Proxima - Synapse Audio

[Teksonik]

The Softube Model series synths tend to have a more authentic 'vintage' sound, as if you're playing a real fifty-year-old synth.

The problem the way I see it is that fifty year old synths sound like crap compared to what we have at our fingertips these days and I say that as someone who has owned and played many synths from that time period.

The slavish devotion to the past is baffling to me having "been there done that" but I realize everything old is new to someone.

Maybe the u-he and Synapse teams decided that a modern, polished analog sound is more in demand than a super-authentic emulation?

DUNE 3 is my favorite synth that I've ever owned or played, hardware or software, going all the way back to 1980. So much so that I don't even call it Virtual Analog, I just call it Analog 2.0 because it represents the natural evolution of analog synthesis.

You could make it sound more "vintage" by the use of FX and certain programming tricks but vintage is not a goal I see as worthy of attempting to achieve.

To me it's like wanting to watch a movie on VHS tape when you have the 4K Blu Ray on hand.

But hey, I realize I'm in the minority especially here at KVR which is the Church of the Analog God and I'm sure I've just triggered an avalanche of responses. I can hear people hammering away at their keyboards now.

As you say it's nice everyone has options to suite their particular wants and needs. We truly are in the Golden Age of synthesis.

At any rate, Proxima should be vintage enough for those who want it and modern enough for others. Something for everyone.

[xmstkvr]

I However, once more it’s tucked away in the background, and having to constantly jump back and forth whenever I want to refine or fine-tune a generated patch really disrupts the creative flow. Genetics is such a powerful sound design tool, but its current placement makes iterative work unnecessarily cumbersome.

For you, maybe. I see it perfect as it is. No problem. No disruptive creative flow.

Richard, please don't change anything.

[vitocorleone123]

So... I won't be buying it any time soon.

The main reasons
1) It definitely sounds very good but is not some incredible leap forward in sound - I already have several fantastic VA plugins
2) Since it was "merely" good I needed more than 20 minutes to try it out. At least an hour, maybe three. But... nope. Only 20 and then it's done.

The biggest pro: Synapse Audio FINALY has a well-designed synth. Truly well done. More of the same would've made it as a #2 on my list above, pushing the current #2 to a #3.

The biggest con other than a ridiculously-short time to demo: the core sound is only very good... I think I could tweak the Options and save a more hardware-like init with more variance. The default init is sort of dead-sounding. I'm also not impressed with the filter - it's fine, seems linear (better than Obsession was to me), but isn't... I don't know.... grabby or characterful. Seems like a VA filter. Maybe it's a perfect emulation and I just don't love that filter.

$99 seems a better list to me given the above, but, if there's a future sale for $79 or something I may consider it. I feel that it's closer to TAL (great VAs) than to uhe (exceptional VAs).

[HenkDeWegWeg]

I felt bad so change my postings.

[Vortifex]

2) Since it was "merely" good I needed more than 20 minutes to try it out. At least an hour, maybe three. But... nope. Only 20 and then it's done.

You can just reload it for as many 20 minute sessions as you want.

[hurricaneaudiolab]

I think DUNE's UX is terrible. I literally hate working with it and pretty much never do any more. I've got a handful of go-to patches and only ever use it for those, really. Yes, there is a lot going on but that's the problem. I love the way it sounds, I just hate having to deal with the stupid centre screen and the layers.

I wouldn't call it terrible, but yeah, agree with the idea. While I’ve never been big on Richard’s RE-centric GUI thing - it feels like he designs for Reason first, then just ports that over to VSTs which kinda handcuffs the layout - some of those RE limitations might actually work in DUNE 4’s favor if he decides to “RE-ify” the interface.

[HcDoom]

Hopefully, Dune 4 will have proper GUI as D3 is terrible, at least to me, while sound is top notch.

[djanthonyw]

The quality of the analog modeling on this is very good. I'd say it's right up there with Roland's SH-2 as far as analog sound goes and definitely the best Prophet emulation.

[vitocorleone123]

2) Since it was "merely" good I needed more than 20 minutes to try it out. At least an hour, maybe three. But... nope. Only 20 and then it's done.

You can just reload it for as many 20 minute sessions as you want.

That didn't work. And I didn't want to try reloading my DAW to reload the softsynth. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow after my DAW gets started once my PC boots.

[chagzuki]

Had a quick go with the demo. I know nothing about the original synth, but I see this has a kind of fuzzy/veiled sound, which might work in certain situations.
The market is saturated and Softube synths, for example, often go on sale at low prices, so personally I can't justify the cost for this.

[Uncle E]

Had a quick go with the demo. I know nothing about the original synth, but I see this has a kind of fuzzy/veiled sound, which might work in certain situations.

Yes, that's accurate to the real Prophet-600. You can hear it in the Behringer Pro-800, as well. It's great for Rüfüs Du Sol wavey pitch-type sounds (even though I think they used different synths).

[frosties]

Yes, that's accurate to the real Prophet-600. You can hear it in the Behringer Pro-800, as well. It's great for Rüfüs Du Sol wavey pitch-type sounds (even though I think they used different synths).

Great to discover new music for me In the video of Pressure, i think it's a prophet-6, different synth like you said

[fjmartin1]

Install Proxima,after work, first I think a shower and then play Proxima soft synth,ok,after 20 min...I am very clean like I think the sound too!!!
ok, my Ableton template-Diva-Repro5-LegendHZ-TheEigthy-Model77...maybe Proxima? I dont know

[grandmasterbird]

So... I won't be buying it any time soon.

The main reasons
1) It definitely sounds very good but is not some incredible leap forward in sound - I already have several fantastic VA plugins
2) Since it was "merely" good I needed more than 20 minutes to try it out. At least an hour, maybe three. But... nope. Only 20 and then it's done.

The biggest pro: Synapse Audio FINALY has a well-designed synth. Truly well done. More of the same would've made it as a #2 on my list above, pushing the current #2 to a #3.

The biggest con other than a ridiculously-short time to demo: the core sound is only very good... I think I could tweak the Options and save a more hardware-like init with more variance. The default init is sort of dead-sounding. I'm also not impressed with the filter - it's fine, seems linear (better than Obsession was to me), but isn't... I don't know.... grabby or characterful. Seems like a VA filter. Maybe it's a perfect emulation and I just don't love that filter.

$99 seems a better list to me given the above, but, if there's a future sale for $79 or something I may consider it. I feel that it's closer to TAL (great VAs) than to uhe (exceptional VAs).

Purely out of curiosity, when you say you already have good VA plugins, which ones were you thinking of in relation to this? And if you didn't already have them would you feel differently about it?

[MrJubbly]

I just downloaded the demo installer about to test this.

However, I'm always rather disappointed when a newly released modern plugin, doesn't also support CLAP right out the gate.

imho, There's really no excuse not to also support CLAP in 2025+