There is a common belief with software synths that you can either have a professional synth or you can have one that is simple to use. Addiction Synth from Stagecraft Software was designed to prove this theory wrong by delivering a subtractive synthesizer that is not just simple and intuitive, but can also provide users with the type of depth that you would expect from a professional subtractive synth.

What Does It Offer?

Addiction Synth is a versatile synth that offers you the freedom to create many different types of unique sounds, but has also been designed to be intuitive enough for musicians of all skill levels. This means that you have access to a wide range of professional features all wrapped up in an intuitive and straightforward interface.

Feature Packed

This synth is definitely not lacking in terms of features and has three oscillators with independent volume, pan and pitch. In addition, it has advanced quantization options for all parameters, duty cycle, LFO for filter sweeping and support for effect chaining, which enables you to completely alter the sound by adding up to four different effects such as chorus, reverb, delay and bit crusher. Along with Moog style tone adjustments, Addiction Synth also has advanced velocity and aftertouch control.

Presets

Creating your own unique sounds is great, but if you just want to jump right in you can also make use of the more than 50 presets that are already included with Addiction Synth. If this wasn't enough, more presets are added weekly and you are also able to save your own presets and share them with the rest of the community.

Automation

One of the biggest strengths that Addiction Synth has is its powerful automation suite. This allows you to apply an LFO to as many parameters as you want in order to create sounds that are absolutely unique.

Intuitive Design

Too many soft synths opt for form over function when it comes to their designs, which results in synths that look pretty, but are needlessly convoluted to use. Stagecraft Software has instead opted for a design that actually lets you see exactly how a synth is built. This means it has a real time display of the filter response, with a spectrum overlay and any changes you make can be seen and not just heard. The interface is also presented in a clear, uncluttered manner, so you don't have to waste any time trying to figure out what elements are interactive and which ones are just for show.

MPE Compatibility

Owners of a Polyphonic Multidimensional Controller (MPC) will appreciate the fact that Addiction Synth is MPE compatible.

Price and Availability

Addiction Synth is available from the Stagecraft Software website as either a MAC or Windows download. It is compatible with OSX 10.7 or newer as well as Windows 7 or newer. Purchasing a product key will set you back $75, but you also have the option to download a 30-day trial of the software. This gives you ample time to try out Addiction Synth in order to see if it is worth buying for your needs. When you load Addiction Synth in your DAW, you are presented with a screen where you can enter your email address and serial number to register the product, or continue using it for free until 30 days after the installation if you prefer to stick to the demo version.

Installation

Installing Addiction Synth is a breeze, even if you are unfamiliar with soft synths. Simply download the program from the official website and then load it up in your DAW of choice to get started. An "Updates" button is displayed in the interface of this synth and clicking it shows what version of the software you have installed as well as whether a newer version is available. From there you can simply select "Get Update" to ensure that your version is always up to date. In fact, you can monitor the status of all your installed Stagecraft products from this screen, which is very handy.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are a newcomer to the wonderful world of synths or know your way around these great instruments, Addiction Synth will make a great addition to your collection. Newcomers will appreciate how easy it is to create some amazing synths with just a bit of practice, while veterans will appreciate the depth that this subtractive synthesizer has to offer as well as the amount of features. The best part of Addiction Synth is the thirty day trial period, which is more than enough time to really poke around the software and determine whether you want to keep using it or not.