Discrete Laboratories ATLAS is a new free Synthesizer plugin with three oscillators inspired by vintage synths from the 1970s.
If you start making music on your computer today (2024), there are various great ways to get started. In particular, the “on the budget” area has grown massively in recent years with excellent free and affordable plugins.
There is now another free Synthesizer plugin available fresh from the oven. Currently only for macOS, but perhaps also for Windows or Linux in the future.
Discrete Laboratories ATLAS
ATLAS is a new free subtractive virtual analog/analog modeling Synthesizer plugin for macOS. As with many VA synths, the inspiration comes from the vintage classics from the 70s.
The look is somewhat reminiscent of the Korg MS-20 with the columns, but it is not an emulation of it. ATLAS’ core is 8-voice polyphonic and consists of three oscillators and a noise generator supported by a 12dB/oct resonant lowpass filter. The latter also has an envelope depth control and keyboard tracking.
On the modulation side, Discrete Laboratories ATLAS has two ADSR envelopes and a single LFO. You can create mod signals via an internal two-modulation bus system with destinations and controllers.
At its heart lie oscillators that breathe with the warmth and character reminiscent of vintage hardware. Each waveform is crafted to imbue every note with authenticity, offering a palette rich in harmonic complexity and subtle imperfections.
Whether creating lush pads, gritty basslines, or soaring leads, ATLAS harnesses the soul of analog synthesis to inspire musicians and producers alike, blending nostalgia with modern technology for a compelling sonic experience.
Further, it has a mixer, glide rate, and full MPE support. There is currently no preset browser. I hope this will be added later in an update.
First Impression
It’s a nice free synth release. Unfortunately, the GUI did not work in my first test, but the synth did and sounded good. I already submitted the problem to the developer. I hope he can quickly fix it.
Discrete Laboratories ATLAS is now available for free download. It runs as an AU plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel).
More information here: Discrete Laboratories
MPE support? I’m in!
(Of course, there are many MPE-savvy synths which are available for free. It’s just nice to have more of them.)
Also nice: downloading doesn’t even require an email address, registration for an annoying newsletter, or a dark pattern “purchase at $0” with upselling.