Immerse yourself in the world of rich, warm, and multifaceted analog sound with Victor VSTi from the talented developer Kriminal. This virtual instrument is a powerful and flexible analog synthesizer designed for musicians and producers who want to give their compositions a unique character and depth. Victor doesn’t just emulate classic analog circuits – it offers a modern approach to sound design based on an innovative architecture.
With Victor VSTi, you can easily create a wide range of sounds: from classic synth basses and bright leads to atmospheric pads, evolving textures, and experimental sound effects. Its intuitive, although layered, interface invites exploration and experimentation, allowing you to quickly realize your creative ideas.
Key Features and Architecture of Victor VSTi
Victor VSTi is built around a unique and flexible architecture consisting of three independent “groups” of sound generation and processing. Each of these groups functions as a mini-synthesizer, giving you unprecedented control over the creation of complex multi-layered timbres.
Group and Oscillator Details
- Each of the three groups contains four oscillators (OSC). This 3×4 configuration allows you to create incredibly dense and voluminous sounds.
- Each oscillator within a group offers a choice of 7 different waveforms. This provides enormous variability at the initial stage of synthesis, allowing you to shape the timbre from simple sine waves to complex sawtooth and pulse shapes.
- For each individual oscillator, individual volume control (Osc Vol) is provided within its group, allowing you to precisely mix them to achieve the desired balance.
- Each group has its own Pulse Width (PW) and PW Depth parameters. Pulse width modulation is a classic tool for creating moving and ringing timbres, especially effective for leads and pads.
- Detailed pitch adjustment (tuning) is available for each group, including octave and semitone adjustments, which simplifies the creation of chords and harmonic structures without using separate instances of the plugin.
Powerful Filtering and VCA Sections
Each group of Victor VSTi is equipped with a full filtering and dynamic processing section:
- Filter: Each group has its own filter with four main operating modes: Low Pass (LP), High Pass (HP), Band Pass (BP), and Band Reject (BR). This covers most needs in shaping the timbre, from smoothing the top end to creating resonant effects.
- Filter Control with Envelope (Env): The filter cutoff frequency can dynamically change according to its own envelope for each group. This allows you to create “wah” type effects, smooth swells, or sharp timbre changes.
- VCA with Envelope: The volume of each group is controlled by a separate VCA, which also has its own envelope. This is a standard tool for shaping the dynamics of sound (attack, decay, sustain, release).
- Inverting Envelopes: An important feature is the ability to invert all envelopes (filter and VCA). This opens the door to creating unusual and experimental sounds, such as “reverse” volume swells or filtering.
Spatial Control and Modulation
- Panning and Group Volume: Each group has independent pan and overall volume controls, allowing you to easily mix and position three sound layers in the stereo space.
- X-Y Pad: A unique feature of Victor is the presence of an X-Y Pad for each group. This controller allows you to intuitively mix the volume of the four oscillators of the group with a single point on a two-dimensional plane (osc1 – top left, osc 2 – top right, osc3 – bottom right, osc4 – bottom left). This is extremely convenient for creating moving textures and quickly changing the balance of oscillators.
- BPM Synced LFO: Each group is equipped with its own advanced Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO), which can be synchronized with the tempo of your project (BPM). The LFO offers 6 different waveforms, giving you the ability to create complex, rhythmically synchronized modulation for various parameters.
- Global Modulation Section: The plugin has a global modulation section that responds to standard MIDI controllers, such as Mod Wheel, Aftertouch, and Velocity (key press speed). This allows you to add expression and dynamics to your performance in real time.
Performance Settings and Operation Modes
Victor VSTi offers a number of settings that affect the instrument’s behavior during play:
- Bend Range: Setting the pitch bend range allows you to precisely control how much the pitch changes when using the Bend wheel on a MIDI keyboard.
- Velocity Sensitivity: Key press speed sensitivity determines how much the dynamics of the performance affects certain parameters (usually volume or filter cutoff frequency), adding expressiveness to the performance.
- Play Modes: The choice between Mono (monophonic), Poly (polyphonic), and Legato (smooth connection of notes without retriggering the envelope) provides flexibility for performing different parts – from monophonic leads to polyphonic chords and basslines.
- Portamento Time: Controlling the portamento time allows you to adjust the speed of the smooth transition of pitch between played notes, creating gliding effects.
Conclusion
Victor VSTi by Kriminal is a powerful, flexible, and inspiring analog synthesizer that offers deep sound design capabilities thanks to its unique three-layer architecture and advanced modulation features. It is an ideal instrument for electronic musicians working in the genres of techno, house, ambient, drum and bass, as well as for those who are simply looking for a high-quality and versatile synthesizer with a warm analog character. Its compatibility with 32-bit Windows systems and the VST format makes it accessible to a wide range of users. Add Victor VSTi to your plugin collection and unleash new potential in your music production!
