KV331 Audio SynthMaster 3 is a semi-modular, software synthesizer plug-in featuring multiple synthesis methods including virtual analog, additive, wavetable, wavescanning, phase modulation, frequency modulation, pulse width modulation, ring modulation, amplitude modulation, physical modeling, and SFZ sample playback.
The Basic oscillators generate many different types of waveforms, including sine, square, triangle, sawtooth, pulse, noise, wavetable and multisampled WAVs/AIFFs defined in SFZ files. Additionally, the software allows for several different combinations of the basic oscillator for added flexibility.
The synthesizer includes flexible effects routing with eleven types of effects, extensive modulation options, and multiple filter types. The arpeggiator features classic arpeggiator modes and each of the thirty-two steps of the arpeggiator has its own velocity, note number, note length, slide, and hold parameters.
New in Version 3
Modular Architecture
Each SynthMaster 3 instance can have up to 16 Layers. New layers can be created by adding a new layer or by duplicating an existing layer
Multiple View Types
- Layer View: This view is used for editing a single layer's parameters
- Track View: This view is used for editing keyboard zones, velocity zones, voicing, unison, and arpeggiator and sequencer parameters of multiple layers
- Mix View: This view is used for editing insert fx and fx send parameters for multiple layers
Granular Oscillator
The new granular oscillator introduced with SynthMaster 3 applies granular synthesis on a single sample, multisample, or wavetable to generate its output. The oscillator features up to 16 voices with each having up to 32 grains, resulting in up to 512 grains per oscillator
VAnalog Oscillator
The new virtual analog oscillator introduced with SynthMaster 3 generates its output in real-time using curve segments to mimic how analog circuits generate waveforms. The oscillator has 2 wave shapes that can morph in between and an additional sub oscillator which has its own wave shape. It comes with many built-in shapes from well known analog synths. Since it might generate aliasing noise when generating its output, the oscillator has quality parameter to set the degree of oversampling
Waveshaper
The new Waveshaper effect introduced with SynthMaster 3 comes with different types of distortion algorithms: Soft Tanh, Soft ATan, Heavy, Fuzz, Fold Sine, Fold Tri, Fold Round, Rectify Full, Rectify Half, Clip, and Bitcrush. There is a Custom algorithm, which allows you to draw your own distortion curve using curve segments. The distortion curve can be set to be unipolar (Symmetric) or bipolar (Asymmetric)
Phaser Filter
The new phaser filter introduced with SynthMaster 3 is similar to the phaser effect. However, being a polyphonic effect, it operates per voice. It uses multiple all-pass filters mixed with the input to create phasing effects
Formant Filter
The new formant filter introduced with SynthMaster 3 uses a parallel bank of filters to create vowel sounds. You can select the initial and final vowels (formants) and morph between them
Noise LFO
The new Noise LFO modulation source introduced with SynthMaster 3 can be used to generate sample-and-hold noise. The LFO generates different types of noises (white, pink, brown, violet, blue), which are sampled and held, bit-reduced, and then passed through an attack/decay envelope follower
Scaler
The Keyscaler modulation source in SynthMaster 2 is vastly improved in SynthMaster 3. It is now called Scaler, as you can select another modulation source as its input (instead of just Keytrack), and use the scaler as a waveshaper for its input
Arpeggiator/Sequencer
Each Layer in SynthMaster 3 has a separate arpeggiator and sequencer. The MIDI input signal first goes through the sequencer followed by the arpeggiator. Each step in an arpeggiator/sequencer can have random values for trigger, hold, and slide parameters
Preset Browser
SynthMaster 3 features an intuitive preset browser with advanced search features. Presets can be filtered by Product, Author, Bank, Instrument Type, Attributes, Styles (Genres), and Preset name
Waveform Editor
SynthMaster 3 comes with a comprehensive Waveform Editor to create single-cycle waveforms
Wavetable Editor
SynthMaster 3 comes with a comprehensive Wavetable Editor to create wavetables. Wavetables can be created using single cycle waveforms or sample/wavetable files. Seven types of wavetable effects are available to further sculpt the wavetable: Spectral Filter, Waveshaper, Modulator, Bender, Shifter, LoFi, and Sync. The generated wavetable can be saved in SynthMaster 3's own format or exported in WAV format to be used in other wavetable synths. The number of exported frames can be set between 2 and 256.
Multisample Editor
SynthMaster 3 comes with a comprehensive Multisample Editor to create multisamples. Multisamples can be created easily by dragging and dropping wav/aiff sample files. In automatic import mode, root notes of the files are read from file name / header. The multisamples can be exported in SFZ format, which is a well documented format to store multisample related data.
