Minimal Audio Current 2.0 is a free update for its flagship multi-engine synth with a new play view, wave shifter FX, and more.
The launch of the flagship Synthesizer plugin, Current, by the young company Minimal Audio was a bit bumpy last year. This was mainly because of an unfavorable pricing mode, which they changed a month later. Thanks to the community feedback.
Since then, there have been updates and new content. It’s nice to see because Current is an exciting, modern Synthesizer. With Current 2.0 comes today, the first major update that is free for all existing users. Let’s take a look.
Minimal Audio Current 2.0
Current 2.0 remains the same Synthesizer plugin from the core: two wavetable oscillators, a granular sampler, sub-oscillator, many filters, and a colorful bouquet of effects.
In Current 2.0, the developers have redesigned the UI and given it a darker, modern look, including an updated effect selector. I didn’t notice the change that much. Yes, it is a bit dark, looks neat but it’s not a significant change for me. What’s new, however, is the all-new Play section.
The new version ships with the new Play view, which, with its interactive XY pad, gives your presets a new level of performability. It hosts two customizable XY pads, where you can adjust up to four parameters. In addition, you can change presets and mute and solo dedicated engine layers.
This a great feature, especially for users who prefer to play and perform with the presets rather than diver deep into sound design.
Then, you can explore a new mixer panel that seamlessly blends sound engines. Each section has a dedicated level control, direct out, and an independent solo option. This new mixer is shown in the first picture of the article.
There is no major feature change on the synthesis side, but it got a nice boost in polyphony. The current 2.0 sound engine now supports up to 32-voice polyphony. Alongside this, the wavetable oscillator now has a spectrum display mode that reveals how the spectral effects work in real time.
Mod Matrix & Wave Shifter
Another feature highlight of Minimal Audio Current 2.0 can be seen in the modulation matrix. In addition to the embedded mod matrix, which is still available in the new UI, you can now pop up a larger version.
It centralizes all your modulation controls in one place and hosts additional modulation controls, including depth mod and amount. Plus, the modulation system now supports unlimited modulator connections, giving you more ways to animate parameters.
The new Wave Shifter effect is the big highlight of the latest Current 2.0 update. It combines frequency shifting and ring modulation with controls typically found in an oscillator.
I’ve been experimenting a bit with the Wave Shifter recently, and I really like it. It can do the classic frequency shifter and ring mod duties. Combined with the extra features, you can create some wild, glitchy effected sounds.
I’m pretty sure we will soon see Wave Shifter as a standalone FX plugin for the DAW.
Better Stream Pack With More Content
An important cornerstone of Current is its own platform for downloading new sounds. Minimal Audio has also improved this in Current 2.0. First, it includes a new Stream pack view that lets you browse expansion packs and see what’s new.
You can also now browse and load content using the arrow arrow keys. The Stream search result engine now gives you more options for sorting, including the newest, alphabetically, or shuffled results. According to the developers, the engine also got a major speedup when loading presets.
Further, Minimal Audio Current 2.0 has a new factory library featuring 400+ presets, 170+ wavetables, and 800+ samples.
Minimal Audio Current 2.0 First Impression
Current 2.0 is not a game-changing or groundbreaking update that makes all other synth plugins obsolete. No, but it takes the flagship synth from 2023 and makes it even more exciting and powerful. For me, it’s an excellent update.
The update’s highlight is the Wave Shifter, which opens up new doors in sound design in the Current Synthesizer. The Play section is a clever addition, especially for musicians with less of a synth focus. It allows them to get more out of the factory presets using the XY pads.
At the same time, it is a new way for sound designers to make their sounds more expressive and playable. All in all, an great update and big like for making it free for existing users.
Minimal Audio Current 2.0 is available now for an introductory price of $99 instead of $199. It’s also part of the rent-to-own all-access package for $15 per month. The update is free for existing users of Current 1.0.
It runs as a VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (Intel + native Apple Silicon) and Windows.
More information here: Minimal Audio
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