MusicRadar Verdict
Mersenne's percussive focus sets it out from the rest and you shouldn't hesitate in downloading it now.
Pros
- +
Intuitive workflow.
Cons
- -
None.
MusicRadar's got your back
Mersenne is a polyphonic melodic percussion synth, which may not look like your average FM synth, but boy is it fun and easy to use.
It's made up of three sound sources: Tone A, Tone B and Noise. The signal path can then be mixed into the Resonator for extra resonance and grit, then finally to the Effects, which feature Reverb, Delay, Chorus and a Filter.
The workflow is very intuitive and the results extremely satisfying. Dialling all the controls down to zero and starting from scratch, you can slowly build your sounds, starting with real glitchy, minimal pops, and opening up to some epic pads.
All your classic metallic FM tones are there, but with bags of character. IceGear has really struck gold with Mersenne in our book.
I take care of the reviews on MusicRadar and Future Music magazine, though can sometimes be spotted in front of a camera talking little sense in the presence of real musicians. For the past 30 years, I have been unable to decide on which instrument to master, so haven't bothered. Currently, a lover of all things high-gain in the guitar stakes and never one to resist churning out sub-standard funky breaks, the likes of which you'll never hear.
“We’re making new guitars that don’t exist for the sole purpose of writing something”: Polyphia's Tim Henson teases new 8-string meisterworks that could require a whole new guitar to play along
"Stop trawling the small ads and boot sales": Kays Catalogue classic the JEN SX1000 just got reborn as a plugin and iOS app
“It gives you that power that sometimes pop, rock and techno songs need”: Charli XCX's Brat mastering engineer Idania Valencia on her go-to plugins and the threat of AI