Propellerhead Software Europa
Reason’s flagship synth is now available as a VST/AU plugin or via the web
Once a fiercely insular and selfsufficient virtual studio, Reason’s walled garden has, over time, relaxed its borders. The addition of audio tracks, Rack Extensions and – at last! – VST support have all made possible the import of fresh sonic elements. But now the Props are flipping the script with an
export of one of their most desirable goods: Reason 10’s Europa ‘shapeshifting’ synthesiser, now available as a VST/AU plugin for any compatible DAW. Huzzah! And you can even fire up this “infinitely powerful spectral wavetable synth” right inside your browser with the web version.
Europa has three spectral wavetable Engines (oscillators, essentially), each with Wave, Spectral Filter and Unison sections. In the Wave section, there are more than 30 wavetables, “from traditional analogue to complex, dynamic waveforms.” Wavetable position can be modulated, and onset sync toggled. Waveforms can be further warped with two Modifier sections that feature 32 modes including Hard Sync, Downsample, FM, Harmonics, and Detuning. You can also load samples to use as custom wavetables.
Next comes the Spectral Filter, “for sound processing that traditional analogue filters only dream of.” Outcomes range from standard filteringEQ to radical reshaping and special effects via the Harmonics control. After that, dial in up to seven-voice Unison with several modes: Normal, Fourth, Fifth, Octave Down and Phase Only.
The rest of the architecture is comparatively standard: each Engine can be levelled, panned, and fed through the analogue-style filter section.
Then, everything goes through the amplifier section and effects. For modulation, you’ve got four envelopes and three envelopes.
The Europa is out now – the VST/AU version is $149/€149, and it’s free for Reason 10 owners and for online version users.
URL www.propellerheads.se