Almost every imaginable flavour of classic hardware synth has its own plugin, but if you’re into late 80’s/early 90’s dance sounds the choice starts to narrow. Can Arturia take us back to the Second Summer Of Love with their new SQ80V soft synth? We take a look...

The Ensoniq SQ80

The original SQ80 from Ensoniq was the expanded 1987 follow-up to their ESQ-1 model, with the same subtractive digital oscillator through analogue filter and amp design that paved the way for the later ‘workstation’ style synths such as a the Roland D50 and all-conquering Korg M1. These instruments (along with a number of classic drum machines and bass synths) went on to form the canvas upon which the late 80s dance music revolution was created.

Arturia SQ80V

While others go misty-eyed over the established analogue titans of the 70s and 80s, Arturia does not shy away when it comes to the forgotten dusty corner of their later descendants, having already resurrected such classics as the sleek Yamaha DX-7 and E-mu’s Brutalist stand-buster, the Emulator II. Arturia provides a vivid description of their new SQ80V: “Digital waveforms and modulators collide with an emulated analog filter and output circuit for timbres that are perfectly imperfect. Thousands of possible combinations of wavetables, instrument-style transients, and hidden waveforms for massive sound design potential”. SQ80 V has been modeled to accurately reproduce the gritty yet colorful texture of its predecessor’s 8-bit DOC chip. Other features include:

• 3 DOC digital oscillators

• Thousands of possible waveform combinations

• Modeled CEM analog filter & amp

• Instant modulation via LFOs, envelopes, and more

• Analog dispersion offers organic synth experience

In addition to the features of the original Ensoniq unit, the SQ80V also has an expanded feature set that has been expertly enhanced with extra sounds, features, and functionality for modern producers:

• Hundreds more waveforms added

• Additional arpeggiator, MIDI modulation, and envelope modes

• Accessible, streamlined modern workflow

• 15 built-in effects with 2 busses

• MPE compatibility

The SQ80V’s digital/analogue hybrid architecture actually lends itself to traditionally ‘FM-like’ metallic sounds as well as more organic sounding vocal-like formants, basses, and delicate string sections covering most musical situations as well, and promises to fill the plugin void where gritty late 80s/early 90s sounds should be.

It will ship with 100 presets (40 from the original Ensoniq synth and 60 curated by Arturia sound designers), and to inspire you Arturia have also curated two dedicated sound banks specially designed to celebrate SQ80 V’s release.

• Dust Factory- smooth, saturated sounds for the digital lo-fi age. Soft, tape-like, saturated, ambient

• Raw Machinery- gritty hybrid timbres showing SQ80 V’s industrial side. Modern, retro, edgy, distorted

These allow you to explore the SQ80V’s hard industrial textures, hybrid lo-fi character, and thousands of unique waveform combinations in a quick-fire soft-synth based on its ‘80s forebear. Once you’re out of Presetland there is an expert UI option for anyone who likes to build their sounds from the ground up, or to tweak existing ones.

To Conclude

The SQ80 lives on in the Arturia SQ80V. Notable user Adamski’s ‘Killer’ first showcased its weird crystalline, insect-like effects and a brutal detuned bass lines which were the first SQ80 sounds ever to make an impression on me, and thirty years later the the SQ80V has brought them back to life with total authenticity.

Arturia has managed to bottle the grainy analogue-meets digital vintage goodness of the SQ80 to the point where you can almost see the wobbly keyboard stands, lasers and dry ice… Not only that, but they seem to have done the impossible with the SQ80V, which is to come up with the only available modern emulation of a bone fide classic while no-one else was looking.

To celebrate the launch, new & registered customers will be able to benefit from huge discounts up to 50% off SQ80 V. A generous bundle comprising both SQ80 V and V Collection 8, Arturia’s legendary keyboard anthology, will also be available to new & registered customers with up to 70% off. Head over to Arturia now to check it out