Xfer Records Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX - Pros and Cons
Xfer Records Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX: A Review
If you are looking for a synthesizer that can help you create any sound you can imagine, then you might want to check out Xfer Records Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX.
Xfer Records Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX
Serum is a wavetable synthesizer that lets you create and manipulate sounds with ease.
It has a built-in wavetable editor that allows you to import draw, edit, and morph wavetables. It has a high-quality sound engine that produces clear and crisp sounds with no artifacts.
In this article, we will review Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX, the latest version of the plugin that has some bug fixes and improvements. We will also show you how to install and use it, as well as its pros and cons.
What is Serum and why you need it
Serum is a wavetable synthesizer that was created by Xfer Records, a company founded by Steve Duda, a renowned producer and sound designer. Serum was released in 2014 and has since become one of the most popular and widely used synthesizers in the music industry.
Wavetable synthesis is a type of synthesis that uses wavetables as the sound source. Wavetables are collections of waveforms that can be scanned or played back at different positions, creating different timbres and harmonics. Wavetable synthesis allows you to create complex and evolving sounds that are not possible with other types of synthesis.
Serum is a wavetable synthesizer that lets you create and manipulate sounds with ease
One of the main features of Serum is its user-friendly and intuitive interface that makes it easy to use for beginners and experts alike. Serum has four main sections: the oscillator section, the filter section, the modulation section, and the effects section.
The oscillator section is where you choose your wavetable and shape your waveform. You can choose from over 450 factory wavetables or import your own audio files or samples. You can also draw your own waveforms using the built-in editor or use one of the many tools and functions to generate or modify them. You can adjust the wavetable position, warp, and phase parameters to create different sounds and textures.
The filter section is where you apply filters to your sound to sculpt its frequency spectrum. You can choose from over 75 different filter types, including low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, notch, comb, formant, phaser, flanger, and more. You can also use the filter as an oscillator or a noise generator by enabling the filter drive or noise options.
Serum has a built-in wavetable editor that allows you to import, draw, edit, and morph wavetables
Another feature that sets Serum apart from other wavetable synthesizers is its built-in wavetable editor that allows you to import, draw, edit, and morph wavetables. You can access the editor by clicking on the pencil icon on the top right corner of the oscillator section.
The editor has two modes: single-cycle mode and grid mode. In single-cycle mode, you can edit one waveform at a time using various tools such as pencil, line, eraser, smooth, normalize, fade in/out, etc. You can also apply different functions such as sine, sawtooth, square, triangle, noise, etc. to generate or modify your waveform.
In grid mode, you can edit multiple waveforms at once using a grid layout. You can also import audio files or samples and convert them into wavetables using various options such as FFT (Fast Fourier Transform), additive synthesis, spectral resynthesis, etc. You can also morph between different waveforms using different modes such as crossfade, spectral morphing, harmonic morphing, etc.
Serum has a high-quality sound engine that produces clear and crisp sounds with no artifacts
Another feature that makes Serum stand out from other wavetable synthesizers is its high-quality sound engine that produces clear and crisp sounds with no artifacts. Serum uses a technique called oversampling to reduce aliasing and distortion in the sound output. Oversampling is a process of increasing the sample rate of the audio signal before processing it and then reducing it back to the original sample rate after processing it.
Serum offers four different levels of oversampling: none (1x), 2x (default), 4x (high), and 8x (ultra). The higher the level of oversampling, the better the sound quality but also the higher the CPU usage. You can adjust the level of oversampling in the global tab of Serum's settings menu. What's new in Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX is the latest version of the plugin that has some bug fixes and improvements. It was released on June 7, 2023, and is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems. You can download it from the official website or a trusted source.
Some of the new features in Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX include:
Improved CPU performance and stability
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX has improved CPU performance and stability, especially on lower-end systems. It has reduced the CPU load by optimizing some of the internal processes and algorithms. It has also fixed some of the bugs and glitches that caused crashes or freezes on some systems.
Added new presets and wavetables
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX has added new presets and wavetables to expand your sonic palette. It has added over 100 new presets that cover various genres and styles, such as bass, lead, pad, pluck, synth, etc. It has also added over 50 new wavetables that range from analog to digital, from simple to complex, from harmonic to inharmonic.
Added new modulation sources and destinations
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX has added new modulation sources and destinations to give you more control and flexibility over your sound. It has added four new modulation sources: chaos 1, chaos 2, note on random 1, and note on random 2. These are random modulators that can create unpredictable and chaotic variations in your sound. You can adjust their rate, amount, phase, bipolarity, and smoothing parameters.
It has also added four new modulation destinations: global master tune, global unison width, global unison blend, and global unison detune. These are global parameters that affect all the oscillators in Serum. You can use them to create subtle or drastic changes in your sound's pitch, width, blend, and detune.
