Blamsoft and eXode releases the VK-2 Viking synthesizer

The time has come Blamsoft and eXode dropped the bomb and we can assure you that your Reason rack will be destroyed by VK-2 in the best way one can imagine.

As summarised in the video below Blamsoft has been releasing popular and needed Rack Extensions in the last five years. A memorable milestone of this journey is the first member of the Viking army the mighty VK-1 Synthesizer which combines road tested functionality with exquisite sound quality making it a classic. To celebrate the company’s five year anniversary, Blamsoft is going back to the basics of synthesis, reviving pure analog goodness. As a continuation of their fruitful partnership Blamsoft and eXode have teamed up to create a fresh take on modular synthesis in Reason.

Introducing the VK-2 Viking Synthesizer

Before you dive in let us emphasize that:

VK-2 brings you the power of a modular synthesizer, without the hassle of cables while you can also use it as a mean sounding hardwired analog synth in its default configuration. The Init patch (after resetting the) device gives you a good start no matter which path you wish to explore, as all of the individual synthesis components can be freely routed via drag and drop giving you ultimate power and flexibility. All modulation in VK-2 is audio rate, freeing you to get your creative routing juices flowing. There are DSP enhancements throughout the device that add analog realism to the sound, from the accurate modular waveforms, to the modeled CP-3 mixer clipping, to the Zero Delay Feedback filter section. Pristine effects polish your sound to perfection.

• All new DSP
• Polyphonic
• Modular Internal Routing
• Audio Rate Modulation
• Oscillator Linear FM
• Notch Filter (LP – HP crossfade)
• Filter FM
• Unison
• Effects
• Back Connections Galore

A closer look at VK-2

The default patch is wired up like a typical analog synth, no need to fuss around if you just want a basic synth. VK-2’s modular routing is done with displays at each controllable parameter in the device. You can think of these displays as patch cable inputs. Simply shift drag from one of these displays to a hot spot on the device to make a connection. For example, you can shift drag from an oscillator frequency input to one of the LFO waveforms. If you prefer the oldschool way possible connections can be selected from the right click context menu. In addition to this, almost every signal in the device can be accessed through a jack on the back so once you are familiar with VK-2, you can take it’s modular flexibility to the next level by wiring up Combinators.

Sound engine

VK-2 is a carefully designed analog sounding warrior with plenty of possibilities that you can tailor to your needs. Clipping modeled from the CP-3 mixer is one of a variety of drive modes in the mixer and amp and the OSCs have adjustable jitter and drift . The envelopes have adjustable curvature. There is up to four voice unison to thicken up the mix. Importantly the CPU usage of the of the Mixer and OSCs can be set on the back of the device.

OSCs

At the heart of VK-2 are three analog modeled oscillators that produce a rich meaty sound ready for filtering. The waveforms were carefully crafted to exactly match the 921 and Mini oscillators without aliasing. Clean waveforms are there as well. The continuously variable shape from VK-1 is available to keep you in familiar territory. There is also a Linear FM input on each oscillator, adding a dimension to the oscillator capabilities not found in VK-1. To top it off, there is alias-free hard sync and reverse sync on oscillators 2 and 3.

Filter

VK-2’s filter is a classic 4 pole ladder topology. The filter is a modern Zero Delay Feedback design with tweakable saturation, resonance compensation, number of poles, and quality. The modes from VK-1 are available, plus a notch mode. You can dial in your sound, from mildly juicy to passion fruit smoothie.

Effects

Five high quality onboard effects take VK-2 to the next level in terms of sound design capabilities. Chorus, Phaser, Distortion, Delay, and Reverb are all available. The effects can be re-ordered in any way you like. The effects section uses the new capabilities of SDK 2.5 allowing changeable panels with different knob configurations. These effects allow you to put the icing on the cake without having to go outside the box.

Summary

VK-2 is a unique synthesiser with an advanced sound engine, that can produce a wide variety of sounds from basses to pads. It can be a faithfully sounding analog synth, or it can be used as a modular synthesiser as well via utilising its excellent routing capability. Just be careful, as getting into modular synthesis can be highly addictive and cause a special kind of GAS. Make sure that you check out the tutorials by Blamosft.

VK-2 is now available for free trial and purchase in the Propellerhead shop.

Important: Requires Reason 9.2 or higher!

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