Seeking an additive synth

[Fraggle]

I am asking the collective knowledge base of the forum contributors to help me find an additive synth.

I have searched long and deep and the only 2 options I have found are Loom 2 and Razor. This is because their UI and workflow look the most pleasing to my taste.

However, when I tried the Loom 2 demo for mac it wouldn’t install, and the company (based on their website) seems to only give support to paying customers.

I will try the Razor demo, but maybe others here know of additive synths that I could check out.

I have additive in Pigments 3, but am looking for a synth that focuses mainly on that synthesis style – I looked at Blade 2 , but the UI was not to my taste and workflow did not feel intuitive.

Thanks (in advance) for any suggestions you have

[DocAtlas]

I am asking the collective knowledge base of the forum contributors to help me find an additive synth.

I have searched long and deep and the only 2 options I have found are Loom 2 and Razor. This is because their UI and workflow look the most pleasing to my taste.

However, when I tried the Loom 2 demo for mac it wouldn’t install, and the company (based on their website) seems to only give support to paying customers.

I will try the Razor demo, but maybe others here know of additive synths that I could check out.

I have additive in Pigments 3, but am looking for a synth that focuses mainly on that synthesis style – I looked at Blade 2 , but the UI was not to my taste and workflow did not feel intuitive.

Thanks (in advance) for any suggestions you have

Are you using Windows or Mac? If the latter, look at Alchemy 2: https://www.apple.com/logic-pro/plugins-and-sounds/. If you're on Windows, you're out of luck.

While Falcon has an additive engine similar to the one in Pigments, it wouldn't be impossible to stack a lot of standard oscillators and control their levels with individual envelopes. That would be a lot of work, and might use a lot of cpu power, but it could work. There aren't a lot of fully additive synths out there at the moment, as far as I know.

There's also Arturia's Synclavier V and CMI V, but they probably aren't what you're looking for. I'm not sure about Melda's MSoundFactory, but it seems like it can do all sorts of things, so it might be worth a look.

[go_fig]

I'll re-mention Arturia's Synclavier V. While nominally a vintage emulation, the original machine was super-powered for its time and the VST's UI is really well thought-out, IMO, with modern improvements. A really nice system to design movement over time within an additive framework. (There's FM and layering on top of that, should you choose.)

[cron]

It's tricky to suggest additive synths because there's no 'standard' workflow. Every synth finds a different solution when it comes to herding all those sine waves efficiently, and they all sound quite different as a result.

It's a shame, but Image Line seem to have discontinued the VST version of Harmor. It's the king of additive synths by a long shot IMO.

I've only briefly played with it, but Pigments' additive engine seems very good too. It's intelligently parameterised and can subtly bend from beautiful to weird in Razor-like fashion.

I actually think Razor, Loom 2 and Pigments are probably the best options these days. Very different workflows that guide you toward very different sounds though. You've really got to try them out.

[Shabdahbriah]

I totally concur with all of ^^^ that ^^^

... here's a little additive info that may help you, which also happens to show several of the above candidates.

https://youtu.be/SCujIf5eJ2w

[yul]

Take it a step further with NI Prism.

I really liked the PPG software but it's been acquired and no news since.

The Thorn was also cool.

The Virsyn looks amazing but they have abandoned vst and their users.

[muki]

discoDSP vertigo
https://www.discodsp.com/vertigo/

metasynth (standalone)
https://uisoftware.com/metasynth/

virtual ANS (standalone)
https://warmplace.ru/soft/ans/

[felis]

All of the current softsynths I've seen have lots of shortcuts, macros, filters, and so on.

Additive is simple and complex at the same time. To learn the basics, you just need up to 64 harmonics, along with envelopes for each.
Traditional additive uses no filters, or shortcuts, and is a PITA to program.

To get decent results, you have to have a minimum basic understanding of how sounds are made up, and how they change over time.
So - no specific suggestions from me, other than to try out every version and modification of additive synth you run across.

I learned on hardware - a Kawai K5 and three K5000's.
Things are a lot easier now, those synths are pretty old, and you have a lot more variety with software nowadays.
But the biggest thing to really learn it, is to be able to isolate those harmonics and control how they change over time.

