Arthelion has introduced MOLOSS I, a freeware four-voice hybrid synthesizer in VST plugin format for digital audio workstations on Windows.
MOLOSS I (short for Multi Oscillator Linear Open Source Synthesizer) combines several synthesis methods to allow a very wide sound range. It features a four-voice architecture with subtractive and additive synthesis, frequency modulation and cross-modulation for each voice. Despite its complex sound engine, the instrument is lightweight and doesn’t consume a large number of CPU resources.
See also: Best FREE Synthesizer VST PluginsIn addition to the oscillator module, each voice features a resonant filter, a couple of LFO and ADSR modules, and a dedicated modulation panel. The main panel features a set of master volume controls for the four voices, along with the global LFO controls and a pair of built-in effects (chorus and reverb).
Unfortunately, the interface isn’t very user-friendly, especially considering the instrument’s complexity. Many of the parameters are marked with non-descriptive labels and its easy to get lost within MOLOSS I’s numerous controls. Hopefully, the interface is just a work in progress and the developer is planning to release a more polished-looking version of the plugin at a later date. The same can be said about the default soundbank since MOLOSS I doesn’t come with any presets at the moment. A built-in preset manager is included in the current release, though.
That said, MOLOSS I is a promising new synthesizer plugin. It is an open-source project under the GPL 3 license and chances are that further development is underway.
The instrument’s polyphony is 64 notes by default. Additionally, the plugin features two monophonic “solo” modes. A standalone version of the instrument is included in the download along with the VST plugin file for Windows.
More info: MOLOSS I (32-bit & 64-bit VST plugin format for Windows)
