Rob Papen Vecto
Now you don’t need a Reason to get your hands on quality vector synthesis
A secret sound design weapon for many a Reason user since 2015, Rob Papen’s Vecto synth has – in response to a tide of requests from existing and wouldbe users alike – been ported over from its original Rack Extension realisation to VST/AU/AAX plugin formats for use in any Mac or PC DAW.
Vecto is a four-oscillator vector synth that has a very sizeable range of oscillator waveforms onboard, plus a whole heap of sampled and “spectrum” waveforms. Vector synthesis – as often associated with the classic Prophet VS and Korg Wavestation hardware instruments – involves morphing sounds in real time by mixing the outputs of a quartet of oscillators with the use of a joystick-style controller.
In Vecto’s case, that interface comes in the form of the central X/Y pad, which will be familiar to users of Papen’s other synths. The vector path can be drawn or recorded, and quantised and edited after the fact, and a variety of preset paths and shapes are included to get you started. You’ll be throwing together all manner of weird shifting pads in no time.
Beyond that, Vecto is yet another wellappointed synth from house Papen, and one that keeps everything in view at all times in a single window.
Two filters each offer 28 response types and can be routed in various ways; all the expected envelopes, LFOs and MIDI modulation sources are present and correct; an arpeggiator provides internal note generation; and two insert FX slots house a range of useful processors. Over 1000 presets are there, too, constituting a cornucopia of ready-to-go sounds. You can get Vecto alone for €99, or as part of the all-encompassing eXplorer-5 bundle, which nets you all 21 Rob Papen plugins – synths, effects, the lot! – for €499. timespace.com