ebbandflow has released deCADE, a synth plug-in with 100 presets made from vintage 1980s gear. It is the brand's third instrument, and it runs on the same core tech as deFORM, its first product. The main draw is clear. Musicians can use sounds from rare hardware without the cost or hassle of keeping old units in shape.
Some serious names made the cut. The Jupiter-6, Prophet-5, Juno-106, Korg MS-20, Oberheim OB, and Yamaha DX7 all went through the sampling process. Each preset blends a pair of synths, but the team kept the exact combos secret. Users have to judge each sound by ear rather than pick one based on a famous badge.
There is a fair bit of control once a preset loads. Unison can stack five extra voices on each note, while the Layers feature adds a separate sound engine. That gives users room to build rich patches without having to load another plug-in.
Filters draw from the types found in the source hardware. Meanwhile, Variance adds small shifts in pitch and settings to mimic the quirks of analog circuits. It is a neat way to add a less rigid feel to sounds that might be a bit clean.
Sound shaping goes a bit deeper with an amp envelope and an LFO that can lock to the track tempo. Built-in effects bring a Juno-style chorus and a tape delay model into the mix. No extra effect chain is needed for those jobs.
Mac users need at least macOS 12, while the PC version calls for Windows 10 or newer. DAW support comes through VST3, AU, and AAX formats, giving it a place in a broad range of studio setups.
As for the price, deCADE is on sale for £39 or €49, down from its usual £59 or €69. The pound figures have VAT built in. For producers keen on old synth tones, this offers a lower-cost route into a broad set of sampled sounds without having to hunt for the real machines.
Some serious names made the cut. The Jupiter-6, Prophet-5, Juno-106, Korg MS-20, Oberheim OB, and Yamaha DX7 all went through the sampling process. Each preset blends a pair of synths, but the team kept the exact combos secret. Users have to judge each sound by ear rather than pick one based on a famous badge.
There is a fair bit of control once a preset loads. Unison can stack five extra voices on each note, while the Layers feature adds a separate sound engine. That gives users room to build rich patches without having to load another plug-in.
Filters draw from the types found in the source hardware. Meanwhile, Variance adds small shifts in pitch and settings to mimic the quirks of analog circuits. It is a neat way to add a less rigid feel to sounds that might be a bit clean.
Sound shaping goes a bit deeper with an amp envelope and an LFO that can lock to the track tempo. Built-in effects bring a Juno-style chorus and a tape delay model into the mix. No extra effect chain is needed for those jobs.
Mac users need at least macOS 12, while the PC version calls for Windows 10 or newer. DAW support comes through VST3, AU, and AAX formats, giving it a place in a broad range of studio setups.
As for the price, deCADE is on sale for £39 or €49, down from its usual £59 or €69. The pound figures have VAT built in. For producers keen on old synth tones, this offers a lower-cost route into a broad set of sampled sounds without having to hunt for the real machines.
