Xphraze

Xphrase is so deep, I had to read the manual twice in order to get the most out of it! Fortunately, the manual is very well written. The only omission, IMV, is an index. Installation? A breeze. It comes with many very usable presets. I found myself unable to stop trying another out!

The starting block is a Phraze, which can be made up of up to 32 cells that are played in a looped sequence. Each cell can be edited in terms of pitch, amp, filter, gate, etc. You draw in the cell to change the parameters, so editing is fun! You can also xfade the cells, which is particularly effective for evolving pads. Four Phrazes make up a Patch, and four Patches make a Combi. This means that you could play 128 cells with one key! A the highest resampling resolution, chances are high that your CPU will choke before you get to a triad. Fortunately, you can change the resolution, and/or reduce the polyphony. Xphrase comes with a good selection of waveforms and multisampled instruments, from acoustic to electronic. There’s an excellent variety of synth waveforms, including a very good electro drum kit.

The GUI is busy in a good way, with an organic aesthetic, not unlike Absynth. At first, I found the knobs too small, but I got used to it. Most parameters settings show up in a Parameter window, which I find very practical. Each patch has its own amp, multi-mode filter and aux envelope, and editing them is a charm. Zooming in and out, scrolling left or right (time) are easily accomplished using mouse and keys, as is looping any part of the envelope. This last function can yield some very cool effects, especially given that the envelopes can be in sync with your tempo, and that you have a choice of direction.

The modulation section is comprehensive and also very easy to use. You get four LFOs, with waveforms that you can edit by drawing - very cool! A patch also has a great built-in FX section. Nice to see the cross-delay make an appearance! These built-in FX can add a lot to a patch. Note: some of the settings in the FX section do not show up in the Parameter window. There’s also a global FX section, but you might want to use your reverb instead.

Anyone who has played a ws will not be shocked by the sound of Xphrase, but that doesn’t mean it’s just a clone. It’s more like the next step in wavesequencing/vector synthesis. The pads are thick and have movement. The leads are also quite good. What makes this baby stick out of the pack are the rhythmic patches (instant tempo sync!). I don’t care much for the drum patterns. Then again, I never liked the drum loops in the ws either. I do however really like the gated synth lines, and can see myself using these often. Other nices touches include the shuffle parameter (swing), and the ELF mode, which will vary a bunch of key parameters by an unknown amount to give your patch an organic touch.

It’s almost too easy to make classy tracks with Xphrase, although this synth just begs to be edited (just drag your mouse).