Product Reviews by KVR Members

Sometimes a widening function on a mastering compressor or equalizer is good enough. This is for when they aren't. It virtually never fails, is quite easy to use and gives some very useful extras like Mono-folding bass frequencies, phase controls, as well as input and output gain control. Compared to other stereo wideners, it's just better.

The best LA-2A plug-ins I've found. Mostly due to the phenomenal design of the original hardware and the faithful emulation here. If you haven't tried using LA-2As in your production (cause you're living under a rock?), definitely pick this up or pick up a UAD Spark subscription. Nearly transparent, Easy to set, just makes things sound louder and better with minimal fuss.

This can really add punch and character to drums because of the half speed processing. Haven't used it for other content but it's easy to use and is an excellent tool for shaping the overall sound.

This is really excellent for adding and controlling room reverb by using a modelled version of the actual old school "echo chambers" at Capitol Records. Easy to use and highly configurable. I've used it to add great nuance to instruments and sometimes entire tracks when a "roomy" vibe was needed.

I've been using this from a UAD Spark sub and I'm afraid to tell people how incredible it is. In addition to being a faithful repro of the Capitol records sound, it's easy and fast to use with a quality of sound few compressors have. UADs video tut covers the basics in just a couple of minutes. It's really the best mastering compressor I've found.

I agree with the reviewers who say that Plex is under-rated. I've used this synth and produced what I consider fantastic results. I'll also say there's some truth that the high end sounds piddley and that the synth is overall tinny. HOWEVER, with a simple tilt EQ and a tiny bit of compression, the signal becomes wide and alive. I've always viewed the thinness as being due to the lack of compression the synth applies in it's processes, where many synths ladle it on. This makes sense to me because orchestral instruments don't react well to being smashed with compression. The real excitement with Plex is that it has a totally unique approach to sound design. Instruments are divided into four components which may be mixed at your will. How about an instrument that's the high spectrum from a violin, with the lower spectrum of a pipe organ, and the filter characteristics and amplitude envelope of a choir? Wild combos are possible. Worth a download if you are into exploring new sounds.

I am in awe of the programmers who create these heavy lifting synths. It is so rare to find one with good sound quality, and equally rare to find one with intuitive, efficient and granular controls. In my mind, Vital is the first all-encompassing hybrid synth which is usable without a steep learning curve. In minutes a new user will be using LFOs to modulate other controls in the waveforms and samples. Creates large and evolving sounds that just aren't possible with most synths. Little else to say: Sounds great, easy to learn, fun to use, beautiful to look at.

Pretty much everyone knows this is one of the most efficient heavy lifters. Lots of sound with minimal tweaking, hundreds of thousands of presets around. The real deal that some must not get is the QUALITY of the sound. Very few synths have achieved as high of a quality of sound, perceptually or even on a scope. Don't know how they did it but me and a gazillion others have used it in production environments for decades with great results. What makes it shine is the sound quality, ease of tweaking, arpeggiation and unison features. The only deficit is that it is ugly, and I wouldn't want it any other way. The few that have come close for sound quality are some of U-he's synths and Vital. Yes, there are new and interesting avenues worth pursuing (like additive synthesis, sample based, and hybrid synths), but this is hands down the best subtractive synth I've used.