The cm guide to MASSIVE X
The arrival of Native Instruments’ Massive X softsynth has been met with divisive opinions across the board. In our review last month (8/10, 273), we called it “a hugely characterful, immensely powerful synth with a number of issues, some of which feel like the result of a rushed release”.
NI themselves have made it clear that those omissions will be addressed with forthcoming updates – see our Get With The Programmers interview on p10 for more on that – but even in its current state, Massive X is still a worthy virtual instrument with unique talents, especially when it comes to creative modulation.
When synthesising drums and percussion, for example, you need a synth with envelopes that give you microscopic control over short-term shape. And if you’re producing cutting-edge musical genres such as DnB, bassline house or techno, you’ll want to arm yourself with fresh timbral-scanning techniques that can be conformed to rhythmic conventions.
