Phaser and Formant. Similarly, each layer sports two insert FX slots that can load any of 14 different processors – EQs, reverbs, dynamics, and so on. Global delay and reverb processors, that are applied to the final mixed signal of both layers, are also available.

Continuous modulation is provided by two-each of LFO, function curve and random value generator, each of which can be mapped to up-to four destination parameters. The instrument also handles mod wheel and keyboard velocity, aftertouch and tracking as modulation sources, and can recognise MPE slide and bend. 

Yangtze sound engine

Augmented Yangtze features two sound generation layers. Each layer can host up-to two sound engines – Sampler or Synth – although a patch can only contain two of each engine type, distributed between layers as you see fit.

Sampler provides access to a collection of 64 multi-sampled presets. The majority of these focus on a particular instrument: Bass Dizi (transverse flute), Erhu (bowed string), Guqin (zither), Pipa (lute/guitar), Xiao (vertical flute), and Yangqin (hammered dulcimer). The remaining presets are either processed instrument samples, or useful sound elements such as plucks.

Synth is preset-based too, but here the presets are organised by synthesizer type: Analog and Harmonic are pure synthesizers (a three-oscillator subtractive synth and an additive synth, respectively); Simpler and Granular are sample-based; and Wavetable is a wavetable synth engine (well, duh!).

All engines – Sampler and Synth – provide a small number of parameters for modifying their sound (these varying depending on the engine and preset), and each has a dedicated ADSR amp envelope. Unfortunately, samples and wavetables are fixed within their engine presets, and there’s no way to load custom samples/wavetables.

Masterful execution

Augmented Yangtze’s final flourish is a 16-step arpeggiator/pattern sequencer. This is much more flexible than a standard arpeggiator, able to include chord stabs within a pattern, but it lacks even a single modulation lane – boo!

This absence is just about the only complaint we can raise against Augmented Yangtze. In every other respect it is deeply satisfying. Yes, the engine imposes limitations on what you can do with it, but this is entirely consistent with Augmented Yangtze’s musical focus and performance-centric approach, and there’s enough editability here to satisfy even the most ardent sound designer. It also ensures Arturia’s meticulous sampling, astonishing sound design and masterful execution shine through, no matter how you use the instrument.

MusicRadar verdict: A unique world of evocative and dramatic voices for your compositions.

Arturia Augmented Yangtze: The web says

"Layer-specific and global effects, including reverb and delay, enable detailed sound sculpting, while the customizable macros ensure precise control over modulation and effects parameters. This comprehensive feature set makes Augmented Yangtze an exciting out-of-the-ordinary instrument for composers and sound designers seeking to infuse their projects with evocative Far Eastern sounds."
Epicomposer

Arturia Augmented Yangtze: Hands-on demos

Arturia

SumnSumnSumn HTK

UDi Audio

Sample Library Review

Arturia Augmented Yangtze: Specifications

• macOS 11+. 4GB RAM. 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost) or M1 CPU. 3GB free hard disk space. OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU.
• Windows 10+ (64-bit). 4GB RAM. 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost). 3GB free hard disk space. OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. ARM processors not supported on Windows.
• Works in Standalone, VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).
• CONTACT: Arturia

Arturia FX Collection 5: What is it?

Arturia has long been known – in software terms – for its synth emulations, and its V Collection is still essentially the jewel in the company’s crown. For our money though, at this fifth iteration, Arturia’s effects range now represents the best of the company’s software output.

What started a few years ago as a handful of emulated effects has now grown into an incredibly well-rounded package, covering compressors, filters, EQs, reverbs, delays, modulation effects and more. The bulk of the collection is made up of emulations of vintage outboard, but of the four new additions for version 5, only one is based on real-world hardware.

Arturia FX Collection 5: Performance and verdict

That emulated effect is the Bus Exciter-104, a software version of the Aphex Audio Exciter Type C. These much-mythologised units were used to add hi-fi sheen to dull sound using harmonic distortion. Exciters typically work on high frequency sounds but, like the ’90s model it’s based on, the 104 also features a ‘big bass’ module for low end enhancement. It’s a nice addition to the overall collection, capable of adding life to in-the-box sounds and dull loops or samples.

For all that Arturia’s hardware emulations impress, the FX Collection often shines brightest when it breaks away from hardware influence, so it’s welcome that the remaining three additions here are all original plugins. 

The first is Bus Peak, a peak limiter and clipper that combines a very approachable workflow with a clear and responsive UI. As mastering and bus tools go, there’s nothing revolutionary here. There are separate Clipper and Limiter modules, high and low shelving EQs on the input and a variety of monitoring and metering tools. It’s exceptionally easy to use though, and capable of both transparent volume boosts with transient control and rich, pumping distortion. 

The other two additions for v5 – both of which were previously available standalone – are Efx Motions and Efx Refract. These join the line of modern and creative tools originated by the granular Efx Fragments, and cover similarly creative territory. Motions is a multiband, modulation-driven multieffect. It bears more than a little resemblance to Cableguys ShaperBox, albeit not quite reaching the creative heights of that tool. Still, it’s a very solid source of movement, width and ready-to-go transitions, and is useful to reach for when you hit a creative dead end and fancy experimenting.

Refract, meanwhile, is a unison effect that creates stacked layers of any incoming audio and processes the results using a range of effects, from distortion and filtering to chord-based resonators. It’s a lot of fun to use and is great for adding weight to cheap hardware synths.

Throughout the collection, Arturia’s interface design remains a high point. Interactive tutorials guide users through each effect, well-designed presets make finding treatments easy, and ‘advanced’ views let you dig deeper. There are other quality effects bundles out there, but for an all-round, capable bundle that avoids the dreaded subscription model, we think the FX Collection is now unbeatable. 

MusicRadar verdict: More excellent additions make Arturia’s effect bundle an unmissable and great value package.

Arturia FX Collection 5: The web says

"The new update brings four new quality plugins to the table. All four were convincing, with a solid feature set and good implementation."
Synth Anatomy

Arturia FX Collection 5: Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alex Reid

SumnSumnSumn HTK

Sanjay C

Arturia FX Collection 5: Specifications

• KEY FEATURES: Includes 34 effect plugins. New additions: Bus Exciter-104, Bus Peak, Efx Motions, Efx Refract.
• CONTACT: Arturia

Arturia EFX Motions: What is it?

It wasn’t that long ago that creating real-time effects, such as stutters, tape stops and even the humble pumping compressor, could be quite a chore to engineer in a track. Thanks to the progression of computing power, ever more ingenious plugins have made these processes simpler and more effective, but not always at the end-user level.

This is where Arturia hopes to capture your imagination, through a plugin which is as easy to use as it is rewarding to hear. EFX Motions is a multi-effects plugin, designed to operate in sync with your DAW. We’re not talking about reverbs and delays here, although these effects do form a very small part of the plugin’s makeup. 

Arturia EFX Motions: Performance and verdict

At the most simplistic end, it’s all about elements such as volume or pan, which may be laid against the timeline of your DAW, while engaging some form of modulation, via a drawn or imported wave shape. Arturia describes this element as the Motion Envelope, which undersells the concept enormously. It’s far more than ADSR, with an ability to draw complex and wild shapes for a given parameter or effect to follow. Imagine a reverse Saw wave shape, cycling every 1/4 note, and modulating volume; that would be your standard compressor-pump simulation. However, this plugin can go far wider than that, with complex and editable shapes which can control filtering, noise and drive, as well as volume and panning. 

Taking filtering as a case in point, there are a number of filter types and states, from clean and surgical, through to Arturia’s recreation of the Oberheim SEM filter and the exceptionally gnarly MS-20 filter. Add the various state options, which includes low, high, band and notch-pass filtering, and by applying the Motion Envelope you can go from basic filtered pump, to downright 303 acid-drenched style with comparative ease. 

While these effects and modulations might be considered the plugin’s primary focus, the back-end element of EFX Motions takes processing a stage further. The Beat Repeat section allows a number of highly impressive parameters to be applied to the signal, bearing in mind that there is already modulation applied prior this stage. The page layout looks sequential in design, much like a drum machine. Each step is assigned a function, which includes Roll, Reverse, Pitch, Stretch and Stop. 

It’s a relatively simple concept; if you want to alter the pitch of the audio signal, you merely activate the step and dictate the amount of pitch variation you wish to apply to this step. It’s the same scenario for the other elements, such as Stop, which mimics the classic tape stop effect. Meanwhile, the Reverse function also does what it says on the tin, while Roll creates stuttering effects, while maintaining the integrity of the track’s tempo. 

By Arturia’s own description, you can move seamlessly, “… from subtle repeating fills to glitchy Aphex Twin-esque mayhem”.

Advance to Macro

If the multi-layered capacity of EFX Motions inspires you to go further, there’s a greater degree of functionality hidden behind the Advanced button. This reveals the Macro elements, appearing at the bottom of the plugin window, and relating directly to the two Macro pots, which are located in the upper-left corner of the plugin. 

The concept here is that further levels of engagement may be programmed, before being dialled in as you require them, with the modulation amount specified by the Macro pot. It sounds simple enough, but the rules of engagement are dictated by three modulation generators, one of which is a Sequencer. This means that you can assign destinations for the sequencer to modulate, but under the ultimate amount control of the Macro pot. It’s useful as a driver to increase the intensity of a track, where the sustained looping movement of the plugin requires a momentary push over the cliff. The capacity is there, so why wouldn’t you use it?

Output layer upon layer

EFX Motions ships with a bundle of menu-curated presets. The nature of the plugin is no less impressive if placed in a simplistic guise alongside a pad, but apply it to a loop, such as the Amen Break, and chaos ensues quickly. It not only sounds impressive in all settings, but it’s easy to operate, at whichever level you wish to entertain. Creating your own modulations is easy and satisfying, while the Beat Repeat section takes a long-established concept, which has been explored by other companies, that hasn’t always been easy to employ at the user level. EFX Motions makes the process quick and effective, with results that can go from musically sublime to the impressively ridiculous.

MusicRadar verdict: Real-time effects modulation that’s as rewarding to hear as it is stylish. It makes complex time-based effects a total breeze.

Arturia EFX Motions: The web says

"A powerful creative multi‑effects processor with a slick GUI and a price that’s right — electronic music producers in particular will love it."
Sound On Sound

Arturia EFX Motions: Hands-on demos

Arturia

sonicstate

AreDoubleYou

Nu-trix The Synth Guy

Arturia EFX Motions: Specifications

• macOS 11+. 4GB RAM. 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost) or M1 CPU. 1GB free hard disk space. OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU
• Windows 10+ (64-bit). 4GB RAM. 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost). 1GB free hard disk space. OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. ARM processors not supported on Windows
• Formats: VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).
• CONTACT: Arturia

Arturia PolyBrute 12: What is it?

Arturia’s original PolyBrute synth arrived in late 2020. Combining elements of both the company’s analogue and digital heritage, it came across not only as a flagship for Arturia’s hardware synths, but also a culmination of all the things that had made the ’Brute range interesting over the previous decade. 

It featured the raw analogue oscillators and distinctive ‘Metalizer’ wavefolders first seen on the MiniBrute, as well as a button-grid interface and dual-filter design similar to the MatrixBrute. The digital effect section, meanwhile, leant heavily on processors also found in Arturia’s Pigments soft synth.

We reviewed PolyBrute at launch and came away very impressed. Not only was it sonically characterful, but it placed a welcome emphasis on expressivity. This was most evident in the inclusion of the various touch-sensitive elements including the ‘Morphee’ multidimensional pad and CS-80-like ribbon controller. These were supported by a multitimbral sound engine that not only let users split and layer two distinct synth patches, but also fluidly morph between two disparate sound states.

Arturia PolyBrute 12: Performance and verdict

When we get hands-on with a new polysynth our impulse reaction is often to hold down a chord and see how much depth and interest we can wring out of it by tweaking the UI’s various hands-on controls. The PolyBrute is an instrument that holds up especially well to this particular test; its morph controls, dual filters and extensive modulation tools can take a simple droning chord from lush ambience to gritty, rhythmic chaos and back at the twist of a few knobs.

