BLUE II from Rob Papen is a virtual synthesizer plug-in that utilizes multiple forms of synthesis, including FM, Phase Distortion, Wave Shaping and Subtractive Synthesis.
The synthesizer features 6 oscillators which can be connected in various ways, a pair of analog-style modeled stereo filters, a wide range of processing and modulation options, a sequencer and a powerful arpeggiator.
Oscillators
- 6 oscillators modules which include analog, additive and spectral type waveforms
- Oscillator A and B offer PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) and symmetry control
- Oscillators can be combined in several ways using 32 different modulation routings in the algorithm screen
- Oscillators can have FM modulation or ring modulation and can be oscillator hard synced
- Each oscillator can be output to the filters, the effects or output as dry
- Dedicated screens available in the LCD screen section for algorithm selection, phase distortion/wave shaping settings and oscillator envelopes
Filters
- 2 analog modeled stereo multi-mode filters
- Filters provide 6dB low-pass and high-pass, as well as 12dB and 24dB low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, notch, ring, comb and vox (formant)
- Filters with panning, panning modulation options and pre-filtering distortion
- Easy filter control by pre-defined modulation controllers like envelope, velocity, key-track and modulation wheel
Envelopes
- 9 AHDSFR type envelopes
- Direct connection to oscillator volume, filter frequency and main volume amplifier to make sound editing fast and easy
- Graphic and fader-control of envelopes simultaneously
- Dynamic curves and MIDI tempo based features like delay and envelope retrigger
- 4 highly sophisticated multi-envelopes can be built up using up to 16 sections
- Full graphic control and additional menus with presets, load and save functions
- Dynamic curves and MIDI tempo based functions
Modulation
- 10 LFOs with various waveforms and MIDI-syncable
- LFOs directly connected to main targets to make sound editing easy and fast
- LFOs have adjustable, free/poly/mono modes, key-tracking, symmetry, smoothing, attack, decay and humanize functions
- 3 modulation step-sequencers with sequence loop start/end, poly/mono/free play modes, speed controls and step smooth function
- Copy/paste/clear functions
- Modulation Matrix with 2 pages of 10 slots
- 12 synthesizer sources, 23 MIDI sources and 91 synthesizer destinations
Sequencer and Arpeggiator
- 32 step mono sequencer, with sequencer length, speed adjust, slide amount, swing amount and volume smoothing
- Each step has on/off, reset, -32/+32 semi-tone tune, volume, slide on/off, filter A, filter B and free modulation settings
- Clear, load and save functions to exchange sequences in between presets
- 32 step arpeggiator, with sequencer, sequence length, speed adjust, slide amount, swing amount and step length control
- Each step has on/off, reset, -32/+32 semi-tone tune, volume, slide on/off, filter A, filter B and free modulation settings
- Clear, load and save functions to exchange arpeggiators in between presets
- Poly/Mono/Legato/Seq/Arp synthesizer play modes
- Portamento featuring legato, switchable constant time/constant rate
- Unison 2/4/6 mode with detuning
- Chord memory with strum function
Effects
- 2 effects-blocks with serial and parallel mode
- Available effects include mono delay, stereo delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, distortion, Low Fi, stereo widener, reverb, comb filter, gator, speaker simulator, wah/delay, chorus/delay, autopan, waveshaper, ensemble and compressor
- MIDI tempo based settings in most effects
- EQ for total overall sound
General
- 16-voice polyphony
- Adjustable Precision setting per oscillator to simulate the instability of vintage analog synthesizers
- Voice amount control
- Global settings save with each individual preset
- Easy Edit page for fast new sound results or for easy access tempo changes
- External controller hardware settings can be saved and restored
- Sound banks of 32 presets inside built-in browser
- Preset handling with copy, paste, clear and compare function
- Preset banks are sorted into style-maps for easy search
- Preset banks respond to MIDI program change and bank select
- All settings included the global settings are stored inside each individual preset
- Over 1,700 presets in clear categories
- "Fast Preset Browser" launched by right clicking on the "Preset" button with "Recently Browsed" and "Favorite" functions
