Blue Sky thinking with Rob Papen Blue II
Rob Papen updates his powerful ‘Crossfusion Synthesis’ plugin Blue II. We had a chance to check out Blue II during NAMM and it sounded fantastic. The new features will be most welcomed to any BLUE VSTi fan.
First released in 2005 after namesake company founder and sought-after sound designer Rob Papen formed the RPCX (Rob Papen ConcreteFX) partnership with music software developer Jon Ayers to create a powerful dream synth, the original version of BLUE has truly stood the test of time to remain a bona fide software synthesizer classic, much loved by synth players and producers worldwide to this day. But back in 2005 it already reflected Rob Papen’s cutting-edge, creative, and — most importantly — musical approach towards developing virtual instruments that truly stand out from the soft synth crowd. By first delivering FM and subtractive synthesis — subsequently adding Phase Distortion and waveshaping synthesis — into the creatively combustible musical mix, BLUE blew the competition away, as reflected in its runaway sales success. Rob Papen himself cleverly called it ‘Crossfusion synthesis’ since it covered so much musical ground so effectively. New dreams for old are an inevitable result of time and technology waiting for no one, however, so the time has come for Rob Papen to move onwards and upwards.
Today, therefore, marks the turning point in a long and winding developmental roadmap that has led to Rob Papen’s eagerly- awaited BLUE-II — bigger and better than it ever was! But BLUE-II remains true to the dreamlike ethos of its predecessor, with even more sound dimensions and features to its extended name, starting with six oscillators beating powerfully at its musical heart. These can be connected in various ways, together with two analogue-style modelled stereo filters with no fewer than 27 different filter types, an astounding range of processing and modulation options, serious sequencer, and an amazing arpeggiator. A new range of specially selected waveforms based on samples have been meticulously fashioned for creating new-fashioned and killer-sounding synth sounds to die for!
Furthermore, BLUE-II takes the useful XY pad features from its popular virtual instrument sibling Blade — a state-of-the-art additive synthesis powerhouse with a helpful human touch, transplanting them into its own out of this world workflow… perfect for time- based movements and vector-type sounds. Scoring films will never be the same again! And with four FX processors par excellence — each offering 35 FX types — to play with, BLUE-II is a phenomenally powerful virtual instrument to behold.
But BLUE-II is also easy to use, thanks to its user-friendly user interface with an innovative Easy Edit page for speedy sound changes, while the Bank Manager allows whistle-stop navigation through thousands of inspirational Rob Papen presets and artist sound banks covering a wide range of musical styles to suit all eager ears.
All told, then, BLUE-II represents an amazing journey into the dreamlike musical world of ‘Crossfusion synthesis’. By bringing blue sky thinking to virtual instruments, Rob Papen has succeeded in creating an outrageously original and immensely inspirational soft synth fit to follow in its predecessor’s fanciful footsteps — one that, quite simply, sounds stunning! So prepare to be blown away… again!
Downloaded directly from Rob Papen here: http://www.robpapen.com/buy-blue-2.html
Download Patches For Blue & Blue II
Check out some of the free downloads and free sounds for Rob Papen Blue here:
http://patcharena.com/downloads/index.php?subcat=129
Rob Papen’s Sound Design Course Book
For those interested I’d also highly recommend checking out Rob Papen’s Sound Design Book and DVDs: “The 4 Element Synth The secrets of subtractive synthesis. The sound design course is great for beginners, he covers the fundamental aspects of sound synthesis. By breaking down all synthesizers into 4 Elements, he makes sound design approachable for any synthesizer hardware or software. The DVDs also feature video coverage of some really gorgeous vintage hardware synthesizers and modular synthesizers.
Check it out:
