UVI – 8-Bit Synth €99

>For a significant number of people their first experience of real-time electronic sound generation would have been the onboard audio generator of a games console or home computer. In the earliest systems, this might have gone little further than a short blip or beep, but even in the early 1980s manufacturers and composers were beginning to explore the technical and creative options available for more extensive sound design and music creation. On the hardware side this led to the now-famous SID chip (a self-contained programmable 3-oscillator analogue synth). Composer/programmers looking to make the most of monophonic sound generators employed fast arpeggiation of notes and other frequency and amplitude tricks to give the impression of a more expansive sound engine. With the development of more powerful 16-bit systems, and the subsequent arrival of better onboard sound hardware and the ability to employ ‘real’ sounds, many of these techniques were left behind. Nonetheless, a strong ‘Chiptune’ community has persevered, and the sound of 8-bit computer music still makes forays into the wider pop and dance worlds.

For those seeking a taste of retro chip vibe then the UVI 8-Bit Synth could fit the bill. Hosted within the free UVI Workstation, like most other UVI instruments, 8-Bit Synth is based around samples rather than a ‘virtual’ approach to synthesis as found in something like Plogue’s Chipsounds plugin. However, the raw audio (which weighs in at over 13GB on disk) is played through a custom software front-end with a suitably adorned GUI. This is split into two layers – one devoted to Commodore’s SID chip and the other using sounds from other devices, such as Nintendo’s Gameboy – labelled as ‘SID’ and ‘Chips’. Each layer gets its own amp and filter, followed by a shared step modulator and LFO. These alone allow you to create a wide range of fast pitch-swept tones, but these are further bolstered by the independent arpeggiators (including one dedicated to fast chip-style single-hit or looped phrases). Things are rounded off with the usual selection of effects, which helps bridge the gap between retro authenticity and contemporary music production. These are up to the usual high UVI standard – with some taken from their standalone counterparts (albeit with fewer editing options).

8-Bit Synth comes with a large selection of presets (more than 370) which cover the classic bases but with more modern, and perhaps more widely-usable, tones included as well. For those who are looking to build some sounds from scratch, a range of basic raw waveforms are here as well.

At €99 this instrument is not a casual purchase, particularly as some of the sounds and techniques can be replicated (with a little work) in some plugin synths. However, it is fun, inspiring and surprisingly usable in a wide range of contexts. For those seeking an even wider palette of odd sounds, 8-Bit Synth is also included in the UVI Toy Suite collection. Bruce Aisher uvi.net

VERDICT 8.9