Showing posts with label Windows Software. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows Software. Show all posts
Thursday, August 22, 2013
D16 Group Announces Sigmund Multi Delay Effect
Hot on the heels of their excellent LuSH-101 synth, D16 Group has announced Sigmund, a high quality, full-featured delay effect. Sigmund is based around 4 individual delay lines, each of which can be independently processed with feedback, multi-mode filter, overdrive, and amplitude modulator allowing for creative effects that reach beyond standard delay effects.
Sigmund is set to be released in mid-September. Pricing is TBA.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Tone2 Releases Firebird 2 for Free
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New features and enhancements:
- Enhanced sound: Less aggressive treble, more smooth - Ultra quality is selected by default - Lower CPU because of SSE2 support - Faster loading and saving of songs - Smart installer which automatically detects the correct location - Enhanced host compatibility - Accidentally visiting the website by clicking on the logos is not longer possible - Reworked some graphics - First patch was clipping in some hosts
Changes:
- The product is now freeware - Keyfile is not longer required - Iqm is switched to off by default
Further notes:
- V2.0 is downward compatible with previous versions - CPU can reduced by selecting a lower quality in 'setup' - For technical reasons there will be no 64 bit or Mac version - You're allowed to share Firebird2 with all your friends - If you like Firebird please support us by buying other Tone2 products |
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Thursday, July 11, 2013
Tekit Audio Releases Free Distortion Plug-in
GO GET IT!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Klanghelm Releases Free Saturation Plug-in
"IVGI can deliver very soft and subtle saturation, that feels at home
on the master buss. It is equally capable of very dense and dirty
distortion effects to spice up single tracks.
IVGI's base sound is comparable to the DESK mode in the upcoming
big brother SDRR.
Just as SDRR, IVGI reacts dynamically to the input signal. Even the
modelled fluctuations react dynamically and also change depending
on the drive setting, so that it doesn't get in the way of the
SOUND. Stereo tracks benefit from it's modelled crosstalk behaviour.
Just as its big brother SDRR, IVGI features a “Controlled
Randomness”, which determines the internal drift and variance inside
the unit. It contributes to the livelyness and realness of IVGI's
saturation character. All internal processes are modulated to some
extent to make this possible.
IVGI gives you a sensible amount of controls to manipulate the
character of the saturation itself. It offers a unique ASYM MIX knob
to alter the symmetry of the signal without affecting the harmonic
content much. Usually, asymmetry leads to an increase of even
order harmonics. But in IVGI's case, dialing in the asymmetry makes
the negative part of the signal “cleaner”. This way you can preserve
the dynamic structrure of the source better and get a more
transparent result. Actually, you can think of ASYM MIX as a
transparency control.
IVGI also lets you alter the frequency dependency of the saturation
with the RESPONSE control.
IVGI is internally calibrated to 0VU = -18dBFS.
IVGI is free! So try it out for yourself."
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
New Version of TX16WX Released, Mac Compatibility Added
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Sonic Emblem Releases Free Audio-Bending Effect
Sonic Emblem has released SONIC BND, a free VST/AU/RTAS plug-in for both OSX and Windows. The plug-in allows realtime pitch manipulation of a track using an LFO at up to a +/- an octave. Note that this requires Pluggo Runtime to be installed in order to work.
[via Bedroom Producers]
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Sample Magic Releases Magic AB Plug-in
Have you ever read about a new plug-in and thought, "Why didn't I think of that?!" Sample Magic's new Magic AB plug-in sounds like one of those plug-ins to me.
When mixing and mastering tracks, it can be especially useful to compare the track you are currently working on with a different track you consider to be a good representation of "professional sound". Magic AB allows you to compare the mix you are working on in your DAW with up to nine other sound files of mixes you want to use to reference to.
Magic AB is available at the special price of £19.90 (regularly £24.90) for a limited time. Available for Windows (VST, RTAS, AAX) and OSX (VST, AU, RTAS, AAX).
