MusicRadar Verdict
SynthMaster 3 welcomes you into a layered world of modular synthesis, sequencing and more, with fantastic, in-depth features and a welcoming and easy-to-grasp interface.
Pros
- +
16 layers of pretty much any synth.
- +
Huge sequencing power.
- +
Great new modules.
Cons
- -
Sequencer aspirations could cloud the synth name.
- -
A few more (many) multilayered presets would have been good.
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KV331 Audio SynthMaster 3: What is it?
SynthMaster 3 has been a long time coming – we could say nearly two decades since the original came out in 2007.
However, the synth truly became its name in 2012 with version 2.5 where SynthMaster found its looks, (many) sounds, modules and flexibility, all wrapped up in an approachable interface that won it five stars and even higher praise from us – “the most comprehensive and complete synth we've ever come across”.
But that was the year the London Olympics took place. With v3 out now, has a half point update really been worth the intervening 12-year wait? Er, yes it has.
KV331 Audio SynthMaster 3: Performance and verdict
SynthMaster 3 is a VST2, VST3, AU and AAX semi-modular synth with a stack of oscillator and filter types and a beautiful way of combining them all together under a fantastic tab-based system.
You can string 16 modules together which include 'Generators' like the new VAnalog, and (very good) Granular oscillators. Then there are the 'Effect Modules' with new Phaser and Formant filter options.
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Modulation is well taken care of too. An ADSR and Multistage Envelope, three new LFOs and a Scaler are the new modulation sources within the 32 now on offer.
Modulation is a crazy strong point of SynthMaster 3 – honestly we could fill this entire review talking about it – but it's also relatively easy to get your head around as you can see what is going on in a separate right-hand matrix panel. This kind of clear workflow is a very strong point in SynthMaster.
And this visual feedback is on show everywhere, but most obviously with the new Routing tab which is a window that lets you drag and drop modules and change orders and flows. It looks a little like one of those charts where someone tries to explain FM synthesis to you – and there are a lot of FM sounds on offer in the synth, by the way – but is a great way to get a handle on what is going on with any preset.
Here we go
Right, this is the big takeaway so pay attention at the back: SynthMaster was a dual layer synth so you could layer two sets of these modular sounds together. Now it boasts up to 16 layers. You might want to read that again. Yes that's eight times the layering power of the last version and not only does this mean you can produce massive 16 layered sounds, you can also sequence them and, if you like, create presets that sound like complete songs.
What is in each layer – the core modules – can be discovered in Tab View, one of three View buttons that show off SynthMaster's prowess. Simply press each Layer Tab to see the big sonic picture and then drop down to further tabs to see, say, the oscillator type, modulator, filter and so on. It's an elegant system but just the start of your views.
The next Track View button reveals the layers on top of one another like DAW tracks, with more global controls over each one's sound all linked to sequencers and arpeggiators for each layer; it's where some of SynthMaster's bigger sounding, 'full song' sounds come from.
The final Mix View lets you see all the layers next to each other like a, you've guessed it, mixer. You can then add insert effects, access two global effects and, of course, mix! These three 'Views', then, take you from a single sound to an almost fully mixed tune. SynthMaster 3.5 could be a full DAW at this rate; come back in 2037 and we'll let you know.
Let's forget the sequencer ambitions for now though – this is called SynthMaster after all. So back to those synth sounds and it comes with 900 new presets (plus old ones into four figures!) where a lot of the aforementioned layering power is on offer. The synth certainly excels at in-your-face dance leads, ARPs and basses – it always has done – but these are bigger and shinier.
KV331 has kept v3 packed with a lot of acoustic sound categories too. We recall saying "get rid of the brass sounds" in a previous review, and while KV hasn't, there are plenty of beats, guitars, strings, reeds and flutes. And while you might think "who wants flutes in a synth?", we totally agree, but many of the associated presets in these categories are big and in your face; KV331 knows the soundtrack composer is just as important a customer as the electronic music producer.
Verdict
So, that "12 years to make a .5 update" thing we said earlier… The truth is we exaggerated that a little because, of course, SynthMaster has been updated regularly with big 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8 revisions over those 12 years, with the last major update, 2.9, just a couple of years back. So while some have asked "why has it taken so long?", the truth is that the bulk of these v3 updates have happened over a much smaller time period which makes them all the more remarkable.
And remarkable SynthMaster 3 is, so much so there's a lot more we could have included like the Waveform and Wavetable editors that deserve a feature to themselves. With its welcoming UI, vast sonic range, easy workflow sequencing, and those 16 layers, SynthMaster 3 is huge. In fact our only real criticism is that in some ways its sequencing power moves it away from the word 'synth'. But it will appeal to a huge number of producers, selling itself on its dance sounds – of course it will – though the truth is you can have all that and 15 other genres if you like, all at the same time. Or create full tracks with the lot of them. It's an update by the power of 16.
MusicRadar verdict: SynthMaster 3 welcomes you into a layered world of modular synthesis, sequencing and more, with fantastic, in-depth features and a welcoming and easy-to-grasp interface.
KV331 Audio SynthMaster 3: The web says
"To be honest the amount SynthMaster 3 can do is bewildering. With time it would be hard to outgrow this instrument. But it doesn’t mean a thing if it doesn’t sound good. Thankfully it sounds excellent and this sound is ridiculously simple."
Production Expert
KV331 Audio SynthMaster 3: Hands-on demos
kv331audio
sonicstate
Folia Soundstudio
The Sound Test Room
KV331 Audio SynthMaster 3: Specifications
- KEY FEATURES: Semi-modular soft synth; 16 layers with each having up to 16 modules, 32 modulation sources and six insert effects; 7 Generator modules; 10 Effect modules; VST2, VST3, AU and AAX compatible.
- CONTACT: KV331 Audio
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