Virtual instrument producer Tronsonic is on a mission: the company wants modern studio users and performers to rediscover the warmth and character of analogue sound synthesis – not through emulation, but by scrupulous reproduction of genuine vintage sounds. Using equipment from the early 70s to generate raw waveforms, these have been processed using original 1960s valve preamps and lovingly rendered to tape before translation to the digital realm for you and I to explore. The sheer depth and range of tones achievable has to be experienced to be believed, evoking everything from early Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream to modern cutting-edge sound production.
The instrument itself, which works within Kontakt 5, is a thing of understated beauty, eschewing glossy 3D graphics for a workmanlike interface. The myriad functions and controls are clearly represented in an uncluttered and usable format. Separate pages for VCO, VCF and VCA share identical layout and feature sub-panels that illuminate when the corresponding functions are enabled.
200 presets – arranged in ten groups (bass, lead, percussion, pads and so on) – are generated using nine waveforms and a total of 30 filters can be applied in various combinations. Once you have tweaked and edited a preset you can either overwrite the original patch or use ‘Save As’ to store a new instrument. You can also load multiple presets and apply MIDI controller commands to any number of parameters simultaneously, giving you an unending world of real-time sonic possibility.
Until now, Tronsonic has had something of an underground following but number among their users producer Richard X and Hollywood composer Cato. Now the secret’s out – just remember you heard it here first!
Verdict
Authentic analogue sounds with unparalleled sonic depth and almost limitless controllability.
9/10
Original Source - Music Tech