Monday, May 13, 2013
Reveal Sound Releases Spire Softsynth
Spire retails for €69.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Review: PSP SpringBox
Developer: PSP Audioware
Formats: Windows (VST, AAX, and RTAS), Mac (VST, AAX, RTAS, AU) - both 64-bit compatible
Price: $69
Demo: available on the product page
PSP Audioware has long had a reputation for excellent, vintage-sounding plug-ins, and so far they show no sign of slowing down. Today we're going to take a look at their latest release, a spring reverb plug-in called PSP SpringBox.
WHAT IS IT?
Back in the days before digital reverbs and high-end plug-ins, reverberation was still an important part of production, it was just produced in a more primitive way. Back in those days, reverb was generally produced by amplifying an object that is vibrating from the music signal sent to it. One method used a large, flat metal plate as the resonating body. These were known as plate reverbs, and you undoubtedly have run into plate reverb presets on your favorite reverb plug in. The sound of plate reverbs is generally quite smooth, and it became a favorite to use on vocals and percussion in particular. The other main reverb of this type was the spring reverb. In this case, instead of an amplified plate, a reverberating spring is used. This results in a very distinctive "sproingy" reverb that has metallic and liquid qualities at the same time. Spring reverbs were very popular in early electronic music as well as the Jamaican dub and Surf Rock movements. Later on bands like Joy Division and Portishead would make spring reverbs an identifiable part of their sound.
PSP SpringBox, then, is an emulation of a spring reverb in plug-in form with a variety of features to aid you in sculpting the tone and timbre of the reverb.
INSTALLATION
Installation of PSP SpringBox is a two part process. First, you run the plug-in installer, and once you've done that, you run the separate authorizer and you're good to go. Helpfully, PSP also include de-installers.
DOCUMENTATION
Currently, there doesn't appear to be documentation for PSP SpringBox, but it's not an overly-complex plug-in, so it shouldn't be difficult for all but the noobiest of noobs to figure out. I expect documentation is in process. [CORRECTION: Documentation is indeed included, it just wasn't where I expected it to be. Full documentation is obtainable by pressing the '?' button on the interface. I apologize for this oversight.]
INTERFACE
PSP SpringBox has a nicely-rendered interface that replicates the look of a two-rack unit with a brushed aluminum faceplate, and nice, shiny, black knobs (pause as all the people in Britain giggle).
Each instance of PSP SpringBox is actually made up of two different settings, an "A" and a "B" setting. Only one may be active at a time, but it allows you to automate or switch between settings quickly in a live performance (for instance, if you wanted to switch between a short and long setting for accents in the mix). Each of these features controls for the High Pass Filter. Presence, Damping, Time, and level Trim. All of these settings do pretty much what you would expect from the name and give you a variety of options for shaping the tone of the reverb.
To the right of these two settings, is a selector that allows you to use different amounts of virtual springs to create the reverb. You can choose between two, three, four, and six spring configurations. Low values tend to be sparser, more metallic, and "sproingier", while higher values sound more liquid and diffuse.
Below this, you'll find a bypass switch that allows you to turn the effect on and off - again, quite helpful for automation and live performance.
On the rightmost portion of the interface, you'll find global Wet and Dry levels, Diffusion (allowing rough sounding reverbs all the way to smoother ones), Spread (which allows widening of the stereo image), and Pan/Balance (which places the reverb to a specific place in the stereo image).
CPU USAGE
As you would expect from a high quality plug-in, CPU usage isn't negligible, but nor is it horrific. Two quality modes (Low CPU and Brilliant) are available if CPU use becomes a concern. On my 2.66 Quadcore MacPro, Low CPU mode ate up about an 1/8th of my processor load. In Brilliant Mode, that went up to about a quarter. Since this is the type of effect that is shared among many tracks via sends, this shouldn't cause problems for most people.
SO HOW DOES IT SOUND?
If you've used PSP's plug-ins before, it probably won't surprise you to know this sounds fantastic. The various tone-scupting parameters are helpful in providing a surprisingly wide range of sounds. Super lo-fi retro effects sound authentic and vintage, higher diffusion and spring count settings can provide smoother sounds that still ooze character, and even decent room and ambience sounds can be dialed in without much trouble.
