SynthMaster is an 'all-round' semi-modular software synthesizer and effect plug-in that features many different synthesis methods including VA, Additive, Wavetable, Wavescanning, Phase Modulation, Frequency Modulation, Pulse Width Modulation, Ring Modulation, Amplitude Modulation, Physical Modeling and SFZ Sample Playback synthesis.

With its multi-synthesis oscillators, analog modelled/digital filters, flexible effects routing with 11 types of high quality effects and a massive modulation architecture with 95 separate modulation sources and 650+ modulation targets, SynthMaster is a powerful instrument for all synthesizer enthusiasts.

Features

• Cross-platform VST & AU: SynthMaster runs as a VST instrument/effect on both Windows and Mac OS X, and as an Audio Unit instrument/effect on Mac OS X.
• 750 Factory Presets: SynthMaster comes with 750 new factory presets from a world class team of sound designers: BigTone, Michael Kastrup, Rob Lee, Ümit 'Insigna' Uy, Aiyn Zahev, Frank 'Xenox' Neumann, Teoman Pasinlioglu, Mr Shoufuku and Brian 'Xenos' Lee.
• Semi-Modular Architecture: For each SynthMaster instance, there are 2 layers followed by 2 global effect send busses. Each layer has its own: Arpeggiator, 2 Oscillators, 4 Modulators, 2 Filters, 4 ADSR Envelopes, 2 Multistage Envelopes, 2 2D Envelopes, 2 LFOs and 4 Keyscalers. The modulators can modulate frequency, phase, amplitude or pulse width of the oscillators or any other modulators at audio rate.
• Massive Modulation Architecture: SynthMaster has more than 650 modulation targets and 95 modulation sources including ADSR Envelopes, 2D Envelopes, Multistage Envelopes, LFOs, KeyScalers, Easy Parameters, Vocoder Bands, MIDI Velocity, Aftertouch, Pitch Bend and MIDI CC. Each modulation target can have up to 3 modulation sources. The modulation matrix, which has 64 available slots, has visual filtering as well so that targets for a specific source, or sources for a specific target can be filtered and shown on the user interface.
• Easy Parameters: SynthMaster features 8 easy knobs and 2 XY pads that can be freely assigned as modulation sources, so that the complexity of the synth engine could be hidden away and only most important parameters of a preset can be controlled by the user. The easy parameters can be globally linked to MIDI controllers, and they can be assigned automatically by SynthMaster as well.
• Powerful Arpeggiator: The arpeggiator in SynthMaster features classic arpeggiator modes such as Up, Down, UpDown, DownUp, UpDown2, DownUp2, AsPlayed as well as Sequence, Chord and Arpeggiate modes. Each of the 32 steps of the arpeggiator has its own Velocity, Note Number, Note Length, Slide and Hold parameters.
• Basic Oscillators: 'Basic' oscillators in SynthMaster are capable of synthesizing many different types of waveforms: Sine, Square, Triangle, Sawtooth, Pulse, Noise, Wavetable and multi-sampled WAV/AIFFs defined in SFZ files.
• Additive Oscillators: An 'Additive' oscillator is actually 8 'basic' oscillators running together. Each 'basic' oscillator has its own detune, tone, phase/pulse width, frequency and waveform type.
• Vector Oscillators: A 'Vector' oscillator consists of 4 'basic' oscillators, mixed at different ratios. The mix ratios are determined by 2 orthogonal parameters in 2 dimensions: 'X Index' and 'Y index'.
• Wavescanning Oscillators: A 'Wavescanning' oscillator is similar to basic oscillator, except that the waveform can be scanned (interpolated) through 16 different waveforms shapes. The position of the waveform can be adjusted using the 'wave index' parameter.
• Stereo Oscillators with Improved Unison: Oscillators in SynthMaster have stereo output. With the new "voices", "pan spread" and "detune spread" parameters, each basic/wavescanning oscillator can have its own unison settings which eliminates the need to enable unison for all voice elements.
• Analog Filters: The 'analog' filters are modelled after the famous ladder filter, so they self oscillate when the filter resonance is maxed out. They have continuously variable slope, which is unique to SynthMaster.
• Digital Filters: The 'digital' filters are biquad filters with a hard limiter in their output. The limiter features an envelope follower with attack, release and threshold parameters.
• Multimode Filters: With the new 'multimode' filter type, it is possible to switch from Lowpass to Bandpass to Highpass filter types continuously. For analog multimode filters, it is also possible to change the slope of the filter continuously from 0 db/oct to 24 db/oct.
• Dual Filters: With the new 'dual' filter type, two multimode filters can be run simultaneously, either in parallel, or in series. The mix ratios between the filters, and the topology (parallel/series) between them can be changed continuously, as well as the modes and cutoff frequencies of the filters.
• Comb Filters: Comb filters are digital filters used in physical modeling synthesis.
• Before/Inside/After Filter Distortion: A distortion stage can be inserted before, after, or even inside the filters. For analog filters, the distortion is applied for each of the 4 filter stages in 'inside' mode.
• Rich Set of Effects: SynthMaster features 11 different effect types: Distortion, LoFi, Ensemble, Phaser, 6 Band EQ, Compressor, Vocoder, Delay, Chorus, Tremolo, Reverb.
• Flexible Effects Routing: Each of the 11 effect types can be inserted on any layer insert or on any of the 2 global effect bus inserts.
• Microtuning: SynthMaster supports Scala tuning, so tuning can be set either for each preset or globally by loading from a Scala tuning file.
• Preset Browser: SynthMaster features a comprehensive preset browser with separate search criteria for instrument type, preset attributes, music style or preset author.
• Online Preset Browser: Registered users can upload their presets to the online preset library, or browse and download presets created by other registered users; using the preset browser right inside the plug-in window.
• Multiple Skins: SynthMaster comes with 3 different skins in different color variations. Using the included user interface editor, users can not only customize the existing skins but also can create their own custom interfaces as well.
• Import of MIDI patterns as Arpeggiator Sequence: Monophonic or even polyphonic (chord) MIDI patterns can be imported into the arpeggiators in SynthMaster by just drag and drop of the MIDI file onto the arpeggiator view on the plug-in window.
• Import of WAV/AIFF Multisamples as SFZ definitions: Multisamples in WAV/AIFF formats could be imported into SynthMaster as SFZ definitions, by simply drag and drop of the WAV/AIFF files onto the oscillator waveform view on the plug-in window.

