Once again, a nice return on that investment has clearly been accrued. In recent years Arturia software branched out from just doing instruments and took on the production of virtual effects, some modern but mostly virtual emulations of hardware classics. Like the filters, a mixture of modern and vintage FX is on tap. The filters may be configured as serial, parallel or something in between.įX modules, of eighteen types in all, can be inserted into three racks. All the years coding all those vintage synth emulations are paying big dividends for Arturia here.

Thus Pigments has a foot in both the modern and vintage camps.

Two filter slots provide a wide selection of filter types, both modern/clean implementations and vintage emulations. List price is $199 USD, but Arturia sales are not infrequent and deals for owners of other Arturia software are sometimes on offer. You have a generous five concurrent authorizations available, although only one of the installs can legally be used at a time. Installation/authorization is via the Arturia Software Center application (offline authorization supported), and no dongle is required. Enough new features have been added and enough time has passed to warrant full coverage.įirst the nitty gritty: Pigments 3 is available in formats compatible with all current mainstream DAWs, plus a standalone version is provided.

Although we reviewed version 1 of Pigments in SoundBytes Magazine shortly after release, this review is a full look, not an update.

Since the time of that impressive first release Arturia has given us two upgrade releases that were themselves quite impressive. In 2018 the company introduced its first modern virtual synth, Pigments, and by “modern”, I mean one not inspired or mimicking an earlier hardware keyboard instrument. Until three years ago, Arturia’s software division was known primarily for its virtual recreations of classic keyboards – synths primarily but also electric pianos and organs.

Pigments 3 review