Aly James Lab

This is my favorite drum plugin. It has a fantastic sound quality equal to the original without the use of samples but with synthesis.The GUI is clean and the presets are good. That's how I mostly use it (just choosing a preset). Because its a plugin without samples its obvious smaller than a sample based and loads faster. The price is a steal in my opinion. And it just got updated to version 2.0.2. So dont hesitate.

VProm is the single most accurate and useful Linn LM-1 emulation I've found, possibly because it is the only one to actually emulate the hardware rather than play back some recorded samples. The big draw for this is the hihat which is actually a constantly looping sound with an amplitude envelope that opens up over it whenever the hihat is triggered; this causes each hihat hit to sound different which makes it sound more alive or organic. My singular gripe regarding this is the inability to load a custom hihat EPROM to loop like the original hihat, instead it only plays custom EPROMs as a one-shot.

Tuning samples down low causes the sounds to have a familiar gritty sound that you can't achieve in a modern day by just pitching down a sample and playing it back slower, and this is much appreciated as that gritty aliased sound is exactly what I wanted: Gritty, not muffled.

Each sound can have its own unique output from the plugin, allowing you to put your own effects on each drum sound while only using one instance of VProm.

Regarding custom EPROMs, this is where VProm gets even more fun for me. You can create authentically formatted sounds using Promenade from Electrongate (do not use wav2dmx or dmxwav as the math is reportedly incorrect) and load them into VProm to hear your own samples played back through an accurately modelled AM6070 DAC and optionally (on by default) CEM 3320 VCF filters on the bass, conga, and tom sounds that were in the original LM-1 hardware in order to remove noise from the tail-end of the drum sounds.

Additionally, the Oberheim DMX uses the same DAC as the Linn LM-1, and thus VProm can load its EPROMs with no trouble and it sounds, due to the similar hardware, pretty much just like the Oberheim DMX.

If you want an authentic vintage sampler sound, VProm is how you get it.

What a unique effect!
For years I have played with all kind of toys (hardware and software) related to guitar and never find such a playable effect, I can easily put it on everything and abuse the virtual pedal on some drum loops or synths.
I can set the trigger to suit any kind of input so I can decide whether applying a light touch of bending is useful or not or make it trigger on every hit.

Doing some precise slide and bends with a Whammy pedal is almost impossible, especially if you like to trigger bends quickly on almost every note you play.
This virtual pedal solves this.

While the slide or bend happens, especially if the bend is quick, sometimes it reminds me of a wahwah effect but at the same time it sounds totally different.
The fact that it can also be triggered by external signals like MIDI is a genius idea.
I can find those tasty vintage pitch-shifter feedback effects or, thanks to the direct mix feature, create some syrupy chorus and watery flanging (the modulation by itself is unusual in a good way as the flanging only goes up or down)
The effect got a large palette of sounds, it can be very subtle or scream by itself when set to self-oscillate.
The analog feel and drive of this VST is incredible, I can see me using it just to spice up some parts.
For me it is a must-have for any guitarist or bassist who like to expand their sound palette but it is also surprisingly useful on drums, vocals, synths and even full stems.
I have tested the MIDI out feature (the envelope is sent as a MIDI Control Change message) and I found it very useful to control other VST parameters in sync with the Elastic Bender.
EDIT: I recently have a chance to play with an early Publison pitch shifter and I was socked at how much I could get similar pitch shifting color out of the Aly James Elastic Bender, I think it should also be very similar to old Eventide stuff like H910! I still love and use this effect.

This synthesizer sounds huge while being a cinch to operate!
It is based on (means inspired by rather than full featured emulation) the 80s legend OB-X Synth.
A lot of information has already been provided on the website of Aly James Lab, so I will not dwell on the subject.
My point is the emulation of the analog sound, and it was impressive how he manages to reproduce the particular character of the vintage machines.
Whether at the VCA or oscillators stage, the sound is present and can seriously growl.
It is simply a dirty little synth that fits perfectly in my toolbox.
The ability to go out on a separate channel for each voice is brilliant.

I hope this will be ported to OS X in the future.

The developer has been pretty clear on this not being a direct emulation of the OB-X and OB series synths, but that doesn't mean it lacks in any area or doesn't sound real. This definitely has the life of a great emulation, but with a few tweaks and upgrades making it something new all together.

One of the first and only soft synths (even to this day) that had me floored by its sound was the OP-X Pro ii by Sonic Projects. The OB-Xtreme isn't designed to replace it. It doesn't sound the same, but it does sound incredible. It feels tighter, more responsive, and not as "drifty" or bulbous as the OP-X Pro ii does (and therefore not like a real OB-X). The brass-iness that makes the OP-X Pro ii so great is there with this one, but it's different and stands on its own. The drive saturation really makes this synth standout and capable of huge basslines and screaming leads. Dialed back it works excellently for pads.

