Making Music
  Computer Music Software and Hardware

Matrix revealed

One of the major improvements Arturia has added to the original is Multi mode. The normal playing mode is Single mode in which one sound or timbre is played across the entire keyboard. This is how the CS-80 works. In Multi mode, a group of single timbres can be distributed across four zones of the keyboard (this is known as split mode) or several single timbres can be superimposed across the entire keyboard (known as unison mode).

Multi mode is activated by 'opening' the grill panel at the top of the instrument. This reveals a matrix arrangement where you can assign up to eight voices to four keyboard zones, each controlled via a different MIDI channel. If you look closely you can see rotating fans at the extreme left and right of the matrix. Cool!

This feature alone makes the CS-80V far more powerful than the original hardware. Another power feature is the modulation matrix, revealed again by 'opening' the panel, to the left of the oscillator controls. This greatly expands the CS-80's modulation options by letting you select ten modulation sources and destinations for them to modulate.

Sources include the LFOs, the Sub Oscillator, the EG filters, and parameters such as velocity, aftertouch and the ribbon controller. Destinations include all the major 'adjustable' parameters such as the VCOs, filters, VCAs, LFO speed, and the EG filters and VCAs. An Amount knob sits between source and destination so you can control how much modulation is applied.

Ups and downs

Another new addition to the virtual version is the Arpeggiator. It's quite basic by most standards, basically converting chords into individual notes in various up, down and random patterns. You can adjust the speed, spread the notes over four octaves and sync playback to a sequencer. In spite of its simplicity, it can create some excellent and very usable effects. You can use it with Multi mode and the manual explains how to turn it into an eight-note step sequencer.

One of the strong points of the CS-80V is the presets. You're not limited to the handful available on the original instrument and the virtual version comes with over 400. They are neatly arranged by Bank, Sub Bank and Preset, selected from menus at the top of the screen. Sub Banks are categories such as basses, horns, keyboard, pads, ambient and so on. An excellent feature is the ability to see all the sounds in any particular Sub Bank category from the main menu, not a feature found in many soft synths but it's incredibly useful and should be universally adopted.

What a performance

You can't help but notice how many performance controls the instrument has. Using them was part of the joy of playing the original, and unless you have an equally-equipped MIDI keyboard you'll miss out on many of the CS-80V's strengths. Using the plug-in version to playback notes from a sequencer which were not recorded with performance attributes is to not use a major feature of the instrument.

The Touch Response section of the original perversely uses the top position of the levers to indicate no modulation and the software accurately emulates this albeit noting the oddity in the manual. Authentic or not, this is opposite to convention and to the way most of the other levers work although Arturia obviously considered the situation and took a position on it. And while the ribbon controller is probably emulated as accurately as it could be, it is still not as usable as the original. Although by no means major issues, these sort of considerations may lead to you speculate over the relative benefits and advantages of trying to emulate a tactile 3D surface in 2D software. The arguments can be applied to many real-synth emulations not just this one although the modus operandi of Yamaha's levers and the sloping front panel of the original synth perhaps give this instrument its own particular graphics design and operation problems.

But aesthetics and programming considerations aside - and they're nothing a little familiarisation won't put right - there's no doubt that the CS-80V captures the classic analogue sound of the original instrument, popular on many recordings even today. The additional features Arturia has added stands the virtual instrument well above the shoulders of the hardware version. Although the retro brigade might drool while running their hands over an original CS-80, it's many restrictions, limitations and lack of MIDI severely limit its use to the modern musician.

Arturia has taken all the good bits, enhanced them, and created a classy, high-quality synth with great appeal to those with an interest in analogue synthesisers. As with all good software, there's a demo on the company's web site so you can try before you buy.