Arturia V Collection X – Xpanded for Xmas

12 Dec 2023 by Rob Puricelli | 5,0 / 5,0 | Approximate reading time: 9 Minutes

Arturia V Collection X  ·  Source: Arturia

Arturia CP-70 V  ·  Source: Arturia

Arturia Augmented Woodwinds  ·  Source: Arturia

Arturia CP-70 V FX  ·  Source: Arturia

Arturia Augmented Woodwinds Advanced Settings  ·  Source: Arturia

Arturia CP-70 V Advanced Settings  ·  Source: Arturia

Wurli V3  ·  Source: Arturia

Mini V4  ·  Source: Arturia

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Arturia V Collection X, the latest incarnation of their all-encompassing collection of plugins, arrives with new instruments and some welcome rebuilds.

One can almost predict the announcement of a new V Collection from Arturia these days. The Arturia V Collection X comes 18 months after the previous iteration and, as usual, delivers new instruments and rebuilds others. There are few instrument plugin collections outside of the subscription realm that offer quite as much as Arturia does these days. There has always been real variety, surpassed only by quality, and V Collection X continues this tradition with aplomb. Let’s take a look at what’s new…

Arturia V Collection X – The New Stuff

Two things normally happen on a V Collection update. First of all, it mops up the instruments that have been released as standalone items since the last version and brings them into the fold. Then there are the truly new instruments that receive their debut as part of the package. V Collection X offers the following “new to the collection” plugins…

• CP-70 V
• MiniFreak V
• Acid V
• Augmented Brass
• Augmented Grand Piano
• Augmented Woodwinds

Those with a keen eye will have already clocked the newbies. CP-70 V and Augmented Woodwinds make their premieres here. Acid V, MiniFreak V and the Augmented Brass and Grand Piano instruments have all been available for some time. MiniFreak V is the new v2.0 which adds a bunch of cool stuff, including wavetables. We covered this just a day before this release here.

We’ve covered the others previously too, so if you want to check them out, click the links in the list above. Let’s look at the new kids on the block.

CP-70 V

Originally intended to provide touring musicians with a more compact yet authentic piano experience on tour, the CP range of electric pianos gained a strong following for its bright, clear tone that cut through nicely in pop mixes of the 1980s. Famously used by the likes of Abba, Peter Gabriel, U2. Tony Banks and Simple Minds, amongst many others, the CP70 was different to other electric pianos of the time.

What set it apart was its use of a real piano action, with hammers hitting strings, albeit much shorter strings, developed by Yamaha for this instrument. Instead of requiring a large frame and case to project the sound, each string had its own electric pickup, a bit like an electric guitar, and you simply hooked it up to an amp or PA. Whilst it was much easier and smaller to lug around on tour, the CP-70 (and its larger sibling, the CP80) were still big and heavy things.

Delivering A Classic

Being electric, it was also able to have some sound-shaping tools built in, such as a 3-band equaliser for low, medium or high tonal modification. A tremolo effect was built in and there was a 3-way brightness switch. There were even effects inserts for hooking up your own choice of FX pedals. In later years, bands like Keane would feature the CP70 prominently and make the sound popular again.

Arturia CP-70 V

Arturia’s CP-70 V delivers a very authentic CP-70 experience, having sampled the piano in great detail. They have then modelled the output stage, pre-amps, EQ and tremolo circuits to deliver a perfect blend of sampling and modelling. Click the FX button and you will be shown a pedal board with room for six pedals. There’s a fantastic choice available and they can be chained as you wish, with the ability to drag and drop in any order you like.

The CP-70 V is very much a one-trick pony, but this pony is a Lipizzaner and not some scrawny mare. It has a very unique and recognisable tone and the CP-70 V delivers that with little fuss and great quality.

Augmented Woodwinds

Arturia has been slowly expanding its range of ‘Augmented’ instruments over the last couple of years. Given the nature of those that have come before (Strings, Brass & Piano), woodwinds were surely going to be next on the list. The premise behind these Augmented instruments is simple. Blend top-quality samples with deep and detailed synthesis and allow the user to shape these blends with a simple or complex interface.