Seeing as it performs so well at these kinds of ambient and cinematic tones, one of the key criticisms that could be levelled at the original PolyBrute was its lack of voices. With only six voices available, polyphony could quickly get gobbled up, particularly when creating multitimbral patches. Thankfully, with the launch of the new flagship PolyBrute 12, Arturia has addressed this.

In terms of its core design, the 12 is pretty much identical to the original PolyBrute, so we won’t spend too much time discussing the synth engine itself here. You can revisit our original review for more. To quickly recap though, the PolyBrute has two analogue oscillators per-voice, which feed into a dual filter section with independent ladder and Steiner-Parker style filters that can be arranged in series or parallel. It offers a range of easily-routable modulation tools, including a function generator-like Curve LFO. The effect section is all-digital, with three modules that can load a variety of impressive processors. It also has a stereo output and a nice stereo spread tool for increasing the width of patches.

With a few exceptions, almost all parameters can be set up in A and B states, which allow the user to blend between two different patches using the morph control or a modulation routing. As well as standard poly mode, the synth can also be set up with multitimbral layers or splits, which divide the voice count evenly between A and B timbres. In layer mode, the morph control adjusts the balance between A and B layers. In split mode, meanwhile, the lower end of the keyboard controls a static A state, while the higher range can be morphed between A and B states.

The double voice count instantly pays dividends when these multitimbral modes come into play. In layer mode, it effectively means that users can stack two full PolyBrute sounds on top of one another. 

The synth has also been expanded with some nice firmware enhancements since our original review – all of which are carried across here. Highlights of these include the ability to layer synth voices across the left and right channels, for enhanced stereo sound design, as well as better effects routing options and an added distortion effect.

While the interface layout is largely unchanged, the increased voice count has necessitated a slight redesign to the hardware. Internally, the additional voice cards are stacked on top of each other, meaning the synth’s body is significantly taller – and heavier – than its predecessor. A row of vents has been added along the top edge of the unit too, to disperse the additional heat. The PolyBrute 12 also swaps the blue of the original for a cream design that, combined with the wood panelling, gives the synth a vintage look that nicely offsets the modern design of the mod matrix and interface.

The other significant update here is the redesigned keybed. This adds a new and fairly unique take on aftertouch, which helps double down on the expressive qualities of the PolyBrute.

Aftertouch now functions in three modes. The first of these is straightforward monophonic aftertouch – ie, pressing down on the keys affects all notes simultaneously. The second mode is polyphonic aftertouch, now a fairly common feature on many high-end synths and controllers, where the aftertouch zone of each key responds individually, allowing users to add expression to individual notes in a chord.

Where PolyBrute 12 becomes particularly interesting is in its third ‘alt’ aftertouch mode. Here the keys function in what Arturia labels ‘FullTouch’ mode, which effectively means that the entire range of travel of each key is used for expression rather than just the very bottom of the key press, as in standard aftertouch. As a result, the ‘note on’ for each key press is much higher and quicker to respond – with minimal amp envelope attack, a note will sound the moment a key is depressed even slightly.

There are actually three different FullTouch functions within the alt aftertouch mode. The most basic of these simply uses the entire key press for an extended range of aftertouch expression. The FullTouch + Z setting, meanwhile, splits the key press range into two range sections where the upper acts as aftertouch and the lower is routed to the ‘Z’ modulation assignment of the PolyBrute’s Morphee controller.

The most powerful of the FullTouch configurations, however, is the FullTouch Envelope mode. In this mode, the travel of each key press is used to control the amp and filter envelopes – ie, a slow press of a key will result in a longer attack, etc. Rather than overriding the synth’s standard ADSR envelopes, this works in conjunction with them, allowing for a high level of customisation over the response of each note. Additionally, the function of the velocity sliders for the filter and amp change slightly in this mode, instead used to add a percussive ‘bump’ at the point of note-on, for a pluckier sound.

As features go, it’s a little difficult to appreciate without really getting hands-on with the keyboard itself, but in action it’s remarkable the level of expression this brings to PolyBrute 12. It works particularly well for pads and drones, where simply holding down a complex two-hand chord and adjusting the weight and movement of your individual fingers can create an evolving wash of overtones and shifting harmonics. That said, these FullTouch modes work great when used in conjunction with the sequencer and arpeggiator too, allowing the user to hold down the notes in a pattern or riff and apply differing levels of expression to each by adjusting the weight of each press.

Arturia refers to the new keybed as being MPE – which is technically correct although it doesn’t function in the way users of something like a Roli Seaboard or Push 3 might expect. While the keyboard can send pressure and slide messages polyphonically to your MPE instruments, these are triggered from the two zones of the FullTouch keyboard, so it doesn’t allow for users to slide between pitches quite in the same way as other MPE controllers do.

It would be hyperbolic to suggest that the PolyBrute 12’s application of aftertouch is completely revolutionary – while it is unique, there are comparable approaches to be found by the likes of Expressive E as well as the growing list of MPE controllers on the market. For our money though, it’s the most expressive application of this kind of technology built into a specific hardware instrument. Combined with the new voice count, it really brings the PolyBrute to life as a rich, expressive instrument.

Of course, with these extra features comes a bump in price, which puts PolyBrute 12 right up at the top-end synth market. While I’ve emphasised the instrument’s capabilities for atmospheric and cinematic sounds in this review, it’s worth stating that it also does bread-and-butter synth tones wonderfully well, from retro pads to rich basses and leads. The addition of the wavefolders and digital effects makes the instrument particularly adept at cutting, modern sounds too.

Still, PolyBrute 12 now sits at a price point where it faces some serious competition, including the likes of UDO’s excellent new Super Gemini, the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave, Waldorf Quantum and Sequential’s Prophet 10. It would be a tough call to pick an outright ‘best’ from that list.

Aside from the imposing price point and some very minor preset quibbles (see PolyBrute Connect), it’s hard to find anything negative to say about the PolyBrute 12. This is an all-round winning upgrade to an excellent poly, and those that can afford the outlay will find a synth with enough depth to warrant its top-end price. 

MusicRadar verdict: The PolyBrute was already a fantastic synth, but this update puts it up there with the best – and most forward-thinking – synths on the market

Arturia PolyBrute 12: Hands-on demos

Arturia

Loopop

Arturia PolyBrute 12: Specifications

• KEY FEATURES: 12 voice multitimbral poly synth combining analogue signal path with digital modulation tools and effects. Two oscillators and sub oscillator per-voice. Dual filter section with independent ladder and Steiner-Parker filters per-voice. New keybed with FullTouch polyphonic aftertouch
• CONTACT: Arturia

Arturia has updated its renowned collection of effects plugins, bringing two new and two existing titles to FX Collection 5. 

The two new effects are Bus Peak and Bus Exciter, two processors designed to be used on your master bus chain. Bus Peak is described as a "pro-grade" limiter that combines tone control, clipping and limiting with loudness and True Peak metering. The plugin is aimed at helping you achieve optimal loudness in your mix while maintaining clarity and detail.

Bus Exciter is an exciter effect that's capable of enhancing both your low end and high frequencies via separate modules. The Exciter module will boost your high-end content to improve its perceived loudness, enabling you to dial in additional harmonics to bring texture and shimmer to the sound, while the Big Bass module adds body to your low-end. 

What's more, FX Collection 5 now features two existing Arturia effects, EFX Refract and EFX Motions. The former is a dual-stage, unison-based multi-effect that multiplies a signal eightfold then runs it through one of five effects, BandPass Filter, Comb Filter, Bitcrusher, Distortion and Harmonizer, each of which which can be added to those eight voices and processed individually before being summed back together. 

EFX Motions is another multi-effect plugin aimed at bringing motion to your mixes, combining five effects (Noise, Drive, Filter, Volume and Pan) and a Beat Repeat module with a variety of sophisticated modulation options that includes envelopes, step sequencers, envelope followers and randomizers. The plugin's capable of producing everything from subtly evolving sonic manipulation to glitchy, IDM-esque carnage.

Alongside these four additions, FX Collection 5 features 30 titles that you'll find in its previous iteration, covering a broad range of applications and including everything from analogue-modelled chorus and filter plugins to lo-fi tape emulators and savage distortion effects. 

Find a full list of the plugins in FX Collection 5 on Arturia's website.

SUPERBOOTH 2024: Arturia has announced the release of the PolyBrute 12, an updated version of its flagship analogue polysynth with 12 voices and improved aftertouch.

PolyBrute 12 is set to supercharge what's already one of the most popular polys on the market, which offered six voices (with two analogue oscillators per voice), dual filters with flexible routing, multitimbrality and tons of potential for expressive performance thanks to its ribbon controller and Morphée XY pad. 

Aside from the obvious improvement of a doubled voice count, the new PolyBrute keeps things much the same in terms of the synth's architecture, opting instead to augment the synth with a redesigned keybed and new and improved aftertouch capabilities. 

PolyBrute 12's aftertouch operates in three unique modes. You've got standard monophonic aftertouch, wherein pressing down on the keys affects all notes to the same degree, alongside polyphonic aftertouch, where aftertouch can be applied to each note independently.

Where things get interesting is the synth's third aftertouch mode, which Arturia has named FullTouch. In this mode, the whole of each key's range of travel is used for expression rather than just the bottom end. In our review (arriving later today) we described PolyBrute's new MPE capabilities as "the most expressive application of this kind of technology built into a specific hardware instrument" that we've yet to come across.

As for the physical design, PolyBrute 12 is similar in look and feel to its younger brother, but arrives in a fetching cream colourway, with expanded dimensions and heavier weight thanks to additional voice cards and cooling vents.

PolyBrute 12 is priced at 3999€/$4449. Find out more on Arturia's website. 

Buying a great audio interface on a tight budget has never been more accessible for musicians than in the last few years. There’s a stunning amount of choice on offer from all the big names in audio production, determined to ensnare first-time recording artists or those just looking for something simple that doesn’t cost much.

On my hands today I have the Arturia MiniFuse 1, which ticks many of the boxes that make it beginner-friendly. It's low cost, compact, and comes with plenty of useful features to get users up and running quickly. But it does have stiff competition from the likes of Focusrite, Universal Audio, PreSonus, and many more vying for the attention of the beginner music maker. Let's find out how it handles the pressure...

Arturia MiniFuse 1 review: Features

Taking the MiniFuse 1 out of the box I was shocked by its absolutely minuscule size. It’s shorter in length than my smartphone and while it’s measurably thicker, it actually fit into the pocket of the sports shorts I was wearing at the time. My review model is in white, but you can get it in black if you prefer something a little more subtle.

It’s a simple interface with a single combi XLR/instrument input and two 1/4-inch outputs for your monitors. A dedicated headphone out completes the front panel while a USB-C port connects it to your computer alongside a USB-A ‘hub’ for powering other USB devices completing the spartan but useful connectivity options.

I’m pleased to see a direct monitor button on the front which some manufacturers have done away with in favour of software. There’s a button for choosing between instrument and line level on the input and next to it a 48V phantom power switch. A VU meter gives you a visual cue of your output levels and there are three knobs too, for controlling the overall master volume, input gain, and headphone volume. The input gain knob lights up blue when it’s receiving a signal and will go red if you drive the input too hard, probably not the best option for setting your input level though.

Arturia MiniFuse 1 review: Installation

As with most USB interfaces these days the MiniFuse 1 will work straight away as a sound card when you plug it in, but to update firmware and use it with most DAWs you’ll need to install the MiniFuse Control Center app. After some initial searching online - for some reason the search term ‘MiniFuse 1 drivers’ brings you to a random help page - I found no issues getting everything installed and was up and running in minutes, good news for the beginners this interface is aimed at.

The MinFuse Control Center is a simple affair, replicating the controls on the front panel, handy if you don’t want to constantly reach for the buttons. It lets you change the input type, engage phantom power, and switch between DAW and direct monitoring. It’s where you’ll find a more detailed input meter that’s far more accurate than the light-up gain knob we pointed out earlier.

