Tweak Peeks at the:

Modern Virtual Analog Synths

Virus Desktop vs Virus Snow

While the synths on this page may sound and perform like a real analog synthesizer, they are really digital models of analog synths. Hence they are called Virtual analogs or VA's for short. If you want real analog, look at the Moog Voyager and the Moog Little Phatty.

Why get a VA synth? One reason really--the sound. You get the sound of analog style oscillators and filters, modified by envelopes and LFOs. The analog sound has been around since the dawn of synthesis, and its know for its warm and gooey textures, its smooth rubbery basses, its pleasantly contoured noise, liquid-like leads, wall shaking basses and weirdo 70's sci fi effects. The modeling of the analog characteristics gives the synth a bit more edge than the real analog Synths had, and much more exacting control. When you add on an effects engine, polyphony, and the bells and whistles of arpeggiators and step sequencers, its easy for the VA to sound more "modern" and more clean that its dirty, unwashed ancestors.

Access Virus TI2 Desktop Integrated Modeling Synth

Tweak: A great choice for those doing electronic music. 16 channel multi timbral. Lots of voices, unlike other virtual analog synths. FX on every channel. Connects by USB2 to your computer where it can be controlled like a soft synth and access your sequencer's mixer and busses. Or use it like an old school synth module. So krunk, its on my Facebook wall. I want it!

If you have ever used a modeled analog soft synth and did some real time tweaking you have noted how fast these processes consume CPU. That is the #1 argument for getting the Virus TI--16 channels of analog like sound with no cpu hit. Tweak it all you want. Its hardware!

For those on a more limited budget there is the Access Snow Same sound. Fewer knobs. Fewer voices. 4 part multi timbrality. Alot less Money! You know, if you track to audio after you make every track by MIDI, you really do not need multi timbrality at all. In that circumstance, the Snow will sound just as convincing as the Desktop at the end of the day.

For me, I think the desktop module wins. I love all those knobs. And I am a sucker for wood panels.

More Access Virus Synths

Similar VA synths

Waldorf Blofeld Desktop Synthesizer Module
Waldorf is back in the game. With the Blofeld. This synthesizer offers all the unique qualities that made Waldorf a truly legendary brand. The engine inside the heavy duty, full metal chassis of the Blofeld delivers the same fat and rich sound that so many Waldorf users worldwide love when they play their Pulse, Q, Q+, Micro Q, Microwave, Microwave II/XT, or even the flagship Wave.

Arturia Origin Virtual Modular Synthesizer
Get Arturia's Origin Synthesizer and get the most powerful synthesizer on the market. The Origin goes much further than you've ever seen a synth go. It surpasses the traditional definition of synthesizers. It is a hardware DSP system that houses several synthesizers in one machine. Some of these synths come from the past, such as the Minimoog, some are totally new and innovative.

Korg Radias-R Virtual Analog Synthesizer Rack
Based on Korg's cutting-edge MMT engine, this 24-voice synthesizer offers a variety of synthesis algorithms together with multiple effects, new comb filter and wave shaping features, modulation sequencing, as well as new formant-motion vocoding.