Papyrus Keys by BeatSkillz virtual instrument plugin interface

Papyrus Keys: New Age Virtual Instrument by BeatSkillz

Rated 4.6/5 on Plugin Boutique (222 ratings)

Papyrus Keys is a virtual instrument from BeatSkillz with a collection of New Age-inspired sounds, including pads, flutes, nature sounds and orchestral and world elements. It is available in VST3, AU and AAX formats for Windows and macOS.

VST3AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit
AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique
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01Overview

Papyrus Keys is built around a library of sounds inspired by New Age artists of the 1980s and 1990s. The developer names Enigma, DeepForest, Vangelis and Enya as reference points. The bundle covers lush pads, nature textures, lead flutes and orchestral and world elements in one instrument. Each sound is sampled and then shaped with BeatSkillz's own synthesis and effects engine, so presets are ready to play without much setup. The instrument runs as a plugin in VST3, AU and AAX formats.

Best for

  • New Age pads
  • Film score textures
  • World and nature sounds
  • Orchestral layers
  • Arpeggiated keys
  • Pop production
Developer
BeatSkillz
Store
Plugin Boutique
02Key features

What you get

  • 200+ factory presets across pads, keys, bass, orchestra and world sounds
  • Two multisample map engines, A and B, for layering or splitting
  • Up to 32-step arpeggiator synced to tempo with per-step modulation
  • Analog-modeled ladder filter with LP, HP and BP modes
  • Three LFOs for filter, volume and pitch, all tempo syncable
  • Nine swappable effects including reverb, delay, phaser and bit crusher
  • Library Relocate for moving sound content to another drive
  • Edit and save presets and arpeggiator patterns
03In depth

Sound Library and Multisample Engines

The library contains more than 200 factory presets across categories including World Sounds, Pads, Elements, Voices, Orchestra Sounds, Sequences, Keys, Bass, Key Splits, Drum Kits and Synth sounds.

The instrument uses two multisample map engines, A and B, which can be layered or split across the keyboard with automatic assignment via MIDI. Multisample maps cover bass, drums, elements, guitar, keys, orchestra, pads, synths and world sounds.

All controls can be MIDI mapped with a right-click, which makes it straightforward to assign hardware knobs to the parameters you want to move.

Synthesis, Arpeggiator and Effects

Each voice has ADSR envelopes for amplitude, filter and pitch, plus three LFOs for filter, volume and pitch. The LFOs can sync to tempo and include rate and depth controls. The analog-modeled ladder filter offers low-pass, high-pass and band-pass modes with 12 or 24 dB per octave slopes. Portamento, pitch transpose and tune, and velocity curve adjustments for volume and filter cutoff are also included.

The arpeggiator runs up to 32 steps, syncs to tempo and can modulate velocity, note length and pitch per step. You can save your own patterns and load the factory patterns.

The FX engine includes reverb, chorus/flanger, phaser, a 4-band EQ, compressor, drive, bit crusher, delay and stereo expander. Library Relocate lets you move the sound content to any internal or external drive and reconnect it from the settings icon.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

DeveloperBeatSkillz
TypePlugin
CategoryVirtual Instruments
FormatsVST3, AU, AAX
Operating systemsWindows, macOS
Architecture64-bit
05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Papyrus Keys support?

Papyrus Keys is available in VST3, AU and AAX formats. It is 64-bit only.

Which operating systems can run Papyrus Keys?

Papyrus Keys runs on Windows and macOS. The developer lists Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.14 Mojave or later, including Big Sur and M1 Macs.

What do I need to run Papyrus Keys?

The listed minimum requirements are an Intel i5 or later or AMD Athlon 64 or equivalent processor, 2 GB RAM, 300 MB of hard drive space and a screen resolution of 1024×768.

Can I move the sound library to another drive?

Yes. Library Relocate lets you place the content on any internal or external drive, then locate the library once from the settings icon and reconnect it later if you move it again.

07Developer

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