The first of these is a multi-mode model designed exclusively for Pigments, and which offers 14 different modes – four slopes of low-pass, four of high-pass, and three each of band-pass and notch filter. The specific response depends on which of the ten available models a filter is using. You can also control the panning of the odd and even partials to create some unique stereo oscillator effects. Key to this is the Harmonic oscillator’s Spectrum section that imprints different patterns of amplitude variation on the oscillator’s partials (of which it can generate up to 512), thereby reshaping the oscillator’s spectral profile. Although notorious for being difficult to work with, Arturia’s take on additive synthesis is astonishingly easy to use and can be wonderfully expressive.

Furthermore, the engine allows the modification of the samples’ start, end and loop points, and features a granular synthesis mode, perfect for creating complex, constantly evolving pads and textures.įinally, we come to the all-new Harmonic mode, which generates its sound using additive synthesis. In Sample mode, a Pigments engine can load up to six different samples, which you can trigger based on key range, velocity switching, round-robin, user selection, or just randomly. Wavetable is (no prizes for guessing) a wavetable synthesizer, and this has received an additional bank of 64 wavetables in this new version, focusing on metallic textures.

It also sports a noise generator that can blend smoothly through three different colours of noise (red, white and blue), and be used as an FM source for the oscillators. The first of these is a powerful three-oscillator virtual analogue synth with FM and hard sync capabilities. At the heart of Pigments lies a pair of synth engines, each of which can operate in one of four modes: Analogue, Wavetable, Sample or, new in Pigments 3, Harmonic.

Pigments 3 review