Buchla Easel V

Although, when it comes to music, hardware is generally much more appreciated than software, some components that fall in the latter deserve a high level of appreciation.

Buchla Easel V, for instance, is a state of the art rendition of Don Buchla's famous instrument that played a huge role in defining early '70s experimental West Coast modular synthesis.

You can download this application separately on your computer and set it up yourself by using the installation package, which shouldn't last long.

However, you can also choose to deploy it from the Arturia Software Center, which takes even less time and effort on your side.

If the layout of this app is not pure eye-candy, I don't know what is. The attention to detail is remarkable, as each component stands out on its own and although the number of functions can be overwhelming, none of them will get lost in the big picture.

Turning knobs, flipping switches or connecting a cable feel like you're operating the real thing, as there's a smooth feel to the control animations.

Among the broad range of features available in Buchla Easel V you can find elaborate oscillators, dual Low Pass Gates and spring reverb modeling for the output selection, 256 factory presets, a synchronizable pulser and clock, and ten effects.

The architecture is semi-modular, the cables and routing are color-coded, polyphony supports up to 4 voices, the 5-step Sequencer, Pulser and Envelope Generator are perfectly reproduced, and the control on the Vactrol modeling ensures a slow, medium or fast response, depending on your needs.

If you've wanted to include a physical Buchla Easel for a long time, but can't quite get it, Buchla Easel V is nothing less than software substitute. Its interface is carefully crafted, the sounds it generates are crisp and clear and its controls are perfectly reproduced to fit your needs.