Synapse Audio - The Legend HZ

The Legend HZ is Synapse Audio's Minimoog-style synth plugin, developed with film composer Hans Zimmer, for producers and composers who want that fat analogue mono sound plus the polyphony, sequencing and modulation needed for modern scoring, synthwave and electronic music. It builds on Synapse's original The Legend with three extra oscillators, a modulation matrix, a sequencer and a much bigger effects section.

The architecture

The core is a careful circuit-level model of the classic three-oscillator mono synth, running on an 8x oversampled engine. The Legend HZ doubles that to six VA oscillators and adds Unison, Mono and 4, 8 and 12-voice polyphony modes, so the same voice can play a gliding bass, a stacked unison lead or a full chord pad. A modulation matrix, an MSEG and a 32-step arpeggiator and sequencer go far beyond the hardware, and MPE support lets expressive controllers reach every voice.

The Hans Zimmer additions

Zimmer's input shows in the details. There's a fixed filter bank modelled on his own Vintage 914, a rare piece of hardware that shapes tone in a way no ordinary EQ can. The factory library was built by Zimmer with sound designer Kevin Schroeder, and covers the cinematic basses, swells, pulses and leads you'd expect from a scoring synth. Version 2.1 adds a paragraphic EQ on the back panel, saturation in the compressor, MTS-ESP microtuning and 50 more presets from Schroeder.

The sound

Basses are thick and round, leads cut through with the drive and character you'd expect from this filter, and the extra oscillators and polyphony open up big brassy chords and evolving pads the original could never play. The effects section means patches arrive finished rather than needing a chain of plugins after them. If you want a vintage poly with per-voice character, Obsession covers the OB side of the 80s, and Proxima the Prophet side.

Features

• Accurate circuit modelling of the classic mono synth
• Six VA oscillators
• 8x oversampled engine
• Unison, Mono and 4, 8 and 12-voice polyphony modes
• Fixed filter bank modelled on Hans Zimmer's Vintage 914
• Modulation matrix and MSEG
• 32-step arpeggiator and sequencer
• Comprehensive effects section with paragraphic EQ and compressor with saturation
• MTS-ESP microtuning
• 250 factory presets by Hans Zimmer and Kevin Schroeder
• MPE and NKS support

System requirements

• Version: 2.1
• 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. VST2, VST3 and AAX (64-bit)
• 2.5GHz quad-core CPU or better
• Pro Tools 11 or later for AAX

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

Demo