Arturia Pigments 6 review and sound demo: a deep dive into physical modeling synthesis and filtering

Arturia Pigments 6 review: the popular multi-engine Synthesizer plugin grows with multi-faceted modal synthesis, colorful new filters, a vocoder, and inspiring sounds.

There have been some leaks around NAMM 2025 in music tech forums that something is coming from Arturia. Yes, they are true. Arturia has just released Pigments 6, another major free update for its flagship multi-engine Synthesizer plugin.

Last year, Arturia didn’t add a new synthesis to Pigments 5, but this year, you get a deep one. Pigments 6 takes you on a fascinating physical modeling synthesis adventure with new filters and more. 

Arturia Pigments 6

Pigments 6 is a free update for all existing users. Log-in the Arturia Software Center, download the update 6.0, and the new fun begins. Arturia Pigments 6 is one of the most significant and exciting updates to Pigments yet.

The update includes many new features that take the already-packed multi-engine synth even further.

Physical Modeling/Modal Synthesis

On the synthesis side, Arturia gives its Synthesizer a big boost with the new modal synthesis engine, better known as physical modeling synthesis.

The engine relies on a relationship between multi-faceted resonators and powerful exciters. There are two types of resonators: string for softer, stringier sounds and Beam for clicky percussive timbres. Each is fully customizable with various parameters.

The possibilities can be a bit overwhelming initially, so start with the decay and brilliance parameters to manipulate them easily.

Then, you can dive super deep and customize the resonators to the last detail with various resonator timbres (nylon, hollow…), shaper forms, and warp options. Here, you notice step by step how different physical modeling synthesis can sound compared to virtual analog, wavetables, and other techniques.

The resonators are one side of the physical modeling/modal synthesis cake. Things are just as exciting with the exciters. For resonators to sound, they have to be triggered. This is done by exciters, which are collision- and friction-based in Arturia Pigment 6. 

Collisons & Frictions

Three collision exciter modes exist: a tweakable collision algorithm, transients selectable from built-in samples, and audio input. You have the most freedom with the audio input; you can feed any audio signal into the engine and use it as a collision exciter. The selection of transients is good, but I would have liked an import function.

The friction engine goes further. In addition to a custom algorithm, colorful noises, and audio input, you can also use granular synthesis. This is my highlight because you can granulate a factory sample and get the texture of raindrops hitting the resonator. This makes utterly beautiful, unique textures possible. With it, I created a natural-sounding rain shower sound.

Arturia has created many classic and unique ideas for the new physical modeling/modal engine, and they have done a great job. As a big fan of PM synthesis, I have many alternatives, such as those from AAS (Chromaphone 3), Physical Audio, Reason Studios (Object), and the Arturia Pigments 6 engine, which can easily keep up.

I hope we get custom sample support for the exciters and one or two new resonators in the future.  

Refined Granular Synthese

Pigments 6 does not only have physical modeling synthesis—the granular engine, which many love, has also been given even more capabilities. The new time-stretching and grain randomization per note options allows you to modulate soundscapes smoothly without crackles, an excellent feature for atmospheric sounds.

For example, you can add random grain size and density to get more fluid results. Not added in Arturia Pigments 6 is the ability to load multi-samples. I hope this is still on the list for future versions.

3 New Filters 

I’m not denying that Pigments was already rich in vintage-inspired and modern-sounding filters before this update. Arturia thought that wasn’t enough, so they added three new ones to the synth and updated several others.

The standard analog-flavored multimode filter has been upgraded to version 2. It now offers a sub-menu for switching between analog and digital flavors. As a bonus, a new drive can give the filter a wilder, crunchier character.

I didn’t hear a massive difference from the predecessor in the test, but it has become finer and more enjoyable. The two completely new filters are significantly different. The cluster filter, aka Batman filter, which ships in various settings (peak, bandpass, lowpass + highpass combo, and notch), is suitable for generating swirling effects.

