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ArcSyn

$89 €79 £69
ArcSyn
ArcSyn
ArcSyn by SPC Plugins is a Virtual Instrument Audio Plugin for macOS and Windows. It functions as a VST Plugin, an Audio Units Plugin and a VST 3 Plugin.
Product
Version
4.0.3
A 32 or 64-bit PC running Windows 7 or newer with an SSE2-capable CPU and a VST or VST3 compatible DAW / sequencer host application.
Product
Version
4.0.3
A 64-bit Intel Mac running OS X 10.7 (Lion) or higher and an Audio-Unit, VST or VST3 compatible DAW / sequencer host application.
Instrument
Formats
My KVR - Groups, Versions, & More
69 KVR members have added ArcSyn to 16 My KVR groups 82 times.
Not In Your MY KVR Groups
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+16 in private groups

KVR Rank

Overall: 3048   2412   2940

30-Day: 2693; 7-Day: 2606; Yesterday: 1334

ArcSyn is a 32-voice polyphonic virtual analogue synthesizer plug-in with many unusual features:

  • No samples—all oscillator waveforms are generated from scratch.
  • Many unique waveforms including Sub-harmonics, Bit-Noise and FM Crossfade
  • Unique LFOs feature wave sequencing and hundreds of unusual waveforms including many random types.
  • Powerful, self-oscillating filters based on the Oberheim Matrix 12.
  • Many unusual filter types like Frequency Shifter, Scramble and Multi-Alias.
  • Smooth, natural sound quality throughout—Oscillators and filters are 4X oversampled, all audio processing is done in 64-bit arithmetic and control signals are updated at 5500Hz or higher.
  • Comes with over 500 preset programs.
  • MIDI controller learn.
  • Easy program organisation—rearrange programs and folders using your computer's file system.

Latest User Reviews

Average user rating of 4.50 from 2 reviews
ArcSyn

Reviewed By Jorgeelalto [all]
January 5th, 2020
Version reviewed: 4.0.2 on Windows

One of the best VA synths around. I use it on every track, it's my bread and butter synth, and I freaking love it.

Each and every feature is done right, especially sound generators and filters. The oscillators are clean and fat, they don't have that digital, bandlimited sound like old VSTs and some newer ones do - you really get a smooth, rich sound from every type of oscillator, and there are a lot - the basic ones are there, and they work really well, and then there are a lot of innovative ones. The best part of that, though, is that almost every oscillator type is modifiable via the Shape knob, so all sound generators have an easy, modulatable way of changing the sound from the start. Without touching the filters you already have plenty of sonic capabilities, and the most important thing, those capabilities are really at hand. In this synth, everything is one screen (no different Synth, Modulation and FX pages, although you can only view one LFO, one envelope, and half the mod matrix at the same time, all the oscs, filters and effects are visible).

The filters also sound amazing, and you have a lot of types - also some crazy ones, like the bitcrushers and comb filters. And since there are two, you can play with the routing to get more sonic variations. Also, even if this synthesizer's signal path is mono, you can easily set up a stereo sound by panning the filters and routing the different oscillators to each of them.

The modulation sources are also really cool. I have to admit I don't use the LFOs (sequencers) to their maximum potential, but they are really cool - and coupled with the modulation matrix, with the ability to combine modulation sources via math operations, there is no way you cannot get a living, organic sound from this.

Also it has audio in, so any sound that comes before this VSTi will get sent through the effects chain (if I remember correctly), so you can stack as many instances as you want in your effect chain. From version 4, the GUI is resizeable and there's also VST3 support, so yeah, really cool overall. And serial number activation.

Would totally recommend.

Read Review
ArcSyn

Reviewed By tommyzai [all]
April 7th, 2016
Version reviewed: 1.3 on Mac

INTRO
ArcSyn by SPC Plugins is a virtual analog modulator synth that is not based on any particular vintage hardware, but successfully captures the essence of that era of beasts.

