FXpansion releases Cypher2

[plexuss]

Here's 5 Cypher2's, factory 5D presets slightly tweeked, minimal mixing, all played with a Seaboard. Good with headphones.

This is really evocative. Nice build up and lovely 'wind' sounds there, deep in the mix.

Great to hear some tracks with cypher2 sounds from users!

Thanks. I am still learning how to play the Seaboard, I've only had it 2 days, as you can hear. It's finally great to be able to bring more expression into synth playing!

https://soundcloud.com/musicofplexus/cypher2x5

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Here's 5 Cypher2's, factory 5D presets slightly tweeked, minimal mixing, all played with a Seaboard. Good with headphones.

This is really evocative. Nice build up and lovely 'wind' sounds there, deep in the mix.

Great to hear some tracks with cypher2 sounds from users!

Thanks. I am still learning how to play the Seaboard, I've only had it 2 days, as you can hear. It's finally great to be able to bring more expression into synth playing!

https://soundcloud.com/musicofplexus/cypher2x5

Follow me on soundcloud.

Great stuff!

The Seaboard is a game-changer. Even if you just use it as in place of a normal 'board, without touching the 5D stuff, it is extremely expressive. And if you're into finger-drumming, it's the best drum controller I've used (Previously owned Korg Padkontrol, and a sensitivity-modded Akai MPD-16).

Have fun

[Stefken]

Regarding operation on older Windows versions than Windows 10, I got this answer from FXpansion.

"Cypher2 has not been tested on Windows7 or any other older version of Windows and hence we cannot guarantee that it will work, or reliably predict what will happen if you use it on Win7. "

So that doesn't mean it won't work on Windows 7 or 8, just that it is untested.
On my machine on Windows 7 / 64 bit, it seems to work just fine.

[ChamomileShark]

It's working fine on Windows 7 Pro 64bit in Cubase 9.5 here too. Yet to try it in Bitwig.

[Gosh]

It's working fine on Windows 7 Pro 64bit in Cubase 9.5 here too. Yet to try it in Bitwig.

same here, also in Live 10

[himalaya]

Hi all,

Cypher2 is a very deep synth. It can be used to make analogue and digital style presets with ease. There are over 800 2D factory presets so the analogue patches can be missed amongst the huge selection of sounds. Below you can listen to a demo which focusses on the 'analogue' presets only. Despite this demo lasting over 20 minutes, it still does not show all the analog-style presets that are available. Still, this is a comprehensive teaser, and hopefully you will be able to find the rest in the factory bank. Below the Soundcloud link are descriptions of some of the more original patches which use Cypher's interesting design aspects as relevant to the more familiar analogue sound, so there is no mention of the multiple waveshapers, comb filters, original effects like the Phase-Mod-Array FX, etc. :

https://soundcloud.com/electric-himalay ... esets-demo

Descriptions of some of the presets.

Duophony.
Stating at 0:34 min in the above demo, you can hear one of the Duophonic presets. A real joy to play. The duophonic nature of the sound is prime material for hippy noodling. Patch: Duophony in C made by Rory Dow.

Variable waveform shape
An old favourite from Cypher V1, here, the subtle wave morphing helps to add interest in this lush poly synth sound with dynamic stereo panning. Cue from 1:20min

Note-input controlled stereo filters and ring-modulation
Preset LD Dual Filter Swapper from 1:48min. This is patch is one that opens Cypher2 to real analogue mojo like nothing else. Vintage goodness all around, although controlled via modern techniques which allow to swap the filters in the stereo filed via the note input. Powerful Ring-modulation adds to the character. Some want Synth Brass, I want characterful, gritty sounds with ring-modulation .

Dual hard-sync
At 2:51 min you can hear a rare sound in non-modular soft-synth world, a dual hard-sync patch. Pay attention to the two panned harmonic sweeps, all separate, panned right and left. Very powerful.
Preset: LD Dual Panned Hard-Sync.