What's New in Version 2.9
Wavetable Synthesis
- Supports wavetables with up to 256 waveforms
- Easily import wavetables by dragging and dropping files/folders on to the wavetable display
- Wavetable display can show wavetables in 4 different ways: 2D Waveform, 2D Spectrum, 3D Waveform, and 3D Spectrum
- Includes SynthMaster One factory waveforms and wavetables
New Factory Presets
- 150 new factory presets by Bluffmunkey, Aelyx Design, and Gercek Dorman
In-App-Store
- In-app store built right inside the plug-in
- Simplifies the workflow for purchasing, downloading, and installing KV331 Audio products
Internationalization (I18N)
- Supports UTF8-encoded file paths
- For international users who use an operating system with non-Ascii character set
Key Features
Cross-Platform VST, AU, and AAX
- Plug-in runs as a VST and AAX instrument on both Windows and Mac OS X
- Runs as an Audio Unit instrument on Mac OS X
1700 Factory Presets
- Comes with 1700 factory presets created by a world-class team of sound designers: Arksun, Aelyx Design, Aiyn Zahev, Bluffmunkey, BigTone, Frank Xenox Neumann, Gercek Dorman, Michael Kastrup, Nori Ubukata, Rob Lee, Umit Insigna Uy, Ufuk Kevser, Teoman Pasinlioglu, Vandalism, Vorpal Sound, and Brian Xenos Lee
Semi-Modular Architecture
- Two layers followed by two global effect send busses for each SynthMaster instance
- Each layer has its own arpeggiator, two oscillators, four modulators, two filters, four ADSR envelopes, two multistage envelopes, two 2D envelopes, two LFOs, and four KeyScalers
- Modulators can modulate frequency, phase, amplitude, or pulsewidth of the oscillators
- Modulators can modulate other modulators at audio rate or can be used as regular oscillators
Massive Modulation Architecture
- More than 650 modulation targets and 95 modulation sources including ADSR Envelopes, 2D Envelopes, Multistage Envelopes, LFOs, KeyScalers, Easy Parameters, Vocoder Bands, MIDI Velocity, Aftertouch, Pitch Bend, and MIDI CC
- Modulation matrix offers 64 slots with visual filtering
- Targets for a specific source and sources for a specific target can be filtered and shown on the user interface
Easy Parameters
- Eight knobs and two X/Y pads can be assigned as modulation sources
- Control the most important parameters of a preset
- Easy parameters can be globally linked to MIDI controllers
Powerful Arpeggiator
- The arpeggiator features classic modes such as Up, Down, Up/Down, Down/Up, Up/Down2, Down/Up2, AsPlayed, Sequence, Chord, and Arpeggiate
- Each of the 32 steps of the arpeggiator has its own velocity, note number, note length, slide, and hold parameters
Basic Oscillators
- Basic oscillators synthesize sine, square, triangle, sawtooth, pulse, noise, single-cycle waveforms, and multisampled WAVs/AIFFs defined in SFZ files
- Each basic oscillator comes with 17 different algorithms including Spectral (LP, HP, LS, HS, BP, BS), Bend (Bend+, Bend-, Bend+/-), Sync (Rect Window, Half Cos Window, Cos Window, Tri Window, Saw Window), Pulse (Pulse1, Pulse2), and Quantize
Additive Oscillators
- Additive oscillator comprises eight basic oscillators running together
- Each basic oscillator has discrete waveform type, detune, tone, phase/pulse-width/algorithm, and frequency parameters
Vector Oscillators
- Vector oscillator consists of four basic oscillators mixed with different ratios
- Mix ratios are determined by two orthogonal parameters in two dimensions: X and Y
Wavetable Oscillators
- Wavetable oscillator's waveform can be scanned (interpolated) through up to 256 different waveforms
- Position of the waveform can be adjusted using the Wave Index parameter
- Load wavetables from WAV files
Stereo Oscillators with Unison/Voice Stacking
- Stereo output on each oscillator
- Basic/wavetable oscillator parameters include Voices, Voices Mix, Detune Curve, Detune Spread, Pan Spread, Tone Spread, and Phase Spread
Zero-Delay Feedback Filters
- All four filter categories use zero-delay feedback filter technology
- Offers advanced filter parameters like input gain, drive, and acid
VAnalog Filters
- VAnalog filters are modeled after the famous ladder filter and self-oscillate when the filter resonance is maxed out
- Continuous variable slope
- Offer three different CPU settings: Basic, Normal, and High
- Basic setting uses 50% less CPU power
Multimode Filters
- Multimode filters can be switched between low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass modes continuously
- Change the slope of analog multimode filters continuously from 0 to 24 dB/oct
Dual Filters
- Dual filter runs two multimode filters simultaneously, either in parallel or in series
- The two filter's mix ratios, topology (parallel/series), modes, and cutoff frequencies can be changed continuously
Comb Filters
- Digital comb filters for use in physical-modeling synthesis
Before/Inside/After Filter Distortion
- Distortion stage can be inserted before, after, or inside the filters
- With analog filters, the distortion is applied for each of the four filter stages in inside mode
Rich Set of Effects
- 11 different effect types: Distortion, LoFi, Ensemble, Phaser, 6-Band EQ, Compressor, Vocoder, Delay, Chorus, Tremolo, Reverb
Flexible Effects Routing
- Effects can be inserted on any layer insert or on any of the two global effect bus inserts
Microtuning
- Supports Scala tuning
- Tuning can be set either for each preset or globally by loading from a Scala tuning file
Preset Browser
- Comprehensive preset browser with separate search criteria for instrument type, preset attributes, music style, or preset author
Online Preset Browser
- Registered users can upload their presets to the online preset library or browse and download presets created by other registered users
- Preset browser located inside the plug-in window
Multiple Skins
- Comes with three different skins with different color variations
- Customize existing skins or create custom interfaces using the included user interface editor
Import MIDI Patterns as Arpeggiator Sequence
- Monophonic and polyphonic (chord) MIDI patterns can be imported into the arpeggiators
- Drag-and-drop MIDI file on the arpeggiator view in the plug-in window
Import WAV/AIFF Multisamples as SFZ Definitions
- Multisamples in WAV/AIFF formats can be imported into SynthMaster as SFZ definitions
- Simply drag and drop WAV/AIFF files on the oscillator waveform view in the plug-in window