Version 2.0 reviewed by Mitch Bechtel - 05/19/99

As computers continue getting faster, real-time software synthesizers are becoming more and more advanced. The sound synthesis genre is constantly maturing with experience, resulting in more efficient processor use and improved interface design. VAZ Modular 2.0 exemplifies this growth and provides a collection of unique features that set it apart from similar software packages.

VAZ Modular offers a set of tools for creating and using custom virtual analog synthesizers. The program is fairly easy to jump right into if you have experience with analog synths, but might be a bit confusing for a beginner. The good news is, the program includes a simple 2-lesson tutorial and a wealth of context sensitive help to get users of any level up and running.

The Interface

One of the most important aspects of any complex software package is the interface. Many software synthesizers fall short in this area with overly-cluttered screens and synthesis parameters that are hard to access or understand. VAZ Modular has a visually pleasing and functional interface. While building a complex virtual synth requires a large number of buttons and controls, VAZ makes it easy to create, arrange, adjust and hide all of the modules that make up your creation. A shared set of sliders, buttons and controls in each module give the program a consistent look and feel while making it easy to work with the 51 different modules available. Each module can be minimized, moved and is automatically aligning in the workspace to make the best use of screen space. They can also be quickly assigned one of six colors to for visual grouping of related modules.

The creation of virtual synthesizers is done in the Synth Windows. The synths are constructed by adding and linking a set of sound generation and control modules into a network which can be adjusted and tweaked in real-time, all with uniterupted sound output. Each virtual synth starts with a Master Controls module which is used to route the final output to to the master mixer (more on the mixer later). Modules are easily added from the right-click popup menu that displays a complete list of modules, organized by function.

Modules are linked by selecting one module's output parameter as another's input source. At first this method seemed inferior to other modular synths' drag-and-drop method of making connections, but I quickly grew to like the less finicky drop down box approach of VAZ; it provides a clearer description of the available output sources. The drag-and-drop connections in other software packages often display only a small connection graphic and an unclear abbreviated name.

One element missing from the interface, found in other software synths, is some type of visual connection between modules. The input and output selection boxes reveal which modules are connected, but a simple line drawn from each connected module would definitely help clarify the overall structure of your virtual synthesizer at a glance. Another related shortcoming is the inability to rename the assigned module titles to your own more specific titles. I often wanted to name different envelopes to something more descriptive, like Sine Amplitude Envelope.

The Modules

There are 51 modules total which provide different types of MIDI control, audio sources, audio processors, modulation sources (envelopes, LFOs, etc.), logic modifiers, signal routers, effects and visualization aids. Without going into detail of each one, I found that they are all well laid out and each includes a brief description in the on-line help which can be brought up directly with the F1 key when the module has focus.

Sequencers

Integrated into some of the modules that take note and controller input is the ability to create sequences of note and controller changes with a corresponding analog-style sequencer. There are three slightly different sequencers which all share a similar interface and basic functionality, but provide a slightly different set of controls that correspond to the different modules input requirements.

The sequencer that corresponds to the main input module, the CV Converter, is very similar to the other software analog sequencers available. It allows you to create up to 16 patterns of note and controller changes, each containing up to 16 steps. The patterns can then be ordered into a "song" or played in random order.

The sequencer that corresponds to the Control Converter module, used to adjust up to four individual control parameters, provides similar functionality only for the four controllers rather than the note triggers, etc.

The third sequencer works with the Trigger Converter module, used to produce a trigger event from a MIDI note. You can set any combination of the 8 triggers and adjust their gate times and accent amounts for each step in the patterns. This sequencer provides functionality similar to that found in popular beat sequencers.

The Mixer

The mixer provides control over the volume, pan and effects for up to 16 synthesizer patches. The entire mix can be sent through up to 2 master effects. Each channel has one insert effect and 2 adjustable auxiliary effects sends. These effects are all available in addition to the effects in your synthesizer patches which are only limited in number by your processor.

Effects and Plug-in Support

All of the mixer and synthesizer effects slots can make use of the seamlessly integrated DirectX and VST plug-ins found on your computer, as well as VAZ's basic set of built-in effects which include Chorus, Delay, Flanger, Phaser and Reverb effects.

