PHONA
by Battersea Audio · Synth · Vocal synth instrument
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PHONA is a vocal-focused hybrid instrument that layers sampled vocal recordings and 1980s "vocal" keyboard sounds with analog-style oscillators, with stutter, drift and vowel filtering for cinematic and electronic music.
It has 120+ presets and costs £39.99 on sale (about $53), normally £49.99.
Best for: Keys & Synths, Sound Design. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Electronic & EDM, Pop.
Keywords: 80s, cinematic, analog, sample-based, hybrid, preset-driven, textures, pads, perpetual licence, analog-sounding, classic, film & game audio, inspired by, modulation matrix, original design, sound design, subtractive.
What it does
PHONA is Battersea Audio's "vocal-focused instrument" for cinematic and electronic music, released in May 2026 as the developer's first instrument built as its own plugin. It is a hybrid of sampler and synth: Battersea's analog-style oscillators play alongside sampled vocal recordings and the "vocal" sounds of 1980s keyboards.
- Vocal samples: some recorded from scratch for PHONA, others taken from classic 1980s keyboard vocal sounds.
- Analog-style oscillators: synth oscillators that play alongside the vocal samples or on their own.
- Layering: stack several sample sets and oscillators in the Sources tab to build one patch.
- Modulation matrix: modulation can be assigned per source, and every parameter takes MIDI automation.
- Stutter: a rhythmic stutter module the developer calls a "mini-shaper", in the spirit of its SHAPER effects.
- Drift and vowel filter: analog drift for movement, and a vowel/morph filter for vowel-like filtering.
- Presets: 120+ patches described as stuttering, distorted, analog and cinematic.
It has a perpetual license with lifetime updates and a user guide, and Battersea offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. No demo is listed. PHONA is part of the Complete Battersea Bundle with the developer's other plugins.
Source: Battersea Audio product page
When to use it
PHONA is a small, character-led instrument: its job is vocal pads, layered vocal textures and 80s "vox" keyboard tones, mixed with analog-style oscillators and ready to play from presets. Compared with Omnisphere 3, it has a tiny library and much less synthesis depth, but it is focused on vocal textures and costs far less. Pigments 7 can also layer samples with analog-style oscillators, but there you bring your own vocal samples; PHONA ships them, with a vowel filter and stutter made for them. Next to Serum 2 or Vital it is no all-round sound design synth.
- Best for: vocal pads and textures for film, games and ambient tracks, 80s-style vocal keyboard parts, and stuttering vocal hooks in electronic music.
- Genres: cinematic and ambient, synthwave and 80s pop, and electronic music.
- Look elsewhere if: you need sung words or phrases from a choir library, a huge all-purpose library (Omnisphere 3), or deep synthesis for every kind of sound (Pigments 7, Serum 2, Vital).
Where to buy
- Battersea Audio: $39.99 (regular $49.99) (£39.99 converted to USD (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))
Tutorials and reviews
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