Serum 2, the highly anticipated update to Xfer’s wavetable synthesizer, introduces several major enhancements and new features that elevate its sound design capabilities:
Oscillators
Additional Oscillator: Serum 2 adds a third oscillator, expanding FM routing possibilities and sound design flexibility.
Dual Warp Modes: Each oscillator supports two simultaneous warp modes, enabling complex sound manipulation.
New Synthesis Methods: Serum 2 now includes multi-samples, granular synthesis, and spectral synthesis, transforming it into a hybrid synthesizer capable of diverse sound styles.
Granular: Offers up to 30 grains with fine control over density, length, and randomization.
Spectral: Includes spectral resynthesis with unique spectral warps like harmonic boosting and vocoding.
Filters
Second Filter: A new dual-filter setup allows for intricate tone shaping and motion effects.
New Filter Types: Includes modeled filters and disperser-style “diffuser” filters for creative sound sculpting.
Mixer Page: Provides control over levels, panning, and signal paths.
Effects
Multi-Channel Effects: Three effects channels allow multiple instances of each effect with flexible routing options (e.g., multi-band or mid-side splitting).
New Effects: Features like the Bode frequency shifter and convolution reverb enhance experimental capabilities.
Improved Reverb Modes: Includes IRs for realistic environments and physical modeling.
Modulation
Expanded LFOs: Supports up to 10 LFOs with chaos modes (Lorenz, Rossler, S&H) and a new Path LFO mode for vector-based modulation outputs.
Modulation Remaps: Enables remapping of modulators for advanced control over LFO shapes.
Arpeggiator & MIDI Clip Player
ARP Functionality: Intuitive arpeggiator with snapshot switching for dynamic chord arpeggiation.
Clip Launcher: Allows storage of melodies/rhythms with automation and probability settings, transforming Serum 2 into a groovebox-like tool.
General Enhancements
Updated UI: Wider interface with polished visuals for better usability.
Backward Compatibility: Presets from Serum 1 are fully compatible via a toggle in the global tab.
Well this is huge, the internet has been banging on about this forever and it’s finally here. I guess I’ll be entitled to an upgrade but it might have to wait until tomorrow given that the website is falling over!
Probably the only other soft synth with as much anticipation around it is U-He Zebra 3. I think Steve Duda has a similar view to Urs Heckmann at U-He in that they release things when they’re ready and not a second before, even if that literally means several years!
Tbh I think we need more of that. Too much software has a low price, but then v1, v2 v3 and you get the idea. Most musicians I know value stability, so better to go the uhe/xfer/valhalla/fabfilter route, and charge well but give plenty of free updates rather than fomo updates & pricing.
@holonology I agree with all that, I love U-He because they make quality, well-designed synths and FX and maintain them for years and years with free upgrades.
I’ve just realised that I actually got Serum v1 as a licence transfer back when that was allowed. I know it was legit because I actually had email correspondence directly with Steve (nice guy) but it may mean I’m not eligible for the free upgrade.
I have no idea as I can’t access anything! It’s like Elektron on launch day!
Since accounts don’t seem to be showing the update, I’m playing with the demo just to see what’s what. The new sample modes like spectral and granular look very interesting. It’s along the lines of where synthesis has moved towards samples, but done in a very Serum way. Some interesting stuff in there like multisampled choirs etc. The spectral thing looks really promising though.
I like how the GUI is still very workhorse-ish but with quality of life touches everywhere. Looks pretty decent. Everything looks backwards compatible to old Serum eg; those billions of preset banks etc should still work.
