SYSTEM-1

Name: SYSTEM-1
Price: 99 USD
Author: Roland

by Roland · Synth · SYSTEM-1 software synthesizer

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SYSTEM-1 is a four-voice software version of Roland's 2014 SYSTEM-1 synth, with 12 oscillator types including Super Saw, Super Square, FM and Vowel.

It has separate low- and high-pass filters, an arpeggiator with Scatter and built-in effects; it comes with Roland Cloud membership.

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

Keywords: arpeggiator, FM, leads, basses, polyphonic, classic, modern, sound design, subtractive, tempo-synced, thin, virtual analog.

What it does

SYSTEM-1 is the software version of Roland's AIRA SYSTEM-1 synthesizer, a four-voice virtual analog that Roland says fuses "classic and utterly modern synth tones." It doubles as an editor and librarian for the hardware.

Oscillators: 12 types including Super Saw, Super Square, FM and Vowel, with ranges from 64' to 2', plus a sub-oscillator and noise; sync, cross-modulation and ring modulation are included.
Filters: independent high-pass and low-pass filters, with the low-pass switchable between -12 and -24 dB slopes, envelope amount and key follow.
Envelopes and LFO: separate ADSR envelopes for pitch, filter and amp; an LFO with sine, triangle, saw, square, sample-and-hold and random shapes, plus fade time.
Arpeggiator: six arpeggio types with six step settings.
Scatter: 10 Scatter types with variable depth that rework the pattern, and synth parameters such as cutoff and resonance can be arpeggiated.
Effects: delay, reverb and crusher, with a tempo-sync LFO and tone control.
Hardware link: two-way control, editing and patch management for SYSTEM-1 hardware; banks hold 64 patches and you can create more.

Polyphony is four voices. It comes with Roland Cloud membership, and Sweetwater sells a Lifetime Key.

Source: Roland product page

When to use it

SYSTEM-1 is the pick for quick, punchy Roland leads, basses and arpeggios from a simple one-screen synth, and the obvious choice for owners of the hardware. Compared with Sylenth1 and Hive 2, it has only four voices and a much smaller modulation section, but its Scatter arpeggiator gives patterns a performance angle those synths lack. Its Super Saw and Super Square oscillators give it ready-made thick leads, but Diva goes much deeper into analog modelling and polyphony than SYSTEM-1.

Best for: arpeggios, mono and four-voice leads, basses and supersaw stabs, and editing SYSTEM-1 hardware.
Genres: electronic, techno, trance and synth-pop.
Look elsewhere if: you need big polyphonic pads or deep modulation; Hive 2 or Diva suit better.

What producers say

Feedback on the software is thin, but the one store review is enthusiastic about its sound.

Sweetwater user rated it 5 out of 5 (1 review), calling it "one of my FAVORITE Roland sound engines" and praising the oscillators and filter over recent Roland releases.
Caveat: with a single user review, there is little public feedback on CPU use or stability.

Sweetwater user reviews

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $99
Roland: see store

Tutorials and reviews

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