THE VERDICT
A spring reverb is one of those things that I think everyone should have in their sonic toolbox. Even if it's not the most cutting edge, surround-sound, convolution reverb, spring reverbs just offer so much character and near-instant retro credibility to a sound. It's not right for everything, but man, when it's right, it's really right. Whether you're looking to dub out your drum kit, add some splashy surfrock shimmer to your guitar solo, or give your vocal track an authentic vintage vibe, you can dial it in to PSP SpringBox. At $69. I think PSP SpringBox is well worth checking out if you're looking to add a spring reverb to your arsenal. I can't wait to see what PSP does next! [10/10]
Monday, April 29, 2013
kiloHearts Releases Disperser
"Have you ever wanted to rotate the phases of your signal to create frequency sweeps? Funny, neither had we, but then we tried it and were blown away! Disperser smears high energy transients through space and time without modifying the gain of the sound.
The result is a different take on transient shaping or, when used at extreme settings, an effect capable of shaping the sounds in ways you didn’t know you wanted to do. Boomy kicks, snappy hihats, synthetic wet basses or just a sweet utility to shape your signal's peaks and crest factor. The choice is yours!
Disperser is available as VST and AudioUnit plugins which work in all popular digital audio workstations like Cubase, Sonar, Logic Pro, Garageband, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Reaper, Studio One and many others. Both 32 bit and 64 bit versions are available on MacOS X and Windows operating systems."
Disperser retails for $19 and a fully-functional demo is available on the product page.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Beyerdynamic Releases Free Monitoring Plug-in
Beyerdynamic has released Virtual Studio, a free plug-in for Mac (VST/AU) and Windows (VST) in both 32 and 64-bit varieties. The plug-in is intended to recreate various studio spaces and speaker arrangements to aid people mixing with headphones get a more accurate mix.
[via Bedroom Producers]
Tokyo Dawn Labs Releases Feedback Compressor II
[via Bedroom Producers]
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Cableguys Releases Free Panning Plug-in
Key Features
- Free, and available for both PC and Mac.
- Creative Modulation Tool: Create complex pan modulations with ease.
- Unique Waveform Drawing Capabilities:Construct your own modulation curves in a very intuitive manner. Waveforms can be easily drawn using soft or hard control points, thus producing gentle transitions or sharp bends in the waveform.
- Customized Waveforms: Up to 10 customized waveforms can be stored.
- LFO Speed: LFO speed can be set free-running from 0.02 Hz to 5.24 kHz. It can also be set in rhythmic units synced to the host sequencer, from a fast 1/128 note modulation up to 32 bars.
- Always in Sync: The LFO will always stay in sync, even when you make tempo changes in your host software, or jump ahead to different parts of your track.
- Complete Parameter Control via Automation: Absolutely everything in PanCake can be automated. Even the shape of the modulating waveform can be automated. And if you want to use more than four modulation curves in a song, you can automate the plugin to switch between them.
- New in version 2: A precise display of channel left/right volume for helpful visual control, an option to trigger the LFO via MIDI notes, a dry/wet control, plus a redesigned interface.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Review: KV331's Synthmaster 2.5
Product: SynthMaster
Developers: KV331 Audio
Format: Windows (VST, RTAS), Mac (VST, RTAS, AU). 32 or 64 bit.
Price: $129
Demo: Available on the website. Demo disables saving patches and begins sounding random
notes after ten minutes. Audio
demos also on the product page.
I want to start this review out with an apology to KV331
Audio. They were kind enough to
send me a review copy of SynthMaster late last fall when my band was out on
tour. However, the case is this is
quite a complex synth, and I knew it would take me quite some time to put it
through its paces, so rather than deliver a lazy, quick review, I wanted to
take the extra time to make sure I got things covered. Once you read the review, I think you'll see why it took so long!
WHAT IS IT?
SynthMaster might best be described as a synthesizer
jackknife in that it provides a semi-modular environment for multiple types of
synthesis. What types? How about virtual analog, additive,
wavetable, wave-scanning, FM, phase modulation, physical modeling, and SFZ
sample playback? Combine this with
both analog and digital modeled filters of various types, 11 types of effects,
and extensive modulation capabilities (over 650 modulatable parameters), and
it’s clear SynthMaster is an ambitious synth. So does SynthMaster live up to its potential, or is this a
case of “Jack of all trades, master of none”? Read on…
INSTALLATION
To install SynthMaster, download the version you need and
run the installer. When you’ve
purchased it, you will receive a serial number which unlocks it. That’s it. You’re good to go.