My favorite is the new LoFi filter that brings dirty, crunchy filtering to the Pigments 6 Synthesizer. With internal pre and post-filtering options in the filter, as well as a jitter setting, you can perfectly control the level of digital artifacts in the filter. 

You will love this filter if you want basses, leads, or pads to sound like they came straight out of a vintage sampler. 

New Vocoder

We’re staying on the topic of filtering. Arturia also gave the Pigments 6 update a new vocoder effect in the mult-FX section. It’s based on a filter bank with customizable bands up to 40. It looks like Pigments 6 is a very filter-rich update.

This is anything but weak. Firstly, it offers three modes: vintage, modern, and dirty, giving you plenty of vocoder results.  Secondly, you can very flexibly determine the modulator. This can be the FX or audio in one, but also individual areas of the engine such as the engine 1, filter, or the utilities where the sub-oscillator is.

There is a good range of parameters to tweak. When the Pigment modulation came into play, I had much fun with it. Yes, just like the other effects, every parameter can be modulated. This allows you to move away from the classic vocoder sounds (Daft Punk, Kraftwerk…) and achieve evolving filter bank-like sounds. 

I’m sure we’ll see some more exciting patches from third-party sound designers with it. The vocoder looks like a small effect, but it has powerful capabilities.

New Modulators 

The Pigments modulation engine has also been expanded and improved. The function generator has been slightly fine-tuned, which allows you to generate even more complex shapes. I have to delve deeper into how far you can go now.

Two new modulators have also been added. The voice modulator module enables random modulation per voice. More precisely, whenever you trigger a new voice, you can modulate a parameter differently. Map it to the cutoff frequency of filter 1, and every time you press a new key, you get a different random modulation, depending on the settings in the module.

Although the voice modulator is not necessarily a feature I would often use in my patches; it is an exciting feature that can make complex patches even more complicated and unpredictable. I also like the addition of the new envelope follower, which many sound designers have wanted. 

It’s a simple modulation module with four controls (input gain, attack, release, and threshold). Still, it’s a handy tool for syncing the timing of some elements to the behaviors of a live input or other sound source.

Refined Workflow & UI

Arturia has also given Pigments 6’s workflow. The modulation engine and color-coded mod matrix now have an updated drag-and-drop architecture. In practice, this worked smoothly and without problems. It wasn’t necessarily faster, but it worked as it should.

Furthermore, you can explore an improved file browser with better-looking and organized layouts. On top, Pigments 6 also ships with a new polished light theme. Nice that there is an alternative skin option, but sorry, Artura, I’ll stick with the black. Custom skins are not possible, but hopefully, in the future. 

Arturia Pigments 6 Sound Demo

Of course, the latest version again includes many new presets from professional sound designers showcasing new features like the physical modeling/modal synthesis engine, the new filters, and more.

Here is a short sound demo with some of these included patches.

Arturia Pigments 6 Review Summary

The Pigments Synthesizer’s journey continues, and the ticket to participate remains free for existing customers—big points. The new modal synthesis engine takes Pigments to a new level because it enables completely new organic, acoustic-like sounds that are impossible with VA, wavetable, etc.

The new filters are not groundbreaking but inspiring shapers that can take sounds in new directions. Also, thumbs up to the filter bank, eh vocoder. It’s fun and harmonizes perfectly with the multi-engine, especially the sampler/granular sampler. It is an excellent update with which Arturia has not only nailed down the status of Pigments but has raised it even higher.

What’s next for Pigments? I want to see FM synthesis with twists like opsix or multi-sample support for Pigments 7 or 8. A feature that is already implemented in the Augmented virtual instrument series engine. 

And don’t forget this update will also be available soon in the Arturia AstroLab keyboard, turning it into a physical modeling synth. 

Arturia Pigments 6 is a free update for existing Pigments users. Pigments 6 is available now for an introductory price of 99€ instead of 199€. It runs as a VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows. 

More information here: Arturia

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