Electra X Vst
The award winning Electra is not only one of the most powerful VST synthesizers ever - it's the complete synthesis solution! Just working on a track that J.Dubbs sent me. I'm mixing it down and adding a melody using ElectraX 2. I was using so many voices in my one sound that it dam.
ElectraX allows you to explore the musical possibilities of multi-synthesis oscillators, analog modeled filters, chaotic fractals, samples, psychoacoustic processing, flexible modulation and an immense sonic range. Combine multiple polyphonic or monophonic synthesizers and 13 different synthesis methods to create incredible results. All this comes with an easy-to-use interface, high-end sound quality and low CPU usage for an instrument as feature-rich as ElectraX. The preset management provides instant access to a large library of sounds by professional designers.
Oscillators
At the heart of ElectraX are the multi-synthesis oscillators with up to 18 oscillators per voice. With ElectraX you combine classic synthesis types like Virtual Analog, FM, Phase Distortion, Ultrasaw, Sync, Waveshaping, Wavetables, AM, and completely new oscillator types. It also opens unheard acoustic possibilities with its exclusive Fractal synthesis, which can be used to mimic the behaviour of organisms or analog circuits.
Samples and Wavetables
You can use ElectraX's sample oscillator to import your own waves - a quick import option is available to create custom patches or vocoder sounds based on your own samples with a mouse click. ElectraX ships with a large selection of licensed wave content, including morphable analog and digital wave types. In addition to this you can automatically resynthesize your own waveforms from samples or import custom wavetables.
Filters
Each synth's filter section consists of two multi-mode filters with 23 unique filter types and multi-mode distortion.
ElectraX comes with analog modeled filters, high precision digital filters, vocal filters, comb filters, phasers, equalizers and other exotic types. The warm-sounding filters are able to self oscillate and deliver a wide range of timbres due to the variable degree of analog behavior. A dual distortion unit offers six different modes. It can produce tube sound, known from analog pre-amp boxes, model a fuzzbox or do waveshaping.
Effects
ElectraX's master and insert effects sections include 18 high-quality effect processors, built and fine-tuned specifically to compliment the synth's sound such as: High-end Reverb, Multitap Delay, Vocoder, Chorus, Ensemble, Phaser, Flanger, Rotary, Surround encoder, Trancegate, etc.
Modulation
ElectraX's modulation makes use of punchy, analog sounding envelopes. Its high quality LFOs are syncable to BPM and can modulate up to the audible range. You can create rhythmic sequences or custom wave shapes with the step LFO. The flexible Modulation Matrix is easy-to-use and provides a good and instant overview of the active modulations. With the built-in 'MIDI-learn' feature it is possible to assign controllers with a single click.
Arpeggiator
One preset setup can handle up to four full-featured synthesizers with four independent arpeggiators and step sequencers. The arpeggiator supports autochord, swing, glide and keyboard splitting. This allows you to create impressive sequences with several instruments playing at the same time, providing a creative and hands-on experience for a life performance.
Feature summary:
- Four synthesizers in one interface.
- High-end sound quality.
- Huge sonic range.
- High flexibility.
- 13 different synthesis methods which can be combined.
- Psychoacoustic processing.
- Low CPU, multicore processor support.
- Easy to use.
- 4x multi-timbral.
- Presets by professional sound designers.
- 23 exclusive analog modeled filter types.
- 45 oscillator types.
- 18 effect types; Master effect section with Equalizer.
- More than 1000 waveforms.
- 64x4 voices.
- MIDI learn.
- Customizable user interface with 4 skins.
- Expandability.
- Standalone version for PC.
- Flexible preset management.
- Context sensitive help.
Features per synthesizer (4 synthesizers available):
- Several play modes: Monophonic, legato, polyphonic, glide.
- 3 multi-synthesis oscillators.
- Dual multimode filters.
- Dual multimode distortion/waveshaper.
- 3 LFOs (global or per voice) and a Step LFO, BPM syncable.
- Four Envelope generators.
- Arpeggiator.
- Insert effect, BPM syncable.
- Flexible modulation.
- Key splitting.
Synthesis methods & OSC features:
- Virtual analog.
- FM.
- Sample playback and import of own samples with loop/sustain loop support.
- Wavetables with resynthesis function and the ability to load own waveforms.
- Ultrasaw (up to 18 detuned oscillators per voice).
- Fractal (a completely new synthesis method).
- Phase distortion.
- Waveshaping.
- Exclusive oscillator types.
- PWM.
- Sync.
- Noise.
- Ringmod.
- Vocoder.
- Analog oscillator drift modelling.
- Fat tuning.
