Synth Effects: 5 of the Best Synthesizers With Built-In Effects
Behringer, Dreadbox, Korg, Novation and Waldorf all check in with synths with incredible effects!
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Transform your synthesis and sound design with synth effects. The effects sections in these five instruments can take your sounds into wild new territories. Are you ready for the ride?
Synth Effects
Synth Effects Transform Your Sound
Ever since manufacturers started strapping analog ensemble circuits across the signal paths of their string machines, synthesizer manufacturers have been including effects in their instruments.
Things may have really got going with the early analogue widening chorus efforts of Roland and Korg and the digital multi-effects of the late ‘80s, but today, effects have become every bit as sophisticated as the sound-generating circuitry they color. Occasionally analog but more often than not digital, they’ve become an integral part of the synthesis process.
While it’s always nice to have a little reverb in a synth, some have gone whole hog with it, resulting in instruments where the effects can completely alter the original sound. Recognizing the importance of a good effects section, many manufacturers have even partnered with third-party effects companies to add some splash to the signal path.
If you’re in the market for synth effects that do more than just splash some reverb on top, read on.
Synth Effects: Behringer DeepMind
With so many high-profile synth clones in their stable, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that Behringer also makes original instruments. The DeepMind series (available in six and 12-voice models, with keys or desktop, and original or X styling) may have started as Juno-inspired designs, but they evolved into something completely their own. That includes the effects section, too.
Borrowing algorithms from TC Electronic, Midas and Klark Teknik (all conveniently part of the Music Tribe group), the DeepMind instruments are absolutely jam-packed with high-quality effects. In fact, there are four sections of them, including reverbs (Lexicon 480L, anyone?), modulation effects, EQ, a Fairchild 670 tube compressor emulation, and much more. It’s almost like having a DAW in your synth.
- Behringer Deepmind X series product page
Synth Effects: Dreadbox Typhon
Greek boutique company Dreadbox is known for its attention to analog detail. The monophonic Typhon looks like a typical Dreadbox instrument, with its all-analog two oscillators, 4-pole filter and VCAs. However, this juicy signal path heads into the digital realm, with 12 DSP-based effects courtesy of forward-thinking plugin company Sinevibes. The combination is a match made in heaven – or in this case, Elysium, since Dreadbox likes to reference Greek mythology.
Distortion, bit crusher, chorus, ensemble, flanger, delay and reverb are all onboard, ready to turn your clean, analogue notes into digitized wonders. There’s even an external audio input, letting you pass anything in your studio through the circuit.
Want Dreadbox analog goodness and Sinevibes digital power in a polyphonic package? Check out Artemis.
- Dreadbox Typhon product page
Synth Effects: KORG ‘logue Series
Partnering with a third-party effects company is cool. Making your synth’s effects section open source and allowing anyone to code up whatever they want, that’s genius. This is just what KORG has done with its ‘logue series of instruments, which currently includes the Minilogue XD, the Nu:Tekt NTS-1 MKII and Drumlogue.
While the User Oscillator section of the Multi Engine gets the lion’s share of press, the User Effects section is just as fab. Add a number of new custom modulation effects to complement the onboard ones. Sinevibes (see above) makes and sells some interesting ones, but there are plenty of free ones also available out there. You can even make your own if you’re code-minded enough.
- KORG ‘logue series product page
Synth Effects: Waldorf Iridium Desktop MK2
Waldorf knows a thing or two about DSP. That translates not only to gorgeous oscillators and filters, but effects as well. That’s doubly true of the new Iridium Desktop MK2, an updated version of the company’s popular 2020 synth.
If you’re unfamiliar, the digital monster offers three oscillators, each capable of six different synthesis modes: Wavetable, Waveform, Particle, Resonator, Kernel, and the new Seeds, or Waypoint synthesis providing timbral journeys using sub-oscillators based on various methods like ring modulation, FM, wavetable, partials and various noise/dirt
types. You also get dual digital filters per voice, with multimode 12dB/24dB HP/BP/LP types in all sorts of Waldorf models.
But we’re here to talk about synth effects today. And in this, the Iridium Desktop MK2 absolutely excels. There are five effects slots per layer with a number of different parallel and sequential routing options available for the reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, drive, EQ, compressor, and tremolo. You also get comb filters, a bit-crusher, various drives, ring modulation, and formant filters as part of the Digital Former section.
Need more? Of course you do. For the MK2, Waldorf worked with none other than the Aphex Twin to create per-note parameter locks, allowing individual parameter variations per note that can also include effects.
- Waldorf Iridium Desktop MK2 product page
Synth Effects: Novation Summit
On paper, Novation’s flagship Summit doesn’t look like it has that exciting of an effects section. While it may not impress with variation, it makes up for it in sound quality. The reverbs alone are so good, you can probably throw away your reverb pedals. Think I’m joking?
But first, the synth specs. Essentially two Peaks in one with additional controls and a keybed, Summit is a 16-voice hybrid synth in the best Novation tradition. You get three FPGA New Oxford oscillators per voice (that means amazing sound quality and design by genius engineer Chris Huggett), capable of generating VA, wavetable and FM sounds. These go through dual analog filters, analog VCAs and three stages of analog distortion per voice. Lovely.
As for the effects (or FX as everyone writes nowadays), the Summit includes three chorus types plus a delay/reverb combo with 16 types of delay sync, LP and HP damping, slew and stereo, with modulation control over the reverb level, time, and lowpass and highpass amounts. Again, not a lot on paper, but your ears will love it.
If 16 voices are too many, you can always go for the Peak. It has the same effects as well.
- Novation Summit product page
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3 responses to “Synth Effects: 5 of the Best Synthesizers With Built-In Effects”
I’d rather not speculate on the criteria you used to select the 5 synths “with a stellar effects section” but there is a pretty well- established consensus that the Novation Peak has one of the best, if not the best effect section ever implemented on a synthesiser. Pretty glaring omission here.
Humbug
Agreed, Peak should be on the list.