SX1000 by AudioThing analog synth plugin interface

SX1000: Vintage-Style Analog Synth Plugin by AudioThing Free Download

Rated 4.6/5 on Plugin Boutique (17 ratings)

SX1000 is a software synthesizer plugin from AudioThing that emulates the vintage JEN SX1000 analog synth from 1978, with expanded polyphony, a sub-oscillator, an arpeggiator and four effects.

VST3VST2AUAAXCLAPStandaloneWindowsmacOSLinux64-bit

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Free trial available from the developer

01Overview

The original JEN SX1000 Synthetone was a monophonic analog synth from Italy, and it was one of the first affordable synthesizers widely sold in Europe. AudioThing built SX1000 as a faithful emulation of that instrument and extended it with a full polyphonic mode, a sub-oscillator reaching down three octaves, and additional controls for legato modes and velocity. It is available as a plugin in several formats for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Best for

Retro analog bass
Arpeggiated sequences
Flanged and tape-echo pads
Harmonic wave-folded leads
Vintage-style sound design

Developer: AudioThing
Category: Synths
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Single oscillator with saw, square and pulse waveforms
Sub-oscillator reaching down up to three octaves
Resonant 24 dB/octave low-pass filter with self-oscillation
LFO with vibrato, filter and PWM targets, plus sync mode
Two ADSR envelopes for volume and filter
Arpeggiator with four-octave range and latch mode
Four effects: echo, spring reverb, wave folder, flanger
Effects reorderable by drag and drop; oversampling and resizable window

03In depth

Sound Character and Core Synthesis

The core voice uses one oscillator with sawtooth, square and pulse waveforms, plus a noise source with white and pink options. AudioThing describes the noise as a full emulation of the MM5837 chip used in several classic analog synths, and notes that it can be disabled. The filter is a 24 dB/octave resonant low-pass design, which the developer describes as having a distinct, organic sound with classic self-oscillation.

Modulation is handled by one LFO that can target vibrato, tremolo or filter, with additional waveforms and a sync mode added in this version. Two ADSR envelopes control volume and filter. The sub-oscillator is based on a divide-down mod that AudioThing originally applied to a physical unit.

Arpeggiator, Effects and Workflow

SX1000 includes an arpeggiator with up, up and down, down and random modes, a four-octave range, adjustable rate and sync, hold/latch, selectable note order and chord mode. The developer says it is borrowed from a classic analog polysynth and expanded.

The effects section offers four processors: a tape echo based on AudioThing's Outer Space emulation, a spring reverb, a wave folder for harmonic distortion, and a BBD-based flanger. Effects can be rearranged in any order by drag and drop. The interface is resizable, and brightness and contrast controls are included. A preset system with a randomizer is built in.

04Specs

Will it run?

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

Developer	AudioThing
Type	Plugin
Category	Synth
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, CLAP, Standalone
Operating systems	Windows, macOS, Linux
Architecture	64-bit
Free trial	Yes

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is the SX1000 based on?

SX1000 is an emulation of the JEN SX1000 Synthetone, a vintage Italian analog synth introduced in 1978. AudioThing added a full polyphonic mode, a sub-oscillator and other features to the original design.

Which formats and operating systems does SX1000 support?

SX1000 is available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, CLAP and Standalone formats, and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. The 64-bit version requires a 2GHz CPU and 4 GB of RAM.