VAZ Modular

VAZ Modular 3 has just appeared and it deserves to be rated. I'll justify my rating later, but it's easy to understand that any modular system with a top-notch sound would be 10 in most cathegories since it covers so many possibilities that excels over most software synths.

Someone said that VAZ was the most saved secret on sound arsenals, and that's true since VAZ+1.7 hit the market long before the VSTi revolution. Since then I've enjoyed the hard or soft, but always warm and rich sound of it. The sound is superb, probably couldn't be better on a Virtual Synth (hardware or software).

As a modular system I won't avoid to say that VAZ is the "real" modular concept after all my experience. People may by surprised by its menu popups systems to link modules at beginning. Other synth painting "realistic 3D" cabling just look nice on screen, VAZ modular simply allows to "connect everything everywhere" and on that sense it has the real Moog spirit on it (this is my honest impression). The popup menu connectivity is so clever that Martin Fay already introduced it on his first VAZ ever and is still, for me, the best way to work on a "computer modular". Other elements are so well integrated and easy that once you learn it is the most fast modular system I ever met (and I know most of them).

The new version adds many new modules, but considering that some modules (sequencers, oscillators and filters) hide several levels of use and options it means literally that using the "small modules" approach on Nord Modular or Creamware's Modular, VAZ3Mod would list the double number of modules that it already lists. Another good detail of great base-design.

After long beta-testing processes its stability is rock-solid, its DXi and VSTi integration is superb (it can work as monochannel or multichannel, windows resizable, synth on any VST host as any other freewy-ware out there) and the standalone version with its practical 16 channels mixers allows to use any laptop as a high-performace station everywhere.

There's no weak points but I haven't rated less than 10 on two categories. Documentation. Well, VAZ Modular has always being sold through email sending (fast serving as another good argument for it), so the documentation is not bad but it's a help file that could be better, specially for starters and people with a short synthesis background. Presets. Well, considering the modular possibilites there's so much to explores that the miriad of 1/2 oscs models inside the library doesn't make justice. The sampling and granular possibilites would require to be sold on a CD full of professional patches and wave files. That could push VAZ Modular to a completely new level and public perception.

There's still new things that could be implemented, new modules (and I bet some are on the way to a 3.1 version) but it's suffice to say that VAZ Modular simply can not decive any one with a good electronic music knowledge. For me it's a classic still not surpased.Read Review