There’s also a simple filter for each generator with a Slope control that varies the filter type from low pass to high shelf. This can of course be modulated to provide sonic movement.
For example, for Pulse it’s Width, for Dual Saw it’s Detune, and for the wavetables it’s position. The single knob under each generator is used to vary the sound, and it changes function depending on the source type. These are dynamic sources, coming from multi-sampled, multi-velocity recordings. These use the same sound generation technique as iZotope’s Iris, or VirSyn’s Poseidon, where recorded audio samples are analysed and then recreated with the additive synth engine. The four ‘Resynth’ sources are interesting, being re-synthesized from audio sample sets. All the ‘WT’ options are recreations of the wavetables from Thor’s wavetable oscillator module, and are a rich and varied source of new spectra. Parsec 2 adds two new classes of generator: everything in the list after Perc 2. In any case, Parsec is more about the manipulation and modification of these sounds than trying to build sounds from the oscillators up. Again, these may seem conventional, but bear in mind that Parsec is not actually using the traditional means to generate these sounds, these are preset patterns of many individual sine-wave generators. There are familiar types like Saw/Square, Pulse, FM and Dual Saw, some that are more like wavetables, and more unusual starting points like Perc 1 and 2. The sound source for each generator is selected from a pop-up menu (screen 2). Screen 2: The Sound Generator list now features some resynthesized sample sets and all of Thor’s wavetables.The basic workflow in Parsec is to take a sonic starting point provided by a Generator, then manipulate this sound using one or more Modifier processes. The bottom half of the panel houses the modulation source matrix (essentially the same as on Thor) and the master effects. The layout has been shuffled around a bit in version 2 to reflect the signal flow more accurately: the sound sources are now at the top, with the Modifiers underneath (see screen 1 above).
Parsec 2 adds the option to link the Modifier modules from both engines, which all then operate on a single sound generator. In Parsec 1, these always operated in parallel to create tonal blends or movement. Parsec has two identical sound engines, laid out side by side on the panel either side of a mix control. And if you take some time to understand what Parsec is doing you can get even more stunning results, especially with some of the new version 2 modules. Some random tinkering will also lead you into less familiar, and more inspiring territory.
This is a smart move from the designers, because if you’re familiar with Reason’s more conventional synths you should be able to get usable sounds from Parsec using a regular subtractive workflow. Given all this, Parsec’s user interface might strike you as surprisingly traditional, with sound generators that route to sound shapers, and a modulation matrix of LFOs and envelopes. But an additive approach gives you direct control over the spectrum of a sound from the bottom up, allowing you to do many things that would be impossible with subtractive filtering and signal processing. On the face of it, it might seem unnecessarily complex and processor-intensive to construct a sound from scratch using individual oscillators when a single sawtooth or noise generator gives you a wealth of them.
#Parsec review series#
Additive synthesis uses the fact that all waveforms can be described (and re-synthesised) by a series of harmonic (sinusoidal) constituents. I was disabused of this notion originally by instruments from VirSyn, such as Poseidon and Cube, which showed what fantastic sounds you could create when you have practical ways to coordinate and manipulate 512 oscillators. Sine Of The Timesįor me, additive synthesis as a concept was associated with the rather academic construction of sounds from sine waves. The version 2 release is a great excuse for us to explore this brilliant synth here for the first time. It was, and still is, bang on trend with the bright, cutting sound-design capabilities of other next-gen additive synths released around that time, such as NI’s Razor and AIR’s Loom. Parsec was launched back in 2013, bringing a fresh modern sound palette to the Rack which had been dominated by more traditional samplers and analogue modelling synths. Here’s the lowdown on this essential Reason Rack Extension.
#Parsec review update#
Propellerhead recently released a major update to their Parsec synth. Screen 1: Parsec 2’s newly re-organised front panel.
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