Albino 3 Legend

Still one of my go-to-synths. At least for "common" synth sounds like subs, noises and pads. Not so for lead sounds. That's a matter of taste though. It does also plucky sounds or percussions very well.

The overall sound is very good, although I wouldn't say excellent or outstanding. I'd say it doesn't have its own very unique character. That I find great for layering, because Albino never tends to overlay the original sound, but very often suits perfectly to the main sound.

The modulation matrix is great and gives a lot of possibilities. With all the modulators you can create very complex modulations and movements.

Another great feature is the vast preset library that ships with it. Unbelievably big! And it serves all kinds of sounds for all tastes and styles.

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Been using Albino 3 since around August 2008. I simply love this thing to pieces. Here's why: variety. Percussion? Use the noise waveforms. Evolving sounds? Learn the modulation section. But what really tops it off for me is the "randomizer" preset tool. I get lost twiddling with this for hours. Reverse engineering a preset is super easy, almost everything is on one page in this synth. The layer option truly makes it a beast. The "accuracy" setting allows you to induce a sort of "analog drift" into patches, which is a plus. Some things sound so nice with this.

The only negative aspect of it is the pitch bend "max limit" control... It's not on the main page. I don't know why this infuriates me to the point it does, but other than that, there's nothing wrong with this synth.

Some of my favorite uses for Albino 3: audio input to drive FX with my guitar, or, gods forbid; voice :D Also fun to mix in some of the percussion presets (or roll my own) with things like Stylus RMX. They add a nice level of upper crispy rhythm. Easy to get weird time signatures out of the built-in step sequencer. The FX section is really sweet, with a nice reverb.

Presets: sooo many. Varied. But I have to note: you can use old presets for previous versions of Albino. Which leads me to Arksun's beautiful presets for Albino. Lovely way to dive in there and learn how these sounds are made, and thoroughly recommended.

Using Albino 3 in Reaper on an AMD X2 4400. No crashes. Busy patches use 2.5 to 5 % CPU at most.Read Review

I have been using the Albino for a while now and find the sound quality ,the GUI and stability of this instrument excellant.

I have several differant vsti's and my experience of programming the instrument enjoyable. the interface for me was easy , and intuition to become familar with. Visually on the screen the panel is clear and easy to see.

I can use Albiono for "warm rich sounds or really awful abusive sound. digital clearity or analog warmth. it's all here . the manual is very good and easy to understand , covering all of the instruments functions clearly. the presets are great sounding thought I might not use of them in my songs , they are very good. arppeggiator is very useful and intuitive to use ,a deep modulation matrix with a friendly design enabling complex modulation setups quickly , good filters and a large number of wave forms for the programer with a taste for the the unique. the effects and the effects routine is flexible and good sounding.I would highly recommend trying the demo. would I replace it if lost or stolen(if that were possible ) absolutely.

the soundand the GUI have made thisone of my favorites to work with.Read Review

Albino 2 is one of the best virtual analogs to be found. It's approach to making sound is direct and elegant. Although a semi-modular design Albino 2 doesn't go overboard with features, it stays focused on what makes a good virtual analog synth.

In terms of sound Albino 2 is clean and beautiful. There is a smooth and liquid sound that most synths lack. That's not to say you can't get squelchy and huge with Albino 2 but in general it's a great all around synth. A one trick pony Albino 2 is not. Furthermore, Albino 2 has it's own signature sound. Think of signature sound like you would a Prophet or Jupiter or Oberheim. In terms of quality Albino 2 sounds as good as any hardware synth on the market.

Albino's features include up to 4 oscillators, 2 filters, 4 LFOs, a great arpeggiator and modular matrix. The design is in partnership with LinPlug who've been using mod matrixes in their synths from day one. Buttons represent oscillator pairs although they can be used from 1 to all 4. Similarly there are button banks for the 4 LFOs, arpeggiator and mod matrix, a tidy way of keeping everything on one page while staying cleanly designed.

Other nice features are the analog/digital/noise options per oscillator. Digital oscillators have 60 waveforms from sine and saw to 50 spectral waves. The analog oscillator features a wave and spectral dial for many combinations per oscillator. There are 6 LFO waveforms, and 27 routings of 33 synth functions in the mod matrix. There are more complex mod maxtrixes but few built to function as gracefully.

Included are 5 stage envelopes for amplitude, each oscillator, the 2 filters and modulation. There are 8 effects from modulation to delay and an excellent effects based filter. You can do everything in Albino 2, exprssive leads, phat basses, pads, FX and extressive soundscapes not to mention the arpeggiator which is available in the mod matrix.

