ReDominator

*Disclaimer: I'm a songwriter, producer, and educator. My writing style may read like a billboard ad, but my user review is sincere and authentic. I only appraise a product I consider extraordinary, hence the high rating. I don't work for the developer. In fact, I rarely work at all. :-) I hope you find my review useful. — Tommy Zai.

INTRO

ReDominator by AudioRealism is a super fat sounding virtual synth, which is modeled after the classic Alpha Juno 1/2 (JU-1/2). I actually had the JU-1/2 in the late 80s, and I can say without hesitation that this fine emulation brings me back and still inspires me. Actually, I remember foolishly selling my hardware model, opting for the newfangled digital offerings of the day. ReDominator has eased the pain of letting that synth go.

ReDominator delivers the unmistakable Hoover Sound* that was made famous by early Roland and Korg synths. However, it was the top 10 hit track "Dominator" by Dutch techno pioneers Human Resource that resurrected the sound. "I'm bigger and bolder and rougher and tougher, in other words sucker there is no other — I'm the one and only dominator. Wanna kiss myself!" It's no wonder this synth is called REDOMINATOR! And, what is the default patch called? LOL I have created tracks for the 90s techno-rave scene featuring this sound, and I have also used that vacuum tone on countless other tracks. This synth will deliver Mr. Hoover to you and much, much more — I quickly discovered a full-featured and powerful polyphonic synth that is capable of sweet basses, leads, pads, and all kinds of sweeping atmospheric soundscapes.

*There are several thick swirling carpet cleaning presets, and it's not difficult to create your own:

1. Choose the sawtooth waveform.

2. Evenly space oscillators by an octave.

3. Apply PWM.

4. Crank up the chorus effect.

FAVORITE FEATURES

• Vintage Interface.

• Fun to program.

• More fun to play.

• Love the sliders and knobs — tight and responsive.

• 200+ patches. .. a few duds, but countless good ones.

• Complex envelope generator.

• Sawtooth variations.

• Low aliasing waveforms.

• Moderate CPU hit.

• Innovative, responsive developers (responded to my inquiry within an hour)

OTHER THOUGHTS

• What will AudioRealism bring back to life next? Psss, I miss the pads on my Juno-106 and the lushness of my Oberheim synths and rackmounts.

• AudioRealism satisfies our audio obsessions, i.e., the wet, filter TB-303 bass, TR drum machines, and now the Hoover Sound a la Alpha Juno.

SUMMARY

ReDominator looks analog, sounds analog, and with the right controller — feels analog – a very specific, wonderful classic analog synth, which can deliver a wide range of sonic timbres from thin bite to fat punch to swirl. I'm not saying this is the last synth you'll ever need or that it's the ultimate "go to" instrument. There are more appropriate Swiss army knife soft synths out there. However, what I am saying is this — for the price, ReDominator is unbeatable for what it is and how it sounds! I highly recommend this synth to any eMusician, producer, film/video scorer, DJ, sound designer, and any other kind of audio tracker, who is looking for "that sound" and a whole lot more. Tommy Zai gives ReDominator two big, fat thumbs up. Thank you, AudioRealism, for resurrecting a classic synth that never should have died! Viva la ReDominator.