Reel-Synth
The deal
$29 at KVR Audio Marketplace (down from $58). Sale runs until April 30, 2026.
What it is
Reel-Synth is a hybrid synthesizer from Party Bag Plug-Ins that combines a digital synth engine with a built-in sampler stocked with recordings from seven classic and rare vintage synthesizers. Each vintage synth was sampled twice - once digitally and once through a reel-to-reel tape recorder - so you can toggle between a clean, precise sound and a saturated, lo-fi tape character at the push of a button. The seven instruments cover the main synthesis methods: additive, phase distortion, FM, and subtractive.
Key features
- The synth and sampler run together, with blend and pan controls letting you mix them to taste
- A tape emulation circuit handles everything from subtle warmth to heavy saturation
- Chord Mode lets you trigger full chords from a single key, with a strum knob for added feel and a split keyboard so you can play chords and melody simultaneously
- A clock-synced arpeggiator, per-section graphic EQ, filter with LFO modulation, and a Micro Tuner for alternate scales and tunings round out the feature set
Who it's for
Producers who want vintage synth textures without multi-gigabyte sample libraries will find a lot to work with here. The tape-vs-digital toggle makes it practical for anything from lo-fi beats and cinematic pads to clean leads and FM-style tones.