DOCUMENTATION
Documentation comes in the form of an illustrated 41-page
“QuickStart Guide”. If you own a few softsynths and are generally familiar with subtractive synthesis, you'll likely only need to crack it for some of the more esoteric features (of which, to be fair, there are quite a few).
INTERFACE
The main part of the interface is split into four squares, each of which houses a different function. Each of these windows is tabbed to allow you to quickly switch in between further pages. One thing that is especially awesome is that each of these areas has a Save function allow you to save just the settings to that particular set of parameters. That way, if you have a specific type of envelope setting you use a lot, for example, you can save it and then recall it whenever you need to use it programming a new sound. Very handy!
The top left section houses tabs for the structure and settings for each layer. Here, you can select whether a layer is in Mono or Poly mode, change the pitch bend range, turn unison on or off, turn the arp on or off, and choose a mode for the routing of the two filters with Split, Parallel, and and Series options. A nice display shows the structure of the layer and allows you to quickly turn parts in the voice path on and off, as well as setting wet/dry levels for the Layer's effects. At the very bottom, you can add two different kinds of Portamento and control the specifics of the Unison mode.
A click of the tab switches us over to the controls for the layer's Arpeggiator. This was the one area where I wished the display was a bit larger. It's workable, but the Glide and Hold buttons for each step are pretty damned tiny. The Arpeggiator consists of multiple different modes, up to 32 steps, Glide and Hold settings per step, and your options for the note value of the arpeggiator. The Volume knob allows you to set the Volume of all the steps at once if you need them to be uniform. Duration controls the Gate time for each note, and Swing adds - wait for it - swing. Just about everything you might want in an Arpeggiator. And if that wasn't enough, it can alternately be used as an analog-style step sequencer, opening up the door to all manner of cool rhythmic modulations. This switches the display to a display similar to the piano roll sequencer in your DAW, making it extremely easy to program melodies. Very nice! MIDI sequences can also be imported if you prefer to build sequences that way.
The next three tabs feature controls for each layer's Layer Effects. These consist of nicely featured Distortion, Lo-fi, Ensemble, EQ, and Phasers.
The bottom left consists of the Oscillator related controls. Each layer offers two independent oscillators. Each of those oscillators can use a variety of different synthesis types. The display above is the Basic mode. This is the mode for your tried-and-true virtual analog sounds. The standard sawtooth, sine, triangle, pulse, and white noise options are available, but that's not all. There's also an insanely generous selection of sampled single-cycle waveforms sourced from all manner of classic gear, and if that's not enough, you can load in full samples in SFZ format.
A "Pitch Drift" function allows you to simulate the imperfections that make analog synths so appealing. Of course, you can also abuse it into Boards of Canada like warbling at higher settings. You can also control how the oscillator's pitch is tracked across the keyboard, set the oscillator's Volume, Tone, Phase, Pitch, Pan and more with a series of knobs along the bottom.
The Additive mode allows you to combine up to eight different waveforms, each with its own volume, pan, frequency, detune levels. Although additive synthesis is typically performed with sine waves, you can use any of the previously-mentioned waveforms or samples. Since 8 partials is not a lot by additive standards, the ability to use different waveforms is helpful in trying to create more complex timbres. Of course, if you stick to traditional analog waveforms, you can simulate the voice structure of old Roland synths like the SH-101, where you can add different amounts of saw, pulse, sine, and noise to shape the tone.
Two "2D" Envelopes are next. These are multi-stage envelopes offering up to 32 stages, each with their own length. However, unlike a standard multi-stage envelope, this envelope is in two dimensions and outputs an X and a Y for use in modulation. They are also loopable.
Two "traditional" Multi-stage envelopes are available with settings identical to the 2D envelopes, but they only output a single value for modulation.
The two layer LFOs offer not only the expected analog waveforms, but also a Step mode with up to 32 steps, and a Glide mode with is similar, except that it smoothly glides in between values as opposed to the hard transitions of the Step mode. LFOs are syncable to your host's tempo with controllable phase and speed.
