SynthMaster

SynthMaster is a semi-modular software synthesizer and effect plug-in in VST, Audio Units and RTAS formats, developed by KV331 Audio.

SynthMaster features many different synthesis methods including VA, Additive, Wavetable, Wavescanning, Phase Modulation, Frequency Modulation, Pulse Width Modulation, Ring Modulation, Amplitude Modulation, Physical Modeling and SFZ Sample Playback synthesis. It has multi-synthesis oscillators, analog modelled/digital filters, flexible effects routing with 11 types of high quality effects and a massive modulation architecture with 95 separate modulation sources and 650+ modulation targets.

Reviews and Awards by International Music Technology Magazines

SynthMaster has been reviewed and awarded by the following international music technology magazines/web sites so far:

• MusicRadar website awarded SynthMaster as "The Best Software Instrument of 2012", and said "Many developers say that they've produced the one and only synth you'll ever need, but we've always felt that was a dubious claim. In SynthMaster 2.5’s case, though, it’s one that rings true." ^[1]
• Computer Music Magazine (UK) featured SynthMaster in their "Top Synths 2012" special issue. In this issue SynthMaster's ranking was #3. The magazine in their review said: "This could be the only synthesizer you ever owned, and you'd still never run out of ideas" ^[2]
• Computer Music Magazine (UK) reviewed SynthMaster in their February 2012 issue, giving a top grade 10/10: "If ever there was a desert island synth, SynthMaster is it, covering all sonic bases with authority and a superb tone". They awarded SynthMaster with "Performance Award" ^[3]
• Future Music Magazine (UK) reviewed SynthMaster in their April 2012 issue: "If you are looking for the Swiss Army knife of synth plug-ins -a single piece of software which can turn its hand to anything- then SynthMaster is a great choice". They awarded SynthMaster with "Platinum Award".
• Beat Magazine (Germany) reviewed SynthMaster in their April 2012 issue: "The name is entirely justified: SynthMaster is a true monster of synthesis with a high potential in creativity. It's truely addictive. The versatile plug-in is a true goldmine for synthtweakers: you get standard analog and brilliant or rough digital sounds, fat unisoni, simulations of acoustic instruments or complex soundscapes. Synthmaster is easy to use due to its sophisticated user interface and despite its complex architecture". They awarded SynthMaster with "Editor's Pick" award.
• Keys Magazine (Germany) reviewed SynthMaster in their April 2012 issue.
• Interface Magazine (Netherlands) reviewed SynthMaster in their April 2012 issue.

RTAS Release

On March 1, 2012, KV331 Audio released SynthMaster 2.5 in RTAS format.^[4]

With this latest update, SynthMaster 2.5 became compatible with Avid ProTools 8 and above on Windows 7, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Mac OS X Lion operating systems.

64 Bit MacOSX Release

On February 2, 2012, KV331 Audio has updated SynthMaster for Windows and Mac OS X to version 2.5.4.133.^[5] In this latest update, SynthMaster became a native 64-bit VST/AU plug-in on Mac OS X.

In this update, the following features have been added to SynthMaster as well:

• Added online presets uploaded by registered users.
• Added a new (red) skin, created by Irion DaRonin.
• Added new global setting to enable/disable hiding older presets.
• Added new global setting to enable/disable bipolar easy parameters.
• For effect version of SynthMaster, oscillator type is set to "audioin" by default now.

Version 2.5 Official Release

On October 11, 2011, KV331 Audio announced the official release of SynthMaster 2.5.^[6] Since the beta release of version 2.5 in October 2010, KV331 Audio have added the following features to SynthMaster:

• 400 New Factory Presets: SynthMaster 2.5 comes with 400 new factory presets from a world class team of sound designers: BigTone, Ümit UY (Insigna), Frank ‘Xenox’ Neumann, Teoman Pasinlioglu, Mr Shoufuku and Brian ‘Xenos’ Lee.
• SFZ Import: It is now possible with version 2.5 to generate SFZ files by dragging and dropping multiple WAV/AIFF samples onto an oscillator waveform display.
• Stereo Oscillators with Improved Unison: Oscillators in SynthMaster 2.5 have now stereo output. With the new “voices”, “pan spread” and “detune spread” parameters, each basic/wavescanning oscillator can have its own unison settings which eliminates the need to enable unison for all voice elements.
• Improved Arpeggiator: The number of steps in the arpeggiator is increased to 32, while classic arpeggiator modes such as up, down, updown, downup and as played are added as well. Drag and drop of MIDI files onto the arpeggiator display is also possible now so that monophonic/polyphonic sequences can be imported into the arpeggiator.
• Improved Modulation Architecture: The modulation architecture has been vastly improved, so that now there are 3 modulation sources available for each modulation target. A modulation matrix with 64 slots is also added. The matrix has filtering as well so that targets for a specific source, or sources for a specific target can be filtered and shown on the user interface.
• Improved Easy Parameters: The easy parameters can now be globally linked to MIDI controllers, and they can be assigned automatically by SynthMaster.
• Microtuning: SynthMaster now supports Scala tuning, so tuning can be set either for each preset or globally.
• Flexible Effects Routing: With version 2.5, there is no more the differentiation of layer/global effects. Each effect can be inserted on a layer or on one of the 2 global effect buses.

