RAW - Rob Papen

Fresh, cutting edge and great for anything which requires distorted sounds ,whether dance, industrio electro or dubstep etc. As one would expect another top plugin.

At the Dutch Dancefair 2014, DJ Promo (aka producer Sebastian Hoff) and DJ Free-K (aka producer Freek Vergoossen) approached Rob Papen with the idea of a synthesiser that focused more on 'distorted' sounds with an easy to use layout.

Renowned for delivering fresh, cutting edge and musical plugins for producers, Rob Papen invited the DJs to his studio for a brainstorming session resulting in a list of 'must have' features and tools for a brand new synth. Armed with this list and several more brainstorming sessions later, Rob Papen and his development team created a powerful new virtual synth RAW.
RAW has two oscillators each with an X/Y field, (as included in Blade and BLUEII) to distort the waveform using Phase Distortion. But that's not all, you can also draw two of your own 'waveforms' and use them as LFO waveforms enabling the creation of unique 'wobble' movements that are perfect for for DubStep and other electronic music styles.

RAW has all the great Rob Papen filters to shape your sound further, but in a refreshing twist, 'EQ', ‘Waveshaper', 'Distortion' and 'LoFi' have also been added on a voice synthesis level. Other FX such as Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Stereo delay and the amazing HQ Reverb of Rob Papen can all be added to your sound and of course, the cool Arpeggiator/Sequencer, Easypage and preset bank manager have all been included as standard.

Repro-1 - Uhe

Captures the classic warm analogue sounds of yesteryear brilliantly. Interesting arpeggio/sequencer section with the step edit  record feature. Fantastic bass sequential sounds.


Repro-1 dives into the past for analogue inspiration, reverently modelling a classic synth. Every detail of the original was captured using component-level modelling technology to create the most authentic model possible. All the subtle characteristics and quirks found in the original are present in Repro-1.
Repro-1 is a fierce synth: hard working, raw sounding and immensely playable.
Key Features
authentic raw analogue soundComponent-level modelling of a classic monophonic synth2 oscillators: saw/pulse and saw/triangle/pulse, including combinations and pulse width modulation.White noise generatorMixer for the audio generators with feedback path for extra bass boostFilter: 4-pole lowpass, capable of self-oscillation. Cutoff, Resonance, dedicated envelope and key tracking controlsAmplifier: ADSR envelope with curve trimmerModulation true to the original, plus an extra 2-slot matrixLFO: saw/triangle/pulse, including combinationsExtra modulation sources: AR/ASR envelope adopted from the wavefolder effect, plus Trigger and GateArpeggiator: up or up/down, latch modeSequencer: Two-patterns, step recording: Editable pitch/velocity, note/tie/pause status per step, max. 32-notes each pattern (or 64 notes when chained). Copy/paste and rotate functions, save/load presets5 built-in effects: wavefolder/distortion, delay/chorus, EQ/resonator, reverb, sonic conditioner/dynamics processor500 factory presets

Diva-UH-E

Another brilliant sounding synth from UH-E with exceptional sounding pads. Only real drawback is the over intensive CPU power and no arpeggiator. You will be really pushing it to have two instances of this plug in open at once. 

DIVA - Dinosaur Impersonating Virtual Analogue Synthesizer

The oscillators, filters and envelopes closely model components found in some of the great monophonic and polyphonic synthesizers of yesteryear. Modules can be mixed and matched so you can build hybrids, but what sets DIVA apart is the sheer authenticity of the analogue sound. This comes at the cost of quite a high CPU-hit, but we think it was worth it: Diva is the first native software synth that applies methods from industrial circuit simulators (e.g. PSpice) in realtime. The behaviour of zero-delay-feedback filters when pushed to the limit clearly demonstrates the advantages of this groundbreaking approach.

authentic, unrivaled analogue sound
up to 40% less CPU-hit than version 1.0
multithreading support for modern CPUs - more polyphony, less overload
even bigger library of gorgeously organic presets
resizable editor window, alternative skins available shortly
the essence of 7 or 8 vintage synths for about 1% of the cost
...and so much more!

Mixcraft Pro Studio 8 - Acoustica

Excellent and underrated DAW which has lots of excellent features. Smart looking interface and a huge amount of quality instruments for almost any genre. Comes bundled with a load of samples too. One very niice feature is the ability to integrate Launchpad and launch clips much like Bitwig and Ableton. Another bonus is Melodyne too!! Slight downside is the rather basic sampler.

The ultimate software tool for pro-level mixing and mastering! With 6 additional virtual instruments and 28 additional effects, Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio features over $1250 worth of plug-ins - the complete package for "record-ready" productions with incredibly realistic instruments and superlative audio processing capabilities.

Integrated Melodyne Tuning Software

Celemony’s groundbreaking Melodyne tuning software sets the standard as the most natural-sounding and easiest to use vocal tuning software available. Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio takes it one step further by integrating Melodyne Essential directly into Mixcraft’s clip sound edit window (and eliminating time-consuming audio “transfers”). Whether you’re simply touching up intonation, or moving notes to wildly alter performances, vocal pitch editing has never been easier!

