You though rebirth was good?..... Well you ain't seen nothing yet !!......
Introducing 'VAZ', a software based analog synth & sequencer software designed by Martin Fay in the UK..... and it seriously kiks !!!
'VAZ' is devided into two sections.....A dual oscillator mono synth, (image-TOP) - and a Sequencer screen, (image-BOTTOM) .....The two are interlinked, and a simple click of the button switches between either as you work.
It is this interactivity between the sequencer & the Synth that for me makes this such a wickedly versatile and quick software.
Ok..... You start with a basic default sound when the programme opens. All the parameters to tweak the synth are laid out clearly, including: 2 oscillators, with range, fine and coarse tuning and a choice of Pulse or Saw wave, plus a sync control for osc' 2.
Each Oscillator has a further 2 frequency control source choices from a drop-down list, and a pulsewidth control source.... These drop down lists give you a choice of up to 17 control choices, including:
LFO, sample & hold, envelope 1 or 2 each with an inversion choice, midi velocity, pressure or 2 controller numbers (the numbers are selectable from a preferences list.....accent,DCO 1 or 2 & DCO1 pitch and Noise source.
Further to these controller sources, there are a further 2 choices that relate specificall to the sequencer module that accompanies the synth....... If you look at the Sequencer window image above, you'll see 2 banks of 16 step faders..... These fader banks are the 2 further control sources, and as for ALL the other control sources, they can be used to control the filter section as well.
Further to this you have a fixed filter setting control for Res' & Cut-off, 2 envelopes, amplitude & LFO section with a choice of saw & pulse/square wave shapes.....
Also on the sequencer section is note select, rest, accent & slide for each step, as well as master tempo & random & "loop at step" control.....You can also select "Midi Note Entry", for inputting notes from your keyboard......
What a brilliant synth !!..... It really is the bollox this one, and what I've described so far above is for the demo version that you can download here for free !!.....and check it out......It will save you sequence as a .WAV file for loading into your sampler or H/D software .....Brilliant !!
Now the images above are from the registered version, which adds a few extra features that are important, and well worth the registration fee......
The two most obvious ones are: The ability to save patches that you've created with 'VAZ'..... The demo version misses this feature, so once you've created a sound.....sure you can stream it to .WAV file, but once the programmes closed, you loose your patch sound creation.
Also, with the demo, you can't save the sequence data either , and this function is added to the registered version, along with the ability to create multiple patterns and put them together into a full length track.
Lastly, you can also input note data into VAZ with a midi keybaord, and even play it as a module from a midi keybaord.
There are some other functions available with the registered version that I can't recall right now apart from an improved wider filter, but all in all, I'd say that as a demo programme, the author has been very generous in letting you save the composition to an audio file..... I think it's a good balance for a demo....better by far than total disable (steinberg !!).....
Anyhow.....To me this VAZ pisses on Rebirth as a great all-round Techno dance synth....and yes, i've been out clubbing and heard VAZ in action on a few tracks... it is quite recognisable... a s/w synth with recognisable character !!..... so get the demo downloaded !!!
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