Arturia MiniFuse 1 review: Usability

To test the MiniFuse 1 I first began by integrating it into my home setup. Thanks to its small size it easily nestled under my screen alongside my regular Focusrite, and that small size served me even better when I took it to my rehearsal room for some on-the-fly recording use.

The knobs on my model are very stiff, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your particular taste. It feels nice on the large monitor knob giving you a lot of flexibility to make incremental adjustments but I could see it being fiddly or difficult on the smaller knobs for the less dexterous.

I really enjoyed having the hub USB slot too. When I took it to the rehearsal room I was able to run my Akai MPK Mini Mk3 without taking up a precious USB slot on my laptop. It’s a nice touch and something I’d love to see on more audio interfaces in the future. It means if you want a compact live or travel rig it’s much more achievable, cutting down on converters and giving you more space to stretch out your MIDI controller further away from your laptop.

There’s a generous software bundle included too, with Ableton Live Lite, Guitar Rig LE, and a selection of Arturia’s quality FX that’s great for beginners who haven’t already established their plugin collection. Handily it includes Analog Lab Intro which features 500 presets from Arturia’s award-winning V collection, with some of the best analog synth recreations I’ve ever heard.

Arturia MiniFuse 1 review: Sound

I found the recording quality to be just as good as any other audio interface I’ve tested. For the beginner musician, it certainly offers a robust sound that will see them right. Testing it with a condenser microphone and a parlor acoustic guitar I’m reviewing, the MiniFuse picked up all the lovely overtones and harmonic content in a large room with hard surfaces. I also used it with my trusty HX Stomp for some direct guitar tones, where it performed admirably again. 

There’s plenty of gain on tap going direct in if you need it too. I got to just below the halfway mark on the gain knob when using an LP-type guitar with PAF-style pickups before it started to clip the signal. That was with the instrument button engaged for an extra boost, but proof that the 110dB dynamic range figure is accurate, and that the MiniFuse will do the job on a variety of sources. 

Arturia MiniFuse 1 review: Verdict

If you’re after a compact budget audio interface, the Arturia MiniFuse 1 is a brilliant option. The extra USB-A port lets you power an additional MIDI controller - or just charge your phone if you need to - offering some welcome added versatility. Despite the teeny tiny size it’s packing loads of useful features that will suit beginners or those looking for a travel rig.

It’s easy to set up for beginners and provides a generous software bundle, alongside an excellent preamp that will suit a variety of use cases and plenty of gain to handle quieter mics. Unless you’re multi-miking sources, the MiniFuse 1 will be a fantastic companion no matter what your use case.

Arturia MiniFuse 1 review: Specs

• Price: $99/£80 
• Simultaneous I/O: 1 x 2 
• Number of Preamps: 1 x mic 
• Phantom Power: Yes 
• A/D Resolution: Up to 24-bit/192kHz 
• Effects: Arturia Software FX (reverb, preamp, tape echo, chorus) 
• Analog Inputs: 1 x XLR-1/4" combo (mic/line) 
• Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4" TRS 
• Headphones: 1 x 1/4" 
• Contact: Arturia 

Arturia V Collection X: What is it?

One of the ‘safe bets’ in production software is surely Arturia’s V Collection. It’s always offered a lot of quality keyboard emulations for its price, and it’s regularly updated; great value when you consider its scale. 

However, it’s also a victim of its own success, with so many classic emulations included that there’s little more worth emulating. So how can future updates be as good? With the last (v9), Arturia got around the problem by introducing its Augmented range of instruments on top of a few vintage additions. Augmented Strings and Voices were the first two entries, and we suspected that this would be a future path for V Collection to take. V Collection X proves we were on the money. 

Arturia V Collection X: Performance and verdict

There are three new Augmented titles in V Collection X: Brass, Grand Piano and Woodwind, but that’s not to say that version X doesn’t have vintage additions too. These come in the form of CP-70 V, Arturia’s emulation of the Yamaha CP-70 electric piano and Acid, very much a TB-303 bass squealer, and more as we shall see. 

Completing the addition of six instruments in total is the software version of Arturia’s excellent hardware synth MiniFreak. MiniFreak V is an exacting replica of that digital synth and its inclusion points to another possible future for V Collection. (We’re wondering if we’ll get Pigments in a future update.) 

Starting with Acid, we have an instrument that can very much deliver the classic acid sounds you know and love, but rather like the Augmented range (which we focus on below), there’s more too it than that. There are loads of really filthy distorted sounds that go even further than the original’s pretty darn dirty capabilities. There are also more up-to-date dance leads and even a pad, so it delivers a lot more than just Acid.

Much more restrained is CP-70 V which concentrates on great electric piano sounds with only a couple that stray too far. 

Our ‘highlight of V Collection X’ award probably goes to MiniFreak V though. This instrument has been around to buy separately for a while and you get it with the hardware synth, for which it makes a great partner – and arguably even opens up the machine for even greater tweakage. Sound-wise you get a hell of a lot, with more than 20 engines supplying everything from classic analogue synthesis to dirty or shimmering digital. It can be as off-the-wall as you like (it’s the older sibling of MicroFreak, after all) but absolutely beautiful too, a real gem of a synth to own in either hard or soft forms.

As if these and the Augmented additions aren’t enough, Arturia has also rebuilt Mini V and Wurli V, with Mini in particular, looking (and sounding) better than ever.  

The reality of the Augmented instruments

The Augmented Series of instruments in V Collection does pretty much what you’d expect, given the name – each focuses on an instrument type and augments it. The new Grand Piano instrument, for example, has some beautiful grand piano sounds but is, like all the range, really all about morphing them with other sounds (with the main dial), introducing movement with a kind of vibrato effect, or adding other effects like delays and reverbs. It’s easy, hands-on synthesis really. 

We weren’t looking forward to the Brass one, not being huge fans of the sound, but of course, it’s a lot more than brass and there are some strangely compelling presets in there. It’s very easy to take them beyond what you start with and call them your own. Woodwind completes the set and is equally expandable – woodwind if you want it, but way more too. Twhese are great additions to the bundle and well worth exploring once you’ve done your keyboard museum tour.

Is V Collection still a winner?

Arturia has done well to keep the V Collection flag flying with version X. You now get close to 40 instruments in total which is quite incredible, and way more than any other bundle delivers. And we’ve not even mentioned the sound banks that come with the collection – there are now 17 thanks to three more additions in version X.

The Augmented range is solid and surprisingly varied in tone. This gives a fresher edge to the collection, acting as the modern sheen to most of the collection’s dusty analogue warmth. Acid does a very good job of recreating that well known sound and a lot more. But it’s the varied digital tones that MiniFreak brings that are (perhaps oddly) V Collection’s most exciting update. We all love the original hardware and its tones are very welcome here.

So it’s a good update, and whichever way you look at V Collection, you’re still only paying around £15 per instrument which is a steal for some of the best emulations out there.

MusicRadar verdict: V Collection is still an excellent bundle of instruments and with X, Arturia has maintained its record of great updates.

Arturia V Collection X: The web says

"A constantly evolving, ever-growing library of creative tools, the V Collection is the gift that keeps on giving."
MusicTech

Arturia V Collection X: Hands-on demos

Arturia

Alex Reid

Creative Sauce

Bolo Da Producer

Arturia V Collection X: Specifications

• macOS 11+. 4GB RAM. 4 cores CPU, 3.4GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost) or M1 CPU. 3GB free hard disk space. OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU.
• Windows 10+ (64-bit). 4GB RAM. 4 cores CPU, 3.4GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost). 3GB free hard disk space. OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. ARM processors not supported on Windows.
• Works in Standalone, VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).
• CONTACT: Arturia

The Android music-making app scene is certainly in a healthier state than it once was, but it’s still relatively rare to see a new beatmaking tool being made exclusively for Google’s mobile OS. Meteaure’s Polaris, then, is a very welcome addition to the Play Store, particularly as it seems ideally suited to making music in short bursts on your phone or tablet.

This is the work of Arturia veteran Baptiste Le Goff, who previously worked on the V Collection titles both as a software engineer and product manager. Luckily for us, he’s also a bit of an Android expert.

“My hope is that Polaris will create new opportunities for people willing to use their phones as music-making devices, matching the philosophy of the growing DAW-less setup trend,” he says.

Accordingly, Polaris has both sample and synth engines and offers a groovebox-style workflow across six tracks. The 4x4 grid on each track enables you to input steps into the sequencer, and step modulation gives you an easy way of adding variation to your patterns. You can also adjust the step duration on a per-track basis (from 1/32 to one bar) and set the triggering conditions so that each step doesn’t sound every time.

Each track’s sample or synth engine can be tweaked on the Design page, where you’ll also find a filter with its own envelope, and an output section with distortion. There’s a dedicated Mix page, too, with reverb and delay sends and output level controls. You can mute tracks here, too, though there’s no option to solo them at the moment as far as we can tell.

A collection of samples comes included with Polaris and you can also import your own. You can’t record directly into the app, though; if you want a groovebox-style workflow with that facility, take a look at Koala.

The clean and concise GUI and feature set is very appealing, though, and the fact that Polaris is step-based means that you don’t have to worry about any latency issues when you’re jamming. Yes, there are more ‘complete’ Android music-making apps available, but this is definitely one to have if you like the idea of creating loops at pace - either for use elsewhere (an audio export button would be nice to make this easy) or just for the fun of it.

Polaris is available now from the Google Play store for just $4, so go and grab it.

Arturia Astrolab : What is it?

Arturia has been steadily releasing emulations of vintage synthesizers for almost 25 years, and in that time the French brand’s V Collection has become one of the most widely-used software packages among music makers. With a solid, varied line-up of MIDI controllers to support it, the V Collection has evolved into a tight, user-friendly system that offers access to a vast selection of classic synth sounds.

Central to this ecosystem is Analog Lab, which acts as both a librarian and entry point into the V Collection. Essentially a preset player, Analog Lab collects thousands of V Collection-powered patches – as well as sounds from Arturia’s flagship softsynth Pigments – into a single interface, with a multitude of tools allowing users to browse, organise and expand its library. Those who own the full version of whatever plugin a sound is based on can dive into the full UI to tinker under-the-hood, whereas users with just Analog Lab can make surface-level changes via four macro controls and customisable effects.

With AstroLab, Arturia takes all of this and puts it into a piece of standalone hardware. On the surface, this seems like a fairly obvious move. Software brands have been going ‘out of the box’ with increasing frequency in recent years, from Akai with its standalone MPCs, to Roland’s Cloud-compatible Junos and Jupiters, NI’s Maschine+ and Ableton’s standalone Push. Against this backdrop, the idea of a self-contained ‘V Collection synth’ seems like a no-brainer.

AstroLab doesn’t fit quite so neatly alongside the products mentioned above though. Whereas those all aim for DAW-in-a-box depth or at least customisable synthesis, AstroLab keeps things far more surface-level. Arturia describes it as a stage keyboard, which is a label that suits it better, if not perfectly. Either way, those hoping for tactile control over the oscillators, filters and envelopes of each V Collection instrument will be disappointed.

In truth, AstroLab’s simplicity is its greatest selling point. This is effectively Analog Lab in hardware form, and benefits from all the speed, ease and accessibility that Arturia has brought to the plugin.

The hardware interface is designed to closely match that of the software, with sound edits performed using a bank of four rotaries labelled Brightness, Timbre, Time and Movement. To the right of these are four effect rotaries, each altering the depth of an effect module. While these controls each have secondary functions – altering volume and EQ for the sound parameters and selecting/customising the effects – they represent the total sum of sound edits that can be made from the AstroLab’s interface, aside from whatever parameter is mapped to the mod wheel. Beneath these sits a row of buttons used for quick preset selection and accessing playlists.

The other major element of AstroLab’s interface is its central screen-equipped rotary. This is the primary tool used for navigating through the stored sounds and adjusting settings. The screen itself is bright and clear – although some may find it a little on the small side. It’s easy to scroll and click your way through menus and the currently-equipped virtual instrument is represented by a smart graphical image of its UI.