Real-time Control

One of the most impressive features of VAZ is the incredibly fast response times on even relatively (by today's standards) slow machines. It far outperforms most modular MIDI software synthesizers I've worked with. All controls and parameters inside the synthesizer, mixer and sequencer windows can be adjusted and heard in real-time. The only exceptions to this rule occur when changing the polyphony, opening a VAZ sequencer window or opening an external program which can cause some glitches in the output. Luckily these actions can be easily avoided once you have finished the construction of your virtual synths and you're ready to go live or make a recording.

Until only recently, hardware and software developers have neglected the importance of full MIDI control over all parameters. VAZ Modular virtual synths are close to 100% MIDI controllable. MIDI controllers can be easily setup to adjust any parameter of any module in any synthesizer as well as all of the mixer and sequencer parameters. There are also dedicated synthesizer modules for setting up more complex MIDI triggers and controllers. Unfortunately, due to the nature of external plug-ins, VAZ can not provide control over DirectX and VST effect parameters. The best you can do for MIDI control over non-MIDI controllable effects is through the use of the two auxiliary send effects. While this won't give you control over the plug-in parameters, you can at least adjust the amount to send to the effect.

While testing, I used E-MU's Launch Pad MIDI controller in conjunction with a mixer and two turntables. VAZ Modular made it easy to setup a couple of MIDI triggered drum loops, miscellaneous samples and ambient analog sounds that worked great with mixing in vocal tracks and scratching. Plus, it was able to setup a few controllers to change some of the effect levels, synthesizer parameters and stereo panning values.

Using this setup made me wish for a real-time audio input module. This feature is not currently implemented, but the VAZ web site mentions it as a possible future addition. It would open up an entire world of new options for integrating VAZ into a live setup. But for now, you must pre-sample any digital audio you want to use in an external audio recording program and then set it up with a wavetable or sample module.

Another module that I felt is missing is a MIDI monitor in the visualization category. It would be nice to just press the key or move the controller on my MIDI keyboard and have VAZ display details about the MIDI event. This would be useful not only for setting up triggers and controllers, but also for debugging the MIDI setup.

The Output

VAZ Modular supports MME and DirectX wave out device types. You manually select which type and wave out device to use. The output sample rate can be set to 11025, 22050, 32000, or 44100 Hz and mono and stereo output are supported. The audio buffer size can also be adjusted to fine tune the amount of latency to audio glitch ratio. I found that my Pentium 200 worked quite well with a latency of about 50ms with 44100 Hz stereo sound. Introducing increased polyphony and more effects quickly required some adjustments. I found that switching to 22050 Hz gave me quite a bit more power while still sounding good enough for a live setting. Changing the output settings does not require restarting the program or even closing your current synthesizers, making it easy to tweak the settings.

Saving Your Results

Your patches and banks can be saved to disk and your live and sequenced output can also be rendered to a WAV file for importing into a sequencer or post production audio software, or for burning directly to an audio CD. The output capture process is simple. Just choose the Capture... or Capture Sequence... from the File menu, pick a destination wave file name and recording is automatically started. Then stop recording when you're finished by going back to the File menu and selecting Stop Capture. The wave file uses the same format you have selected for your wave out device.

Bugs/Stability

VAZ Modular is one of the most stable programs I've seen of it's complexity. It didn't crash once during about a week of testing. I did at one point have trouble getting the audio output to play until I realized that Mute had been turned on in the Options menu. While it did mention that the audio was muted in a message box, it wasn't completely clear that a Mute switch needed to be turned off in order to hear the output again. The mute is turned on when the processor becomes overloaded and the VAZ can't keep up. This may be a problem in a live setting as you will need to manually unmute the output to hear the audio again. It would be nice if the audio temporarily cut out when the processor couldn't keep up. The best way to deal with this is to test your live performance with slightly more processor intensive settings to be sure that it won't cut out on you during the real performance.

Final Analysis

VAZ Modular is an incredibly thorough and well designed software synthesizer. It not only makes a great analog synth for any studio, but is also perfect for live settings and even integration into a modern DJ setup. So, if you're looking for a responsive analog synthesizer packed with useful features and full-on MIDI support, this program gets my highest recommendation, especially if you're interested in including it in a live setup. It may take a while to master, but the help is included and the results are well worth the time.

Pros

• Fast and responsive
• 51 useful and well implemented synthesis modules
• Seamlessly integrated DirectX, VST and built-in effects support
• Complete, context sensitive on-line help and simple tutorial

Cons

• Hard to tell what modules are connected at a glance
• Overloading the CPU causes mute to be turned on instead of temporary cut-out