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A Juno, Emulator and vintage Vocoder are the latest additions to the French brand’s plugin bundle
>Arturia have released V Collection 8, their latest bundle of classic software synths and keyboards. This update adds a trio of brand-new instruments – Jun-6 V, Emulator II V and Vocoder V – as well as the recently-released OB-Xa V (which we’ve already reviewed, and loved!).
There are updates for several existing instruments, too. The Jupiter-8-inspired Jup-8 V has now reached version 4, which brings with it a new sound and modulation engine. The Stage-73 V2 equips this Rhodes emulation with a redesigned physical modelling engine that promises greater levels of authenticity and variety.
Finally, Analog Lab V, which brings together the best of the V Collection presets in one place, now has a new GUI and browser, which are designed to make it more intuitive than before. There are also 700 new presets that come with four pre-mapped macros for easy editing, plus playlists so that you can better organise your presets.
V Collection 8 is available now for PC and Mac priced at 599 euros. There are also discounts for existing users – log in to your Arturia discount to discover your price.
V Collection latest – what’s the deal with the new additions? Emulator II V WHAT IS IT?
E-Mu’s Emulators were the keyboards that brought sampling to the masses. The Emulator II was an 8-part multitimbral workstation with an 8-track sequencer – you could even hook it up to a Mac for sample editing. The sound is distinctly vintage and lo-fi by modern sampler standards – although in a rather desirable way – but the combination of digital sampling and analogue filters gives the Emulator II a warm and smooth sound.
HIGHLIGHTS?
Arturia’s take on the Emulator comes equipped with a sample library drawn from the original Emulator, a selection of Synclavier sounds and plenty more modern tones like those featured in the company’s Pigments power synth. It can load user samples too, meaning it’s a great tool for adding a touch of retro grit to your existing library of sounds.
USE IT FOR…
The Emulator was used by countless icons in the ’80s and is great for thick, retro synth pop – think Gary Numan or New Order.
Vocoder V WHAT IS IT?
Moog recently relaunched their iconic ’70s 16-band vocoder as a hardware reissue with an eyewatering $5,000 price tag. Fortunately for those who can’t afford that sort of luxury (ie almost all of us), Arturia have now created a software vocoder clearly inspired by it (although the company do call this an ‘original’ instrument). As with other vocoders, it works by analysing the timbral characteristics of one sound (the program) and impressing these onto a second signal (the carrier). In the most obvious example, the program is your voice and the carrier is a keyboard.
HIGHLIGHTS?
The beauty of software vocoders is that they can easily be applied to non-vocal sources, and Arturia’s is especially good for this. Vocoder V even includes a built-in sampler, and there’s a ton of fun to be had loading vocal, percussive or instrument loops and seeing how they sound fed through the vocoder.
USE IT FOR…
All sorts of sounds can be warped using the Vocoder, but synthesised voice is the classic. Flick through the presets for instant Kraftwerk or Daft Punk fun.
Jun-6 V WHAT IS IT?
Roland’s Juno-6 is an absolute analogue icon and a staple of many electronic musicians’ studios. To be honest we’re surprised it’s taken this long to find its way into the V Collection. Despite being a fairly simple polysynth, the Juno is widely loved for its rich sound, simple and approachable interface and iconic dual-mode BBD chorus.
HIGHLIGHTS?
As is typical for Arturia, the simple Juno engine has been expanded with extra features. Here that comes in the form of an advanced panel that offers an additional envelope and LFO, as well as delay and reverb effects. The extra modulation tools are nice – not extreme enough to fundamentally change the design of the synth, but adding a welcome touch of extra flexibility.
USE IT FOR…
The Juno-6 remains one of the most widely-used sources of warm pads and chords throughout house and techno. Stick the chorus on and roll the filter down a touch for a classic smooth dance music sound.