#Arturia analog lab 4 review software

And because itвЂ™s normally using synced oscillators вЂ“ hereвЂ™s the important bit вЂ“ itвЂ™s way easier to control than FM generally is. It can sound something like a resonant filter вЂ“ in its own way. In short, what phase distortion does for you is to add rich harmonic content to sound. But now as we grow more accustomed to digital, non-harmonic timbres, PD is better appreciated on its own terms вЂ“ as a way of producing unique digital color. ItвЂ™s easy enough to dismiss PD as CasioвЂ™s cheaper, non-patented answer to YamahaвЂ™s DX7 and frequency modulation (FM). Phase distortion synthesis isnвЂ™t so much a different synthesis method as it is a compelling way of mucking about with two digital oscillators.

If you just want to drop the CZ into a session as-is, CZ V does that. The original CZ-101 is about two things: a simple front panel layout, and phase distortion. LetвЂ™s dive in.Д¬Z V reproduces the simple hardware interface (at bottom) but also expands to this view with lots of additional visual feedback and features, at top.

#Arturia analog lab 4 review software

That means Arturia has to sweeten the deal a bit so the software can compete. Of course, you could for these reasons go get an actual CZ-101. But to me the whole appeal of the CZ-101 is that itвЂ™s for people who love synths, not people trying to emulate their heroes. So yeah, Arturia are quick to drop names who have used it, like Salt-N-Pepa and Vince Clarke. The CZ is somehow too easy, too friendly, too compact, too inexpensive to have the kind of adoration of some of the other 80s and 70s throwbacks. I want to talk about the CZ-101 because itвЂ™s long been one of my favorite instruments, and itвЂ™s a fairly unsung one. ItвЂ™s a bit like what you do in a packed studio вЂ“ you pull out one piece of gear, and say, hey, tonight is going to be about me and this instrument and very little else. So my approach to V Collection is actually to ignore all those presets вЂ“ apologies, dear sound designer friends вЂ“ and try to focus on one instrument.

The ability to just dial up a menu and say, вЂњdo I want an Oberheim SEM or a CS-80вЂќ is already pretty crazy, and the number of choices continues to grow. Photo ( CC-BY-SA) Neil Vance, via WikiCommons. For that crowd, the V Collection 7 adds the EMI Synthi V and the CZ-101 from Casio, circa 1985. Of course, if you read CDM, your favorite preset may be вЂњdefault template,вЂќ and the idea of getting lost for hours in a vintage synth control layout may be the whole selling point. If the idea of a whole bunch of unfamiliar keyboards and control layouts is unappealing, V Collection 7 also includes the new Analog Lab 4, which consolidates all these things into easy presets and macro controls, and hundreds of new presets in their вЂњSynthopedia.вЂќ That way if you do want to look up the way a familiar sound was produced вЂ“ then tweak it yourself вЂ“ you can. Jimmy Smith Strawberry Fields Forever, check and mate. So if you just want to add a convincing Mellotron or B-3, youвЂ™re covered вЂ“ with an all-new Mellotron and a total ground-up sound engine overhaul for the B-3 V2. Version 7 continues to balance the desires of the casual keyboardist and the obsessive synth sound designer вЂ“ and everything in between.

The EMS Synthi V makes an appearance in the new V Collection, too вЂ“ if your tastes go more 70s than 80s.