Arturia Next Generation Analog Classic Soft Synths words: LUKE PEPPER
TECH
VERDICT BUILD QUALITY
EASE OF USE FEATURES
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VALUE FOR MONEY 9.0 SOUND QUALITY
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HYPE Ten of Arturia’s best-loved soft
GRIPE With the price dropping to half
synthesizers upgraded to 64-bit processing, as well as improved processing performance and MIDI control.
the previous amount for improved soft synths, it is hard to find fault.
The best-sounding digital recreations of some of the world’s most sought-after synthesizers now have improved features and cost half the price — what’s not to love?
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New Model ArMy W
hen it comes to recommending software synthesizers, there are a few names that always come up, and at the top of that list is Arturia. They enjoy a well-earned
respect amongst those in the know for their services to the studio dwellers that have used these exquisite tools to bring joy, happiness and greater meaning to the lives of those who listen to their creations. Among the regular users of Arturia’s software synthesizer are names such as Jean-Michel Jarre, Howard Jones, Richie Hawtin and Deadmau5, so anyone out there who hasn’t been using Arturia sounds on their tracks and think they might be missing out are dead right!
Arturia have taken 10 of their best and most-loved synthesisers and upgraded them to full 64-bit compatibility, as well as making improvements to the MIDI assignments and improving the processing performance. Now, all of this is clearly a cunning move on Arturia’s part to bump up the price of their best-selling products, right? Actually, no — it turns out that all of the Next Generation Arturia products have been reduced to half their previous price in what has to be one of the most welcome moves that music production has seen in recent years. The synthesizers to get the Next Generation treatment are Oberheim SEM V, Jupiter-8V, Prophet-V, ARP 2600V, Mini V (aka Minimoog-V), CS80V, Modular V (aka Moog Modular V), Analog Laboratory, Wurlitzer V and Spark Vintage Drum Machines.
priCE $129 each
Arturia’s range of soft synths have undergone an overhaul that will hit the right note for producers everywhere. Welcome the Next Generation Analog Classics…
EMULATION The reason for all of the fuss around Arturia’s virtual instruments is their True Analog Emulation, which recreates the unique sounds and feel of some of the world’s best-loved and most expensive sound creation tools. The debate over how close Arturia’s soft synths are to the hardware they are modelled on is a pointless one. Yes, there may be some slight tonal differences in some areas, but the sound quality of Arturia’s products are legendary and there are many producers out there who own both the hardware and Arturia’s emulation of that hardware, and favor the digital versions for some very good reasons, including full MIDI support, instant recall of presets and the complete lack of maintenance costs that come with a plug-in. There isn’t a single product that Arturia have on offer that can be singled out as weak or below the high standard they have set for themselves; there are only synthesizers that suit a particular style more than others. While space does not permit a detailed breakdown of all of the 10 synthesizers to get the Next Generation upgrade, every single one of them is worth looking at closely by taking advantage of the demo versions on Arturia’s website, to see how they work for individual needs.
vErSATILITy One of our favourite soft synths in the Arturia range is the ARP-2600 V, a synthesiser that, while intimidating at first, is capable of producing an incredible range of sounds, and will reward anyone who takes the time to
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delve into the many parameters and functions of this modular synth. A great collection of presets offers a shortcut to getting a unique sound without hours of set-up or programming. This is one of those synthesizers that will be turned to time and time again in the studio because of the fantastic quality of the sounds, as well as the versatility in the range of noises it can produce. When it comes to legendary names in the world of synthesizers, the biggest of them all is arguably Moog, and Arturia offer two Moog emulations in the form of the Mini-V (which is based on the Mini-Moog), and the Modular V (which is based on the Moog Modular V). The Mini-Moog is a great weapon of choice for basslines, as can been heard on a staggering amount of massive records that have destroyed the dancefloor, and the Modular V has a unique sound and will keep tweakers enthralled for hours with its hundreds of control parameters.
Arturia have managed to breathe new life into their truly legendary range of soft synths and have not only avoided the temptation to raise the price, but have, rather, opted to slash the cost of ownership in half. For this and their contribution to ours and so many other lives, we salute them and hope they continue in their great work for many years to come. For anyone who has yet to sample the delights Arturia have to offer, now would be a great time to head to their website to download a fully featured demo (limited to 15 days’ use) and hear for themselves what this range of software synthesizers can do.
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