Addtractive by GyL Synths: Your Instrument for Creating Unique Timbres
Meet Addtractive – a powerful synthesizer from GyL Synths that combines the flexibility of dual wavetables with the rich sound of unison. This VST instrument, designed specifically for the Windows platform (Win32), opens up a wide range of possibilities for creating a variety of sounds – from thick basses and cutting leads to atmospheric pads and experimental textures. Addtractive is created for musicians and sound designers who strive for deep control over sound and the ability to experiment with unique timbres.
The Heart of Synthesis: Dual Oscillators and Unison
At the heart of Addtractive’s sound engine are two independent oscillators, each using its own wavetable. You have an impressive library of 135 different waveforms for each oscillator at your disposal. This already provides a huge palette to start with, but the real power of Addtractive lies in its ability to manipulate these waves.
- You can combine the waveforms of both oscillators in different ways: add, multiply, or subtract them, creating complex and harmonically rich timbres that go beyond ordinary synthesis.
- Additional parameters, such as phase shift, inversion, and fine-tuning of the level of each oscillator, allow you to precisely “sculpt” the desired sound.
The main oscillator is equipped with a unison function with the possibility of precise detuning. This allows you to obtain incredibly wide and dense sounds, ideal for basses, leads and universal synthesizer parts. In addition, a switchable sub-oscillator is available, which duplicates the waveform of the main oscillator, but one or two octaves lower (-1/-2 octaves). This is an indispensable function for adding weight and fundamentality to your low-frequency elements.
Shaping, Filtering and Effects
The created sound passes through an analog-modeled filter, which resembles the legendary Moog filters in character. This filter has a warm, saturated resonance and can be flexibly controlled by a special envelope. You can adjust the envelope so that it modulates the filter’s cutoff frequency in both positive and negative directions, allowing you to create dynamic, moving and expressive timbres.
For the final “touch” and integration of the sound into the mix, Addtractive has built-in processing effects:
- High-quality chorus effect adds stereo width, density and slight movement, making the sound more “alive” and voluminous.
- Built-in delay allows you to add space, create rhythmic echoes or atmospheric tails, which works great for pads and lyrical parts.
Expression during performance is also an important part of Addtractive. The synthesizer fully supports MIDI controllers:
- The Modwheel is by default conveniently assigned to control the filter cutoff frequency, providing instant control over the brightness and tonal character of the sound.
- The Pitchwheel has a standard range of +/- 5 semitones, allowing you to perform bends and vibrato with high accuracy.
For the convenience of sound design and parameter research, the “Note Hold” function is provided, which fixes the last played note, allowing you to freely turn the regulators without holding the key pressed.
Unique Features and Ease of Use
One of the most interesting and useful features of Addtractive is the ability to export the generated waveform. You can save your unique wave as a text file (.txt, up to 1024 samples) or as a standard audio file (.wav, from 128 to 2048 samples). When saving in .wav format, you can choose the sampling frequency (44.1 or 48 kHz) and bit depth (16, 24 or 32 bits). This function makes Addtractive not just a synthesizer, but a content generation tool that can be used in other plugins or samplers, expanding your creative process.
The developer GyL Synths has taken care of the user’s convenience by adding several useful features to optimize the workflow:
- The “Double-click-to-default” function allows you to instantly reset any regulator to its initial value with just a double click of the mouse. This saves time when experimenting with parameters.
- Global random parameter generation buttons (Global Random) and reset of all settings (Global Reset) are available. In addition, local Random/Reset functions are provided separately for each of the oscillators, which allows you to quickly explore new sound variations or return to the basic settings of a part of the synthesizer.
To start creating right away, Addtractive comes with an excellent set of presets. You get 16 patches from the developer GyL Synths, which demonstrate the basic capabilities of the plugin, as well as an impressive collection of 128 patches from the famous sound designer Kujashi. These presets serve as an excellent starting point for your sound design or can be used directly in your music projects.
Summary: Why is Addtractive Worth Paying Attention To?
Addtractive by GyL Synths is a multi-functional wavetable-based VST synthesizer, distinguished by flexibility and unique capabilities. The combination of powerful oscillators, deep manipulation of waveforms, a characteristic filter and built-in effects makes it an excellent tool for creating both classic and modern synthesizer sounds. And the ability to export your own waves and convenient workflow features add special value to it. If you are looking for a reliable, deep and at the same time intuitive synthesizer for your DAW on Windows, Addtractive definitely deserves your attention.
