Roazhon DSP has released BrainStormer, a freeware virtual analogue synthesizer (with FM and ring modulation capabilities) in VSTi plugin format for Windows.
Hello guys! After 2 years of hard work, the freeware virtual analog VSTi synthesizer of my mate is now available in beta version!
BrainStormer is available for free download via Roazhon DSP (1.3 MB download size, ZIP archive, available in 32-bit & 64-bit VSTi/VSTi3 plugin format for Windows).
It’s always cool to get a great looking synthesizer right out of nowhere, and that’s exactly what happened in this case. According to the release info which is currently available online, BrainStormer was under development for 2 years! Sometimes the developers announce a forthcoming plugin in the very early stages of development, but BrainStormer was a complete secret for me until now. The plugin is currently still in beta, however the final version will remain freeware.
After a quick test, my first impressions with BrainStormer are fairly positive. We have so many freeware virtual analogue synthesizer today that it’s definitely not easy (if not impossible) for developers to make a groundbreaking new product in this category. The main picks among freeware VA synthesizers nowadays are Tyrell N6 by Urs Heckmann and Synth1 by Ichiro Toda, along with a plethora of other great sounding freeware synthesizers from various developers (you can catch the complete list of freeware VA synthesizers here). From that point of view, it’s very hard for a new VA synthesizer to impress with new features. Thus, what I’m looking for in a freshly released freeware VSTi synthesizer is either very good workflow or a great synthesis engine which emulates old hardware.
The sound of BrainStormer reminds me of the legendary Synth1 in the sense that it doesn’t try to sound too analogue or vintage. It is simply a decent sounding VA synthesizer with a good set of filters and standard oscillators, paired up with x2 oversampling to enhance the sound. No more, no less. What I loved about this synthesizer, though, was the easy workflow and the look and feel of a solid and well thought-out software instrument. BrainStormer packs a very nice set of features for a freeware instrument, yet doesn’t step in the bloat category with too many bells and whistles.
You get two oscillators with a standard set of waveforms, but with the addition of some very cool features like stereo width, ring modulation and frequency modulation. You get the standard LFOs and ADSR envelopes, but these are paired up with a hefty modulation matrix which offers a total of 72 destinations for the modulators. You’ll also find a nice set of filters, portamento, wave stretching, etc. All of this is packed in a very nice looking interface, and optimized code for a fairly decent CPU hit. This synthesizers is very easy to pick up and play, everything is right under your fingertips and I would also recommend it to anyone making their first steps with subtractive synthesis.
What I’d definitely like to see in the future is the addition of a factory sound bank, since the current version of the plugin doesn’t include any patches at all. Having a basic arpeggiator would also be nice, however I’m not sure if the developer is planning on adding new features in the future.
Do you need a new VA synthesizer or are you happy with your current arsenal? Did you like BrainStormer or would you like to see some improvements? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also, once again a huge thank you goes out to BPB reader UserFX for sending me a link to this great freebie. Cheers for the support!
Video Demo
Check out the BrainStormer demo video:
— COMING SOON —
2 Comments
Beik
ongreat plugin! Maybe It lacks the hype it deserves
Atme
onSounds great!