Review: The Legend VSTi Synth by Synapse Audio

The Legend software synthesizer from Synapse Audio is one of the latest synths I found interesting, surfing on the Internet. I’m honored to have this synth to review and we have a lot of interesting features there in this new synth from Synapse Audio Software, available in 32/64 bits for OSX/Windows.

GUI

The GUI is quite awesome, looking like a real synth near you. I like this middle-sized GUI, fitting well on a full HD screen or even in HD. The main attractive feature of The Legend VSTi is simply the details hand-crafted in the synthesis method. This is a screenshot of the product page, telling the madness involved here in precision and modeling.

Looking at the presets, and tweaking knobs as toys, I recorded some FL Studio projects files (FLP):

If you look at the GUI, you find easily the parts of The Legend, simple and efficient. It’s truly nice to tweak knobs and switches there, without wondering about the tabs or subpart in other complex synths. On the 3 OSC part, we have classic settings with high-quality short cycle audio there: It’s there you’ll find the power inside The Legend.

This amazing masterpiece can do near-reality audio as the hardware would do, with methods used to get the invisible random and “errors” outputted by analog hardware! There are 8 parts, from 3-OSC at left to FILTER at right, giving excellent results… I’m blasted by the quality of presets, this seems to be a rule these days ?!

With the connectivity to other parts of Reason, there are more real-time parameters than in the VST (single window). But on the VST loaded in FL Studio or other DAW apps, you’ll have the possibility to locate the controllers used by the plugin if you want to edit and automate them with MIDI events.

For example, FL Studio events in blocks can be sent anywhere to another plugin/effect/track parameter, mainly by routing and set the right MIDI input/output port. If needed, you have the possibility to use MidiOut FL Studio internal plugin to send events data to plugins.

Very interesting to note is that the CPU is not highly burned, so I recommend this plugin as VST and Reason if you have it, as it’s possible to get the Reason rack if you buy the VST. So it’s like a double use in two big systems (Plugin and Rack Extensions) for this software, 2 times highly recommended, and even as VST it’s running without problems in the main DAWs.

Conclusion

This piece of software is available in both audio plug-in and Reason Rack Extension, with a back rack adding connectivity to others parts of Reason. It’s a mind-blowing generator for all kinds of music genres, covering sound emulation with a real vintage side.

My global impressions are very positive, I think this is a sort of new step in synthesis inside plugins. Of course, some other top synths are available, even 4-OSC or more, but you should not miss such a great VSTi if you like synthesis gems on the market! It’s a True Beast for a sound near the “analog output”.

Synapse Audio Software is a serious company with The Legend, I’ll wait for their next plugins… The Legend is available at the Propellerhead shop for Reason as an extension and as a plugin for DAWs on Mac/PC (32/64 bits).

More Details: The Legend (press release)