Extreme audio-rate modulation
At 3:24 min Cypher2 becomes a modular synth creating a fireworks display of frequency-modulation mayhem, which settles into a powerful arpeggiated sound. A unique sound.
Preset: AR Modular Saturn Run

Blade Runner
We can't miss this one... The infamous Blade Runner synth brass patch is here too. One to show the silvery, heavy weight synth brass sound that Cypher is capable of. From 5:20min
Preset: BR Blade Runner Brass


Pad and ring-mod solo
A lush pad (recreation of a pad I made on my MKS-70) with a lead line that uses ring-modulation to add dramatic accents. Did I say I love ring-modulation yet?
From: 6:22min
Presets: PD Dry MKS-70 Pad, LD Analogue Brassy Solo


A homage to the Oberheim 8-voice SEM synth
This preset uses Cypher's extensive per-note modulation to create a very organic, powerful, multi-waveform sound, which is inspired by the mighty Oberheim 8-voise SEM synth.
The idea with this preset is to provide a subtle, but still audible variation in timbre on each key-press. This patch creates a huge ensemble sound, which is transformed into a liquid, silvery wash with high resonance later in the preset demo. From 8:21 min.
Preset: SY 8-voice Mega SEM


More Audio-Rate mayhem at 9:38 min
Preset: AR Frequency Mod Run

Analog Choir
It's nice to have a sound, which is not a sample, and yet has some characteristics of a choir. There are several choirs in Cypher2, this is one such example. At 19:45 min. Preset: VOX Coronation Choir

One preset that is still missing from this demo is the one which shows the multiple-ring modulators. This one is for another day.


Enjoy the demo.

[nordickvr]

@himalaya
That is serious synth programmimg skills happening here!
Thanks for sharing.

[tapiodmitriyevich]

For fun... I made a small video of the evening session while composing

So 80s. I hate the 80s. E.T. and Eddie Murphy. OMG. All the old people around me, born in the 70s like me, are obsessed about the 80s. TV and radio is full of 80s. My sweet interwebbs. Uuuuuuugh. 80s infested.
Music (the non classical side of it) starts @ 90s.

That "hidden OSC" thing earlier in this thread is really nice. Considering buying this synth. Mostly use Avenger, but there is some space left beside it.

[yellowmix]

@himalaya

Thank you for the thought process and rationales. That type of sound design insight has to be learned from experience.

[Apheo]

Hi all,

Cypher2 is a very deep synth.
...
Enjoy the demo.

Thank you for the info. Will there be any in depth tutorial to use the synth in the near future?

[HunterKiller]

@everybody who thought I talked about the SOUND presets of Cypher 2.

No, I think they are most excellent and the synth itself SOUNDS beautiful. My only complaints have been about the USER INTERFACE and the colors of the UI. That's it.

None of the GUI PRESETS (there are several to choose from) are good in my opinion and that's what I was criticising.. NOT the sound or the sound presets.

Hope this clears it up (got a few PM's from various people so obvisouly I wasn't clear on what I disliked about the product). I'll edit the original post that caused all the controversy so that there can be no misinterpretation.

Indeed, the sound of this thing deserves a gui that looks like this

[lastmessiah]

That thing is hideous. Skeuomorphism is terrible. I'm glad FXpansion doesn't take aesthetic advice from KVR, sheesh.

[SLiC]

I also much prefer the existing Cypher2 skin- it is laid out logically, you can see what's going on and it is resizable and you can change the basic colour to suit the light level- I vastly prefer this to most GUIs, it just works (I am also a fan of Valhalla GUI's, I guess its a matter of taste, but I will take functionality over aesthetics every time)

[DJErmac]

A nice GUI is a bonus. What matters is sound. If the GUI is usable, then there's nothing to complain about. Cypher 2 isn't pretty, that's a fact, but I don't care.

[FastTriggerFish]

That thing is hideous. Skeuomorphism is terrible. I'm glad FXpansion doesn't take aesthetic advice from KVR, sheesh.

This.
Also, thanks Himalaya for the brilliant demos, this synth plus a Seaboard Rise 49 have become a must buy for me, I just love the sounds and the expressivity.