MINIREVIEW: WHITE NOISE AUDIO SOFTWARE ZERO VECTOR 1.0
Mar 9, 2005 7:31 PM, By Jason Scott Alexander
With his latest piece of code, WNAS founder David Wallin combines virtual-analog, digital-wavetable and vector-synthesis techniques into a Windows-only VSTi with a far more versatile and distinguished sound than the simplistic interface would have you believe. Three oscillators each offer a choice of 66 waveforms (classic analog and hybrid digital/sampled) as well as FM, sync and ring modulation. A Clone control creates a detuned copy of each oscillator, effectively making ZV a six-oscillator synth. The dual 12dB/octave filters are real gems—including some cool vocal-formant eccentricities—capable of being routed in series or parallel and colored with varying degrees of analog-style clipping to nastify things. Two basic ADSRV amplifier and filter envelopes pale in comparison to the rather extravagantly designed dual multienvelopes found in ZV’s eight-slot, 21-source, 19-destination modulation section.
Of course, the tripole vector pad is central to ZV’s main forte of sweeping, ambient pads, lush strings and glistening washes. Designed to mix between the three oscillators along any recordable path, freestyle pad-programming by mouse is a snap. Punchy analog/digital hybrid basses and searing lead sounds are also strong points, benefiting from some of the most colorful and musical filters in any synth I’ve tweaked. More than 500 fabulous-sounding presets are packaged to get you going, but thanks to an intuitively quick user interface, you’ll surely find Zero Vector’s greatest reward to be in rolling your own.
For more information about White Noise Audio Software, visit www.whitenoiseaudio.com.
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