Added new effects and filters
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX has added new effects and filters to enhance your sound quality and character. It has added two new effects: phaser feedback and flanger feedback. These are feedback effects that add resonance and depth to your sound. You can adjust their feedback, mix, rate, depth, phase, center, spread, shape, and feedback phase parameters.
It has also added two new filters: comb minus+ and comb plus-. These are comb filters that create metallic and ringing sounds by adding or subtracting delayed copies of the input signal. You can adjust their cutoff, resonance, drive, mix, pan, keytrack, bipolarity, phase offset, damping, feedback sign, feedback phase invert parameters.
Added new options and settings
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX has added new options and settings to customize your workflow and preferences. It has added a new option to enable or disable the GUI animation in the global tab of Serum's settings menu. This option can help you save CPU resources by turning off the animation of the wavetables and modulators.
It has also added a new setting to adjust the GUI scale in the global tab of Serum's settings menu. This setting can help you resize the interface of Serum to fit your screen resolution and size. How to install and use Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX
Now that you know what Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX can do, you might want to try it out for yourself. Here is how to install and use it on your computer.
To install Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX, you need to download the file from the official website or a trusted source
The first step is to download the file from the official website or a trusted source. You can find the download link on the Xfer Records website or on other websites that offer legitimate and safe downloads. Make sure you download the correct version for your operating system (Windows or Mac) and your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).
The file size is about 300 MB and it comes in a ZIP or RAR format. You need to extract the file using a program such as WinRAR or 7-Zip. You will find a folder named Xfer Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX that contains the plugin files and some other files such as manuals, presets, wavetables, etc.
To use Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX, you need to load it as a plugin in your DAW of choice
The next step is to load Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX as a plugin in your DAW of choice. You need to copy or move the plugin files (Serum.dll or Serum.vst for Windows, Serum.component or Serum.vst for Mac) to the appropriate folder where your DAW can find them. The location of this folder may vary depending on your DAW and your system settings, but some common examples are:
DAWFolder
Ableton LiveC:\ProgramData\Ableton\Live x.x\Resources\Plugins\VST (Windows)/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST (Mac)
FL StudioC:\Program Files (x86)\VstPlugins (Windows)/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST (Mac)
Logic Pro/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components (Mac)
CubaseC:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins (Windows)/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST (Mac)
Pro ToolsC:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins (Windows)/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins (Mac)
Once you have copied or moved the plugin files to the correct folder, you need to launch your DAW and scan for new plugins. This process may differ depending on your DAW, but usually you can find it in the preferences or settings menu. After scanning, you should be able to find Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX in your plugin list and load it on a track or channel.
To create sounds with Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX, you need to follow these steps:
The final step is to create sounds with Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX using its features and functions. You can follow these steps to get started:
Choose a wavetable from the browser or import your own
The first thing you need to do is to choose a wavetable from the browser or import your own. The browser is located on the top left corner of the oscillator section and it shows all the wavetables that are available in Serum. You can browse through different categories and subcategories, such as analog, digital, spectral, user, etc.
To load a wavetable, simply click on it and drag it to the oscillator window. You will see the waveform of the wavetable displayed in the window and you will hear its sound when you play a note on your keyboard or MIDI controller.
If you want to import your own wavetable, you can click on the menu button on the top right corner of the browser and select "Import audio". You can then choose an audio file or sample from your computer and convert it into a wavetable using various options such as FFT, additive synthesis, spectral resynthesis, etc.
Adjust the wavetable position, warp, and phase parameters to shape the waveform
The next thing you need to do is to adjust the wavetable position, warp, and phase parameters to shape the waveform. The wavetable position parameter is located below the oscillator window and it controls which part of the wavetable is played back. You can drag the knob or use the modulators to change the wavetable position dynamically and create different sounds and textures.
The warp parameter is located on the right side of the oscillator window and it controls how the waveform is warped or distorted. You can choose from different warp modes, such as bend, sync, flip, mirror, pulse width, quantize, remap, etc. You can also adjust the warp amount and use the modulators to change the warp dynamically and create different sounds and textures.
The phase parameter is located on the left side of the oscillator window and it controls the phase or starting point of the waveform. You can adjust the phase offset and use the modulators to change the phase dynamically and create different sounds and textures.
Add filters, envelopes, LFOs, and other modulators to control the sound dynamics and movement
The next thing you need to do is to add filters, envelopes, LFOs, and other modulators to control the sound dynamics and movement. The filter section is located below the oscillator section and it allows you to apply filters to your sound to sculpt its frequency spectrum. The modulation section is located on the bottom left corner of Serum's interface and it allows you to use various modulators to control different parameters of your sound.