18 warm sounding effect types:
- Reverbs: Hall, Cathedral, Room.
- Delays: Delay, Delay band, Ping Pong, Multitap.
- Chorus, Ensemble, Phaser, Flanger, Rotary.
- Trancegate, Compressor, Amp sim, Equalizer, Surround Encode.
- Vocoder.
23 exclusive filter types:
- 9 analog modeled filters with self oscillation: Lowpass/Highpass/Bandpass 12dB/18dB/24dB.
- High precision digital filters: Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, Notch.
- Equalizers: LowShelf, HighShelf, Peak, Wide.
- Special types: Phaser, Comb+, Comb-, Vocals, Aliaser, Ringmod.
Modelling
Electra2 (VST/AU) is the second generation of Tone2's ElectraX, a synthesiser workstation comprising four layers (each one effectively a whole synth in itself), designed to deliver synth sounds of pretty much every conceivable kind.
New features include an expanded library (1180 presets) plus a full preset browser with auditioning keyboard, expanded handling of imported samples, improved effects, five new filter types, and the addition of physical modelling synthesis.
Electra2 is backwards-compatible with ElectraX. Any existing 'X' installation is overwritten by '2', which then stands in for 'X' in legacy projects. As you'd expect, then, Electra2 includes every one of ElectraX's features and can load all 'X' presets as if it were a new version of ElectraX rather than a whole new instrument.
Electra complex
The 'bad' news, however, is that due to enhancements to the sound engine, Electra2 sounds better than - and, therefore, different to - ElectraX. While an improved engine is obviously a good thing in general, old projects with ElectraX onboard may sound subtly different when transferred over to Electra2, so we'd actually prefer to be allowed to have both versions installed at once.
Anyway, the sound quality of Electra2 is generally good in its own right. It has quite a full, clean character that will be familiar to Tone2 customers. It also has several new output colouration modes added to those of ElectraX (Linear sound, Loudness, Bass boost, Bright sound, Psychoacoustic and Analog Sound), and many of the older presets have been tweaked to make use of these.
We noticed something odd going on in the top end (around 15kHz and above), where some notes seem to be missing certain frequencies while others don't. This anomaly is often unnoticeable (depending on the patch) but could be a problem if you're relying on the synth to provide crisp detail in the highest treble ranges.
Full of filters
Electra X Vst Cracked
Back on the bright side, the Electra2 interface, while unchanged in layout, seems to load much faster and feels more responsive than that of ElectraX. Tone2's code optimisations mean that Electra2 can be expected to outperform ElectraX - indeed, this is a plugin that always feels very stable and robust.
Five new filter types bring the total count up to 37. The new Vocals 2 filter provides the typical vowel formant sounds that were popular in many forms of dance music a few years ago. Similarly, the new Vocal AM filter type is useful for approximating those classic dubstep 'yoys'.
LP AM combines a low-pass with a super fast ring modulator that can help add a crystalline, lo-fi crunch, while BP Boobs is a double band-pass filter that we suspect was just added on a whim when the programmers were feeling a bit bored and lonely. Lastly, the new M Shape type combines band-pass and high-pass filters.
Most of the effects carried over from ElectraX have been optimised for better performance and sound quality, while a dozen new modules have been introduced as well, bringing the total to 32. These include Smart Unison (a chorus), two phasers, two vibrato effects, two tremolo effects and five reverbs.
The reverbs are particularly impressive - so good, in fact, that they could easily alleviate the need for a separate reverb plugin most of the time. With so many high-quality processing options available, though, the realisation that you're limited to a single insert effect per layer, plus a shared master effect, is something of a dampener.
ElectraX was always able to import samples for playback, but Electra2 can automatically find loop points, tune sounds on import (or afterwards), and save samples with patches for easy recall. Further, you can edit the loop points of loaded samples by simply dragging them around, and take advantage of a new set of offline processes - including Reverse, Trim, Cut, Maximize and Remove DC - and various distortions and lo-fi effects.
It really is fun and easy to pull a sample in and manipulate it beyond the point of recognition, although it does feel like an undo feature needs adding. Of course you can still use imported sounds as the basis for the resynthesis engine, too, or for creating your own wavetables, just as you could with ElectraX.
Electra-fying
Although not without its flaws, Electra2 is a powerful synth with a lot going for it. The presets prove that it can throw heavy punches in almost any arena, adapting its synthesis style to even the broadest ambitions.
Electra X Vst Plugin
While we're not sure that we concur with Tone2's claim that it's the only synth you need in your arsenal - it has one too many weak points and its inherent character is too strong for it to be the right choice for everything - we'd certainly describe Electra2 as a powerful and worthy addition to any virtual music studio.