The Key-scaling modulator offers 4 different key-scale maps for modulating parameters according the position of the key played on the keyboard.
At the far right of SynthMaster's interface you'll find the modulation matrix. This is about what you would expect allowing you to assign a source, destination, and amount. Alternately, you can assign modulation by right clicking on a parameter and choosing your source. This will automatically add the modulation to the Matrix, which is a much more stream-lined way of setting up modulations in such a complex synth. A tab allows you to open up some Global Settings for the synth, and knobs at the bottom let you set the master volume, as well as the volumes of each individual layer. Bypass switches allow you to switch a layer on and off, and the Tune control allows you to tune the instrument as a whole.
Now, keep in mind what I've just long-windedly described is just ONE layer of the two available and you can start to understand the depth of programming Synth Master offers.
Switching away from the Layer 1 and 2 controls, if we select the LFO tab at the top of the interface, we gain access to four additional LFO's. These are identical to the Layer LFOs except they operate at the Synth level and not just the Layer level.
Beneath the LFO tab, we find the FX tab which lets you set up global effects that operate on the entire sound as opposed to the layer-specific effects. Available effects include a Vocoder, Chorus, Echo, Reverb, Compression, and Tremelo. The right column allows to control the FX routing for both layers and globally, and lets you control the wet/dry balance of the global effects.
Finally, we have the Browser tab. This allows you to sort through your patch library according to Instrument Type, Attributes, Music Styles, Author, and Bank. At the bottom are 8 "easy knobs"that can be assigned to modulate any parameter, with the idea being that if your are overwhelmed by the thousands of modulatable parameters on offer, 8 of the most useful controls can be assigned to these knobs and that's all you have to deal with. What makes it most useful, however, is that you can assign multiple modulations to a single Easy Parameter knob, allowing you to make quite drastic changes in the sound with the turn of a single knob. Two X/Y modulators are also available for assignment.
CPU USE
As you can imagine, there are a lot of variables that come
into play in regards to how much of a CPU hit SynthMaster delivers. Simpler voices and low voice counts
will definitely result in lower, barely detectable CPU drain. But more complex patches can eat up
enough to max out my Mac Pro Quadcore if I play two-handed chords. Fortunately, SynthMaster offers
multiple quality levels [Draft, Good, Better, Best], each upping the sound
quality, while requiring more CPU power.
So even if your machine isn’t state of the art, you can build your
arrangements in Draft mode and
bump the quality all the way up when you render your tracks down. It would be nice if they offered the
ability to set separate quality levels for just screwing around and for the
actual rendering. U-he’s DIVA
offers this feature, and that kind of “set it and forget it” convenience is
something I’ve come to appreciate.
THE VERDICT
I wonder how many people will skip the wall of text above and just get to this point. I can't say I blame you, but I always strive to be in-depth with my reviews and the amount of firepower this synth offers is pretty obscene. Before I even get to the sound, I want to emphasize how well thought-out and designed this synth is. As I was learning to use it, I found myself uttering the phrase "Man, they've thought of EVERYTHING". Just the sheer amount of THINGS you can alter about the sound will send hardcore synth programmers into a state of pure geek lust. I get the sense that KV331 really studied what was available in the synth market, adapted some of the features they liked, and invented new ones where they felt there was an absence. But what is most astounding about this synth is that it manages to cram all these features and parameters in a package that is easy on the eye and not nearly as overwhelming as it could've been.
Soundwise, SynthMaster is a beauty. It has a very clear, hi-fi sound to it with a mostly digital sheen to it. That's not to say it can't do analog sounds well. It can. But I found these took a bit more coaxing to sound convincing than other sounds. Fortunately, SynthMaster provides an abundance of ways to coax, as should be clear now. But buying SynthMaster to use as a virtual analog is missing the point a bit, I think. With multiple types of synthesis combinable in a single patch and such depth of programming offered as a whole, this is a forward-looking synth with an eye on the future.
