Synapse Audio - Proxima

Proxima is Synapse Audio's polysynth plugin modelled on the Sequential Prophet-600, the 1982 six-voice Curtis-chip analogue that was the first synth with MIDI, for producers after raw, slightly rough-edged 80s poly sounds in synthwave, new wave, pop and film. It recreates the original's oscillators, filter and saturating amp in detail, then adds the modulation, sequencing and effects a modern producer expects.

The architecture

Each voice has two VA oscillators into a modelled Curtis-style filter, with low-pass and band-pass types at 12dB or 24dB, running on an 8x oversampled engine. Polyphony goes up to 12 voices, double the hardware. A 10-slot modulation matrix makes it easy to add velocity, aftertouch and LFO movement the original never had, and MPE support lets expressive controllers shape each note. MTS microtuning is built in.

Arpeggiator, sequencer and effects

The arpeggiator and sequencer is simple to use but more powerful than it looks: it has its own five modulation slots and can be routed through the mod matrix as a source, so a sequence can drive filter, pitch or anything else in time with the track. The effects section shapes the final sound, from guitar-style driven leads to big ambient pads.

The sound

The Prophet-600 has a grittier, less polished edge than its more famous sibling, and Proxima keeps it. Basses are punchy, brass and poly stabs have real bite, and the band-pass filter gives thinner, vocal tones that sit well in a busy mix. Synapse put out a side-by-side comparison against the hardware, in the demos below. For the smoother OB-style poly sound, see Obsession.

Features

• Circuit-level model of the Prophet-600
• Two VA oscillators per voice
• Low-pass and band-pass filters at 12dB or 24dB
• 8x oversampled engine
• Up to 12-voice polyphony
• 10-slot modulation matrix
• Arpeggiator and sequencer with five modulation slots
• Effects section
• MPE and MTS microtuning support
• NKS support

System requirements

• Version: 1.0
• Mac: OS X 10.14 or later. VST3, AU and AAX (64-bit). Native on Apple Silicon in AU and VST3
• Windows: Windows 7 SP1 or later. VST3 and AAX (64-bit)
• 2.5GHz quad-core CPU or better
• Pro Tools 11 or later for AAX
• No VST2 version

SOUND7 is an authorised Synapse Audio reseller. Digital delivery: licence activation code sent by email. See How to Activate Your Synapse Audio Plugins.

Demo