Olga
by Stillwell Audio · Synth · Virtual analog synth
Not rated yet
Olga is a virtual analog synthesizer with free-running, unstable oscillators and nonlinear overdrive, aimed at basses, leads and experimental sounds.
It costs $79.
Best for: Keys & Synths, Bass, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Ambient & Cinematic.
Keywords: analog, fat, sound design, basses, experimental, leads, virtual analog, analog-sounding, gritty, simple, aggressive, beginner-friendly, cinematic, CPU-light, minimal controls, organic, oversampling, perpetual licence, polyphonic, subtle, subtractive.
What it does
Olga is a two-oscillator virtual analog synth, first released by Schwa and now developed by Stillwell Audio. It is built for character over precision: free-running, unstable oscillators and drive throughout the signal path, for sounds that feel "unstable, alive, and a little dangerous."
- Two oscillators: each switches between saw and square, with a Shape control that fades saw towards triangle or pulse towards square. LFO1 is hardwired to Osc 1's pulse width and Osc 2's fine tune.
- BADASS engine: the developer's "Bezier antialiased dynamic analog synthesis", with free-running oscillators instead of perfectly locked waveforms.
- Filters: a ladder low-pass with two band-pass modes, plus a cutoff-only high-pass. The ladder filter has an ADSR envelope with hold, mixed with LFO1.
- Modulation: fixed routings rather than a matrix: two triangle LFOs (LFO2 for tremolo and vibrato), a trigger LFO for gate effects, and a programmable mod wheel and pitch bend.
- Drive: Gaussian-reactive overdrive with a distortion feedback switch, so saturation builds organically as levels rise.
- Voice modes: up to 16 voices, with Noise, Mono, Unison 2, 4 and 8, Duo, Poly8 and Poly16.
- Effects: a three-stage phaser with per-stage level and feedback, and a chorus with rate, depth, mix and mono or stereo modes.
This is version 4.1.2. A free evaluation copy is available, and updates are free with no subscription. It ships with a small preset library.
Source: Stillwell Audio product page
When to use it
Olga is the better pick when you want a small, characterful analog-style synth you can learn in minutes and that is driven by default. Compared with Diva, it has far fewer oscillator, filter and modulation options, but its built-in drive and unstable oscillators give gritty results with little tweaking and much lower CPU use. Unlike Vital or Serum 2, it has no wavetables or modulation matrix; its routings are fixed. It is also much cheaper than Diva or Hive 2, but its preset library is small.
- Best for: gritty basses, fat unison leads, driven analog tones and experimental sound design.
- Genres: electronic music, synth-rock, and cinematic or ambient sound design.
- Look elsewhere if: you want clean, polished pads, deep modulation or a big preset library; Diva, Vital or Hive 2 go much further.
- Tip: Sound On Sound advised keeping levels low through the signal path for cleaner sounds, and using the chorus in mono.
What producers say
Olga is liked for its fat, distinctive analog sound and simple design; the main reservations are fixed modulation and how easily it gets muddy.
- Sound On Sound (2008, reviewing the original Schwa release) called it "the virtual equivalent of finding an unknown analogue synth" at a boot sale, praising its convincing analogue sound and stripped-down design.
- KVR users rate it 4 out of 5 from 2 reviews, calling it "unique, analogue and FAT", easy to use and light on CPU, and capable of subtle tones as well as brutal ones.
- Criticisms: Sound On Sound found the fixed modulation limiting and the saturation muddy on many patches; KVR users noted few presets, small GUI text and that smooth patches take work.
Where to buy
- Stillwell Audio: $79
Tutorials and reviews
- Olga 4 Synthesizer by Stillwell (No Talking)
- Stillwell - Olga Synthesizer by Schwa (No Talking)
- Olga VST: Presets (Part 1)
- Olga VST: Presets (Part 2)
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