Rob Papen has introduced a new synth, B.I.T. (Back In Time), inspired by classic analog synths.
Here’sw whwat they have to say about it:
The idea behind it is that the classic analog type of synthesis has its own charm and simply has not yet been covered by the Rob Papen brand. So, no spectrum waveforms, or samples inside B.I.T. nope, it is pure ‘Analogue Modelled’ synthesis.
Although B.I.T. has no patch cables, it is modular by all means! The Modulation Matrix is used for the patching, however, also included is the smart ‘advanced’ panel below the Oscillators. With these advanced features (accessed by switching the ADV switch), you can quickly make several connections such as LFO and Envelope to the Oscillator parameters inside of B.I.T.
Also included is the option to modulate Oscillator 2 by Oscillator 1 in several ways which expands the sound pallet with Phase Modulation, Frequency Modulation, and Ring Modulation.
A Rob Papen synthesizer would, of course, be incomplete without the arpeggiator (which can also work in sequencer mode), so a fully featured Arp is available and has an additional free row that you can use to modulate other parts of B.I.T. by using the Modulation Matrix.
Adding the finishing touch on B.I.T. is, of course, the FX section. Some superb sounding FX are added.
Our top-notch Reverb is also included inside B.I.T. which means you won’t have to go outboard for adding reverb.
Pricing and Availability
B.I.T. is available with an intro price of US $79 (normally $99). A demo version is also available.
Am I the only person who thinks Rob Papen synths are overrated? I mean a lot of them are really unique, but the sound is not that great to me. Thoughts?
Completely agree, I’ve coaxed very few inspiring sounds from the Papen synths I’ve used personally.
Perhaps they are the type of synths that need some quality FX to bring out their character… However, I agree that I as well found them to be very lackluster in terms of sound. Not horrible, just nothing to standout.
I own 3 soft synths: Xfer Serum, SugarBytes Aparillo and Rob Papen Blue II. Blue II sounds fantastic, offers multiple synthesis, has features that compliment each other nicely, excellent effects section, it can sound vintage or modern, overall it has a more balanced but less crazy sound than Serum or Aparillo. However, i sometimes feel the need to use 3rd party fxs to make it sound a bit more vintage. I do think his prices should be a bit lower (except for Go2), but in term of sound i feel his synths deliver…
I’ve had Blue and Predator for over ten years now. Blue has been one of my go-to synths for the longest time because I believe it sounds great and stands on its own with what I create. Predator has been on the back burner only until about 2 years ago. That is one that didn’t grab me at first and I didn’t see the rave about it. It has grown on me. Blue is pretty complex and one could get lost pretty quickly within the bottom section of the GUI. Predator on the other hand is straight forward and analogous to hardware interfaces.
I actually think the sound is really great, and there are always a lot of really good presets, so you can get results right away. It does seem that the latest releases are more filling in the empty spaces in the portfolio, rather than pushing the boundaries – Go2 was the low-end option (although it did have an intriguing morph concept), B.I.T. is virtual analogue, MasterMagic is the one-knob mastering solution, etc. However, the high-end stuff – Blue II, Predator II, etc. is very deep and tweakable. I’m hoping we will see more V2 editions of other high-end synths in the future. No question there are more radical options out there, but for sheer value, it’s hard to argue with Explorer 5.
There are a number of well done, free soft-synths out there. A soft-synth that requires a payment to obtain needs to be above average in features and sound. How does this one fit the bill?
Didn’t see the free demo version on the site. Checked twice. Am I missing a page not listed, or…?
The UI color scheme instantly made me think of Albino 3. =]