d16 Group Phoscyon 2 is an impressive update of its popular 303 bassline Synthesizer plugin with major new features (sequencer…).
The Roland TB-303 is among the most popular analog synthesizers. Whether vintage or replica, the user group is constantly growing. No wonder the buzzy, aggressive sound of the 303 is addictive, and you can’t avoid it.
Software developers have not overlooked the popularity of the 303 and have been offering emulations of this Roland classic for many years. Only recently, there was a nice 3.3 update for the AudioRealism Bass Line. Now the Polish developers of d16 Group follow and has released a major upgrade for its Phoscyon Synthesizer plugin.
d16 Group Phoscyon 2
Phoscyon 2 is a massive further development of d16 Group’s popular, award-winning TB-303 emulation plugin. d16 promises that it’s designed to be the definitive 303 emulation with a new super-convenient sequencer to immediately and arpeggiator to get your creative juices flowing.
Emulation of the legendary 303 “silver box” has been taken to entirely new heights. We took the critically acclaimed and successful Phoscyon 1 and completely re-designed the signal path. Now, we’ve achieved an unprecedented level of emulation accuracy, resulting in this new incarnation of the plug-in.
And more than cosmetic changes have been made here. The developers have entirely re-designed the emulation engine, added new features, and crafted a new user interface.
Starting with a new section on the top right with service trim pots that allows you to modify the behavior of your 303 emulation. Then, it has a vibrato effect onboard, a feature not found on any 303, even the heavily-modified ones. d16 Group has reproduced the two-note tremolo trick and made it more intuitive by offering just two knobs to achieve the effect.
The 303 sound works even better when distortion is involved. One reason why many emulations or clones equip them with overdrives. d16 Group added in Phoscyon 2 an expanded distortion section with a selection of 19 distinctive-sounding models. They are based on famous hardware units that are notorious with the most recognizable 303 artists.
Besides distortion, you can mangle your sounds even further with a new flexible multi-effects section, including fully customizable reverb, EQ, delay, chorus, and limiter.
Two Sequencers + Randomizer
The Roland TB-303 is a very simple Synthesizer with a single oscillator, filter… Unlike many other vintage synths, the sequencer has made the device a cult device. Although limited in many ways, musicians love its sequencing concept of it.
d16 Group has, of course, kept this in the new version but boosted it with new features. It allows you to add notes, octaves, accents, sliders, and even vibrato onto the 64 available steps of a piano roll editor in no time. You can also adjust the step length and time signature of a pattern, transpose it, and shift it to the left or right. Handy, there is also an adjustable shuffle parameter. It also hosts a brand-new arpeggiator.
Further, the sequencer also has a new integrated randomizer with the ability to switch easily back and forth between randomizing a sequence and editing it. You can decide which notes and step attributes are randomized with real-time density control for generated sequences. Sounds like a great addition to the plugin.
Not to forget, you get drag-and-drop export of patterns, a resizable re-designed GUI, and MIDI learn for nearly all controls. d16 Group ships the plugin with over 800 presets and patterns with which you can immerse yourself in the charm of acid sounds in just a few clicks.
Availability
I’m glad to see that d16 Group has completely overhauled its famous 303 emulation. The new features all make sense and fit the concept perfectly. How it performs against the Roland Cloud TB-303 and the AudioRealism Bass Line 3.3, would have to be tested more closely. For users of the P1, this update will undoubtedly be a must-have.
d16 Group Phoscyon 2 is available now for an introductory price of 89€ of 119€. If you purchased Phoscyon 1 between 29th May 2022 and 29th August 2022, you are eligible for a FREE upgrade to Phoscyon 2. Existing customers get P2 for 29€. It runs as a VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (Intel + M1) and Windows.
More information here: d16 Group
Available at my partners
A great Demo:
https://youtu.be/StrtCGX6cQQ