Compare Serum vs. Syndt

The dream synthesizer was a concept yet to be realized, envisioned as a wavetable synthesizer that offered exceptional sound quality, an engaging visual interface, and a creative workflow that transformed the process of sound design into an enjoyable experience rather than a chore, while also allowing users to delve deeply into sound creation by importing, editing, and morphing wavetables, all manipulable in real-time during playback. Serum, a leading contender in this domain, incorporates a built-in wavetable editor that enables users to craft their own wavetables through multiple methods. Additionally, it allows for direct audio file imports, providing a range of analytical tools to dissect audio into distinct waveforms. Users can import both single-cycle wavetables and multiple wavetables simultaneously, utilizing built-in sorting features or manually rearranging them as needed. There are options for morphing between different wavetables through standard linear interpolation or more advanced harmonic and spectral morphing techniques. Moreover, the interface allows for direct waveform drawing, complete with grid-size snapping options and various shape tools to enhance creativity and precision. This level of flexibility and functionality makes Serum a powerful tool for sound designers seeking both simplicity and depth in their creative process.

Syndt is an advanced polyphonic synthesizer that offers a wide range of creative options. Its oscillator waveform allows for seamless morphing from a pure sine wave to a square wave while also enabling pulse width adjustments. Two separate LFOs can modulate both the waveform shape and pulse width independently, providing extensive sound design capabilities. This synthesizer features finely tuned low pass and high pass filters, along with a customizable filter attack setting that can respond to velocity, allowing for the creation of raw and captivating sounds. Furthermore, an additional LFO, which can be shaped like the oscillator, has the ability to control filters, gain, and pitch through modulation wheels or automatic settings. This LFO can also easily synchronize with an AUv3 host. In terms of global effects, it includes a rich stereo chorus, a ping-pong stereo delay that can sync to the BPM of an AUv3 host, and an EQ for further sound shaping. The XY pad controls both the oscillator and LFO, with PWM modulation on the X-axis and waveform morphing on the Y-axis. Additionally, each axis of the oscillator XY pad is equipped with its own independent mini-LFO, generating sine wave modulation for even more dynamic sound manipulation. This allows musicians and sound designers to experiment and push the boundaries of their sonic creations.