I recently got Pigments and am enjoying it immensely.
You can make great sounds quickly, but without doing further research, I'm not sure if it would help someone grasp what is really happening to produce those sounds.

[dune_rave]

Rob Papen Blade2 is quite good and has many qualiity presets. if you like the RP sound, of course..

[EnGee]

Loom II is incredible especially for the discounted price (most of the times it is!). The morphing function is a pleasure to play with. The only drawback (for me) is it needs iLok software (no dongle required though). I don't have any iLok software installed.

My personal favourite is Razor. Not only as additive synth, but among all kinds of synths! The drawback (for some) is using Reaktor (player or full) and it is only 6 voices max (poly). However, I don't mind Reaktor player and I use it more than any other additive synth. The sound and design are from the best (if not the best!).

I also have Thorn which is an excellent synth. It has a different character and sound from the other additive synths and of course it has its a VA workflow like, but it is still based on additive engine.

[imrae]

The biggest problem with Loom is that it is less "modular" in practice than it initially appears, because it is so cumbersome to re-order modules. It's a neat additive synth when you have a preferred chain set up, but getting there can be painful.

[WasteLand]

All of the current softsynths I've seen have lots of shortcuts, macros, filters, and so on.

Additive is simple and complex at the same time. To learn the basics, you just need up to 64 harmonics, along with envelopes for each.
Traditional additive uses no filters, or shortcuts, and is a PITA to program.

To get decent results, you have to have a minimum basic understanding of how sounds are made up, and how they change over time.
So - no specific suggestions from me, other than to try out every version and modification of additive synth you run across.

I learned on hardware - a Kawai K5 and three K5000's.
Things are a lot easier now, those synths are pretty old, and you have a lot more variety with software nowadays.
But the biggest thing to really learn it, is to be able to isolate those harmonics and control how they change over time.

I recently got Pigments and am enjoying it immensely.
You can make great sounds quickly, but without doing further research, I'm not sure if it would help someone grasp what is really happening to produce those sounds.

you are right; additive is simple and complex at the same time.

only very, very recently, because the addtive synths i have, one exception, i didn't get that envelopes per partial are seen to bound, in basic way, way to additive.

it is indeed the K5000 that can do that. the Spectra Additive Resynthesizer, based, but not limited to, on the K5000, can do envelopes per partials.

of course i could understand the power of it, but i tend to very basic additive, although, yes that also means the K5000 way.

the Spectra Additive Resynthesizer, a RE for Reason, has it all, in way. morphing. filters that can be scectral (additive is the right term), etc. etc.

a lot of things you can go in detail.

Syne is also great, also for learning additive, it is a program that is in development. already strong, but with some strange behavior sometimes, but the developer is committed to improve it.

Loom II, nice, also the Synclavier V of course, me like the Blade 2, and the additive generator in MSoundFactory.

Pigments 3, it's implementation, that i want to learn as deep as you can go, is pretty great.
also Padshop 2 implementation, in another way, is strong.

can't comment, don't have it, no mac on Alchemy, but i know the reputation.

o well many others are already mentioned. (by the way Syne can do inharmonics..)

[chk071]

I totally concur with all of ^^^ that ^^^

... here's a little additive info that may help you, which also happens to show several of the above candidates.

https://youtu.be/SCujIf5eJ2w

That's a nice video, I watched it a few days ago. Additive synthesis nice and easily explained.

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

Keep an eye on Fathom. It is semi modular and has an additive OsC. The developer is into additive and wants to add some features in the future. Modulating individual partials is on his priority list. There is a free mono version to see the implementation.

https://www.fathomsynth.com/

[Obsolete462444]

For those that are lucky enough to use Ableton Live: the included Operator device is not only a fine FM synth, it also serves as a fantastic additive synth which is very easy, well, to operate.

Lately I'm fiddling with Vital. Doesn't its "wavetable editor" pretty much work like an additive synth engine? I haven't gotten down to the nitty gritty of the editor, maybe someone with more experience can chime in.

Surge has an additive oscillator which pretty much works like the one in Ableton Operator.