Ah, the classic TB 303! The squelchy, burping, warbling screaming TB 303! It is a legend amongst synthesizers, possibly even more so than the Mini. There is just something about that sound that gets our hands up in the air every time! And, like the Mini, the silver box remains one of the most emulated synths in software. Most of those emulations have been rather funny, while some were genuinely good. Rebirth got the ball rolling, and Muon and Audio Realism brought the 303 into the VST realm, along with many many freeware synths of varying quality. While Rebirth may not be considered as ‘serious’ an emulation in this day and age, Audio Realism did a pretty good job right? So do we really need another 303 emulation? Well, how should I say this? Hell yeah. Especially when it sounds disturbingly like the real McCoy. There are many electronic musicians looking for that holy grail in 303 emulation, and this, my friends may very well be it! Just download the demo, give it a go and you won’t but help notice the similarities. Both square and saw waves have that distinctive 3 dimensional character missing in other emulations and the filter is, again, very convincing; the 303’s bubbling basslines and screaming squelches can be faithfully recreated. D16 have nailed the wave shapes and filter, no question about it! Now while the original 303 still fetches ridiculous prices on the second hand market by virtue of its sound, it is still a fairly unremarkable little synth. D16 have taken the liberty of pimping out their 303 with a wicked distortion effect as well as a flexible little arpeggiator. Additionally, the synth boasts additional envelope controls that offer a bit more sound shaping flexibility ala the Devilfish mod for the 303. I have little to complain about here. I’ve long been looking for the ultimate 303 emu, and Phoscyon has delivered with (in my opinion) the 303 to beat! The GUI is a sight to behold, and the customer service is second to none! Plus, with the recent price drops, you can now get your hands on authentic acid for silly money. C'mon, everyone does need a 303...Read Review
