Rob Papen

You can delay the onset of each oscillator after
triggering, too, in note values from 1/32 to 16/1,
making it possible to program short rhythmic
patterns around them. Output routing options
for every oscillator include the ilters, the FX and
any other oscillator, the last for FM (frequency
modulation); and the sampled waveforms can
be reversed and set to retrigger repeatedly at
any of the above note values.
Papen isn’t one to skimp on ilters, and Vecto
has two, drawing on a broad array of types and
slopes, from low- and high-pass, through band-
pass and notch, to Vocal, Comb and Formant, at
roll-of slopes from 636dB/octave. They can be
routed in series or parallel, pre or post FX, and
their dedicated ADSR ilter envelopes feature a
Fade control for turning the sustain stage into a
second attack or decay segment. The Amp and
Free envelopes also incorporate this.
Mod complex
With eight assignment slots in its modulation
matrix, Vecto provides a decent amount of
parameter animation options. Alongside the
expected list of MIDI streams and CCs, plus
Oscillator Retrigger and Delay, White Noise and
a few other oddities, the onboard modulation
sources consist of two simple LFOs, four
envelopes (including those of both ilters), Arp
Velocity (see below) and both axes of the XY
Pad. All parameters are available as targets,
even those of the modulators themselves and
the FX controls – always good to see.
The Arpeggiator features a comprehensive
menu of directions (Up, Down, Random, Chord,
etc) and a 16-step sequencer, with both free
running and retriggering modulation modes.
Swing and Length knobs bring the groove and
shaping, and the balance of programmed (in the
Velocity lane) and played velocity is adjustable.
Unusually, Vecto’s two FX modules aren’t
identical. Instead, FX1 handles modulation-
based efects – Chorus, Ensemble, Flanger,
Phaser or Widener – while FX2 hosts Delay or
Reverb. As was the case with its stablemate Go2
(9/10,
258), we’re not impressed by the
inability to use reverb and delay together, but
other than that, it’s a decent spread of
processing options, and all of them ofer plenty
of control and sound fantastic.
X, Y, see?
Vecto arrived in its new plugin incarnation with
little fanfare, presumably because the RE
version had already been around for quite a
while. It’s certainly a synth still worth getting
excited about, though, marrying all the Papen
staples we know and love – well-stocked
oscillators, superb ilters, deep modulation, the
recordable XY Pad, etc – to the fun and easily
accessible sound design avenues opened up by
vector synthesis. Pads, ambiences and
modulated sequences are its obvious fortes, but
basses, leads and ‘shorter’ sounds are very
much on the cards as well, as even without the
vector functionality, it’s a very capable four-
oscillator synth with an extensive library of
waveforms ripe for exploitation. The pricetag is
spot on, too, making this a solid buy for any
electronic musician on the hunt for interesting
new textures and colours.
Web timespace.com
Verdict
For Four-oscillator vector synthesis
with recordable XY pad
So many waveforms!
Flexible oscillator and ilter routing
Great sound
Over 1000 presets
Against Very basic LFOs
Delay or reverb, but not both together
Modulation isn’t visualised
Papen’s proprietary XY pad inds its natural
home in this versatile vector synth
8/10
Alternatively
Korg Wavestation
N/A » N/A » $50
One of the original vector synths is
available in plugin form
Arturia Prophet V
101 » 7/10 » €149
Improved since our review,
Arturia’s emulation includes both
the Prophet V and Prophet VS
Although essentially the same in
design as its modulation-generating
equivalents on other Papen synths, the
XY pad at the heart of Vecto is where
the actual ‘vector’ part of vector
synthesis takes place. The red dot
serves as the virtual ‘joystick’ via which
the four oscillators positioned on each
corner of its containing square are
intuitively blended.
The red dot can be dragged around
with the mouse and assigned as a
modulation target in the matrix for
automated movement. The XY pad’s
killer feature, though, is the ability to
record and play back manual
movement of the red dot as a path
deined by up to 32 editable
breakpoints. The path can be looped
from any breakpoint; played back
monophonically (restarting with each
new note), polyphonically (each note
has its own red dot) or free (note input
doesn’t restart the path); sped up and
slowed down (with modulation of the
Speed control) by a factor of up to 16;
synced to host tempo; and quantised in
terms of both timing and breakpoint
positions on an underlying grid. A
useful menu of editing functions (Set to
circle, Rotate, Reverse, etc) facilitates
instant transformation of the path, and
the XY pad is also available as a general
modulation source, of course.
Vector director
Clicking the logo reveals the ‘back’ of the plugin,
housing a handful of global settings
In Poly mode, each
voice gets its own
independent red
dot in the XY Pad
“Papen is never one to
skimp on ilters, and
Vecto has two, drawing
on a broad array of
types and slopes”
June 2019 / COMPUTER MUSIC / 89
rob papen vecto / reviews <
CMU269.rev_vecto.indd 89 27/03/2019 11:21