Arturia Augmented Woodwinds

It’s a simple concept. Select two layers, sculpt each to your taste using traditional synthesis methods, and then create a set of macros to morph between the two seamlessly. The result is a unique patch that can be shifted tonally and timbrally with consummate ease. It can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.

With woodwinds, a naturally emotive set of instruments, these techniques can deliver bold and haunting voices in equal measure. It has quickly become one of my favourites in the range, alongside Strings. The interface is very Pigments-esque, something Arturia are making the most of in recent releases. It makes for a compelling and rewarding experience.

We Can Rebuild Them

Alongside the new instruments, two of the existing collection have been rebuilt.

MINI V4

Arturia’s MINI V now reaches version 4. As one of their first instrument plugins, MINI V has come on leaps and bounds since its first appearance. V4 features a brand-new audio engine, a vintage knob which seems to be the trend these days, a new user interface that more closely resembles the original hardware and more advanced features. These include two modulators, an arpeggiator, keyboard expression tools and three effects.

Mini V4

It very much seems that Arturia have gone all out to get their MINI V back at the top of the Minimoog emulation charts. Whether it quite reaches the quality of those early R.A. Moog Minis that are so lusted after remains to be seen. But this is a clear and definite improvement on a cornerstone V Collection instrument.

WURLI V3

Much like the MINI V4, the WURLI V3 has had an extensive overhaul. There’s an updated physical model for the core instrument, as well as a new output circuit model. The GUI has had an overhaul too and there are new effects to choose from. These are presented in the same way as the new CP-70 V. It’s a much slicker and easier to read interface, which is very welcome.

Overall, this is just a nicer experience than the previous version.

Wurli V3

And There’s More…

On top of the new and revamped instruments, there are also some nice sound Expansion packs that come with V Collection X. These cover a vast array of soundscapes, ranging from cinematic atmospheres to urban soul and cutting-edge electronic sounds.

V Collection X Sound Packs

Final Thoughts

On the surface, V Collection X might seem a little “light” and lacklustre. There’s no real headline grabbing addition and it appears to be more of a consolidation, with some welcome polishes here and there. 

However, V Collection remains one of the best instrument plugin collections available today. Whilst the amount of “new stuff” that comes with each new iteration has become less over the years, the sheer quantity and quality of the suite is unmatched. Also, Arturia’s upgrade policy means that existing owners will still receive great value for money. I guess, if you were to do the mathematics, paying an upgrade fee every 18 months is not so different than paying an annual subscription on other instrument plugin suites that are available. The obvious comparison would be Roland’s Cloud service. In my humble opinion, as good as Roland Cloud is, V Collection delivers far more depth and variety. Cherry Audio’s Synth Stack is also worthy of consideration these days.

The new additions to V Collection, which in reality are just two new instruments, will undoubtedly cause some negative hub-bub in the forums. CP-70 V and Augmented Woodwinds, whilst very nice to have, aren’t setting the world on fire. The two updates are very much worthy of consideration and if you hadn’t already bought Acid V or MiniFreak V, then this will be a frugal way to acquire them. MiniFreak V alone is worth the price of entry. We are, at some stage, going to reach a point where the pool of resurrectable vintage synths runs dry. I don’t think we’re there yet, but I would expect more lean updates to suites like this than we’ve been used to.

What V Collection lacks is a really good drum machine. Since dropping Spark from the package, there hasn’t been anything beat-oriented in the suite. I’d love Arturia to tackle something like one of the Linn’s or maybe an Oberheim DMX. What would you like to see added next? Let us know in the comments below. Meet you back here in 18 months to see if Arturia listened! 

More Information

Arturia V Collection X is available now for €595/$539. Upgrade prices are based on your current ownership of Arturia products. Log in to your personal account over at arturia.com to see what your upgrade price is. Intro offers are available until the 7th January 2024.

The new instruments are also available individually, priced at €199 each or €99 for the Augmented series.

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