Much like in Analog Lab, AstroLab lets users find sounds in a multitude of ways. Patches can be listed by type, characteristics, by the source instrument used or via an artists list, which bundles patches into ‘tribute’ packs inspired by everyone from The Beatles or Stevie Wonder to Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada. Users can also organise patches for quick recall themselves, using a system of favourites and a more elaborate Playlist function, whereby patches can be grouped into songs as part of a wider setlist.

It’s worth mentioning at this point that AstroLab doesn’t just let users load a single preset at a time. The instrument has two patch slots, each of which can hold any stored sound. These can be arranged in layers – the volume of each adjusted separately – or split across the keyboard, the application of which is as easy as holding down the Split button and assigning the split point.

Arturia Astrolab : Performance and verdict

AstroLab is an instrument aimed first and foremost at performers. As such, playability is as important a factor as the interface or sounds, and AstroLab impresses on this front too. The instrument comes equipped with a semi-weighted 61-note keyboard that feels nice to play and responds to velocity and aftertouch. Some may bemoan the fact that the pitch and mod wheels are placed above, rather than to the side of the keyboard, but this comes down to personal taste. 

There are other nice touches to suit gigging musicians too – multiple pedal inputs, the option to run audio through the instrument via Bluetooth or an analogue input – the latter also allowing connection of a mic for use of the V Collection’s Moog Vocoder – and the fact that the power connector screws into the unit to avoid being accidentally pulled out.

AstroLab feels thoroughly sturdy too, as you’d hope from a performance instrument. It also looks smart and attractive, only marginally let down by the fact that close inspection reveals the ‘wood grain’ on its end panels to be a printed effect.

Control and connect

The highlight of AstroLab is how it interacts with Analog Lab and the V Collection beyond its internal engine. While the instrument itself is essentially bound to playing presets, the capabilities of the instruments it draws on puts it in a realm somewhat removed from other stage keyboards. 

While much of the collection covers ‘staples’ for performance keyboards – pianos, EPs, organs, vintage polysynths – it also spans multiple esoteric classics such as Buchla’s Music Easel, the EMS Synthi, or early sampling workstations like the Fairlight CMI and Synclavier. These inclusions, among others, give AstroLab users access to a wider library of sounds that encompass everything from oddball synth sequences to ambient textures, percussive loops and modern cinematic orchestral sounds.

With connectivity via WiFi and Bluetooth, AstroLab is designed to seamlessly integrate with both desktop and mobile tools. On the latter front that equates to the new AstroLab Connect app, which is a well-designed tool for organising patches and playlists via iOS or Android. It also lets users browse, download and purchase additional sound packs and load them directly to the hardware. 

Workflow

On desktop, the included Analog Lab Pro software allows access to the full library of patches in-the-box and transfer of sounds between the software and hardware. AstroLab comes loaded with some 1000 patches but, according to Arturia, Analog Lab Pro offers access to over 7000. It’s worth noting, however, that at launch AstroLab does not include sounds from the latest additions to V Collection X.

Of course, owners of the full plugin versions of any synth – these aren’t included with AstroLab – have the option to create custom patches from scratch, which can be loaded into the hardware just as easily as library presets. In this sense, the real jewel in its crown is Pigments, at least for those inclined to shell out for the plugin. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more versatile and capable software synth on the market than Pigments right now, the design of which includes VA, sampling, additive and wavetable engines, alongside a multitude of filter, effect and modulator types. 

While none of these elements can be accessed directly from the AstroLab hardware itself, for synthesists the combination of desktop and hardware creates a neat workflow whereby users can design synth patches of near-limitless scope in the plugin and then easily move that sound – equipped with macros to control the core elements – across to the hardware for live performance.

There are a few caveats to this, created by the limitations of AstroLab’s onboard processing. The most significant is that the granular engines in Pigments and the Augmented plugins aren’t available. Some plugins’ convolution reverb effects are swapped out for less demanding versions too. There are limitations to polyphony that differ from instrument to instrument. The pianos and organs are all 48-voice polyphonic, while polysynths – including Pigments – are 8-voice when used with the hardware. This also limits the unison mode. Some emulated instruments, such as the Buchla Easel, are monophonic.

Arps, scales and loops

With most of the focus on the sound library and keyboard itself, AstroLab offers little in the way of bells and whistles, but there are a few additional features. There’s an arpeggiator, which is fairly simple in its application but makes a particularly nice addition when playing layered sounds. 

There are also chord and scale functions, which make use of the light guide above the keys to indicate the currently stored chord shape or the notes that apply to the selected scale. One minor annoyance on this front is that changing presets always resets the chord/scale assignment, which can be irritating for auditioning sounds.

There’s also a MIDI looper, which is disappointingly basic. It allows users to record and save loops of up to 32 bars to act as a backing track, which is handy, but there’s no option to overdub or edit recordings. Basic sequencing functionality or parameter automation would have been nice too, but both are sadly missing.

Conclusion

At a fundamental level, AstroLab is a simple concept that’s executed well. It puts ease-of-use, speed and versatility ahead of sound design depth – at least when it comes to the hardware – and the result is a package with a lot to offer gigging musicians and players who want access to a broad and interesting array of sounds. Admittedly, it has less to offer as a purely studio instrument; for all that it does well, there’s little here that can’t be achieved with just the plugin and one of Arturia’s existing controllers, aside from latency-free monitoring.

Other stage keyboards have more depth when it comes to pianos and organs – and some may find the macro focus of AstroLab too limited. It’s also, at launch, only available in 61-note form, so many players may choose to hold out for an 88-note version. But combined with Arturia’s wider plugin library, there’s nothing else out there that offers breadth and convenience like this.

MusicRadar verdict: AstroLab is a well-considered and versatile performance instrument that sensibly prioritises ease-of-us above all else.

Arturia Astrolab : Hands-on demos

MusicRadar Techhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjoSHwm8zsE&t=18s

BoBeats

Midlife Synthesist

Arturia Astrolab : Specifications

• 61-key stage keyboard powered by Arturia’s Analog Lab software, V Collection and Pigments
• Bundled with Analog Lab Pro, AstroLab Connect (free download from Apple/Google Play stores)
• Contact: Arturia

French manufacturer Arturia has teased a mysterious announcement to be unveiled at an "exclusive livestream event" scheduled for Tuesday April 9th.

"25 years, and beyond," the teaser reads, accompanied by a video of an astronaut floating in space. "A new era awaits, and you're invited to witness its dawn". 

Speculation in the comments is rife, with many hoping for an addition to the company's well-loved Brute line of hardware synthesizers, or a Mk3 version of its popular KeyLab MIDI keyboard. 

Judging by the extraterrestrial theme to Arturia's teaser, whatever they have in store should be out of this world. 

The livestream event will commence at 6PM CEST on April 9th. When we know more, so will you.

This week on MusicRadar, we're stacking up hardware synths against their software counterparts as part of the Great Synth Showdown. In our first round, we pit the mighty Prophet-5 against Arturia's excellent emulation.

The original Sequential Prophet-5 might not have been the first actual polyphonic synth, but to many it felt that way. It was certainly the machine that elegantly put all the voices together under one roof, added the presets and made the whole package relatively portable. This meant that to many players of the time, this was the first real-deal polysynth. 

Sequential made three versions of the synth during its initial run between 1978 and 1984. It shifted 6,000 units – which might sound like small fry, but the people who bought them weren’t your average Joes. From ABBA to Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk to Genesis, the machine quickly attained ‘legendary’ status. 

Post ’84 and things became quite digital in the synth world and company turmoil forced the Sequential name out of Dave Smith’s hands. Still, in 2020 he, now with his name back, relaunched the Prophet-5 as the fourth revision. It's the currently available synth that we have for our comparisons here. 

This machine is essentially identical to the original, with the ability to select between all three earlier revisions with a switchable filter. It’s a joyous machine to use, a proper piece of furniture with its wooden finish, totally at odds with the convenience of software, which is why there are so many of the latter options available for you. 

For this, we’ve chosen the longstanding Arturia Prophet-5 V, itself currently one of the slickest-performing Prophet-5 emulations out there. There are others, of course, from the likes of Softube (Model 80) and u-he (Repro-5), but this is probably the most rounded, offering a great balance of authenticity vs newer features.

You can buy Prophet-5 V as part of the V-Collection bundle which, with everything else you get in that bundle, means it costs around £500. Or you can buy it on its own for $199. Either way, it’s worth remembering that it’s a lot less than the hardware version, which will set you back around £3500. 

When balancing hardware vs software like this, you have to take account of the fact that these aren’t really fair comparisons; you’re buying into two very different lifestyles. As computer musicians, we’re used to – spoilt by, even – the convenience of having so many classic polysynths on our desktops, and for not very much money. 

Buy an expensive hardware polysynth and you’re buying into a different lifestyle where that instrument demands your attention, mostly to justify the outlay – it’s not something you’d just leave in your plugins folder untouched and ignored, put it that way.

But will that extra three grand really buy you a better sound? Time to find out…

Prophet-5: listen for yourself

We have four audio examples from our Prophet-5s for you to listen to above; for each patch, you'll hear the hardware first, then the software. There are a few direct comparisons because the Arturia version features many of the original presets as, of course, does the hardware. 

It’s these that we have focused on as they offer more direct comparisons. But, to be honest, there are better sounds to be heard on both the hardware and software versions, so don’t judge either on the presets we’ve chosen – they’ve merely been picked for their crossover potential. 

Our software signals have been generated within the DAW, with the hardware Prophet-5 being played directly into an Audient EVO 16 audio interface, with no additional hardware. The audio is as follows (from each of our Prophets):

1. 514 percussive piano

A Prophet-classic piano tone.

2. 542 Slow Syns Sweep

Loud and brash lead.

3. 536 Release repeat

Unusual saw lead.

4. 553 Descending bells

A sound straight off an early Numan or Japan record.

Arturia MiniFreak 2.0: What is it?

Easily one of the most significant selling points in favour of hybrid analogue/digital hardware synths is the potential for the instruments to be upgraded throughout their lifespan. 

While the purely analogue elements are effectively fixed as-is, anything digital within a synth’s engine is ripe with potential for new features, enhancements or a complete overhaul via firmware updates. It’s something we’ve seen bring exciting new features to the likes of UDO’s Super 6 and Korg’s Minilogue XD in recent years.

Arturia has already proved itself reliable at bringing major enhancements to its existing instruments. Earlier this year, the French brand once again overhauled its hybrid MicroFreak synth with a fifth major firmware update, and now it’s the turn of its bigger and newer sibling, the MiniFreak.

Arturia MiniFreak 2.0: Performance and verdict

MiniFreak’s 2.0 update brings a new oscillator engine along with enhancements to the effects and presets. On the former front, users get a whole new Wavetable engine to play with, which comes stocked with 32 factory wavetables. 

As with MiniFreak’s other engines, the Wavetable mode is relatively simplistic. Control is handled by the Type, Timbre, Wave and Shape parameters, as with other engines, which here are used to select the wavetable, scan through the position, alter the pulse width and apply a bi-directional filter, respectively.

It’s a slight shame that the engine can only be used in the Osc 1 slot, and that there’s currently no way to upload user wavetables. That said, the simplicity is kind of the point – what we love about the MiniFreak is how easy it makes it to mix and match digital synthesis approaches and tweak the parameters of each. 

Wavetable capabilities are a sensible addition too, given MiniFreak’s powerful modulation tools, and the new engine adds a nice extension to the range of tones the synth can create.

The other major addition is a new Super Unison effect, which adds a thick, chorus-like detune. As you’d hope given the name, it immediately makes any patch sound huge, and modulating the time parameter opens up plenty of potential for additional movement.

Of course, MiniFreak exists in two forms – the original hardware version and its software MiniFreak V counterpart, which also gains these new features. Owners of the hardware automatically have access to both, and in fact will be required to install the latest version of the plugin in order to update the hardware. As it happens, for hardware users the MiniFreak V application can act as an incredibly handy tool for managing presets. 

