There can't be many computer musicians who haven't benefited from the Togu Audio Line catalogue of plug-ins. Its list of freeware effects and synths is both long and impressive.
From TAL-Bassline to TAL-NoiseMaker, these analogue-emulating plug-ins hold particular appeal to those of us still in love with the sharp, stinging sound of Roland's (relatively) inexpensive synths of the early 80s.
Many TAL fans first realised the company's programming prowess via the TAL-U-NO-62, a lovingly realised clone of Roland's Juno-60, and a synth that in fact shares many features and design points with the instrument that we're looking at here.
TAL-U-NO-LX is a beefed up variation on TAL's excellent freebie. It's bigger, using up a lot more screen real estate and thus making it much easier to tweak, especially on the fly.
More importantly, though, the code has been reworked from the ground up and makes use of a zero-feedback delay filter design that makes this new version sound a lot more realistic.
The onboard controls have also been meticulously matched to those of the Juno-60. This is probably what facilitated the recreation of the original Roland's factory patch set, included along with a host of more original patches.
We've played a lot of Roland synths in our time and we have to say that TAL have nailed the retro sound of the patches. They ooze 80s cheese, with dopey brass and silly space effects sitting alongside those once-ubiquitous celesta and clav patches.
Pros:
- Great-sounding filter.
- Authentic recreation of factory patches.
- Lots of sync options for the arpeggiator.
- TAL's new patch browser is good.
- Excellent chorus.
- Simple and to the point...
Cons:
- ...maybe too simple for more advanced synthesists
Verdict:
Justifying the price tag, TAL-U-NO-LX sounds right on the money - hopefully TAL addicts won't mind paying for it!
Rating: 4.5/5
Read full review at Music Radar
