Hardware and VST Synths with Vintage Voice Modeling
An exploration of synths that have voice modeling options.
A few years back, we recorded dozens of vintage and modern synths, including Jupiter 6, Jupiter 8, OBX, OBXa, CS-80, Prophet 5, Prophet 10, Polysix, MemoryMoogs, and many others. We published a bunch of info on the Vintage Synth analysis and Voice Component Modeling techniques to capture the per-voice character of vintage synths, with per voice offsets to Oscillator Tunings, Filter Cutoff, Envelope ADR Stage Timing and other characteristics. To read up more technical info on Vintage Voice Modeling for hardware and software synths, check out the Voice Component Modeling VCM website:
More about Voice Component Modeling (VCM):
http://www.VoiceComponentModeling.com
There are several hardware synths that can accomplish vintage voice modeling through mod matrix and/or gated sequencer. Check out the articles on this site for more info on Vintage Voice Modeling with the Prophet Rev2, Behringer Deepmind, ASM Hydrasynth, Moog One and Arturia Polybrute.
https://www.presetpatch.com/articles/voice-component-modeling
New Synths with Voice Modeling Built in Natively
Since publishing the VoiceComponentModeling.com VCM website in 2018 there have been many notable hardware and software synth releases that are now including per-voice variance / voice modeling, to capture Vintage VCO Poly synth character. The most prominant and well know is Sequential's "Vintage Knob", which uses the same methodology of stable curated tables of offset for various synth parameters. Here are the hardware and software synths that now offer Voice Modeling in at least some fashion:
Hardware Synths with Dedicated Vintage Voice Modeling Controls:
Sequential Prophet 5 rev4
Vintage Knob macro control
Sequential Prophet 10 rev4
Vintage Knob macro control
Sequential Prophet 6
Vintage Knob macro control
Sequential OB-6
Vintage Knob macro control
Sequential Take 5
Vintage Knob macro control
Sequential Trigon 6
Vintage Knob macro control
Oberheim OB-X8
Vintage Knob macro control
Sequential "Vintage Knob" Details
For More Info on the Sequential Vintage Knob Operation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7tdp5tvopU
Arturia PolyBrute
Analog Accuracy Controls for Oscillators and Other Parameters
For More Info on Arturia's Analog Accuracy Controls:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkujk7KCjtg
Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave - New 2023
As of firmware v1.1b and later, the 3rd Wave has a control similar to Sequential's Vintage Knob.
Its in Misc Menu, called Circuit Drift. It gives stable curated offsets to various voice parameters.
https://www.presetpatch.com/article/groove-synthesis-3rd-wave-vintage-voice-modeling-vcm
Hardware Synths with Ability to Manually Set Up Vintage Voice Modeling:
Prophet Rev 2
The Rev2 can be manually set for voice modeling by using the gated sequencer as a voice offset lookup table.
It requires a bit of set up initially, but you get very fine control over vintage voice offsets and organic character.
https://www.presetpatch.com/articles/vintage-voice-modeling-on-the-prophet-rev-2---free-patches
Behringer Deepmind
The Deepmind has a "Voices" modulation source available in the mod matrix.
It has stable bipolar offsets, which can be assigned to oscillators, filter params, and envelope ADR timings.
https://www.presetpatch.com/articles/voice-component-modeling-with-behringer-deepmind
ASM Hydrasynth - New 2023
Hydrasynth added new bipolar and unipolar voices mod sources in firmware 2.0.
The values of voice offsets can be set manually, then applied to various destinations via mod matrix.
I created a template for vintage voice modeling on Hydrasynth here:
https://www.presetpatch.com/articles/hydrasynth-vintage-voice-modeling-vcm-free-template-patch
VST Synths with Vintage Voice Modeling:
Arturia Jup-8 V Jupiter v4
Macro trimmer controls
Arturia OB-Xa V
Macro trimmer controls
Tal J-8 Jupiter
Per voice osc, filter, env controls
Synapse Audio Obsession
Deep editing of per voice offsets
Sonicprojects OP-X
Basic trimmer controls
u-He Diva
Basic trimmer controls
GForce OB-E
Emulation of the individual 8 voices with offsets
Ableton Drift - New 2023
Drift knob and associated controls give voice variances