Small Synth, Big Possibilities: Synapse Audio’s X-Poly Synthesizer (Review)

Synapse Audio is a German software publisher known for publishing a couple of well thought out software synths in VST and AU format, and perhaps more notably, for the digital audio workstation Orion, which is the dark horse in the saturated pool of competing software solutions targeted at producers.

X-Poly is the reinvention of what used to be called Poly 850. Rather then aiming to be a do-it-all synthesizer like so many others, it takes the novel approach of focusing on generating a certain type of sound which falls outside of the norm. Gigabyte sample libraries abound these days, and quality instruments that go in the opposite direction are becoming less and less frequent.

Does this lightweight VSTi offer up something fresh and innovative? Continue to read our review of the X-Poly synthesizer after the jump.

One user noted in a several year old review on KVR Audio that Poly 850 was excellent for creating 80s ambient bell-tones, and another called it a two or three trick pony. Both agreed that is was of great value, and enjoyed its analogue and distinct feel. While testing out the demo a year back or so, I found myself in agreement with them.

Some might note that the Poly 850 comes across as sounding quite thin. It has lots of character but lacks a certain depth. This should probably not be considered a design flaw, as the initial version payed homage to the hardware synthesizer Korg 800. The Korg 800 debuted in 1983 and is considered today to be one of the first programmable synthesizer’s to be sold on a budget. Back in 1983, that meant less than $1000.

Jump forward to 2010 which brings an updated Poly 850. It is easy to see that the name change also implies a leap forward into unknown territory. This is confirmed by listening to the gorgeous presets found on the X-Poly, which still retains a distinct 80s aura. Aside from bell-tones, it is excellent in creating organ , brass and charming leads. Although it is still quite like the original Poly 850 in most regards, the predecessors “thin” sound can easily be exchanged with a richer tone in the X-Poly. It is as easy as flipping on or off a dual voice switch. The switch is itself one of the great new features of X-Poly and does a lot in terms of sounds.

Also featured here is deeper control over the built-in chorus fx, which now features feedback and modulation parts. These together with other nifty functions give you plenty control over how you want to shape your own presets, including a nice noise generator that I really enjoyed using. The graphics are simple yet effective. One might say conservatively pretty. It does the job and lacks the nauseating factor of spacey and crazy design choices, such as is popular with the creative geniuses over at Ohm Force. I imagine it would be as appreciated by the fellows over at Korg as it is by me.

Overall, the X Poly synthesizer still holds on to its predecessor’s defining features, which leads me to describe it in vague terms such as “different,” “analogue,” and “rich.” As gigabyte instrumental libraries grow more and more popular, I really appreciate that Synapse has gone in the opposite direction, delivering this in a measly 1.5 megabyte install.

In terms of compatibility, it is available for both PC and Mac, in both VST and AU formats. It’s yours for $49, and you would do well to consider it no matter if you style yourself a veteran or a newbie. A comparatively speaking unrestricted demo is out.

Do yourself a favor and try it out.