ARTURIA PIGMENTS

With so many wavetable synths flooding the market in the wake of Xfer Serum, it’s easy to mistake Pigments for yet another clone of that insanely popular softsynth. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Pigments is very much its own synthesizer, cribbing elements from iconic analog synths, as well as a massive array of modulation resources that strongly evokes the capabilities of contemporary modular rigs. Pigments’ sequencing, arpeggiation, and effects all tread familiar territory, so in this month’s masterclass, we’ll take a deep look at the core synthesis engine, which does tricks no other softsynth in its class can. Consisting of two distinct tone generation engines, a pair of powerful filters with a few unique vintage elements, and modulation tools that include multiple random generators and a pair of elaborate function combinators, the synthesis amenities are far more than meets the eye and ear. With so many vintage-inspired elements, Pigments is also a great way to explore the history of synthesis itself, so let’s get started.

Engines

Instead of traditional oscillators, Pigments offers two “engines”, each of which can be either Wavetable or Analog. Since both are available at any time, your voice can be based on either two Wavetables, two Analogs, or a combination.

The Analog engine bears a strong resemblance to a Minimoog, with