Serum 2

Name: Serum 2
Price: 249 USD
Author: Xfer Records

by Xfer Records · Synth · Wavetable / hybrid

vst3s Score 9.6/10 · rated #1 of 10 synths

The wavetable synth that defined a decade of electronic production, rebuilt in 2025. Serum 2 adds multisample, granular and spectral oscillators alongside improved wavetables with new warp modes.

It also brings a redesigned effects section with flexible routing, an arpeggiator and a clip sequencer. Version 2 was a free upgrade for Serum 1 owners.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Bass, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Hip-Hop & Trap, Pop.

Keywords: wavetable, sequencer, spectral, multisampled, sample-based, granular, arpeggiator, drag-and-drop routing, basses, creative, hybrid, sound design, additive, destructive, experimental, FM, leads, plucks, preset-driven, smooth.

What it does

Serum 2 is Xfer Records' 2025 rebuild of Serum, the wavetable synth that became a standard in electronic music. It keeps the familiar layout, but each oscillator can now switch between five engines.

Wavetable: refined wavetable playback with smoother interpolation, filtering, FM, phase distortion, ring mod and new warp modes.
Multisample: plays real-instrument libraries (orchestral, vocal and other instruments), with an exclusive multisample library included.
Sample: looping, tape-stop effects, slicing and score extraction.
Granular and Spectral: granular for experimental sample mangling; spectral for harmonic resynthesis and transient-based shaping.
Sequencing and effects: an arpeggiator, a clip sequencer and a redesigned effects section with flexible routing.

It ships with over 626 presets and 288 wavetables. It comes with lifetime free updates, and Serum 1 owners got version 2 free.

Source: Xfer Records product page

When to use it

Serum 2 is the all-rounder of the rated synths: a deep sound-design tool that is also a genre standard, backed by an enormous supply of third-party presets and tutorials. Compared with Vital it adds sample, multisample, granular and spectral engines and a clip sequencer. Compared with Pigments 7 and Phase Plant it keeps a fixed, familiar layout that many producers find faster to work in.

Best for: basses, leads, plucks and moving wavetable patches, and anyone who wants to use the huge library of Serum presets and tutorials.
Genres: EDM, dubstep and bass music, future bass, hip-hop and trap, pop.
Look elsewhere if: you want free (Vital covers most of the wavetable side), classic analog warmth (Diva), or a lighter CPU load (Hive 2, Sylenth1).

What producers say

Reviewers see it as a modern classic, with CPU use the main complaint.

MusicTech (Stefan Wyeth, 2025) gave it 8/10, calling the Spectral oscillator "mind-blowing" and praising the clip sequencer and wavetable editor, but felt it's "not as groundbreaking as it once was" given the competition.
MusicRadar (Si Truss, 2025) called it "a modern classic refreshed and rearmed" and made the case for it as the one instrument plugin you need above all others.
Gripes: much heavier CPU and RAM use than Serum 1, a cramped effects rack, no virtual analog oscillators, and a Multisample mode some find gimmicky.

Where to buy

Xfer Records: $249
Splice: see store (Rent-to-own on Splice: $9.99/month for 25 months ($249.75 total))

Tutorials and reviews

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