Vecto

Sound synthesis isn’t a skill that one can easily master. As soon as you get comfortable with an instrument and the type of synthesis it employs, you may come across a totally different synth which will seem alien to you. But you have to learn how to play that one too, because why not?

Take for example vector synthesis; a very persistent “but why” kept shouting in my head when I first encountered this method on a virtual synth. But then I just had to admit that, for some producers, vector synthesis is the comfort zone, and that the technique isn’t even so difficult to comprehend. I’ll try to explain it better while I review Vecto.

It’s easy to like the instruments created by Rob Papen. They’re always designed with passion and creativity, and they’re usually very affordable compared to their competitors. Vecto is no different, even though one would find it difficult to appreciate without prior knowledge of vector synthesis. The technique implies a dynamic crossfading between different sound sources; the sources are usually oscillators of which there are typically four. Crossfading is done through a vector that can be moved on an XY axis.

The sound is modulated by the movement, and the result depends on your knowledge of creating vectors. Now don’t imagine that you have to take out your Euclidian geometry school books in order to achieve this, but it is important to know exactly what sounds your oscillators generate, so you can have an idea about what vector synthesis can do for you.

Thankfully, Vecto comes with a lot of waveforms and samples for your oscillators, and over 1,000 presets that can surely help you get started. Other parameters include filters, envelopes, effects units, LFOs, and an arpeggiator/sequencer. You should use Vecto if you wish to carefully design ambient sounds or complex melodies.