IK Multimedia

Have you ever played that game where you
build a shopping list of vintage synth
classics? Scour the auction sites for the
machines you couldn’t aford when you were a
teenager, and you’ll likely ind that it’s an even
worse inancial prospect now! All is not lost
though, as we dive headlong into the realm of
nostalgia, thanks to IK Multimedia.
Vintage-tonic!
Syntronik 2 is a welcome update, building upon
the reliable Mk 1 ofering from IK. We’re
reviewing the full suite, which is described as
Syntronik 2 MAX. This ofers a full-sized
compendium of 33 software instruments, placed
at the top of the package tree. If that feels a little
overblown for your requirements, the regular-
sized version ofers 22 synth instruments for
€299, while the entry level SE version includes 11
synth instruments for just €149. It all sounds like
a bit of a bargain.
Syntronik 2 operates within the plugin
domain; upon loading for the irst time, one of
the irst games to play is ‘spot the synth’. There
are some cryptic names in play, all of which
relate to some form of classic from yesteryear.
Some very distinguished, diverse and popular
models have been ported from Syntronik 1.
These include the Minimoog Model D, Prophet-5,
Jupiter 8, Juno 60, Oberheim OBX/Xa and even
PPG Wave 2.3.
Syntronik’s sound engine is sample-based,
meaning that the initial sounds you hear are
incredibly faithful, being derived from the
original machines. Arguably, this means that you
don’t get the subtlety of analogue detuning, but
IK have devised a cunning solution for weaving
this back into the sound. Their DRIFT
technology promotes a degree of detuning, to
mimic the originals, but it actually goes far
further, varying phase and colour, alongside the
pitch element. It’s a potent combo, for both
IK Multimedia
Syntronik 2 MAX €399
Maxing out their vintage plugin package, IK Multimedia add new synths,
efects and some tasty new GUIs to their already generous softsynth
Access to the
four layers, for
creating stacks
and key zones
Hit the icon to view
the luscious GUI
LFO modulations abound, with
several defaulted paths
Swift access to all of
the preset patches
Performance
controls for
pitch and glide
Dedicated
ADSR envelope
for the
filter cutoff
Oscillator
pitch control,
with detuning
Immediate access to other
parameters and effects
5. Pick a filter, any
style, any shape!
Four-stage
amplitude
envelope
Filter-state
selection
faithful sounds and analogue behaviour, and it’s
very efective.
Classic dives
As we delve into the browser, navigation
requires a little getting used to. On the one hand,
sounds are nicely organised, with a choice of
model and timbre categorisation, but you have
to deselect your choice, before choosing again.
Once you have a sound at your disposal, the
sonic parade is impressive.
We begin our vintage sojourn with the J60,
based on the vintage Juno-60, and a machine
we know well; as a sonic facsimile, it’s
undeniably Juno, but we really enjoyed some of
the extensions which IK have applied. Apart
from a user interface which immediately
summons the spirit of 80s Roland, it’s the
application of numerous additional features,
never previously available on the Juno, which
take this classic to a new realm. Seven diferent
68 / COMPUTER MUSIC / March 2022
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