Bucket ONE

Name: Bucket ONE
Author: Full Bucket Music

by Full Bucket Music · Synth · Crumar BIT 01/99 emulation

Not rated yet

Bucket ONE is a free emulation of the Crumar BIT 01 and BIT 99 synthesizers from 1985, with two oscillators, a self-resonating four-pole lowpass filter and two LFOs.

It offers up to 64 voices with split and double modes, SysEx and tape dump import, and a visual sound editor; it is free.

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

Keywords: 80s, free, polyphonic, hardware emulation, basses, analog, brass, classic, pads, resizable UI, sound design, subtractive.

What it does

Bucket ONE simulates the Crumar BIT 01/99, mid-80s DCO polysynths with analog filters from 1985. It adds a visual sound editor that the rack originals lacked.

Oscillators: two oscillators with triangle, sawtooth and pulse waves, plus a white noise generator.
Filter: a classic self-resonating four-pole lowpass filter.
Envelopes: separate VCF and VCA envelopes.
Modulation: two LFOs and the BIT ONE unison mode.
Voices: up to 64 voices instead of the original's six, with Split and Double modes.
Data and tuning: SysEx and tape dump import, plus MTS-ESP dynamic micro-tuning.
Control and presets: MIDI Learn for every parameter, a resizable UI, and the "23 for Bucket ONE" preset pack by Kraftraum.

The current version is 1.1.2 (5 Feb 2025). It is a free download with no price listed; the developer accepts donations. English and French manuals are available.

Source: Full Bucket Music product page

When to use it

Bucket ONE is the pick for a straightforward two-oscillator 80s poly with a Crumar character, and for BIT 01/99 owners who want to load their original patches. Compared with Diva it is much simpler and lighter on CPU, though Diva's filters and modulation go far deeper. Compared with Hive 2 and Sylenth1, it gives up effects and layering in exchange for a fixed vintage layout that is quick to program. It has no onboard effects, so a delay or chorus has to come from elsewhere.

Best for: 80s poly basses, brass, pads and effects; BIT 01/99 owners who want their patches in the DAW.
Genres: synth-pop, synthwave and electronic.
Look elsewhere if: you want wavetables, onboard effects or deep modulation; Serum 2 or Vital fit better.
Tip: a KVR reviewer advises pressing Park/Write after editing a sound so the changes are not lost.

What producers say

Users rate Bucket ONE highly for its sound, its faithful interface and its light CPU load.

KVR users rate it 4.75 out of 5 from 4 reviews; praise covers the "lovingly recreated" UI, the jump to 64 voices and quick programming.
Bedroom Producers Blog said the developer "did a stellar job" and that the basses bring to mind an 80s montage.
Criticisms: one reviewer missed a built-in delay effect.

Where to buy

Full Bucket Music: Free

Tutorials and reviews

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