Gforce Software Axxess takes the vintage ARP Axxe Synthesizer from 1975 to the 21st century in a polyphonic synth plugin, first look review.
The Alan Robert Pearlman company, better known as ARP Instruments, has strongly influenced the synth history with its synthesizers. The most famous are the ARP Odyssey and the ARP 2600. Two legendary analog synthesizers. They had other synths in their portfolio, including the ARP Axxe, the Odyssey’s little brother from 1975.
Today, there is also an emulation of this vintage synth. From none other than GForce Software, who have already recreated the ARP Odyssey very authentically with its Oddity 3. Here is my first look review with a big sound demo.
GForce Software AXXESS
The Axxess is an authentic emulation of the ARP Axxe. This wasn’t the most difficult job for GForce Software since they had already virtualized the Odyssey. Plus, the Axxe is the single oscillator version of the Odyssey.
As always, I won’t mention how close it is to the original. This is simply because I don’t have an Arp Axxe in my studio to compare it or know on which device the soft recreation is based.
The Classic Signal Flow Recreated
To authentically offer the ARP Axxe as a plugin, you have to recreate the signal path and its elements. This is what GForce Software did.
The Axxess core consists of a voltage-controlled oscillator with mixable saw and pulse waveforms, a mixer, a noise generator, a resonant 24dB VCF, a VCA, an LFO, and an ADSR.
You can also create a random S&H from the noise generator and transpose the engine in the main panel. In terms of sound, it sounds very analogish and fat.
At high resonance, the filter overloads very musically and allows the whole character to be transported to dark, industrial-like worlds. Take an LFO at high rates, and you archive vocal-like timbres just like on the original hardware.
It’s a lovely recreation of the analog core engine.
The ARP Axxe Taken Further
GForce Software didn’t leave it at that. A big new feature is the addition of polyphony up to 6 voices. This turns the synth into a polyphonic Axxe. And the polyphony suits the Axxess sound very well.
Although its primary home is bass and leads, it can also make fascinating poly sounds, including pads and strings with distinct ARP characters. Then, Dave Spier’s team added a vintage knob that introduces voice variations. In medium settings, the sounds get a more wobbly and organic character.
Another new addition is a pulse sub-oscillator in the core engine that adds bottom end to the synth. It makes the sound even rounder and juicer. With the new pan spread function, you can also craft wide stereo sounds with ease.
The modulation section also benefits from a significant upgrade. Like in Oddity 3, Minimosta 2, or Oberheim OB-X, the X modifiers are used here. You get an XADSR and XLFO, which you can send to almost any engine parameter.
With a few clicks, you can route as many envelopes and filters to parameters. Deep sounds can be crafted here with hefty modulations that go way beyond the original hardware but still with the ARP Axxe sound. This functionality is made for extreme sound design tasks.
Furthermore, you refine your sounds with three stereo effects processors. A distortion for adding crunch, a delay, and a rich-sounding reverb with presets and advanced controls: pre-delay, decay, damping, and more.
The effects are of very high quality as well. The delay and reverb, in particular, envelop the sounds spherically and give them much space and life. Try the delay and reverb on a simple sequence; you get a big smile on how pristine it sounds.
Sequencer
Talking about sequencing. The AXXESS by GForce Software offers a versatile arpeggiator with various modes and a 16-step sequencer. Features not available in the original hardware. Both features are hidden in a second screen available via a simple ARP/SEQ switch.
The sequencer can accommodate up to 16 steps. You can sequence notes as well as velocity. A nice extra is a built-in sequencer randomizer with scale and note range. It is a great tool to get inspired when missing the perfect melody.
Of course, patches can also be saved. We are in the digital world. For this, GForce Software has implemented its intuitive and easy-to-use preset-bowser, which we know from the other recent plugins. With extensive tagging, sorting, and search possibilities, finding the presets you want is quick and easy.
Besides the option to save patches, it also ships with 350 high-quality presets from professional sound designers. It includes beautiful sounds, ranging from classic raw vintage to avant-garde experimental with tons of modulation.
Beautiful, powerful bass and leads with the vintage sauce, the iconic ARP-style harsh sync-like sounds with a single oscillator, or punchy sequencers. I like the preset mix. They instantly inspire and give you a good first overview of what is possible with GF Axxess.
Not to forget, the UI is fully scalable, supports MIDI CC, and has various playing modes: monophonic, mono legato, and polyphonic.
First Look Review
The Axxess is another excellent software Synthesizer from GForce Software. The sound quality is pristine, the patches are fun, and you can hear the “analog” vibe in the sounds. The overhaul quality of the plugin is very high. I struggled to find anything wrong or bad with the Axxess.
What can be criticized is why GForce didn’t build the Axxe emulation directly into its ARP Odyssey emulation Oddity 3. As a kind of different mode or easter egg. Like they did it with OB-E, where you can play one SEM or all eight together. But that’s not a criticism of the plugin. However, it would have been a nice addon for Oddity 3 users.
Gforce Software Axxess is available now for an introductory price of £33 + VAT instead of £66 + VAT. It runs as a VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin and as a standalone application on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows.
More information here: Gforce Software
My first reaction seeing this announcement as a long time owner of the GForce Odyssey emulation was also “why”? But I have a soft spot for the Axxe as it was my first hardware synth back in the early 80’s. So I took the jump and must admit I’m pleasantly surprised. You can get to the same place on the Odyssey by shutting down the volume of one of the oscillators and adjusting a few other parameters. But the Axxe interface shines in its simplicity and a more logical layout than the Odyssey. It’s much more fun to play and fiddle with than I expected it would be. The filter emulation is excellent and really captures that Arp sound.