To add a filter, simply click on the filter type button and choose a filter from the menu. You can choose from over 75 different filter types, including low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, notch, comb, formant, phaser, flanger, and more. You can also use the filter as an oscillator or a noise generator by enabling the filter drive or noise options. You can adjust the cutoff, resonance, drive, mix, pan, keytrack, bipolarity, phase offset, damping, feedback sign, feedback phase invert parameters.
To add a modulator, simply click on one of the modulator slots and choose a modulator from the menu. You can choose from four envelopes, four LFOs, four macros, two chaos generators, two note on random generators, velocity, note number, aftertouch, mod wheel, pitch bend, etc. You can adjust the modulator's parameters such as attack, decay, sustain, release, rate, shape, amount, phase, bipolarity, smoothing, etc. You can also assign the modulator to any parameter of your sound by dragging and dropping it to the parameter's knob or slider. You can adjust the modulation amount and direction by dragging the modulator's handle up or down.
Add effects such as distortion, reverb, delay, chorus, and more to enhance the sound quality and character
The next thing you need to do is to add effects such as distortion, reverb, delay, chorus, and more to enhance the sound quality and character. The effects section is located on the right side of Serum's interface and it allows you to apply up to 10 different effects to your sound in a serial or parallel configuration. The effects section also has a master compressor and a master EQ that affect the overall sound output.
To add an effect, simply click on the effect slot and choose an effect from the menu. You can choose from over 15 different effects, including distortion, reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, compressor, EQ, filter, hyper/dimension, multiband compressor, limiter, etc. You can adjust the effect's parameters such as drive, mix, size, feedback, rate, depth, threshold, gain, frequency, Q, etc.
Save your preset or export your sound as an audio file
The last thing you need to do is to save your preset or export your sound as an audio file. To save your preset, simply click on the menu button on the top left corner of Serum's interface and select "Save preset as". You can then name your preset and choose a folder and category to save it in. You can also browse through your presets using the arrows or the browser on the top left corner of Serum's interface.
To export your sound as an audio file, simply click on the menu button on the top left corner of Serum's interface and select "Render". You can then choose the format (WAV or AIFF), sample rate (44.1 kHz or 48 kHz), bit depth (16 bit or 24 bit), length (1 bar or 2 bars), and mode (normal or noise) of your audio file. You can also choose a folder and name for your audio file.
Pros and cons of Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX has many advantages over other synthesizers, but it also has some drawbacks. Here are some of the pros and cons of Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX.
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX has many advantages over other synthesizers, such as:
It has a user-friendly and intuitive interface that makes it easy to use for beginners and experts alike
It has a wide range of sounds and presets that cover various genres and styles
It has a flexible and powerful modulation system that allows you to create complex and expressive sounds
It has a high-quality sound engine that delivers crystal-clear and rich sounds with no aliasing or artifacts
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX also has some drawbacks, such as:
It can be CPU-intensive and cause latency or glitches on some systems
It can be overwhelming and confusing for some users due to its many features and options
It can be expensive for some users compared to other synthesizers on the market
Conclusion
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX is one of the best wavetable synthesizers available today that can help you create any sound you can imagine. It is easy to use, versatile, flexible, powerful, and high-quality. It has a built-in wavetable editor that allows you to import, draw, edit, and morph wavetables. It has a high-quality sound engine that produces clear and crisp sounds with no artifacts. It has a flexible and powerful modulation system that allows you to create complex and expressive sounds. It has a wide range of effects and filters that enhance your sound quality and character. It has a user-friendly and intuitive interface that makes it easy to use for beginners and experts alike.
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX is worth trying if you are looking for a synthesizer that can take your music production to the next level. You can download it from the official website or a trusted source and install it on your computer. You can then load it as a plugin in your DAW of choice and start creating sounds with it. You can also browse through the presets and wavetables that come with it or import your own. You can also save your presets or export your sounds as audio files.
If you have any questions or feedback about Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX, you can contact Xfer Records or visit their website or forum. You can also check out some of the tutorials and reviews that are available online.
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX:
What are the system requirements for Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX?
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX requires a 64-bit Windows or Mac operating system, a 64-bit VST2, VST3, AU, or AAX compatible host software, and at least 4 GB of RAM.
How much does Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX cost?
Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX costs $189 USD for a lifetime license that includes free updates and support. You can also rent-to-own Serum for $9.99 USD per month for 19 months on Splice.
How can I get more presets and wavetables for Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX?
You can get more presets and wavetables for Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX by downloading them from various websites or sources, such as Xfer Records, Splice, Cymatics, Loopmasters, ADSR Sounds, etc. You can also create your own presets and wavetables using the built-in editor or importing audio files or samples.
How can I learn more about Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX?
You can learn more about Serum v1.2.8b6 WiN MacOSX by reading the manuals that come with it or visiting the Xfer Records website or forum. You can also watch some of the tutorials and reviews that are available online, such as YouTube, Udemy, Skillshare, etc.
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