New Antidote Rack Extension Synth Features Up To 800 Oscillators

Synapse Audio has introduced Antidote – a new software synth Rack Extension for Propellerhead Reason.

Here’s what they have to say about Antidote:

  • Antidote RE is a brand-new virtual-analog software synthesizer for Propellerhead Reason. This Reason-exclusive device manages to combine the highest audio quality, flexibility and a fast work flow in an extremely easy-to-use Rack Extension. Antidote has been specifically developed to complement Reason, and to perfectly integrate into its environment.

Details below.

Features:

  • Oscillators – Antidote RE comes with two stereo oscillator banks, each emitting a stack of up to 50 virtual-analog oscillators per voice, in highest audio quality. With all voices active, Antidote delivers up to 800 stereo oscillators. The available oscillator shapes include not only classic analog waveforms such as sawtooth, pulse and triangle, but oscillator type has an additional feature (called a “Modifier”), which allows to apply extra features such as hard sync, pulse width modulation or to blend between different waveform shapes.
  • Filters– Antidote employs a multimode filter with a zero-delay feedback designs. This models the sound of analog filters. When adding resonance, in particular, the behavior of the filters is much closer to vintage analog hardware.
    • Filter designs in Antidote comprise the OTA low pass ladder, a filter topology frequently seen in analog synthesizers. Low pass roll offs range from 6 to 24 dB, so that anything from deep fat basses to thin bright sounds can be synthesized. The low pass filter reaches self-oscillation and is properly tuned, so that the filter can be used as an oscillator at high resonant levels. Two derivative filters yield a 12 dB bandpass and high pass response.
    • A unique feature in Antidote is the diode ladder filter, which models a rare analog filter circuit composed out of diodes (or transistors hooked up as diodes). This filter topology is widely known from the famous “silver box”, and responsible for some unforgotten classic analog sounds, like growling basses and squelchy leads. To the best of our knowledge, this filter topology has never been realized before in a polyphonic synthesizer such as Antidote.
  • Modulation – Three envelopes, two LFOs and the arpeggiator further shape the sound. The powerful modulation matrix, which can modulate almost any sound parameter, adds the necessary depth to realize complex sounds. Furthermore, CV inputs on the back panel can be used to modulate any sound parameter from any Reason device.
  • Arpeggiator – The arpeggiator module in Antidote features the well-known classic modes (up/down/…), with 20 preset rhythms to choose from. But there’s more to it, of course – the arpeggiator both emits a gate and an accent signal, freely usable as a modulation source.
  • Effects– A total of 8 effect modules is available, all of which can be used simultaneously.
    • EQ and Bass: A classic three-band EQ design followed by a bass enhancer. The bass enhancer is modeled from circuits found in some legendary analog synths, and allows Antidote to mimic their bass response.
    • Distortion: Full stereo distortion effect using 4x oversampling to minimize aliasing noise. Tone, Low- and high-pass controls can be used to further refine the distortion timbre at the output of the effect.
    • Phaser: 4-stage stereo phaser, based on the Synapse AP-12 phaser technology.
    • Chorus: Stereo chorus effect with adjustable delay time and feedback, allowing the unit to be used both as a chorus, as well as a flanger effect.
    • Delay: A comprehensive delay section with separate L/R controls, a color parameter for low/high pass echoes, and a modulation section to create a full, lush stereo delay sound.
    • Reverb: The reverb unit is based on the Synapse DR-1 rack extension, a modulated true stereo reverb modeled after high-end hardware. Its sound character is especially well suited for synthetic sounds and works exceptionally well on lead sounds.
    • Compressor: The smooth stereo compressor allows instant level reduction with attack times ranging down to the microsecond range, while minimizing artifacts as much as possible, and without introducing any latency.
  • The effect processor in Antidote can be used with external sources as well, and was designed with that option in mind. As a result, the processor intensive effects such as the reverb do not use any CPU when idle.

Antidote is available now in the Propellerhead Store for $99. A try before you buy option is available.

If you’ve used Antidote, let us know what you think of it!

14 thoughts on “New Antidote Rack Extension Synth Features Up To 800 Oscillators

  1. I really LOVe the synapse rack look as all the others. There is a long youtube video already posted. The user compares it to sylenth 1, maybe not the best for bass sound according to him. The thing is synapse has another cool device, the AF-4 Analog Filter… Those two together could be amazing….

    1. Not the best for bass sound? I think it depends on what kind of bass sound you’re looking for. Upon first using it, the first thing I noticed was how good the low end sounds. It’s very organic. It’s also got the 303 sound pretty much nailed if you’re into that.

      1. This thing has plenty of bass. I was just telling you what the user was saying… I don’t want to post a youtube link, but it should be easy to spot.

  2. Don’t bash me, but $99 (and that is an introductory price, regular being EUR119!) for a rack extension is a bit steep. If it were VST, it would sound just right, anything synth in the sub $100 range is good value. But since it’s RE… To me the appeal of this idea was that extensions wouldn’t work with other programs but to expiate that are priced in impulse buy range of $20-40.

    1. Predator also costs $119, so I don’t see a problem with the price. There are other REs that cost more.

      Also, you have to figure in that Antidote has built-in EQ, compressor, distortion, phaser, chorus, delay, and reverb, which can be used independently, to route external audio through. So it’s really a synth and an basic effects suite.

  3. not a reason user but these extensions are really testing me…
    skins are always so dope. here even the each of the fake rack bolts looks slightly different.

    that sort of attention to detail is always a good sign.

  4. Why do people keep making more and more VA synthesizers? It’s getting boring. Once in a while someone tries additive or granular. There are one or two fractal synthesizers, no spirals that I have seen. There’s very little real innovation in the synthesizer scene. Just endless variations on a theme.

  5. Since when does one need 800 oscillators to make disco demos? They tell me nothing about an instrument’s depth. I also think synth design being “endless variations on a theme” might just have something to do with the physical nature of the human ear. Since we are not dolphins, hyper- or sub-sonic sounds don’t register musically. There are many possibilities, but the perceivable range IS finite. If the music coming out of a synth rig is boring, I don’t think you can lay the blame on the circuitry, hard or soft. Antidote appears to be a well-designed package. If you have a workstation like SampleTank, some FM/additive means, a couple of contrasting VAs and a sampler, you are easily 90% empowered. At that point, you’ll have to live with the fact that its up to you. So far, there’s no iInspiration app.

  6. So much “anti” we can not hear … This virtual synthesizer allows us to revel again in the past, when we came barely clear with our Hadrware. A must for anyone who wants to make life a little analog noise in his songs …
    Thanks for the options with (anti) DOTE!

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