Indeed these extras shouldn’t be understated as they are really the keys to the extra sonic flexibility that v2 has over the original. On a very basic level, the extra oscillators add weight, punch and grit to the Blade sound which might have been a tad lacking in analogue warmth for some. Blade runningīlade running With Additive Mode plus an extra analogue and noise oscillator, Blade 2 really does deliver a wide range of sounds and textures. Honestly, it’s one of those synths where words don’t do it justice you’ll be better of throwing yourself in there for that ‘oh I get it’ moment. The slightly confusingly titled Additive Mode – we thought we were already in Additive Mode – is perhaps best explained as an alternate use of the Harmolator in that it allows you to mix and match between four ‘Wave-sets’ (16 partials), altering things like pitch, volume, wave and phase. Performance and verdictĪt its core, Blade 2, like its predecessor, is an additive synth – albeit one with extra bells (digital ones) and whistles – which uses sine waves of different frequencies to synthesise different timbres.Īlso like Blade, v2’s additive heart is the Harmolator, an additive oscillator with 96 partials and general controls for things like Range, Symmetry, Timbre and Timbre Type to shape the sound so you don’t have to get your hands too dirty (or, really, know too much about what you are doing – experimentation is both encouraged and fun). It’s more Saw than Blade, but let’s hope not quite so bloody. Of course, all of these extra features demand a completely redesigned UI, and while Blade 2 is very obviously related to the original – it’s blue, has the XY pad in the middle and various synth modules scattered around the outside – it’s much sleeker, more gun-metal 2021 and the blade graphics have shifted from winged slicers to a more subtle circular affair. Other new additions include an analogue-style oscillator, noise oscillator, an expanded 32 filter types, extra effects (Blade 2 has three multi-effects processors) and a souped-up arpeggiator with more linkage with the XY pad. The XY pad can also control a whole host of other parameters in Blade 2, an obvious feature you might think, but very well implemented with a simple drop-down menu allowing you to select your controlled destinations with ease. The extra oscillators add weight, punch and grit to the Blade sound which might have been a tad lacking in analogue warmth for some

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