Stunning Synths

Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio adds painstakingly modeled virtual analog and digital professional synthesizers. Memorymoon is a spot-on recreation of the Moog Memorymoog’s crushing analog fatness. ME80 Version 2 is a killer model of the classic Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer, now with a gorgeous new user interface and a whole new sound engine. Kastelheimer Veldberg XD is new virtual analog synthesizer based on algorithms from hardware VA synthesizers with immense programming possibilities - a veritable goldmine of powerful analog and digital timbres!

Groove3 Soundtoys 5 Update Explained

Some great tutorials on the new features in soundtoys with some innovative ways of using them.   

Soundtoys 5 is the defacto standard for high quality, time and harmonic based effects. In these video training tutorials, studio guru Scottie Dugan shows you the new plug-ins, workflow, sonics, and tweakability enhancements made in the newest version of these amazing plug-ins.

Starting with a basic introduction to how Soundtoys has upped its game, Scottie zooms right into the Effects Rack, giving you a general overview as well as exploring all of its improvements.

That leads right into a video on the enhanced preset handling, as presets are such a major component of the Effects Rack. After that, Scottie demonstrates how using the Effects Rack creatively can completely transform a mix.

Scottie continues with a video on the new Microshift Pitch and Delay Modulation plug-in, which is followed by two videos covering the new Primal Tap Delay, a delay modeled on the Lexicon Prime Time delay.

The second Primal Tap video is devoted to the Tweak Menu, where the real power lies. The final plug-in covered is Little Alter Boy, a combination of tuner, pitch shifter and vocoder.

Scottie demonstrates how you can use this plug-in to transform an instrument or vocal into something completely new. Finally, the series ends with a look at some of the minor tweaks and enhancements to plug-ins like Tremolator that push Soundtoys 5 over the top.

Whether you're new to Soundtoys or you're an advanced Soundtoys 5 user looking for some pro tips and techniques, don't miss "Soundtoys 5 Update Explained"!

SubBoomBass - Rob Papen

Could very well be all you need if Bass is what you want!

SubBoomBass is filled with excessive amounts of low end ammunition to detonate your tracks! With presets designed by the legendary Rob Papen and other guest artists, this dedicated bass synth will supply you with huge cone-rattling sounds that will body any music track. This software instrument is great for Hip Hop and RnB but can also be used for Dubstep, video game music, film scores and more...

SubBoomBass has been carefully crafted to provide you with the tools to create fresh new bass lines. It includes unique tuned drum percussion samples which are great for Hip Hop and RnB basses but can also be used to add rhythm flavour to your tracks. Also check out the innovative 'Wave-sequence' feature which will open up brand new sonic possibilities for your music.
Other features included are two effects slots which can be modulated using midi from any of the synthesizer parts. SubBoomBass also features a great 'Easy Edit' page and the unique 'Quick Browser' system that will allow you to find the sounds you need quickly and easily.

Blue2 - Rob Papen

Another top notch Vst from Rob Papen. The sounds from this thing can be huge and iv'e found it to be particularly nice for evolving pads / strings/ choirs etc.As usual with all Papens Vst's there is an easy page which gathers together the most essential parameters for you to modulate and tweak. CPU friendly and comes with a ton of excellent presets too.

First released in 2005 BLUE already reflected Rob Papen’s cutting-edge, creative, and — most importantly — musical approach towards developing virtual instruments by first delivering FM and subtractive synthesis, then duly adding Phase Distortion and wave shaping synthesis into the highly creative mix to create one seriously creative combination.

Today BLUE-II remains true to that ethos with even more sound dimensions and features to its extended name, starting with six oscillators beating at its musically creative heart. These can be connected in various ways, together with two analogue-style modelled stereo filters with 27 different filter types, an enormous range of processing and modulation options, sequencer, and an incredibly powerful arpeggiator. A new range of specially selected waveforms based on samples have been meticulously fashioned for creating new and fresh-sounding synth sounds, so don’t go expecting acoustic pianos galore here. However, since choirs and strings are an excellent basis for so many synth sounds BLUE-II has them in abundance — with much more besides!

Moreover, BLUE-II takes the useful XY pad features from its popular virtual instrument sibling Blade — a cutting-edge additive synthesis powerhouse with a human touch — and transplants them into its own equally extraordinary workflow… perfect for time-based sound movements and vector pad-type sounds. Complemented by four top-quality FX processors, each offering 35 FX types, BLUE-II is a phenomenally powerful virtual instrument to behold.

But BLUE-II is also easy to use, thanks to its user-friendly user interface and an innovative Easy Edit page for speedy sound changes, while the Bank Manager allows whistle-stop navigation through thousands of inspirational Rob Papen presets and artist sound banks covering a wide range of musical styles.

BLUE-II represents an amazing journey into ‘Cross-fusion synthesis’ and, quite simply, sounds stunning!