With so many great classic analogue synth emulations available to the computer-based musician at all price points, how do you choose the best plugin for your particular needs? Allow us to narrow the field down…
u-he Diva
Still regarded by many as the last word in analogue emulation plugins, almost a decade after its release, u-he’s stunning ‘Dinosaur Impersonating Virtual Analogue’ stands apart from the rest of our contenders here in that it doesn’t, strictly speaking, emulate ‘a classic synth’. Rather, DIVA’s semi-modular architecture enables you to freely mix and match oscillators, filters and envelopes modelled on those of a range of hardware heavyweights – the Minimoog Model D, Korg MS20, Oberheim SEM, and Roland Alpha Juno, Juno-60, Jupiter-6, Jupiter-8 and JP-8000 – to create your own hybrid instruments.
Key to DIVA’s staggeringly analogue sound are the filters, which employ a zero delay feedback design for exceptionally realistic resonance behaviour; but the Trimmers panel also plays a major role in the authenticity of the thing, affording detailed control over analogue fluctuation and drift, per-voice detune and more. The Modifications panel, meanwhile, provides a variety of under-the-hood and maths-based modulation options; and two effects modules each offer a choice of Chorus, Phaser, Plate, Delay and Rotary processors.
DIVA is as vital today as it was ten years ago, and we’ve yet to hear its bettered when it comes to raw analogue-ness. The only downside is a hefty CPU hit, but if you’re good with that, it’s a must-have.
Arturia V-Collection 8
We agonised long and hard over which of the 13 superb analogue synths from Arturia’s 28-strong smorgasbord of vintage keyboard emulations to put on our hit list, but in the end we just couldn’t decide – so we plumped for all of them!
Obvious analogue highlights of V-Collection 8 include (Moog) Mini V and Modular V, ARP 2600 V, (Oberheim) SEM V, (Yamaha) CS-80 V and (Roland) Jun-6 V and Jup-8 V, all of which hit the mark in terms of sonic faithfulness and add a ton of empowering new functions and controls. What really get our circuits humming, though, are the more esoteric likes of OB-Xa V, Synthi V and Buchla Easel V, the last especially notable as a wonderfully weird source of out-there soundscapes and trippy textures.
The price tag might seem high at first glance, but when you consider the sheer number of instruments involved (we’ve not even touched on the 15 equally brilliant digital synths, organs, pianos, etc) and their unarguable quality across the board, V-Collection 8 in fact represents value for money.
Check out our review of V-Collection 8
GForce Oddity2
Back in the day, ARP’s Odyssey was the only meaningful competition to the all-conquering Minimoog, more than holding its own with its two oscillators, low- and high-pass filters, sample-and-hold modulation, and, above all, ability to play a whopping two notes at once. GForce’s flawless reimagining impeccably mimics the sound and feel of the venerable hardware, but expands on its duophony with full and fabulous polyphony, adds a third (sub) oscillator, and supercharges the modulation setup with the XADSR and XLFO envelope and LFO, which can be independently brought to bear on any number of target parameters at once
All of that alone would make Oddity2 a dream emulation for fans of the real thing, but throw in preset morphing, ‘Flying Sliders’ and a handy delay effect, and you have a truly superlative modern take on a bona-fide classic for both studio and stage
Synapse Audio The Legend
There are numerous excellent virtual Minimoogs on the market, but for our money, this feature-laden interpretation leads the pack. When you just need a legit representation of the seminal monosynth sans bells and/or whistles, The Legend effortlessly delivers, thanks to Synapse Audio’s remarkably accurate modelling algorithms. But, of course, polyphony once again proves transformative, in this case comprising four voices, either played independently or as a unison stack. There are also reverb and delay effects, ‘Early’ and ‘Late’ circuit board revisions, a 12dB/octave filter option, and plenty of ‘back panel’ parameters for tweaking the component behaviour and analogue drift.
Pitchfork-wielding purists might bemoan the imposing of polyphony on Moog’s monophonic icon as sacrilege, but we’d challenge them to not change their tune after five minutes with The Legend.
Togu Audio Line TAL U-NO-LX
Among the greatest synths of the 1980s, Roland’s Juno-60 was (and still is!) lauded for its bright, punchy sonics and the tuning stability of its groundbreaking digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs). Of course, the latter is hardly a selling point in this day and age, but the sound of the Juno-60 is still a thing to behold – and Togu Audio Line’s virtual clone captures it to a T.
For those familiar with the real deal, TAL U-NO-LX delights at every turn with its lovingly recreated front panel and perfectly calibrated controls; and while those raised on more contemporary designs might find the architecture and workflow puzzlingly simplistic, it won’t take long for its redoubtable charms to win over even the most ardent futurist. Zero delay feedback filters yield a wholly convincing analogue character; you get 12 voices, doubling the six of the original; that legendary Juno chorus is in place; and the addition of portamento and MPE support bring new levels of expressiveness. Look no further for high-gloss 80s tones.
Check out our review of TAL U-NO-LX
Roland Cloud
Another multiple entrant, this time from one of the industry’s biggest players, who have virtualised eight (at the time of writing – new ones are added occasionally) of their own timeless analogues.
Alongside a sizeable catalogue of vaguely diverting ROMplers and the Zenology Pro modelling synth, subscribers to the Roland Cloud service get limitless access to Roland’s ’Legendary’ collection, featuring definitive emulations of the JX-3P, SH-101, SH-2, Juno-106, Jupiter-8, ProMars, System-100 and TB-303. Every one’s a winner, and with some equally awesome drum machines (TR-606, 808 and 909) and digital synths (JV-1080, XV-5080, D-50 and Sound Canvas VA) also included, Roland Cloud plugs a formidable arsenal of dance music weaponry into your DAW, spearheaded by some of the most acclaimed analogue instruments ever made.
What’s your favourite classic analogue synth plugin? Let us know in the comments.