Alongside the new firmware, Arturia has also launched a host of new sound packs for use with both versions of the synth. Three of these are free, and worth adding to your library. MiniFreak V is exceptionally handy for testing and auditioning sounds from these, so that you can then transfer your favourites to the hardware. On that note, the 2.0 firmware also adds a new ‘favourite’ option for presets, allowing 64 to be assigned to the sequencer steps for quick access.

MusicRadar verdict: An impressive free update that adds extra sonic scope and enhanced usability to one of our favourite synths of recent years.

Arturia MiniFreak 2.0: Hands-on demos

Arturia

Oscillator Sink

The Unperson

Davide Puxeddu

Arturia MiniFreak 2.0: Specifications

• KEY FEATURES: Update for the hardware MiniFreak and software MiniFreak V. Free for existing users. Price for new users: MiniFreak €599, MiniFreak V €199. Purchase of the hardware includes software version.
• CONTACT: Arturia

Arturia has announced Efx Refract, a stereo multi-effect "with versatility at its core", and has only gone and made it free until the 4 January. It's the latest in a series of free music software giveaways this year, making 2023 something of a bumper freebie year.  And if you download one free plugin this year, we reckon you should make it this one…

Refract is a multi-effect with a unison-based architecture, meaning that the sound or note is multiplied and subsequent effect processing takes place in parallel. This results in that rich, phasing chorus-like effect you get when multiple signals drift out of phase, effectively meaning a bigger sound. We're liking the sound of Refract so far. 

The first process, then, is the Refraction, whereby Refract takes your input and duplicates it to up to eight stereo voices. This spread of sound is then passed through Refract's multi-effect chain... and here's where it gets even more interesting. 

You get five effects – BandPass Filter, Comb Filter, Bitcrusher, Distortion and Harmonizer – which can be added to each of those (up to) eight voices and processed individually, before being summed back together. 

It's a unique setup that Arturia says, "allows for some wild, new and creative results". 

The company believes that some of the results you get with Refract's effect combinations are quite surprising, telling us that it's easy to create metallic-style reverbs, surreal shimmers, melodic bit crush effects and monster basses.

We're going to download it right now, and think you should too, so head on over to Arturia's website.Efx Refract will be free of charge until 4 January 2024, and will cost $99/€99 thereafter.

Every year, when we review the latest version of Arturia's V Collection - the company's flagship library of classic keyboard emulations - we conclude that it's the best yet, and then ask, 'what can possibly be added in the next version?' And every year Arturia manages to pull off a decent upgrade. The latest, V Collection X, is very decent indeed, with six new instruments, expansion packs and Acid appeal.  

The problem Arturia faces with V Collection now is that there are only a finite number of decent keyboards and synths worth emulating, and pretty much everything has already been covered. In version 9, then, Arturia added a new 'Augmented' range of instruments, as well as a smattering of older emulations. 

The latest V Collection X continues this trend with three new Augmented titles - Woodwinds, Brass and Grand Piano - and some more old stuff, while simultaneously refreshing some of the bundle's classic plugins.

The new two classic instrument emulations are CP-70 V, Arturia's take on the Yamaha CP-70 electric piano, and Acid, an emulation of a classic bass synth which clearly has TB-303 aspirations. This made its debut earlier this year.

CP-70 V uses both samples and modelling to create the "intimate stage sound" of the original piano, while Acid V has more features than the original machine to create "ever-evolving lysergic grooves and mutated sequences."

'Lysergic' is a kind of acid, before you ask.

A third instrument emulation is more up-to-date, and based on one of Arturia's own hardware synths, the MiniFreak. The software MiniFreak V version already comes free with that hardware, or you can buy it separately for €199, but is now a great asset to V Collection X, too.

It emulates the multi-engined approach of the excellent MiniFreak, which we described as "a versatile-sounding hybrid synth that’s a joy to get hands-on with". MiniFreak is also an expanded version of Arturia's popular MicroFreak. 

Too many Freaks? Let's move on.

Arturia has also refreshed a couple of V Collection classics in the 'X' update. Both Mini V and Wurli V have been "completely rebuilt from the ground-up", so now come with new sound engines, and some unspecified extra features.

The Augmented instruments were a neat addition to v9 and the Brass, Woodwind and Grand Piano extras that arrive in X are not totally unexpected – the Augmented range was always an obvious one for V Collection to expand on.

Each of the titles in the range focuses on one instrument, but hands-on controls enable you to massively expand on that sound, resulting in surprisingly diverse presets, and the capability to create more. The new Grand Piano, for example, has loads of hands-on effects to help take its sound way beyond the norm.

Finally, Arturia has added three expansion packs to V Collection X: Evocative Ambient Spaces, Innovative Underground Sounds and Modern Soul Essences.

There's a special introductory price on V Collection X running to January 7. Registered Arturia users simply need to log into their accounts and "unlock their exclusive discounts". The standard price is €599.

You can get more information on V Collection from the Arturia website.

Arturia loves a limited-edition keyboard, so we weren’t particularly surprised to learn that the company is now offering an alternative take on the KeyStep Pro. The so-called Chroma version comes in dark grey, offers blue LEDs and enables you to customise your track colours.

Launched in 2020, the standard KeyStep Pro is a 37-note mini-keyed controller with four-track sequencing capabilities. There’s MIDI and CV/gate connectivity, and an OLED screen.

We rated it pretty highly in our KeyStep Pro review, noting that, “For melodic sequencing duties and flexible hardware control, this is one of the best devices on the market.”

The KeyStep Pro Chroma is cut from similar if different coloured cloth. As well as the aforementioned features, it also comes with new knob caps.

There’s also good news for owners of the standard model, as a free v2.5 firmware update adds increased levels of functionality. You can now send program changes per pattern and per track, the Transpose button can be latched, and track-specific settings can quickly be changed by pressing Shift plus the track number. You can also set a fixed velocity for pressed keys and triggered notes.

The KeyStep Pro Chroma is available now priced at €499. Find out more on the Arturia website.

With so many of them on the market, it can be difficult to tell one MIDI keyboard from another. But, although you might think they look the same as similarly priced models, Arturia’s KeyLab Essential mk3 ‘boards are actually a class apart.

By strict definition, the word ‘essential’ means something that’s absolutely necessary, but it can also have slightly negative connotations. In the case of the KeyLab range, you might think that it implies that this particular controller is stripped back to the very basics - the ‘essentials’ - and lacking in functionality.

Not so, we can confirm, as, despite being competitively priced, both the 49- and 61-note versions of the KeyLab Essential mk3 have feature sets that put many of their rivals’ to shame.

New control layout

Of course, the first test any keyboard needs to pass relates to its playability, and the KeyLab Essential mk3 does so with flying colours thanks to its high-quality build and keybed. Above the keys, the layout of the controls has been improved in comparison to the previous version, with a bigger display for easier software navigation, more knobs and encoders, and improved velocity- and pressure-sensitivity in the eight pads.

The new design is based on input from user feedback and several Q&A sessions that were held in order to create a layout more suited to users’ workflows. Now, when navigating software, you can filter by category, instrument and more, making the process of finding your perfect sound super easy and leading to a faster creative experience.

Next-level software integration 

There’s also deeper DAW control, with custom scripts that were made by each DAW’s developers to ensure super-tight integration as soon as you plug in. As you’d expect, you also get seamless control of Arturia’s Analog Lab V software, which comes in the box, and the company’s other instruments and effects.

Analog Lab V is worthy of special mention here, as it contains a superb collection of presets that are derived from Arturia’s flagship V Collection instruments. You’re getting great sounds out of the box, and with the minimum of fuss.

Other supplied software includes Ableton Live Lite, UVI’s Model D synth and Native Instruments’ The Gentleman, a high-quality piano.

Enhanced performance capabilities 

That all? Certainly not; because Arturia knows that not everyone who plays keyboards is Jacob Collier, it’s brought a Chord Mode to the KeyLab Essential mk3, which enables you to trigger preset or custom chord shapes with a single keypress. Other player aids include scale locking, which ensures that you’ll stay in key (multiple standard scales are supported and you can also customise your own) and an arpeggiator. 

What’s more, all three of these modes can be used together: you can play a chord with a single key, arpeggiate it and lock it to a scale of your choosing. Taken together, these and all the aforementioned features help to remove any creative barriers to your music making.

So, while it would be tempting to say that the KeyLab Essential gives you everything you need and nothing that you don’t, what’s closer to the truth is that it gives you everything you need and some other stuff that you probably didn’t expect in a keyboard at this price point. And if that isn’t an essential MIDI keyboard, we don’t know what is.

Find out more on the Arturia website.

If you’re primarily an in-the-box music producer, an audio interface with just a couple of inputs and outputs should suit you fine, but for those who’ve invested heavily in hardware synths and outboard gear, it’s a different story. In this case, something with considerably more I/O and features is required - something that can serve as the central hub of your studio. Enter the Artruia AudioFuse 16Rig, a highly flexible audio interface that can also function standalone and as a live mixer.

You’ll probably know Arturia from its highly-regarded synths (both software and hardware) and MIDI controllers, but since 2015, when it announced the original AudioFuse, the company has been a player in the audio interface game, too. Since then we’ve had the expanded AudioFuse Studio and more affordable MiniFuse devices, and now we’re getting AudioFuse 16Rig, the most connectivity-laden ‘Fuse to date.

One of the most appealing features of the AudioFuse 16Rig for hardware owners is the set of 16 line inputs - just what you need for plugging in lots of gear. While most other interfaces with a significant number of line inputs have db25 connectors which require expensive custom cabling, the 16Rig’s line inputs are TRS, which means that standard TRS cables can be used. You name it and the 16Rig can accommodate it: synths, drum machines, outboard gear, guitar effects pedals and anything else you happen to have in your studio. There are preamps on two of the inputs, too.

Thanks to the built-in routing matrix, meanwhile, the 16Rig enables you to do things with your hardware that other interfaces simply wouldn’t allow. Running a soft synth through a hardware distortion pedal, for example, would usually require a patchbay and a re-amp circuit, but not here. Similarly, running vocals through a hardware reverb would normally require you to use DSP, but the 16Rig has this covered, too.

Speaking of routing, the 16Rig’s capabilities in this area extend to MIDI, which can be treated in the same way as audio. Plug a USB keyboard into the front of the interface and it can be set up to control any connected MIDI hardware.

And if this is starting to sound complicated, fear not, as all routing can be managed in the AudioFuse Control Suite software. Thanks to its clear visual map, this makes configuring even the most complex routing setups a cinch. 

We should also mention that among the 12 analogue outputs are eight DC coupled line outputs, making it possible for you to drive modular synths using your DAW. This functionality is supported by the likes of Ableton Live Suite and the VCV Rack Eurorack simulator. Bear in mind, too, that the AudioFuse can send analogue clock signals to be used as a master clock for a modular system.

Onboard mixing features are also comprehensive. Indeed, the matrix mixer enables you to send any audio input to any audio output and any MIDI input to any MIDI output. What’s more, the AudioFuse 16Rig can function as a standalone mixer with full USB control - perfect for when you want to use lots of gear in a live setting but don’t want to bring the laptop along for the ride.

AudioFuse 16Rig comes with plenty of other features to make your life easier, too. Multiple input/output configurations can easily be saved and recalled; outputs 3 and 4 are replicated on the front panel (allowing for easy access) and can be used either for re-amping or as a second set of heapdhone outputs; and you can drive multiple speaker setups to give you more monitoring options. And let’s not forget that AudioFuse 16Rig can function as a USB MIDI host, meaning that it’s capable of syncing together all your MIDI gear, not just the stuff that has DIN ports.

This is a great interface for those who have lots of hardware, then, but it also ships with the excellent AudioFuse Creative Suite software. This killer bundle contains Analog Lab Intro, a plugin that contains huge library of presets taken from Arturia’s award-winning V Collection instruments, and a slew of effects that are modelled on classic studio gear.

So, whether you want to make music with or without a DAW - at home, in your studio or on stage - AudioFuse 16Rig gives you the freedom to do it.

Find out more on the Arturia website.

Arturia has embraced the trend for packing high-quality presets into accessible interfaces with Analog Lab Play, a simplified version of the existing Analog Lab plugin. What’s more, it’s free.