Being in the middle price range ($199) users will expect reasons for purchasing of Albino 2 and there are many.

First, there are over 1000 presets in 22 smartly classified catagories programmed by Rob Papen, world class sound designer. Another benefit is getting to have a look at how a in-demand synth programmer makes his sounds. You can use them 'as is' or as starting points for your own creations. Make no mistake, these patches are superb, several reminicent of Papen's work on EMU's Orbit 3. The difference between the Orbit and Albino 2 being a VSTi specifically built to accomodate Rob's vision of how a synth should work. In return you get top notch, ready to use sounds. Patch libraries of this quality often cost as much as Albino 2's price.

Everyting about Albino 2 represents quality. It sounds good without the effects which speaks highly for the LinPlug based synth engine. Due to it's intuitive design you will be up and running quickly. Whether a novice or pro, Albino 2 offers good value.

The overall quality makes Albino 2 a must have for your studio.Read Review

Albino is the best VA synth for me. The presets are amazing and inspiring. All in all it sounds very comfortable ! ( Comfortable is exactly the right word ! :-) )
I also own Delta III which is great too, but I never
used it again since I own Albino ...

I would like to see more features and of course more presets created by Rob Papen ...

Thank you very much Peter and Rob !
Keep up the collaboration !

EagleEyeRead Review

Albino is a great instrument. It is mostly for dance,trip hop,idm,trance, techno tracks (based on presets) but is not limited by any means. The programming is not to hard, provided you are somewhat familiar with programming sounds.
I really enjoy the filters on this synth! I feel the interface could be ALOT smaller, but this is more a cosmetic "issue" and not with the synth itself. Customer service is good, check their forums. Value for the money, is high if you desire a different synth from the rest. I think the presets are very good, only some are very close to other patches. But you can also get 75 more two different ways, so there is plenty to get you off and jamming for now!.
Overall, Albino is a great affordable synth for making great tunes, and it sits nicely in a mix.Read Review

I am revising this review now I've had time to settle in with Albino 2.

I consider Albino 2 as a VA synth with a modern glossy sound. The grind and power you get with an analog machine is there but with a smoother feel to the sound. Whilst I use it heavily for arpeggiated lines and pulsing sounds the pads are excellent too.

The arpeggiattor in Albino 2 is excellent and inspirational in its own right. The new design is also superb.

However there exists a bug (which Peter knows about) with presets being forgotten in Cubase - so when you return to a project some of the sounds have changed! Annoying but I am sure it will be fixed soon (UPDATE _ new public beta version seems to have fixed this!!!) .

People compare Albino to the Virus - I don't know the Virus but I guess that must be a good synth too!

A slick modern approach to analog synthesis - with a stack of really excellent presets!Read Review

Albino has proven itself to be a real winner, most of all because it is truly INSPIRING. I say that because as I audition sounds, I can immediately hear songs that could be composed around those sounds, and, vice versa, when I have a song that needs a certain sound to make it really come alive, it doesn't seem that hard to find a sound that fits the bill in Albino. The sounds also seem pretty easy to modify. If there is a better set of presets anywhere, I'd be shocked.

The other really great thing about the Rob Papen/Linplug collaboration is that they couldn't be more committed to customer service or to improving the product by actually soliciting user feedback - and then implementing it! Very refreshing.

Let me explain the "3" I gave the user interface. If you just look at Albino on your screen, it is very attractive. However, what I really think is a mistake is the red-on-black character displays, particularly in the Matrix. Nothing could be harder to read, and this scheme has already been deservedly slammed in this forum for its appearance in Sample Tank. I believe the authors are attempting to be "true" to simulating the actual appearance of an Albino, which is a genetically-deficient, chalky white person with red eyes. OK, that's cute, that's original, but how about a GUI I can read without getting glasses? The method of auditioning presets is also awkward; however, LinPlug knows about this, admits it, and is working on making it a lot better in the next (imminent) release (which also adds a hundred presets for free!).

A lot of Albino's sounds have a compelling, alluring rubberiness that recalls the pluck of a DX7, but it's more configurable and more likeable. I also own FM7. I like the way it sounds by itself, but it doesn't seem to find its way into my tracks like Albino. The pads are also very lush. No electric pianos or organs, and not that much "realisitic stuff." But I bought this to fulfill my synth needs, and it's doing a great job of that.Read Review

Well this is my first VST Instrument that i actually Paid for and i must say i bought the right one.
The sound of this thing are just amazing.Presets are very usable but with some tweaking it sounds even better.I usually judge VSTi`s by the presets,Im a musician not a synth programmer so if the presets suck its Bye bye.

