![]() ![]() Sound quality was typical for the time, with CPU usage being a priority, but it was by far the most capable freeware subtractive synth. Released when the VST format was just a few years old, and when free VSTs were rare, Synth1 was an instant hit when it came out nearly two decades ago. In one form or another, Xhip has been in active (if painfully slow) development for 21 years as of this post, making it the oldest synthesizer here. Xhip also has a 6db bandpass filter that self-resonates well, that you can trigger with an impulse - good for making true 808-style feedback kicks using the filter envelope for the punch. There are other little unique touches to Xhip, such as its per-voice waveshaper, which has its own resonant filter that can track keyboard input for unique harmonic excitement. I like toying with the cross-modulation for feedbacky cello-like timbres or hollow/tubular sounds. My immediate go-to for Xhip is when I want single-oscillator basses that are more complex than a basic ramp or pulse waveform, but not as diffuse as stacked oscillators or modulation effects. In particular when hard sync options are teamed with its cross-mod feature, especially with its filter input-modulation in the mix. Xhip is generally a good (if a bit aliasy) subtractive, but what sets it apart is the unique set of textures that arise from its many audio-rate modulations. Ultimately these are some of the best plugs in the thread, which contains as much history as VST info. Synths: FMMF (FM), PM4 (FM), Utopia/Dystopia/Brush (drum synths), TS-808 (808), Cobalt (subtractive), M-Theory (phsycial modelling string synth)Įffects: All of Jeroen Breebart's glorious ex-commercial plug-ins, Xhip Reverb (Uh, reverb), RoVee (borderline broken/awesome fucky formant/pitch shifter), SpatialVerb (ray-tracing-based early reflections reverb), Sanford Reverb (which is still among the best sounding free reverbs and I can't believe it's old enough to be in this thread), Boogex (IR-based guitar distortion/cabinet simulation), DtBlkFx (extended, comprehensive FFT tool) Descriptions of them can be found in these threads. Plug-ins previously mentioned in the Feedong Cone or the last thread will be forgone here. Alternatively, the Arke Oversampler is a tool heaven-sent to anti-alias any 32-bit VST (you're on your own for documentation).Īssume a Windows 32-bit VST. ![]() Even today many premier synths sound great despite aliasing artifacts. ![]() 2x oversampling was generous 20 years ago. In times of yore it was considered the end-user's responsibility to avoid aliasing - those with more powerful computers could jack sample rates, and it was thought in the future that everyone would be running obscene sample rates rather than sticking with 44.1Khz, as most do still today. One thing about old plug-ins: due to inadequate (if any) anti-aliasing they are typically best enjoyed at higher sample rates. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2022
Categories |