Make no mistake, these are hi-fi instruments. Moving the large, central Morph knob blends between the two layers, and a host of onboard effects and modulation options galvanises this relationship into something quite impressive. The principle involves two customisable layers, each comprising two engines: synth and sample. Arturia V Collection 9’s Korg MS20V Augmented Strings and Augmented VoicesĪugmented Strings and Augmented Voices are hybrid sampler-synthesizer instruments. There’s also a pull-out SQ-10-style sequencer, as well as onboard effects.

There are minor adjustments across the panel that serve to speed or spice things up but none of these feel hamfisted a sync switch has appeared between the oscillators, for example, and while envelope 1 can now be looped, envelope 2 has become switchable between Classic and Modern responses. This version tweaks and expands the MS-20’s palette. The CS-80 V4, the Prophet-5 V, the Prophet-VS V and the Piano V3 have been upgraded with 832 new presets across 14 new sound banks coming to Analog Lab V. The latest edition, V Collection 9, adds the MS-20 V emulation of Korg’s 1978 all-analogue semi-modular classic and the SQ80 V emulation of Ensoniq’s venerable 1980s crosswave synth – and that’s on top of the aforementioned instruments and more.Īlso on the bill are two more original instruments from Arturia, Augmented Strings and Augmented Voices, both of which combine complex synthesis engines with sample-based sounds. MusicTech’s March 2021 review of V Collection 8 asked whether it was the king of soft-synth suites. READ MORE: Cinematique Instruments Vertigo Glass and Iron review: Rich tones of glass and metal ideal for dreamy pads.On top of this are the original Arturia-designer instruments and workflows, such as the Piano V acoustic piano plug-in and Analog Lab preset browser. From the ARP 2600 to the Buchla Easel, the Roland Juno to the Vox Continental, and the Mellotron to the Fairlight CMI, it seems this suite has no borders, having long proven itself playable, reliable and astonishingly accurate in its emulation. As far as software versions of iconic hardware instruments go, particularly synthesizers, this is the category leader. Arturia’s V Collection barely needs an introduction.

Arturia piano collection