The OB-Xtreme is an all in one great analog-style synth. Like the freeware classic Synth1, it's pretty swiss-army and there is a lot more than what you see and hear at first glance - Even then the default patches give a pretty great idea of what it is capable of.

The separate outs for all 8 voices is also pretty insane. You can add a reverb to one voice, a delay to another; bitcrush one; and chorus the next. It's crazy.

Aly James Lab consistently puts out really high quality plugins that are either true to their source unlike anything else out there (VLINN for example), or impressive originals based on something from the past like this synth here.

Anyone looking for a great analog-style synth with a ton of great features that can cover all your needs from pads, basses, FX, leads, and more should look no further. Ultimately, it's about the sound and this thing sounds as good if not better than a lot of the synths out there from the big developers.

This along with the VLINN from Aly James Lab make two of the most unique and incredibly detailed drum machine emulations on the market.

Like I mentioned in my VLINN review, I've now garbaged all my samples for Simmons drums. This is it. Some quick highlights:

Every perameter is editable and can be automated.

This thing can make HUGE 808 style kicks, or knocking little taps like a TR-606. The snares are surprisingly useful, and can stand on their own or be layered under other samples for depth. The toms are what the Simmons drums were all about and there is nothing to miss here. They are gigantic, and again - every piece of the sound you could conceive of is editable and customizable. The hi-hats were shockingly useful to me. They sound great if tweaked well. They have a realness to them, and sound like the Linndrum sample (which I believe they were originally cribbed from on the SDSV)

It has individual outs so mixing is super easy inside your DAW.

There are selectable levels of output which can really add the grit and definition of analog drums.

You can custom-load PROMS in it. So adding a clap or another snare, or whatever is easy. It then runs through the circuitry and comes out the other end sounding appropriately degraded.

Aly is on a roll with these plugins, and he's doing something NONE of the other developers are doing. Furthermore, he's doing it at 1/4 the price.

If you love the sound of the 80s. You need this kit.

If you have samples of a Simmons kit, throw them out and get this.

Although I was born in the 90s, the Simmons sound is something that quickly became a part of me. From old 80s rock bands to ambient drum noise for 80s cartoons, there's something that always stuck out to me about a Simmons. Upon realizing how much I loved the sound, and after finding out who made the drum (and that it had been discontinued), I began the VST and sample search. I first came across some drum samples, but of course the SDSV was one of the only ones the website owner wanted a donation for, and it was only for samples. Then I came across a freeware VST that was "SDS-V'-style" which I was grateful for at the time, but in the end I forgot about as well. It wasn't a complete emulation. My search ended and I sort of gave up on the idea for a while. Then, out of nowhere I see the most beautiful drum GUI in a post on KVR. Something about a "complete emulation" that can load old roms and everything. I listened to the sound demos and instantly that sound I remembered from childhood came back to me. I donated and am now enjoying the drums very much. I never thought I'd be using them with modern synth sounds, but they actually sound great together. Alone, the SDS-V can sound odd, but mixed with other instruments it is surprising how well it fits in, even with more modern sounds. I see myself using this in many songs to come. It sounds so much more real and different from stock drum samples. It has more life to it. And it brings back old memories at the same time. Well done.

GUI - 9.

Sound - 9.

Usability - 9.

The VLINN by Aly James Lab is without a doubt the best VST drum machine out there for drum machine sounds. Period. Wave Alchemy, UVI, and others make emulations, but they don't touch the sound or features available here.

The LM-1 is a classic, and it's instantly recognizable for its punch, heft, and clarity and it's all recaptured here. The VLINN doesn't use samples, it uses the actual EPROM data and reads it in real time. Every sample I've paid for over the years are now useless because this thing does it all. You can alter the pitch of the samples; you can edit the cutoff/decay of the hi hats; you can route each channel to its own individual channel in your DAW for further processing. The best part about that is that it's automatically setup that way when opening the program.

BUT The most exciting feature of this program is the ability to load 4K, 8K, and 16K EPROM BIN files in to it. So that means that the DMX, DX, Drumtraks, and more are all instantly ready to pop in. Further to that, you can sample whatever other machine you want; convert the WAV to a BIN; then load it in to the machine. It's then run through all the modeled circuitry.

I can't say enough good things about the VLINN. It's absolutely essential for any fans of drum machines, the 80s sound, the Minnesota funk sound, and more.

Aly James knows what he's doing and doesn't cut corners or omit features. The big guys should take notes from his work and ear for authenticity.