XILS-lab elevates exciting Syn’X 2 subtractive synthesis polytimbral powerhouse to higher heights with v2.5 upgrade

GRENOBLE, FRANCE: first available as Synthix back in 2011 before being relaunched to widespread critical acclaim in 2015 as Syn’X 2, audio software company XILS-lab is proud to announce availability of Syn’X 2 v2.5 — elevating its exciting- sounding subtractive synthesis polytimbral powerhouse to higher heights with a welcomed upgrade duly delivering several serious additions — as of January 6…

With origins dating back to its original release as XILS-lab’s third soft synth, Syn’X 2 is a polytimbral subtractive synthesis powerhouse, paying homage to the legendary (early-Eighties-era) Elka Synthex — much loved by the likes of famous French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, who still uses it to this day to create the distinctive sound of his onstage laser harp — from an original-sounding sonic standpoint with the striking sound of clear and punchy DCOs (Digitally-Controlled Oscillators), but brilliantly balanced against a multilayer card-based architecture that is inspired by similarly sophisticated hardware analogue synthesizers — such as Oberheim’s mighty (mid-Eighties-era) Matrix 12 — to create a powerful and complex virtual analogue instrument fit for 21st Century discerning DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) users. Ultimately, by drawing its inspiration from two distinctive design classics, it combines eight fully-independent layers with multitimbral flexibility; up to 72 oscillators; eight exciting-sounding ZDF (Zero Delay Feedback) filters; 32 envelopes; 32 LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators); eight glides; and more than 500 possible modulation combinations — ‘hardwired’ or user-customisable — per patch!

Put it this way: with those eight layers combined with true unison, users can creatively think about using a unison mode that allows them to sculpt not just the number of oscillators but also subtle modulation variations for each of the hundreds of available parameters, including filters, envelopes, LFOs, stereo position, sync, ring modulation, frequency modulation, and more besides. Above and beyond that, though, it is perfectly possible to apply the creative concept to different layers to create complex layered sounds, such as animated epic pads, keyboard performances (where every component reacts to velocity in a different way), as well as splits that creatively combine arpeggios and bass parts, to name but a few exciting-sounding examples.

Several serious additions to the Syn’X 2 v2.5 upgrade elevate this exciting-sounding subtractive synthesis polytimbral powerhouse to higher heights — namely, a new natural-sounding vintage reverb effect with high-pass filter; customisable signal path for all effects and keyboard performances, so the chorus could be positioned before the reverb or visa-versa, for example, or the chorus could be applied to a lower bass split while an upper pad feeds into the phaser and then the reverb; single- window integrated preset manager for finding patches in seconds, managing presets and sound banks, and creating customised tags; revamped 1,536-pixel-wide GUI (Graphical User Interface) with Easy and Complex modes; more factory presets with widened scope for covering more musical styles; powerful InterLayer Modulation, whereby layers can now source modulations from other layers; and integrated help engine. Meanwhile, MacOS 10.15 Catalina compatibility is a given from the outset.

On the face of it, Syn’X 2 v2.5 fancifully frames an amazing vintage sound in a modern setting with hitherto unavailable possibilities, but better than its predecessors’ already amazing features. Fire it up in a DAW host running on the latest MacOS or Windows (7, 8, 10) to add some seriously creative firepower to modern-day music creations!

Based in Grenoble, France, XILS-lab is an audio software company, created and managed by Xavier Oudin. Having created some of the best known virtual instruments and effects plug-ins on the market for various companies over the last 20 years, today he focuses on bringing his passion for audio, instruments, and music to bear on his own company.Working with highly-skilled professional musicians and sound designers, the company collectively believes that a virtual instrument or effect is not simply a series of mind-boggling mathematical algorithms designed and scrutinised over by bookish PhD engineers but rather a useful and useable musical tool made for musicians. Moreover, XILS-lab loves to create virtual instruments and effects that inspire its users to create more imaginative music than they ever dreamed possible!