BK SynthLab

This synth has gotten my attention by simply opening it up, and playing the first preset.
Right there i knew this was something special.
It's all about the sound, and this thing has got it huge, extremely warm, phat, analog sounding. It just beats the hell out of many commercial synths.

Interface is nice looking actually, although not very intuitive, but everything is labeled, so you'll get around in no time.

The sound is the best part, and you get 3 oscillators with the usual waveforms, but the waveform selector is not a switch but a knob so you can get a mix between two waveforms.
You also get 2 multimode filters with the common types, from 1 to 8 poles each(!), osc sync modes, 4 lfo's and 4 adsr envelopes, unison/detune, small mod matrix and gate effect, etc. So very versatile in this department.

This is a free plugin, so documentation get's a 5 because it's non existing, but you can't really blame them.

Presets are few but give a good insight to the sonic quality and they make you just want to dive in and make your own.

Didn't use or needed customer support, value for money is a 10 because this thing doesn't go to eleven, and it didn't crash on me yet.Read Review

i don't have anything against SynthEdit, nor synths made with it... but this synth was still a pleasant surprise to me. INTRO is a fantastic example of what is possible with SynthEdit. The sounds are bright, clear and lively. The interface is lovely, if somewhat needing documentation due to the number of features and less than self explanatory setup.

i didn't even remember this was s SynthEdit VST until i came back to KVR to find out what classification of synth type is was listed as. Hybrid, is indeed what it sounds like. It doesn't sound like yet another analog emulation nor does it sound like a simple sample player. It's far more than either of those, and sounds it. i might compare this synth to something like the Korg Wavestation if forced to categorize it. In fact, some of the presets have that "iconic" sound to them where you would recognize them in use.

The presets provided are totally fantastic and showcase the sound potentials with this instrument quite well. As i mentioned the sounds are "iconic," you may find yourself totally impressed with a sound but wondering if you should use it as is in your music... but that's up to you. Pros have been using presets for ages. This synth has lots of features to customize presets, so you can alternatively do that instead of using the presets (but they're damn good) ;-)

because i am forced to rate documentation and customer support, neither of which is appropriate (no docs, no need to contact developers) i gave them a halfway rating so that it doesn't unduly subtract from the rating, nor unduly add to the rating (like i said, there are no docs, so i wont give points OR take them).Read Review

Wow, I have to be completely honest with you, this is amazing. I was just browsing what was on kvr, I didn't expect to find such a great free synth. This thing needs to get noticed.

User Interface:
Ok, I have to admit, this GUI is very appealing. Sometimes the text is a tad bit unclear, but it's nothing that leaning into your monitor won't fix. As for clarity, it's pretty confusing. You'll have to spend a good 30 minutes with this baby to be able to tell what just some of the double-knobs and switches do (yes, double-knobs). I think that the effectiveness of how everything is layed out in the mod matrix is very good. It's pretty easy to understand, once you've passed that steep learning curve.

Sound:
Wow, this baby can make so many different sounds. It's great for pads and sequences. Alot of un ordinary, but not cheezy, sounds can be made with this synth. It's all pretty clear, too.

Features:
This baby offers ALOT. You can change so many things with a considerable ammount of ease. Once you pass that steep learning curve, you're on your way. Though it's hard to learn, you'll have alot of fun learning it. This will keep you occupied initially, but it won't keep you from getting great sounds quickly.

Documentation:
What can I say, the only documentation that you get is just a list of specifications. This makes this synth harder to learn.

Presets:
I was actually surprised with the quality of most of the presets. They show you what this baby can do. Of course, it's not a perfect example of the features, but the presets are awesome, nonetheless.

Customer Support:
Well, just forget about this one...

Value For Money:
It's free! What more could you ask for?

Stability:
I've never had it crash on me, and the CPU efficiency is AMAZING. Incredible stability here. You can crank up the unison voices and your CPU stays VERY low. Good stuff! I don't know how they do it.Read Review