A demo version of SynthMaster is available. It is identical to the standard version except for 3 limitations:

1. Saving presets is disabled.
2. The synth starts playing random notes after 10 minutes.
3. Comes with 225 factory presets (demo users can check out the remaining factory presets from the online presets browser though).

Expansions

KV331 Audio has also been releasing expansions for SynthMaster 2.5, in various genres. They can be listened to at KV331 Audio's SoundCloud page:

http://soundcloud.com/kv331synthmaster/sets/synthmaster-expansions

SynthMasterCM

On December 5th 2012, KV331 Audio and Computer Music Magazine have released the free (with magazine) SynthMasterCM software synthesizer plug-in. It's available with Computer Music Magazine issue 186 in VST and AU formats on Windows and Mac OS X.

SynthMasterCM is a cut-down version of SynthMaster with the following feature set:

• 2 wavescanning oscillators with up to 8 waves to scan.
• 2 modulators (sub-oscillators) that can modulate phase/frequency/amplitude of oscillators at audio rate.
• 1 analog filter with LP/HP/BP/BS modes, before/after filter distortion curve.
• 1 arpeggiator with up to 8 steps.
• 4 ADSR envelopes (2 are pre-patched as amplitude and filter envelopes).
• 1 Step/Glide LFO and 1 Triangle/Square LFO.
• Polyphony: up to 12 voices.
• Unison: up to 2 voices.
• Osc Voice Stacking: up to 4 voices.
• Modulation Matrix: 10 slots available.Oversampling: 2x (at Good Quality).
• Delay, Chorus and Reverb effects.
• 60 Factory presets by Michael Kastrup, Nori Ubukata and Aiyn Zahev.

SynthMasterBE

On January 5th 2013, KV331 Audio and Beat Magazine have released the free (with magazine) SynthMasterBE software synthesizer plug-in. It's available with Beat Magazine issue 86 in VST and AU formats on Windows and Mac OS X.

SynthMasterBE is a cut-down version of SynthMaster with the following feature set:

• 2 basic oscillators.
• 2 modulators (sub-oscillators) that can modulate phase/frequency/amplitude of oscillators at audio rate.
• 1 digital filter with LP/HP/BP/BS modes, before/after filter distortion curve.
• 1 arpeggiator with up to 8 steps.
• 4 ADSR envelopes (2 are pre-patched as amplitude and filter envelopes).
• 1 Step/Glide LFO and 1 Triangle/Square LFO.
• Polyphony: up to 12 voices.
• Unison: up to 2 voices.
• Osc Voice Stacking: up to 4 voices.
• Modulation Matrix: 10 slots available.Oversampling: 2x (at Good Quality).
• Delay, Chorus and Reverb effects.
• 70 Factory presets by Michael Kastrup, Rob Lee and Aiyn Zahev.