Dreamsynth

Name: Dreamsynth
Price: 49 USD
Author: Cherry Audio

by Cherry Audio · Synth · Hybrid analog/PCM polysynth

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Dreamsynth is a hybrid synth inspired by 1980s instruments such as the Ensoniq ESQ-1, Kawai K series and Prophet VS, with virtual analog waves and 430 PCM waveforms.

A separate 16-voice string synth can be layered or split, and it comes with over 1,100 presets for $49.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Bass, Sound Design. Genres: Pop, Electronic & EDM, Ambient & Cinematic.

Keywords: hybrid, 80s, polyphonic, strings, analog, preset-driven, arpeggiator, inspired by, virtual analog, digital classic, hardware emulation, MPE support, tempo-synced, 70s, analog-sounding, heavy, modulation matrix, pads, sound design, subtractive, textures, vintage.

What it does

Dreamsynth ("Dreams Brought to Life") is an original Cherry Audio design that pays tribute to the hybrid analog/digital synths of the mid-to-late 1980s, such as the Ensoniq ESQ-1, the Kawai K series and the Sequential Prophet VS. It pairs digital and analog-style oscillators with OB-style filters and adds a separate string section.

Oscillators: three dual-waveform oscillators, so six running at once, using virtual analog waves with analog drift or 430 looping, one-shot and single-cycle PCM waves.
Filters: OB-style 12 dB/octave multimode stereo filters.
Modulation: three tempo-syncable LFOs, 20 modulation sources and over 40 destinations, effects included.
String synth: a fully polyphonic 16-voice string section that can be layered with or split from the main synth.
Arpeggiator: tempo-syncable and assignable to the synth and string sections independently.
Effects: fully modulatable distortion and sample crushing, a 12-stage phaser, chorus, flanger, rotary speaker, delay with a tape algorithm, and reverb including Galactic.
Expression and presets: up to 16 voices, polyphonic aftertouch and full MPE, and over 1,100 presets from designers including Julian Pollack, Dave Polich and Venus Theory.

A free 30-day demo is fully working apart from periodic white noise.

Source: Cherry Audio product page

When to use it

Dreamsynth is the pick for the glassy, slightly grainy sound of late-80s hybrid synths without paying for a specific emulation. Compared with Arturia's Prophet-VS V or SQ80 V, it doesn't copy one instrument, but it borrows from several and adds a string section, MPE and a modern effects rack. MusicTech noted it covers similar ground to Arturia's pricier Emulator II V and Prophet V for far less. Compared with Pigments 7 it has a simpler, fixed structure and no sample import, so it is less of a sound-design workstation and more of a ready-made 80s palette.

Best for: digital-era pads, bells, layered strings, keys and arpeggiated textures.
Genres: pop, synthwave, soundtrack and ambient.
Look elsewhere if: you want an exact replica of one vintage digital synth (Arturia's SQ80 V or Prophet-VS V) or want to load your own samples (Pigments 7).
Tip: start from a preset and change the filter, oscillator tuning and effects rather than building from scratch (MusicTech).

What producers say

Reviewers see it as a flexible, very affordable 80s hybrid synth, with a busy interface the main reservation.

MusicTech (Hollin Jones, 2022) gave it 8/10, calling it "powerful and flexible" with strong layering, splitting and modulation and high-quality tape delay and reverb.
KVR users rate it 4.33 out of 5 from 3 reviews, praising its versatility, easy navigation and stability.
Criticisms: sections are hard to tell apart and there are many parameters to learn (MusicTech); one KVR user disliked some sampled waveforms and missed sample import and more string instruments.

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

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