You get 100 presets to play with, lifted from Arturia’s V Collection instruments and Pigments synth. These can be browsed and tweaked in minimalist GUIs, with macro controls (Brightness, Timbre, Time and Movement) enabling you to make “playful and immediate” changes to your selected sound. There are also four effects: two modulation processors, a delay and a reverb.

Arturia is confident that Analog Lab Play’s design will enable you to find the kind of patch you’re looking for in a matter of seconds, and you can save your favourites for even quicker retrieval later on. 

You’ll also be able to download both free and ‘premium’ (which we guess means ‘paid-for’) expansions via Arturia’s Sound Store, with new content being added on a monthly basis.

The release of Analog Lab Play means that the pre-existing Analog Lab V will now be renamed Analog Lab Pro. This comes with more than 2,000 presets and costs $199, while an update means that it also gets the simplified ‘Play’ view.

Analog Lab Play runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats. Find out more and download it for free on the Arturia website.

Arturia has fitted out its new AudioFuse 16Rig with enough analogue connectivity that it can easily be the hub of your hardware synth studio. In fact it is the most connected of the AudioFuse range thus far. 

It does seem incredible that the original AudioFuse was announced way back in 2015, although it wasn't ready for review until a couple of years after that. A very flexible and highly configurable interface it is too, with four analogue ins and multiple digital connectivity options.

Since then the AudioFuse range has been bolstered with the AudioFuse Studio, a 20-in, 18-out interface with four input channels, and AudioFuse 8Pre, another flexible interface with eight input channels.  

Arturia then focussed on smaller and cheaper audio interfaces with its MiniFuses, but is right back at the top end of connectivity with its new AudioFuse 16Rig rack-mount/desktop interface. 

It is 'high density' which means it adds more analogue inputs than any other Arturia interface, so is focussed on anyone with lots of hardware. That's you, Eurorack and synth users.

Yes, while other AudioFuse specs are bolstered with digital I/O, Arturia is aiming 16Rig's extra analogue connectivity at those of us with an increasingly hardware-based studio. So you get 16 analogue inputs (two with digitally controllable preamps around the front), a whopping 10 analogue outputs, plus up to four headphone outs. 

There's digital connectivity too, with ADAT delivering another 16 channels plus a full complement of MIDI connectors. Heck, you can even use the interface as a USB hub with three extra USB-A sockets on top of its USB-C computer connector. 

Rig16 has digital mixing built in and a ton of audio and MIDI routing, best dealt with by way of the AudioFuse Control Centre app, which looks like it will easily let you connect any inputs to any outputs you like, all by way of a routing matrix.  

Arturia says that the two inputs around the front are great for plugging any any non permanent hardware to your setup and there's even a 3.5mm input next to them to plug your phone or other devices into.

While much of the routing and mixing can be done in Control Centre, 16Rig has been designed so that you can do pretty much everything from the front panel too, with a large dial stepping through main input, output, mix and setup menus, plus button options to take you to more important areas, faster. 

AudioFuse 16Rig is clearly aimed at electronic music producers with lots of keyboards, sound modules, outboard and Eurorack gear. And really it's all about that routing, connectivity and mixing flexibility. 

Arturia wants you to use 16Rig in a setup where you can route your Eurorack through 16Rig into your outboard hardware and back again, all the time playing along with your vast vintage keyboard collection. Indeed it's so hardware focussed that Arturia claims its internal mixing takes the strain away from your DAW. 

16Rig isn't cheap, but you do seem to get a lot of I/O and flexibility for this cash. AudioFuse 16Rig costs €1,299/$1,499 and you can get more info from the Arturia website. 

Arturia FX Collection 4: What is it?

Arturia might be famous for hardware synths like MatrixBrute and PolyBrute, or the vast suite of software instruments that is V Collection – surely everything you could wish for when it comes to vintage keyboard emulations. But what the company is perhaps less well known for is their software effects. They did make headlines releasing bundles of them called (and you either love or hate the name) ‘3 Effects You Will Actually Use’, but those fab threesomes seem to have fallen by the wayside in favour of the FX Collection bundle; the latest here being v4. And while it might not be stealing as many headlines, it deserves the plaudits that the Brutes and V Collection get. Like them, it’s huge. 

Yes, it’s ‘huge’ as in V Collection ‘huge’, because FX Collection has every effect that Arturia has ever done – 30 of them – including all of those ‘3 Effects…’ collections and a whole lot more. Savings, as with V Collection, are pretty big too. The price tag of €499 might look steep, but buy them individually and you’re looking at €2,970.   

Arturia FX Collection 4: Performance and verdict

When you dig into the collection you get five each of compressors and spatial (reverb) effects; four filters; three each of delays, distortions and preamps; two turtle doves (sorry); and the remainder being made up of modulation and filter effect plus the odd EQ. 

The highlights of the collection thus far have most definitely been – again, see V Collection – emulations of absolute studio classics. Who doesn’t want a Roland Space Echo delay, Urei 1176 compressor, and EMT 140 plate reverb in their plugin arsenal? But we also like it when Arturia dig deep into a more modular world, allowing us to use the filter from a Moog or Oberheim synth with Filter MINI and SEM, or the famous Juno chorus effect (Chorus JUN-6). These are neat and specific additions that have rarely been emulated by other companies, well, not as much as the synths in V Collection anyway. And we’ll make our last V Collection reference now (promise) as that title’s latest update has had to focus a little more on newer plugins. There are simply fewer classic synths to emulate – and we’re seeing that trend continue with the latest FX Collection. A little, anyway. 

We’re used to Arturia adding around four plugins to each of their bundle updates and here we get three emulations and one newbie which we’ll start with. Dist Coldfire is a very flexible distortion plugin that features distortion, delays, modulation… actually a vast range of effects, from subtle to crazy. It has a great interface that jigs in time with the effects and makes you feel a little drunk. Coldfire is, frankly, superb.  

To the classics and Rotary CLS-222 is a Leslie speaker simulator, the kind of modulation made famous with an organ but now used to grunge up any sound. It’s a plugin with a surprising flexibility even over its few presets. 

LX24 is a wonderfully easy (but probably very complex) recreation of a Lexicon reverb and again there’s more than you’d expect sonically here, with everything from slightly airy to mountainous and huge – but mostly we want to use the word ‘lush’. Filter MS-20 is the abrasive filter you don’t want your mum to meet but one you always want to use. Again a good number of varied sounds but you’ll be reaching for the distortion control more than you should.  

Is it worth upgrading?

So far it’s very much a case of ‘buy the bundle, save the cash’ – and if you do the maths it only works out at €17 a plugin, which is great news for newcomers to the Arturia effects world. But what about upgrading from previous versions? Well, FX Collection 4 actually delivers quite a bit more over its previous incarnation too. 

Firstly there are several updates for other plugins. EFX Fragments is another one of the non emulation plugins and this granular processor gets a modulation workflow overhaul, while other plugins get added presets. That said, previous FX Collection owners get some of these for free anyway. All effects can now be resized on screen – although we didn’t manage that with some – and all the plugins now support Apple’s latest chips and Native Instruments’ NKS. 

Upgrade pricing from previous versions is a little vague but seems to be between around €29 from FX Collection 3 to €99 from previous versions. Either way, it’s worth doing.  

One for your collection?

You can tell we have a lot of time for – and will spend a lot more time with – FX Collection 4. But it will be the more focussed plugins where we (and probably you) might get the extra benefit. These very specific titles can give you a creative edge that your DAW plugins might not offer. While not a massive hike from v3 – but the update price from v3 to this latest one is not exactly massive (see above) – this is a hugely detailed and creative beast of a bundle. You’ll worry about plugin bloat. And then install them all anyway. 

MusicRadar verdict: A massive set of creative effects, classic mix plugins and essential production tools that deserves as much praise as the Arturia big guns. But do you really need another 30 plugins? Of course you do.

Arturia FX Collection 4: The web says

"It’s a lot of money to pay up front – but that might be the wrong question. The correct question is 'are each of these plugins worth €17?', to which the answer is a resounding 'hell yes!'."
MusicTech

Arturia FX Collection 4: Hands-on demos

Arturia

Creative Sauce

Alex Reid

Nu-Trix The Synth Guy

Arturia FX Collection 4: Specifications

• Mac OS 10.13+. 4GB RAM. 4 cores CPU, 3.4GHz (4.0GHz Turbo-boost) or Apple Silicon CPU. 6GB free hard disk space. OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU.
• Win 10+ (64bit). 4GB RAM. 4 cores CPU, 3.4GHz (4.0GHz Turbo-boost). 6GB free hard disk space. OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. ARM processors not supported on Windows.
• VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).
• Buy at Plugin Boutique

Music production giants Native Instruments and Arturia have teamed up to offer deals on some of the best music software around, slashing prices by 50% if you're quick! If you grab this deal by October 27, you can get half price on a suite of incredible Arturia Augmented instruments or the award-winning Pigments 3 soft synth.

The half price Arturia Augmented Quartet bundle has four instruments that combine state-of-the-art sampling with high-end synthesis to bring you amazingly real-sounding instruments that you can twist to another level. Augmented Grand Piano, Brass, Strings and Voices allow you to tweak controls like Motion and Time to bring in subtle, or not so subtle movement. Add effects to bring in atmosphere or go deeper with more intricate controls to add different textures and colours. Grab all four instruments - which usually retail for around £85 each - for a grand total of just £134.50!

Pigments 3 is Arturia's award-winning soft synth - we scored it 4.5/5 in our review - and is full to the brim with sounds that combine its virtual analogue and wavetable synthesis engines. Pigments is fantastic for more electronic sounds - so is the ideal partner to the Arturia Augmented Quartet - and includes plenty of presets that utilise its built-in arpeggiator and sequencer. It's an amazing deal, so grab it for just £89.50!

Of course all of these Arturia instruments can be controlled with Native Instruments NKS hardware, so if you are lucky enough to own any - including the new Kontrol S-Series Mk3 keyboards - then you can fully explore all of the instruments with ease.

You'll have to be quick to get these deals though, as this offer ends on 27 October! Looking for more bargains like this? Keep tabs on our Black Friday plugin deals page for even more discounts between now and the end of November.

The latest plugin in Arturia’s Efx range is all about adding motion to your music… which is probably why it’s called Efx Motions. 

There are multiple effects onboard - filters, distortion, beat repeating and more - and these are triggered by curves and envelopes that you can draw on the interface. Whether you’re looking for simple automation or polyrhythmic movement, Efx Motions makes it possible.

The plugin is designed to be used both for carrying out mix-fixing tasks - balancing parts, widening, etc - and pulling off more creative tricks, such as adding stutters and making dramatic tonal changes. Indeed, you can apply multiple effects and modulate their parameters simultaneously.

There are five main modules included - Filter, Noise, Drive, Volume and Pan - plus the dedicated Beat Repeat and FX unit that contains five additional tools. 

Efx Motions is available now for the introductory price of €79, though if you log in to your Arturia account, you may find that you’re offered an even better discount. 

Find out more and download a demo (PC/Mac, VST/AU/AAX) on the Arturia website.

Over the past week, we've been getting a little misty-eyed over vintage hardware here at MusicRadar HQ, showing you how to capture the sound of some legendary pieces of gear using modern software.

Today, we turn our attention to software emulations of classic reverbs, lining up six of the most commendable options from UA, Soundtoys, Arturia, Eventide and Cherry Audio.

1. Soundtoys SuperPlate

Platforms: Mac/PC | Price: £119/$147 | Buy

One of the newest and best reverb plugins, SuperPlate is an incredible five plate reverbs in one. Plates are not exactly practical these days but still sound incredible and this is simply the best way to enjoy a lot of them. You get emulations of an EMT 140, EMT 240, Audicon, EcoPlate III, and Stocktronics RX4000 – that’s a lot of vintage plate reverbs that would take up a lot of room (not to mention cash) condensed into one plugin.

