u-he ACE: Any Cable Everywhere Semi-Modular Software Synth (Download)

Offered as an electronic download, the ACE: Any Cable Everywhere from U-HE is a semi-modular software synth with a true plethora of connectivity options. LFOs, VCOs, VCFs, and complete ADSR envelope sections—you can daisy-chain them all in whatever way you see fit, stringing modules together with virtual patch-cables. This feature, combined with various drop-down menus for many parameters, allows you to go truly wild when creating sounds from scratch.

The synth can be used in music recording, post production, and even in live settings, if your system can handle the CPU load. It sports oscillators that can run the gamut from sawtooth to triangle, LFOs that can sync to host tempo or pulsate to the beat of their own drum, and VCFs with assignable low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-reject options.

Up top and center, an adjustable oscilloscope provides an exact readout of the waveform you're currently triggering, and just below that a mix section provides more global controls—though even these are assignable.

The ACE's graphic interface is rooted in the hardware module synthesizers of old, but U-HE hasn't shied away from 21st century updates. For instance, oscillators played in octaves can be switched to sync perfectly using the drift selector. Also, it's possible to patch one single module into multiple output points, making truly bizarre sounds in the process. MIDI-learn and MIDI-unlearn for select features are achievable with the right-click of your mouse. Don't discount the preset library either: it's both vast and accepting of your commentary; you can tag any preset as a "favorite" or, conversely, "junk." As an added bonus, you'll never run out of patch-cables, as this synthesizer does not exist in corporeal form.