DRC
by Imaginando · Synth · Virtual analog polysynth
Not rated yet
DRC is a virtual analog polysynth from Imaginando, with analog-modelled envelopes, a Moog-style ladder filter plus a state-variable filter, and a tape echo.
It has eight voices, MPE support, 22 scales and an arpeggiator, and costs €89 (about $101) or rent-to-own.
Best for: Keys & Synths, Bass. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Pop, Lo-Fi.
Keywords: polyphonic, analog, MPE support, inspired by, arpeggiator, fat, rent-to-own, virtual analog, basses, subtractive, analog-sounding, FM, leads, lo-fi, pads, plucks, preset-driven, warm.
What it does
DRC (Digital Resistor Capacitor) is Imaginando's virtual analog polysynth, built around one engine that runs on desktop and mobile. The developer calls it "a real synth, not a preset wall", and patches move between platforms unchanged.
- Oscillators: two oscillators with saw, square, triangle and sine waves, hard sync, ring mod and PWM, plus a tracking sub one to three octaves down and tunable noise with a bandwidth control.
- Filter: a self-oscillating 24 dB Moog-style ladder and a 12 dB state-variable filter, five modes in all, with seven cutoff mod sources including audio-rate FM from oscillator 2.
- Envelopes: two exponential ADSRs with bipolar velocity on attack and release; envelope 2 can be inverted.
- LFOs: two LFOs with six waveforms each, free or synced to 21 divisions, with a one-shot mode; LFO2 can be frequency-modulated by LFO1.
- Voices: 8-voice polyphony with poly, mono and unison modes, smart voice stealing and per-voice analog detune.
- Effects: soft-clip saturation, a tape echo with wow and flutter, a modulated reverb and a dual-LFO chorus with ANA and DIM modes.
- Expression: mod wheel, channel and polyphonic aftertouch each routed to seven destinations, full MPE, 22 scales plus a custom scale with 12 roots, and a 5-mode arpeggiator.
It is sold outright or rent-to-own, with 127 factory presets and a bundle that adds 12 expansion packs. The demo never expires, but plays a short noise burst every 60 seconds and disables saving and DAW recall.
Source: Imaginando product page
When to use it
DRC is the pick when you want a straightforward analog-style polysynth whose patches follow you between computer, phone and tablet. Compared with u-he Diva, it is cheaper and lighter, with built-in tape echo, reverb and chorus, but it has fewer filter and oscillator models and no deep circuit modelling. Against Vital or Serum 2, it has no wavetable editing or large modulation matrix; it stays closer to a classic subtractive layout. It has more expressive control than Sylenth1, with full MPE and polyphonic aftertouch, but is limited to eight voices. Reviewers found the tabbed interface takes some learning.
- Best for: warm pads, plucks, fat basses and distorted leads, and players who use MPE controllers or work across desktop and mobile.
- Genres: synth-pop, electronic and lo-fi.
- Look elsewhere if: you need more than eight voices or a deep modulation system; Diva, Vital or Serum 2 go further.
- Tip: Bedroom Producers Blog suggests sketching patches on the mobile version while travelling, then loading them into the desktop plugin.
What producers say
Reviewers liked the sound and the cross-platform idea; the tabbed interface was the main complaint. Both reviews date from 2016–2017, before later additions such as MPE and the tape echo.
- Bedroom Producers Blog (2017) scored it 88 out of 100, praising "seriously fat bass sounds" and the Moog-flavoured filter, but marked it down on price.
- Sound On Sound (Paul Nagle, 2016) praised the "beefy" filters, clear layout and decent effects, and the cross-platform patch sharing.
- Criticisms: many tabs to move between, button-based mode selection, no mouse-wheel editing, no step sequencer, and clicks when toggling the chorus (in older versions).
Where to buy
- PluginFox: $89
- Imaginando: $101.06 (Listed at €89; converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))
Tutorials and reviews
- DRC Poly Synth By Imaginando - Show & Reveal Tour
- DRC Polyphonic Synthesizer by Imaginando (No Talking)
- Imaginando DRC - Demo: Iconic Sounds Vol.3
- How to make a Moog bass in DRC
- DRC Analog Modelling Synth Demo
Similar plugins
- BLEASS Alpha by BLEASS · Virtual analog polysynth · $69
- Diva by u-he · Virtual analog · $179
- Memorymode 2 by Cherry Audio · Memorymoog-style analog polysynth · $69
- Memory V by Arturia · Polyphonic analog synth emulation · $149
- Jun-6 V by Arturia · Virtual analog polysynth · $149
- Fabric Vintage Memorymoog by AIR Music Technology · Memorymoog-inspired polysynth · $29
- Sylenth1 by LennarDigital · Virtual analog · $157.83
- Proxima by Synapse Audio · Vintage analog polysynth model · $139
- OP-Xa V by Arturia · Virtual analog polysynth · $149
- OB-Xd by discoDSP · Oberheim OB-X-style polysynth · $69.30