Griff Plugin: pSyn

pSyn is one of the most useful Griff instruments. Although, expensive when compared to the rest (£14.99) it is good value for the range of controls it gives you.

Here's what the Griff site says:

The pSyn is a fantastically versatile synth capable of producing a limitless array of sounds.

Here we'll walk you through the interface to ensure you get the most out of it.

The Oscillator

First off is the oscillator. This is the part that creates a sound. The switch on the left allows you to select triangle, square and sawtooth. TheTUNE and FINE knobs adjust the pitch of the sound, the ENV and LFO knobs I'll explain later.

BUT WAIT. using the switch select the ? setting, then double tap on the ? and you can load up a sample to use as the source sound. This means no limitations. Load up strings, drums, vocal samples, even entire loops. The possibilities are endless.

The LFO

The second section controls the Low Frequency Oscillator. Think of it as a wave on the sea that you sound is bobbing about on top of. The switch on the left defines the shape of the wave, either triangle, square, sawtooth or random. The RATE knob adjusts the speed of the wave, from slow swooshes to frantic bubbling. The KEY TRIG button, when selected, restarts the wave every time a note is started.

You can send the pitch of the Oscillator (see above) through the LFO by adjusting the LFO knob. This enables pitch changes from slow subtle variations to vibrato and beyond.

The Envelope

The envelope is classic ADSR. Adjust the ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN and RELEASE using the knobs. Turning on the VEL SENS button makes it Velocity Sensitive, the attack will be shorter for louder notes providing an easy way to add variation to your tunes.

As for the LFO you can send the pitch of the Oscillator through the envelope by adjusting the ENV knob. So you can sculpt the pitch of your note over time. Awesome.

The Filter

Here's the classic mdaFilter section. RESO adjusts the resonance of the output whilst CUTOFF changes the harmonic content. This is where you want to mess with the real time parameter automation capabilities of Griff to create those uplifting moments.

AND THERE'S MORE. Just as with the Oscillator use as much or as little of the LFO and/or ENV to control the filter, allowing swirling filter changes or crunching attacks. Trust me, this feature is the business.

The Amp

Finally the Amplifier, where you can again completely change the characteristics of you sound using the ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN and RELEASE knobs. From tight pizzicato to languid swells you can have them all here.

As you can see, pSyn gives you a lot of versatility in Griff. Worth a look, and one of my favourites.