Version 2.5 Beta Release

On October 20, 2010, KV331 Audio announced the beta release of SynthMaster 2.5.^[7] Since the release of SynthMaster 2.0 in December 2009, KV331 Audio have added the following features to SynthMaster:

• Cross-platform VST & AU: SynthMaster 2.5 now runs as a VST instrument/effect on both Windows and Mac OS X, and as an Audio Unit instrument/effect on Mac OS X.
• Improved Filter Algorithms: The "analog" filter models have been improved to better model the analog ladder filter. The "digital" filters on the other hand have been rewritten from scratch for better VA sound.
• Before/After/Inside Filter Distortion: Custom distortion stage added into the filters so that signals can be distorted before, after or even inside the filter. With this flexibility, it is now possible to create screaming sounds using the filters in SynthMaster.
• "Multimode" Filters: With the new "multimode" filter type, it is now possible to switch from Lowpass to Bandpass to Highpass filter types continuously using the "filter mode" parameter. For analog multimode filters, it is even possible to change the slope of the filter continuously from 0 db/oct to 24 db/oct using the "continuous slope" parameter.
• "Dual" Filters: With the new "dual" filter type, it is now possible to run two multimode filters simultaneously, either in parallel, or in series. The mix ratios between the filters, and the topology (parallel/series) between them can be changed continuously, as well as the modes and cutoff frequencies of the filters.
• Vector Synthesis: A new "vector" oscillator type has been added to add support for vector synthesis in SynthMaster.
• Sample playback: With SFZ file format support, SynthMaster can now playback samples defined in SFZ definition files.
• 2D Envelopes: A new envelope generator type called "XY envelope" is added, so that line segments between points in 2 dimensions can be used to generate 2 dimensional envelope signals. XY Envelopes can be used not only for modulating "vector" oscillator x/y indexes, but also for all other voice parameters within SynthMaster.
• Audio2MIDI Triggering: A new "audio-in" oscillator type has been added so that the incoming audio signal in the effect version of SynthMaster can be passed through the processing blocks in SynthMaster. To trigger MIDI notes to turn on the oscillators&filters a new feature called "audio2MIDI triggering" is also added so that MIDI notes are triggered using the envelope of the incoming audio signal.
• Modulation Matrix: The modulation architecture has been vastly improved since version 2.0, and a user interface for modulation matrix has been added so that it's easier to edit modulations right within the modulation matrix UI.
• Online Preset Browser: Registered users can now upload their own presets to the online preset library, or browse and download presets created by other registered users; using the preset browser right inside the plug-in UI.
• Multiple Skins: SynthMaster 2.5 Beta comes with 3 different skins in different color variations. Using the included skin editor, users can customize the existing skins and create their own variations as well.
• Better Reverb: The reverb effect in SynthMaster 2.5 has been rewritten and now it is a high quality reverb with advanced parameters such as 2 band EQs for early/late reflections, early/late mix ratios, damping control, distance and room size.
• Better Delay: The delay effect in SynthMaster has been improved and now it contains a 2 band EQ and a custom distortion curve to filter and distort the delayed input signal.
• Better Distortion: The distortion effect in SynthMaster has been improved and now it contains 2 band EQs before/after the distortion stage and a custom distortion curve as well.
• Phaser & Ensemble Effects: 2 new layer effects have been added: Phaser and Ensemble. Phaser is a 4/8/12/16 stage phaser, while ensemble is a 1-2-3-4 stage chorus unit to create rich choruses.

Expansions

KV331 Audio released the following preset expansion packs for SynthMaster 2.5 so far:

1. Rob Lee EDM Expansion Pack 1 ^[8]

2. Rob Lee EDM Expansion Pack 2 ^[9]

3. Rob Lee EDM Expansion Pack 3 ^[10]

4. Rob Lee EDM Expansion Pack 4 ^[11]

5. Nori Ubukata Pop Hits Volume 1 ^[12]

6. Nori Ubukata Synth Giants Volume 1

7. Nori Ubukata Synth Giants Volume 2

8. Nori Ubukata Synth Giants Volume 3

References

External links

• SynthMaster audio demos at SoundCloud.com
• SynthMaster page at facebook.com
• SynthMaster 2.5 User Manual