2. Cherry Audio Stardust 201

Platforms: Mac/PC | Price: £15/$19 | Buy

Technically the original Roland Space Echo was more delay than reverb but with so many features packed into this emulation, it seems fair to include it here. Stardust 201 is a fantastically flexible emulation; it’s cheap and sounds great. You get seven tape-head modes for a wide range of tape echo modes, a spring reverb, chorus and overdrive. One of the best reverb/delays out there.

3. Eventide SP2016

Platforms: Mac/PC | Price: £213/$265 | Buy

As one of the first studio effects boxes back in 1982, and even one that you could upgrade by plugging into, the original hardware reverb broke ground in many ways. It sounded great too. This emulation covers all the ground of the original – from room to plate reverbs – and sounds as good. Great for no-frills ambience and mighty lushness.

4. Universal Audio Lexicon 224

Platforms: Mac/PC | Price: £174/$215 | Buy

A seriously good emulation of a very serious digital reverb, as used by everyone from Talking Heads to U2 in the late ’70s and ’80s. Lexicon were the big name in studio reverbs back in the day, with the 224 contributing much to that reputation. UA’s take is typically accurate, with the same algorithms as used in the original. It’s one of the most expensive reverbs here but thankfully you don’t need UA hardware to run it.

5. Audio Ease Altiverb

Platforms: Mac/PC | Price: £479/€499 | Buy

Bit of a lazy inclusion, this, because while Altiverb is not a vintage reverb emulation, it is an emulation of everything! You get convolution reverbs of some of the most famous locations in the world – Sydney Opera house to Wembley Stadium – and recording studios like Hansa. Even studio reverb gear. See? It does everything.

6. Arturia 3 Reverbs You'll Actually Use

Platforms: Mac/PC | Price: £85/$99 each | Buy

Arturia named this bundle 3 Reverbs You Will Actually Use, and you really will. OK, only two of these are emulations of vintage reverbs, but very fine ones they are too. You get a fantastic version of an EMT 140 plate, plus Rev SPRING-636, an emulation of the Grampian 636 spring reverb. Add in a new algorithmic reverb called Intensity and this is truly a reverb delight.   

There are plenty of reasons to love the humble arpeggio, and not just because its name rhymes with one of our favourite Italian cheeses. Though that's admittedly pretty high up on the list. 

Made up of the notes of a chord laid out horizontally and played in rapid succession, arpeggios or 'broken chords' are one of the most popular melodic devices in all kinds of music, both old and new. They never seem to go out of date, unlike our beloved taleggio, which has been stinking out the fridge for a few weeks now. 

Feast your ears on this, the 'ultimate' collection of arps, a smorgasbord of broken chords that serves up arpeggiated, tempo-labelled loops played on a variety of classic and modern synths (Roland Juno-60, Arturia MiniBrute, Access Virus B, Novation Bass Station, Roland SH-101 and more) alongside a side dish of multi-samples with which to create your own sample instruments. No cheese course, though, unfortunately. 

What you need to know

All the samples are supplied as WAV files so can be imported directly into your DAW or sampler of choice. Because they're royalty-free, you're welcome to use the samples in your music in any way you like - all we ask is that you don't re-distribute them.

The samples are supplied in a zip file, so you'll need to extract them before you can see them. Enjoy!

Example sounds

Ultimate arps samples: click to download

Ultimate arps samples (195MB)

These samples originally appeared in Future Music Magazine. Check out the latest issue for many more.

Head over to the SampleRadar hub to download over 80,000 more free samples.

Roland S-1 Tweak Synthesizer: What is it?

The S-1 is the latest addition to Roland’s, ultra-portable Aira Compact range. It’s labelled a ‘Tweak Synthesizer’ by Roland, a name that we’d assume alludes to the idea that users will want to ‘tweak’ its parameter controls, but whether the S-1 qualifies as any more or less ‘tweakable’ than other synths is debatable (particularly given that its size necessitates small controls and menu diving).

Nomenclature aside, this is a 4-voice virtual analogue polysynth based loosely on the design of the classic SH-101. The core sound engine is designed to match that of the 101, using Roland’s Analog Circuit Behavior tech to emulate the key synthesis elements. That signal flow breaks down into oscillator and filter sections, combined with a single LFO and ADSR envelope that handle pitch, filter and amp modulation between them.

Patch and tweak

For a pocket-sized synth, the S-1 packs a decent level of connectivity. The front panel has four mini-jack ports. One of these is the sole audio output, joined by an audio input that bypasses the synth engine and is mixed directly into the output. The other two front panel connections are analogue pulse sync in and out ports. 

On the rear panel are USB-C and TRS MIDI in and out ports. As is increasingly common, it’s a shame the required adapters for these MIDI ports aren’t included in the box, but this is compensated for by the flexibility of the USB connection. The S-1 is powered by an internal rechargeable battery with a 4.5-hour life, so the USB port functions for charging, as well as sending MIDI and audio signals.

Roland S-1 Tweak Synthesizer: Performance and verdict

The oscillator has four waves – saw, square with modulatable pulse width, a sine sub and noise, all of which can be used simultaneously and combined. The oscillator has a range control for altering the course tuning and a rotary for applying pitch modulation from the LFO. The filter is a resonant 24db low-pass filter with front panel controls to engage modulation from the LFO or envelope. Along with their front panel assignments both the LFO and envelope can be routed to modulate the oscillator pulse width, but doing so requires diving into a secondary menu.

Despite the similarities in the sound engine, it would be a little misleading to describe the S-1 as a SH-101 clone. For one thing, by replacing the 101’s slider-based interface, keyboard and simplistic sequencer with a diddy, rotary-packed UI and sequencer that – despite looking rather basic – offers a considerable amount of flexibility, the process of interacting with the S-1 feels vastly different to that of its influence. What’s more, while the 101 was a simplistic, what-you-see-is-what-you-get instrument, there’s far more depth to the S-1 than first meets the eye.

As mentioned already, the S-1 deviates from the monophonic 101 with four voices of polyphony. There are four modes making use of this: monophonic, polyphonic, a thick unison mode, and a chord function. Setting the intervals for the chord mode is a little fiddly, as it requires adjusting the tuning for each voice individually, but it’s a great addition nonetheless. Perfect for Detroit-style chord riffs or dubby stabs.

With the S-1, Roland has also added some genuinely inventive wave-shaping tools. These are labelled Draw and Chop and are operated using the 16 sequencer buttons. Draw applies to just the square wave output. Here the oscillator wave is divided into 16 equal segments, allowing users to set the level of each in order to shape the overall wave. There’s also a multiply function, which pitches up the waveform in a manner similar to the ratio settings common to FM synths. 

Chop, meanwhile, uses the sequencer to hack cuts out of the waveshape by varying degrees. This can be applied to any of the oscillator waves, including the sub and noise. By chopping and blending elements of each, it’s possible to effectively hack together elaborate waveshapes. There’s a comb effect available here too, increasing the repetition of the chops for metallic-sounding results.

These oscillator shaping functions can be a little fiddly, and editing using the sequencer without a proper visual representation of the overall wave isn’t the most intuitive process. But it’s an interesting and fun tool to play around with. While the resulting effect doesn’t radically transform the sound of the S-1 – it’s still confined by the relatively simple virtual analogue format – it does broaden the scope and make it possible to achieve digital tones that wouldn’t be accessible from a straight 101 clone. For an instrument of this size, at this price point, it’s a very welcome inclusion.

The S-1 also adds reverb, delay and chorus effects. The first two each have a single rotary control on the front panel, which doubles up to adjust level and timing (as a shift function). Both can be further refined with a variety of different characteristics changeable via their respective menus. Chorus is only accessible as an on/off function in the synth’s global settings menu, where one of four preset effects can be engaged.

The surprising depth of the S-1 carries across to the sequencer, too. What looks at first like a simple button keyboard/sequencer is enhanced with features like per-step probability, sub step inputs, an arpeggiator, and automation of up to eight parameters for each step. Sequences can be up-to 64 steps, with options to add shuffle, loop selected steps and transpose the current pitch.

Another esoteric touch is D-Motion, which was also present on the recent SH-4d and allows users to modulate selected parameters by titling the unit. It’s a more usable feature here; given the small size of the S-1, it’s far easier to hold in one hand and tilt to change the sound whilst still playing or performing with your other hand.

For such a small and well-priced instrument, it all adds up to a lot of power. It’s not without compromises – the small size means that important features, such as the chorus, portamento and delay feedback, are hidden amongst sub menus, and the controls can feel fiddly and imprecise at times. But there’s no doubt you get a lot for your money here; it can do a solid impression of SH-101 basses and leads, but is capable of chord stabs and swells and interesting digital tones too. Combined, this makes for a great first hardware synth or simply a fun, pocket-sized addition to any studio. 

MusicRadar verdict: Deceptively handy and inventive, the S-1 is a great starter synth and much more than just another retro revival from Roland.

Roland S-1 Tweak Synthesizer: The web says

"It has plenty of hands-on controls, sounds great and is deceptively powerful for the price. But it is also, perhaps, too complex."
Engadget

Roland S-1 Tweak Synthesizer: Hands-on demos

MusicRadar

RolandChannel

Alamo Music Sound Lab

loopop

Andertons Synths, Keys and Tech

Roland S-1 Tweak Synthesizer: Specifications

• KEY FEATURES I/O: Audio out and in, pulse sync out and in, MIDI out and in (TRS), USB (for charging, MIDI and class compliant audio). 4-voice virtual analogue polysynth with 64-step sequencer. 64 pattern memory. Delay, reverb and chorus effects. Powered by rechargeable battery.
• CONTACT: Roland 

The Neve 1073 is a classic mic pre-amp and EQ and can be used to produce very tight kicks and snare sounds together, and very quickly. 

Here we’ve loaded in a simple kick-snare loop. There are loads of great software emulations to choose from, but this time we’re opting for the Arturia Pre 1973 Neve emulation.

We’ll start with the kick drum, so solo that track and apply some settings to the three main bands of the Neve emulations. Ignore the low shelf, go for 60Hz or thereabouts on the Low Shelf frequency dial. The difference shouldn’t be too pronounced… yet.

The Presence or hi-mid dial adds a surprising amount of snap to the kick and really makes a difference, so experiment here. We’ve gone for the higher value of 7.2kHz but this will depend on your initial kick sound. Now listen to the kick before and after by bypassing the Arturia; it should sound a lot more present and cut through. 

With the snare, the big difference is that you’re going to bring in the high-pass filter at 50Hz at the bottom, thus taking all the muddiness away from the snare sound – and taking it away from the kick’s frequency domain. Already they should sit better together.

Dial up the Low shelf to between 110 and 220Hz depending on your snare sound. Moving to the Presence band, go for 7.2kHz but again, do experiment. Switch the bypass in and out to hear the effect. 

If you don't have Arturia's 1073 emulation, Analog Obsession does a great 1073 as part of its BritBundle. Subscribing to its Patreon page will snag you all of its plugins for free. Alternatively, you can snag Acustica Audio's Pink CM for free with any issue of Computer Music Magazine. Try similar settings on your kick and snare; it won’t quite give you the Neve sound but will get close!

Given its prediliction for emulating classic synths in software, you might be surprised to learn that Roland’s TB-303 had previously escaped Arturia’s attention, but no longer. The Acid V is here, and promises to be as closely modelled on the much-loved bassline box as you’d expect.

In fact, Arturia says that the 303 has been recreated with “component-level accuracy,” and the sequencer has been emulated, too. There are also new features, including enhanced effects that promise to make the Acid V sound “darker, deeper, and more impactful than the original”.

The counter argument to this, of course, is that there are loads of 303 emulations out there already - Roland’s own plugin, D16 Phosycon 2 and Audiorealism’s Bass Line 3 to name just three of them. Whether Arturia’s software will offer anything significant that these don’t remains to be seen.

Happily, you can find out for yourself by downloading a demo from the Arturia website. Acid V runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats, and existing Arturia customers are advised to log in to their accounts for an introductory discount. Everyone else can currently purchase it for €99 (regular price will be €199).

Arturia MicroFreak v5: What is it?