The purchase, download, install, and authorize process is simple and smooth. There are no dongles of any kind i.e., iLok, SmarkKeys, etc. Upon launching, the first thing users will notice is a striking interface. Some will consider it strikingly ugly, while others will find it simply striking. I fall into the third camp — it grew on me! The GUI is original-looking and has the SPC vibe, a la shades of gray with yellow and a touch of white. There is certainly contrast! The color scheme is similar to Gater-Pro, which is one of the most popular plugins in its class. Regardless of aesthetic appeal, ArcSyn's interface is cleverly designed. Having said that, it can be a little confusing and intimidating at first. However, after a short time it should make sense. Everything is exactly where it should be, and it's easy to navigate. The knobs and sliders are responsive. I have no difficulty turning or sliding with my mouse or trackpad. There is an online manual, but I have yet to peek at it. The developer has an excellent attention to detail, so I'm sure it's well-written and easy to understand. According to SciFiArtMan,"Reading the online manual for this synth is almost mandatory if you want to truly understand it! There's definitely some outside-the-box thinking here!"

Most importantly, ArcSyn sounds great. I'm a synth purist — not a big fan of hybrids that mix different kinds of synthesis with samples. ArcSyn uses waveform synthesis. "All oscillator waveforms are generated from scratch." There are over 70 one-of-a-kind waveforms on board, my favorite of which is the sub-harmonic for the low overtones. There are several LFOs and a mod arranger that can be used to sequence up to 16 waveforms. Additionally, users will find an ADHSR, two routing modes (Series and Parallel), and mod matrix with 16 slots. There are many modulate filter options and modifiers to expand the madness.

One of the biggest reasons I installed and use this plugin are the self-oscillating filters that are based on the Oberheim Matrix 12. Back in the day, I was the proud owner of a few Oberheim keyboards and rack modules. Anything that delivers a pinch of that old sound is okay by me. Why oh why did I sell them? Anyway, I'm not sure how ArcSyn would hold up in a direct comparison, but several of the presets bring back fond memories. Speaking of which, there are more than 350 presets, many of which are usable and/interesting. My favorite patches are the drones. They are pure SciFi paradise. One of my favorite features is the Randomiser, which quickly generates patches. I found this to be the best way to discover the perfect sound. In less than a minute more than a hundred patches can be generated, and most of them will be duds, but there's an excellent chance that at least one will be explosive. Every synth should have this feature ArcSyn also has an excellent preset management directory system.

FAV FEATURES
• User-friendly
• Amazing quality sound; Unique wavetables
• Versatile
• Useable presets — some are inspiring
• Randomize feature is addictive and really useful
• CPU friendly
• Stable
• Great price
• Talented, creative, responsive developer with proven track record. Gater-Pro is in my favorites folder.

OTHER THOUGHTS
• This would be the perfect synth for alternate skins
• Key-sync?
• I look forward to 3rd party soundsets.

SUMMARY
ArcSyn is an excellent virtual synth that is capable of sounds that range from silky smooth to rough rumble. I agree with Ave Mcree, who wrote,"[ArcSyn] is one of the best synths that came out this year." In the right hands, any and all genres will benefit from this VSTi. It produces everything from creamy pads and textures to punchy plucks and anything in between. I love the subs! The flexible modulation options make ArcSyn perfectly suited for genres using textures, pads, and drones. This may or may not be the "workhorse" or "go to synth" for all users, but it should easily justify its existence in plugin folders by filling voids and getting plenty of playing time. The bang per buck ratio is really good. It's certainly worth the price. As advertised,"unexplored sonic territory" is more or less possible; yet, what I dig most is the vintage vibe with the unique modern twist of seemingly endless modulation possibilities. Without hesitation, I give ArcSyn two strong thumbs up. Great stuff.

RATING
I'm rating ArcSyn a 9 at this time. It's a new release, and there are a few little things that could be improved and/or added. I'm certain my rating will increase to a perfect 10 after the next release or the one after.

Read Review

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Comments & Discussion for SPC Plugins ArcSyn

Discussion
Discussion: Active

THIS POST HAS BEEN REMOVED

tommyzai
tommyzai
8 April 2016 at 1:25am

I hope prospective users find my user review useful. I did my best to provide authentic, honest, info about this cool synth.

inkwarp
inkwarp
23 April 2016 at 6:20pm

i have tried this and, to my ears at least, it is a formidable instrument. sounds amazing to me, will deffo be buying when i get some cash :)

THIS POST HAS BEEN REMOVED

tommyzai
tommyzai
23 April 2016 at 6:38pm

Yeah, I feel the same. It's a good one.

Pyrotek45
Pyrotek45
3 March 2019 at 7:36pm

awesome synth, any plans on porting this to linux?

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