I see SynthMaster especially to two different types of users. Obviously, the amount of features and synthesis types gives this a hard to beat bang to buck ratio, so people who want lots of different types of synthesis without having to buy a separate synth to do each one are going to want to check this one out. But who I really see this appealing to are the hardcore synth geeks. If you like to program your own sounds, there aren't many options on the market that offer the depth of programming SynthMaster can. Little touches like being able to individually save parameters for each section of the synth to import into new sounds are fantastic time-savers and are the types of things I really appreciate as a sound-progammer.
If you already have a ton of different types of softsynths residing on your hard drive, you might not find you "need" SynthMaster, but I'd encourage you to check it out and spend some time with it anyway. While it's true you probably already have tools that can individually do things that SynthMaster can do, but you'd be hard-pressed to find it all in one place and with such an elegant interface.
I'll admit, I underestimated SynthMaster. When I first heard of it, I listened to some demos and thought it sounded pretty decent, but it kind of faded into the background noise of all the other synths on the market. Upon rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty with it, however, I am seriously impressed. I like it when synth designers trust me. Instead of playing it safe and eliminating features "you'll probably never need", I like when they give me the whole 64-Crayon pack to color with. And that's what KV331 have done with SynthMaster. [10/10]
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
PSP Releases Pianoverb 2
Monday, September 17, 2012
Xfer Records Releases Free OTT Multi-band Compressor
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Linplug Releases CRX4 Softsynth
- Filter saturation can be modulated
- Loaded loop sampler presets have samples now loaded successively (no gaps)
- Filter may be routed in serial or parallel
- LFO's speed can be modulated
- Up to 4 loop samplers
- Invisible, automatic master limiter
- Envelopes switchable between ADSFR and AHDSR mode
- Envelopes shape now individually adjustable for every phase
- Switchable MIDI Program/bank change (may be disabled in setup)
- Chorus now with invert switch
- Oscillators can be run up to +12 dB now
- Oscillators allow +-5 octave pitch modulation now (+-3 or -2/+5 before)
- Oscillator FM and AM now with much wider range (more intensity)
- Oscillator balance can be modulated
- All-on-one-edit-page design
- Larger sample display
- Extended envelope parameter modulation (sustain, hold)
- LFO frequency range up to 275 Hz
- New LFO waveforms (impulse, peak and random pulse)
- LFO one-shot mode
- Symmetry now working for LFO Noise too
- New noise oscillator with double filter, pitching and cross modulation
- Reworked oscillator with variable aliasing (thus compatible with CronoX 2 and 3).
- Switchable CronoX 2 sound compatibility (automatically on loading CronoX 2 presets).
- Editing functions (typically load, save, copy, paste and init for many modules)
- All sample content comes now in WAV format (for easier processing outside CrX4)
- New preset browser with full size bank or patch view
- MIDI-CC indicators next to preset name
- About 300 reworked CronoX 3 presets + about 200 new presets
CRX4 retails for $149. Or, upgrade from ChronoX 2 or 3 for $29.
Monday, August 27, 2012
U-he Updates Diva and Zebra
- • Installers now ready for Mountain Lion
- • Junk and Favourite files now recognize Windows-type line breaks
- • Zebrify: fixed mono/left/right modes
- • Symbolic links can no longer create endless loops
- • Fixed microtuning (.TUN) file related crash
- • Diva: fixed Tune modulation
- • Fixed info text bug while saving in Windows VST
- • Zebra: fixed hanging notes while switching presets
- • Fixed "silent synth" in large Win64 projects
- • Diva: fixed crash / silent voices while tweaking cutoff
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Review: Togu Audio Line U-NO-LX
Product: U-No-LX Softsynth
Developer: Togu Audio Line
Format: Windows (32 & 64 bit VST) and Mac (32 & 64-bit VST and AU)
Demo: Downloadable demo (saving disabled)
Price: $35 introductory price, $70 regularly
Togu Audio Line (also known by the catchier moniker TAL) have made quite an impact in the past few years with their well-regarded line of freeware synths and effects. Amid the company's incredible generosity over the years was speculation among users about what the company could produce if they did a commercial release. The answer came this week in the form of U-NO-LX, a ground-up recoding of their freeware U-NO-62 synth.
WHAT IS IT?
