Relica is a free retro synth plugin that delivers a hefty dose of 8-bit nostalgia. You’ll love this one if you’re a retro gaming fan or just a big kid (that’s probably most of us, right?).
The first thing you’ll notice about Relica is that the interface is clean and straightforward. There are no unnecessary controls, no wasted space, and everything is in its right place.
Once you get into it, you should also notice that this little unassuming synth packs quite a punch.
Running through the controls, it starts with the Oscillator Shape: Square, Sawtooth, Triangle, and Sine. Relica allows pulse width modulation on all oscillator shapes, not just squares. So, right out of the gate, we can already fine-tune our tone more than we might expect with this kind of synth.
The Pulse Width control is under the Oscillator Shape selections.
Next is Vibrato, which allows you to add subtle or subtle pitch variations. Not-so-subtle is probably the way to go if you’re trying to stay on the retro gaming path.
On the right side of the GUI is the Bitcrusher and Dynamics section.
The Bitcrusher adds more of that lo-fi, old-school gaming console character, making the sound grittier.
The Dynamics section is where you can define your sound properly. You can use the Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release controls to shape your sound into anything from tight stabs to dreamy pads.
Plugins like Relica always make me think of my favourite video games as a kid: Sonic the Hedgehog, Final Fantasy, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and so many others.
A bit later, I loved the music from games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. When I think of old video games, I immediately wish I still had them.
Still, I imagine the reality of sandbox gaming preventing me from going wherever I like would kill my nostalgia trip pretty quickly.
Feel free to share some of your yesteryear favourites in the comments just for kicks.
Now, from retro to futuristic, check out our Dreamtonics Vocoflex Voice Transformation plugin giveaway.
Download: Relica (FREE)
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