The Albino comes with 550 presets (An update coming with about 100 more)And these are Rob Papen presets so you know its good ones.

The only Con as of now (This will also be fixed in the update) Is that it hangs and creates some weird Graphics bug if your running a P4 like i am.
So if you own a P4 proc wait a week or 2 otherwise just go and buy it u wont be dissapointed.

There really isnt an other VSTi to compare this one 2 so u just have to try it to believe it.

Ohh and one thing that i would like to see in reviews is what kind of music a certain Instruments would Fit in and i would say that Albino is THE TRANCE VSTi but would also work in Dance and DnB But maybe its a little to subtle for Techno or Industrial.Read Review

The first VSTi I ever played was Neon - I was a bit underwhelmed! As my arsenal grew, I judged synths based on the WOW factor: that initial preset with the giant, stacked, fat wall of sound, hitting where it hurts and blowing me out of my seat. As I've matured in my sound designing tastes, I've discovered those enormous sounds never make it into the mix - they simply dominate the whole frequency spectrum. I found myself longing for a more *professional* product - great presets, endless creative capabilities, but most important, a sound mystically between the pitiful Neon and countless unnamed synths - strong enough to play by itself, gentle enough to to sit in a mix with 8 other concurrent sounds.

Albino is that product.

GUI: The prototype interface. Synths this big need multiple pages to host all the parameters - but with Albino you have several mini-pages contained on one main page (see the demo if I'm confusing). Wonderful design and colors too. Every synth should have the modulation matrix.
Sound / Features: Amazing! Versitle! Lush! Inspiring! I love the digital osc's - greatly expands the palate of sounds. Great filters too.
Presets: Without the presets, this synth would be a good deal. With the presets, it's a steal! As someone stated in a post - these presets are not just excellent launching pads for your own sounds, they are an education in synthesis. Plus - almost every patch has modulation wheel, velocity, etc. linked to filter envelopes, LFO's, etc. for performance tweaking on the fly. Just look at the matrix.
Stability - Never crashed. Not once.
VFM: Before hearing of the Albino I was seriously considering the EMU Orbit 3 to get Rob Papen's sound. The Albino saved me $500 USD. Gets used more than allt the other synths I paid over $150 for. Combined. The first synth I go to for *any* sound. Case closed.

This synth has a great Demo that can do the rest of the talking. Why don't you play with it for a while already?Read Review

UI: All controls are visible, easy and fast to access/use. This is the type of GUI that I personally like on a VST instrument: one screen with (almost) every control visible.
Sound: Best I have heard in any VST. Period. I own almost all commercially available VST instruments, but Albino has the best sound of them all. The oscillators are so pure and the filters are so warm. Always sounds good in both high and low registers. Good for both analog and digital sound types. BTW, I did not like Albino's "cousin" Delta III very much as I found the sound somewhat cold and slightly metallic, but Albino is way different in that respect. The filters make the difference, I think.
Features: The synth structure, the number of different modules, the quality of each module and the large waveform collection makes it possible to create so many types of sound, that this synth will be my main synth now (used to be Pro-53). Also, I guess I will not be using my VAZModular much anymore, as Albino does the fat and heavy layered (typically modular synth) types of sound I usually create with VAZModular. I would, however, really like to see a sampleplayer module in Albino one day.
Documentation: In depth and well formulated coverage of all features, appendices listing important info.
Presets: Best presets I have *ever* heard with a VST, although the Pro-53 presets are also IMO very good. All nicely organized in various categories. Albino comes with over 500 presets in 19 categories.
Customer support: Have not needed it yet, but based on my previous experience with LinPlug, it is fast and efficient.
Value for money: Top score, even at $149. This is an extremely versatile synth with fantastic sound, nicely presented and documented. Stable as a rock in Cubase SX and VSTack. Superb (and many) presets. What more can you ask?
Stability: When using the GEN function, it crashed on me once and once ended in some sort of self-oscillation. Otherwise rock solid.

All in all: Get this synth!Read Review

I was waiting for a grizzled veteran to post a review, but I can't wait any longer... This is by far the best instrument I've ever owned. The GUI looks cool and is well layed out, the architecture of the synth makes sound creation unbelievable, and the manual is outstanding for filling in the gaps in intuition. I haven't got the best chops for creating sounds, but using some of the (excellent and many) presets, I'm able to jump off into sounds I never thought I'd be able to create. This piece will probably get a ton of sound design/third party banks too. I can only say that I wish this piece was available before I bought all of those other synths. Now that this is in the arsenal I don't see needing much anything else. Except maybe talent and the ability to pen a good melody...Don't wait, buy this before they realize it's value and raise the price. This will change your musical landscape!Read Review