You have to admire Arturia’s commitment to the MicroFreak. It was already an impressive instrument when it landed in 2021, combining an analogue filter with a multitude of digital oscillator modes that brought a touch of Eurorack-inspired eccentricity to the budget synth realm. 

Its capabilities have continued to grow since launch though, with various firmware updates adding new presets, improved modulation and additional engine modes, including a vocoder. Now it’s received yet another major update – arguably its most significant yet.

Arturia MicroFreak v5: Performance and verdict

The headline features of v5 are a quartet of sample synthesis modes. The first of these, simply named Sample, is the most straightforward. This turns the digital oscillator into a looping sample player – making use of one-shot samples, as opposed to the existing wavetable modes. As with other modes, the sound can be shaped using the Wave, Timbre and Shape dials, which here control sample start and end points and loop length, respectively.

The remaining are a trio of granular synthesis modes, differentiated by the way they read the sample’s grains. These are named Scan Grains, Cloud Grains and Hit Grains. The first of these offers what could probably be called ‘standard’ granular synthesis. Here the Wave control adjusts the speed at which the oscillator scans through the sample, Timbre alters the density of waves generated and Shape applies randomness to the size, distribution and pitch of the grains. A soft volume envelope is applied to grain playback, resulting in a sound that stutters slightly without being too abrupt.

Cloud Grains, as its name implies, specialises in creating granular cloud effects, whereby the close proximity of grains creates a soft, ambient effect. Here the Wave control switches to adjusting the start position from which grains are collected, allowing users to home in on a particular tone or texture within a sample source. Finally, Hit Grains applies a more abrupt envelope to grain playback, resulting in a far more glitchy and stuttering take on granular playback.

MicroFreak can now house up to 128 samples with a total maximum length of 210 seconds, which can be managed – including the ability to upload user sounds – via Arturia’s slick MIDI Control Center app. These new modes add to the flexibility of the MicroFreak considerably; although the wavetable modes already allowed for a certain amount of ‘natural’ textures alongside the digital synth tones, it’s now incredibly fun to incorporate acoustic and found-sound sources amongst the rest of the synthesis tools. It also broadens MicroFreaks ability to work with percussive and non-tonal sounds, bolstered by another feature update – the addition of new, extra-snappy percussive envelope modes.

The firmware also lets the keyboard function as a modulation source, either in a linear fashion or randomised, resulting in sample-and-hold style modulation triggered by each key press. The update is rounded out by a generous selection of new presets. Given that this is the fifth significant iteration in under three years, all included free for a sub-£300 synth, it’s undeniably impressive.

MusicRadar verdict: MicroFreak v5 is another substantial and genuinely useful update to what was already a bargain synth.

Arturia MicroFreak v5: Hands-on demos

Arturia

AutomaticGainsay

Oscillator Sink

Arturia MicroFreak v5: Specifications

• KEY FEATURES Firmware update, free to existing users. Adds four new oscillator ‘engine’ modes, along with user sample upload, snappy envelope mode and keyboard modulation options.
• CONTACT: Arturia 

Arturia KeyLab Essential Mk3: What is it?

Arturia’s affordable KeyLab Essential range has just been overhauled. Available in 49-note and 61-note versions in either black or white, we’ve got a white 61-note unit. 

The core controls look much like its predecessor, but on closer inspection it’s obvious the whole thing has had a considerable upgrade, with an excellent new display, improved backlit buttons and pads, and overall slicker casework. 

Round the back, things have also changed, with a regular MIDI output joined by a software definable footswitch input (sustain, expression and footswitch). Meanwhile computer connectivity is now via USB-C, which doubles as a power input for standalone use. Alas, there are no CV outputs but we don’t think that’s much of a surprise at this price point.  

Arturia KeyLab Essential Mk3: Performance and verdict

The top panel has been reworked around the new display, which incorporates four backlit contextual buttons allowing flexible feature implementation. There are no longer specifically labelled Ableton Live or Arturia Analog Lab buttons. However, what you now have is a multifunction Part button that accesses a 2-layer editable keyboard split (a new feature) and also allows you to switch between two parts in Arturia’s Analog Lab V. Further panel controls include arpeggiator, note hold and both scale and chord modes.

As before, behaviour of the faders, encoders and panel controls is defined by one of three program modes (Arturia, DAW and User), but this is now supported by the much more informative screen. Arturia mode is designed to control Analog Lab V and other Arturia synths, with faders, encoders and display soft keys assigned accordingly. The main rotary encoder is used for preset navigation and loading. Meanwhile grabbing other controls reveals their parameter names and values onscreen.  

For DAW control mode, there are installable scripts for five main DAWs. As an example, in Logic Pro the channel navigation uses the main rotary encoder, meanwhile channel mute and solo are screen soft keys, and channel pan and level use fader and encoder nine. The remaining encoders and faders are automatically assigned to instrument controls. The assignments work better for some instruments than others, but with full parameter feedback on the display, it’s easy to see what you’re modifying. If you do want more specific assignments, the User program mode can be used in conjunction with Arturia’s MIDI Control Centre software. This same software is used to adjust other settings such as the footswitch mode mentioned above.

The Keylab Essential Mk3 action is a hybrid synth-piano feel that is precise and reasonably springy, and mechanical noise is kept in check, which we like. 

Meanwhile, the mod wheel and pitch bend are physically a bit lightweight, but function fine. Users benefit from a solid software bundle that includes Arturia Analog Lab V, Ableton Live Lite, two piano instruments (NI The Gentleman and UVI Model D), 40 free music lessons on Melodics and a 2-month trial subscription for Loopcloud.

All told, we really like this controller and it offers good features for the money. It’s at its best integrating with Arturia’s Analog Lab V, but the new display delivers good and immediate feedback, working very well with the script supported DAWs.

MusicRadar verdict: Better and slicker than its predecessor, delivering great controller features, quality design and easy DAW integration at a good price.

Arturia KeyLab Essential Mk3: The web says

"A clean and tidy refresh that brings decent DAW integration to an already deeply embedded Arturia control party."
Sound On Sound

Arturia KeyLab Essential Mk3: Hands-on demos

Arturia

Sanjay C

JohnPaul Music UK

Patrick Breen

Arturia KeyLab Essential Mk3: Specifications

• KEY FEATURES 61-note velocity sensitive keyboard with hybrid synth-piano feel, 8 touch and pressure sensitive pads, 2.5” bright LCD display with backlit contextual buttons, 1 main encoder, 9 rotary encoders, 9 x 30mm faders, 8 transport and 4 command buttons.
• CONTACT: Arturia 

This is Show Us Your Studio, a chance for our readers to show off their set-up, shout about their gear and invite the world into their home studio. This week's studio shot has been submitted by MusicRadar reader Parsoa Khorsand.

Parsoa's studio is notable for a number of reasons: we're a fan of this kind of 360-degree set-up, an arrangement that undoubtedly makes it easier to navigate that many keyboards. 

While our eyes were immediately drawn leftward to the sky-blue UDO Super 6, a favourite synth over here at MusicRadar HQ, the next thing that caught our attention was the Arturia KeyStep Pro, a respectable MIDI controller and keyboard of which Parsoa has not one or even two, but three. Read on to hear more about Parsoa's affinity for all things Arturia.

Tell us a little about your studio set-up?

"I believe I have a rather unique setup which took me a couple of years to develop and perfect. I compose the songs by sequencing everything using three KeyStep Pros and a BeatStep Pro for drum and rhythmic parts. The KeySteps provide a total of 12 sequencing tracks, one of which controls the piano and five others control my synths (PolyBrute, Super 6, Iridium, MiniFreak and OB-6 at the moment). The remaining 6 tracks are available for software instruments  - I use a lot of Spitfire Audio’s plugins.

"The KeyStep Pro controls software drum kits and other rhythmic sounds when needed. I use the Keylab 88 as my master keyboard to play all the other keyboards and to compensate for the small keys on the KeySteps. I’ve got a rather intricate MIDI setup under the desk which includes a bunch of MIDI Solutions modules and a MRCC MIDI interface that lets me control just about anything from either one of the sequencers or the master keyboard. 

"Once everything is recorded using this approach, I’ll overdub the more expressive parts by manually playing the instruments. Finally I add the guitars and vocals if there are any. 

"As evident, I’m a huge fan of Arturia’s gear and musical vision in general. The PolyBrute was my first synthesizer ever and I just love everything about it. And the KeyStep Pro is just such a unique and powerful tool. Hopefully one day I’ll get good enough at this to be noticed by them! The desk is an Output Platform desk which I just love for how large and sturdy it is. It's really the centerpiece of this whole setup.

Tell us a little about your musical background?

"I was classically trained on the piano but never took it that seriously. Nowadays I mostly play —and “collect”— synthesizers and make keyboard-centric music with electric guitars added here and there. My music is usually conceptual and deeply cinematic with strong experimental elements. I’m a huge science fiction nerd, so the music usually leans that way conceptually. 

"I have released two full-length concept albums, an EP and a few singles so far. My latest release, the Odyssey EP was fully recorded using the setup you see here. It's an epic and symphonic story of a hero's odyssey. I also have an upcoming album The Past is an Undying Beast in September. This one’s more experimental and personal with each song being about a memory of mine. I’m currently releasing singles from it every 15 days. The second single Summer Green just dropped on June 1st."

What's your favourite piece of gear in your studio and why?

"As mentioned earlier I'm a huge fan of Arturia's gear. I'm somewhat at a tie between the KeyStep Pro (of which I have three) and the PolyBrute for my favourite gear, but I'll just go with the KeyStep as it really changed how I look at production and writing music. It's very powerful and intuitive to use albeit with some limitations that you can mostly work around. 

"I find it a lot more intuitive to use than software MIDI sequencers as it allows you to work on the song one part a time and arrange and re-order things on the fly. Using a sequencer with hardware synths also allows me to adjust my patches on the fly so that they sound good together. I'm really curious to know if anyone else uses the KeyStep Pro the way I do!"

What was the first bit of gear you ever owned?

"My PolyBrute synthesizer is the first real piece of gear I got when I decided to record my first album Eulogy for a Fallen Moon in 2021. I've used the synth on basically everything I've recorded since then. I love the warm analog sound and it's very easy to modulate things and just come up with new sounds. I'll be keeping the PolyBrute forever."

What dream piece of gear would you love to own if money was no object?

"That's a tough one. A Yamaha CS-80 is perhaps my dream synthesizer, in part because it's such an important part of the synth history. I also love the aesthetics and sound of Roland's Jupiter-8 and would love to own one. However my real dream piece of gear is this sequencer that I've been designing in my head and I hope to be able to build one day! I have no idea where to start with it right now..."

Take a listen to Parsoa's track Cryptomnesia below.

If you'd like to be featured on Show Us Your Studio, email us today with a clear and well-lit picture of your studio space. 

If you've already submitted and haven't been contacted, don't despair: we'll be continuing to comb through the emails we've received over the coming weeks, so keep an eye on your inbox. If we've already reached out, keep an eye on MusicRadar as we continue posting entries over the weeks to come.

Parsoa's gear list

Keyboards and synths

• Nord Piano 5
• Arturia PolyBrute
• Arturia MiniFreak
• Waldorf Iridium
• UDO Super 6
• Sequential/Oberheim OB-6
• Moog Claravox Centennial Theremin

MIDI controllers and sequencers

• Arturia KeyStep Pro x3
• Arturia BeatStep Pro
• Torso T-1
• Arturia KeyLab 88 Mk2
• MRCC 880 MIDI interface
• MIDI Solutions modules

Guitars

• Charvel Pro-Mod DK22 - Electric Blue
• Fender Player Precision Bass - Capri Orange
• PositiveGrid BIAS FX 2 for amp, cab and effects simulation 

Recording gear

• Behringer UMC1820 audio interface
• Berlinger ADA8200 ADAT interface
• sE Electronics X1 A with Reflexion Filter
• Roland VT-4 Voice Transformer
• PreSonus Eris E3.5 3.5-inch Powered Studio Monitors
• Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro
• Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro
• Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro
• Ableton Live 11 on Mac Studio with M1 Max