U-NO-LX is an emulation of the venerable Roland-60 synth with a few features not found on the original.
INSTALLATION
Installation comes via a standard installer. Right off the bat, the synth will run in demo mode, which is fully functional, but doesn't allow you to save patches. To register, you simply select REGISTER PLUGIN... and enter your serial number. Boom, you're done.
DOCUMENTATION
Documentation comes in the form of an 18-page PDF file (which you can read here). Everything is neatly laid out and easy to follow, but honestly, if you're familiar with subtractive synthesis, you probably won't need it. This is a very easy to figure out synth.
LAYOUT
U-NO-LX is basically laid out in three panels. The topmost row consist of the oscillator and filter sections, which follow the Juno-60 architecture faithfully. There is only one DCO, but true to early Roland designs, it allows you to combine different amounts of Saw and variable-width Pulse with an additional SUB oscillator (squarewave only) and WHITE NOISE source, so you can vary the basic timbre of your sounds quite a bit despite the one oscillator limitation.
The emulated VCF is preceded by a non-resonant HIGHPASS FILTER that can be used to thin out the bottom end for certain types of bell, synth, and string sounds. The VCF itself is your standard variety LOWPASS FILTER with FILTER (aka CUTOFF) and RESONANCE controls and sliders for filter modulation via LFO, KEYboard position, and the ENVelope (the latter can switch polarity).
The second row consists of master TUNE, LEVEL, and OCTAVE TRANSPOSE settings, the synth's sole ADSR envelope (the amp level can also be set to a simple GATE trigger), the synth's sole LFO (with RATE, DELAY TIME, TRIGGER MODE -including SYNC), and buttons to turn on either, both, or neither of the synth's built-in CHORUS effects. Roland was renowned for the quality of their 80's chorus units, so it plays an important part in the Juno-60's sound. I'm happy to say, TAL nailed it here and the choruses sound fantastic.
The bottom row consists of a CONTROL section (housing KEY TRANSPOSE, MAX POLY- up to 12 voices, MIDI LEARN, PANIC, and a manual LFO control for triggering the LFO with the press of a button). Next door to that, you'll find the PORTAMENTO controls with adjustable mode and speeds, a VERY simple mod set-up that allows you to assign DCO and FILTER mod on the modwheel, and velocity control for the ENV strength and VOLUME.
Finally, there is an ARPEGGIATOR that can be synced or free-running, variable modes, octave spans, and tempo.
THE VERDICT
I'll preface this by saying, I've never owned a Juno-60, so I was not able to A/B this softsynth with its hardware inspiration, but you'll find audio comparisons on the product page that demonstrate it does a damn good job. I am familiar with the sound of the Juno-60 on at least a superficial level and to my ears, U-NO-LX sounds like a Juno without question. In the context of a mix, I'd go so far to say that for most applications, the two would be more or less indistinguishable. TAL has even converted the Juno-60 factory sounds and included them in a bank here.
The improvements to the sound quality over the free version are subtle, but noticeable. The oscillators are now alias-free, and the filter sounds more authentic, especially in sounds that make use of resonance. Additional features such as portamento and the arpeggiator expand nicely on what the freeware version offered. For me personally, the upgraded GUI is worthy of upgrading in itself. Very clean and easy to follow.
I'm sure TAL knew that as soon as this was released, the demand for new features would start almost immediately, and indeed, there is room for expansion here if that's the direction the company wants to go (versus being more faithful to the original). A unison mode would be nice (although using PWM and the chorus effects, you can get surprisingly thick textures from this as-is), as would a more extensive mod matrix. I wouldn't mind seeing an additional LFO and ENV, too. U-NO-LX is a fantastic emulation and a wonderfully simple synth as it is, but the excitement of playing with it only serves to trigger those "what if" fantasies of what future updates could include. It's safe to say, that even without those fantasy features, this synth exhibits a great value from an already very generous company. I urge anyone who has made use of TAL's freeware to check this out and help support them. We need more developers like this! [9/10]
EDIT: Here's a great demo of U-NO-LX done by Solidtrax: http://soundcloud.com/solidtrax/solidtrax-tal-u-no-lx-20
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