Recording - December 2014 - 59

into four slots that offer a variety of routing paths between them. Of particular
note: the reverb effect, which is usually
the weakness in most soft synths but
whose quality impressed me.
In use
I had the pleasure of learning about and
starting to work with the original BLUE
back in 2005, and I had high hopes for
Rob and his coder Jon Ayres delivering a
solid update to a beloved classic. I wasn't
disappointed; after a decade of reviewing
virtual instruments for Recording, I must say
BLUE-II is one of the most impressive software synthesizers feature-wise and soundwise that I've ever used.
From the overall quality of its oscillators
and filters and its extensive sound sculpting capabilities to its effects engine, BLUEII just makes other synthesizers green with
envy. (Sorry, had to say it.)
It also helps that BLUE-II's latest presets
go toe-to-toe with some of the best presets
I've ever heard in software or hardware
synthesizers. From bread and butter synthesis sounds to evolving atmospheres,
BLUE-II never failed to impress me.
Granted, not every sound tickled my
fancy, but there were thousands to
choose from. Honestly, I was hard
pressed to find a sound I couldn't use
quickly, thanks to BLUE-II's solid preset
management system.
While more of a "request for enhancement" than a complaint, I'd love to see better color coding for features in the interface
that are in use. For example, the XY label
along the top turns blue from white when it's
active for a preset. I'd love to see the same
thing happen for other parts of the interface.
For example, turn every button that's associated with a disabled Oscillator grey, as is
the case in the Envelope section, or turn the
Arp and Sequence buttons grey when those
Play modes are not selected. That's a minor
quibble, but I feel it would help newcomers
to avoid being overwhelmed with the vast
feature set, and it would speed editing for
experienced users.
Am I BLUE? You will be II
If you had the option to own just one
synthesis plug-in, BLUE-II should certainly
grace your top ten list of viable options.
From its polished sound to its impressive
list of parameters, BLUE-II is a worthy successor to BLUE, and it did not disappoint
this reviewer. Check out the demo and
see for yourself; BLUE-II could very well
become your new number one favorite
go-to synthesizer.
Devon Brent (devon@recordingmag.com)
is a composer, songwriter, recording engineer, and computer hardware and software
guru, living in Austin, TX.
RECORDING December 2014

59



http://www.stedmanusa.com http://www.stedmanusa.com http://www.clearsonic.com http://www.clearsonic.com

Recording - December 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2014

Contents
Recording - December 2014 - Cover1
Recording - December 2014 - Cover2
Recording - December 2014 - 1
Recording - December 2014 - 2
Recording - December 2014 - 3
Recording - December 2014 - 4
Recording - December 2014 - 5
Recording - December 2014 - Contents
Recording - December 2014 - 7
Recording - December 2014 - 8
Recording - December 2014 - 9
Recording - December 2014 - 10
Recording - December 2014 - 11
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Recording - December 2014 - 13
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Recording - December 2014 - Cover3
Recording - December 2014 - Cover4
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