MS-4

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MS-4 has been in development for a while and is now available to test on Patreon. Inspired by my 2022 synth MS-2, it started as a project to fully remake the original and improve on all of its limitations and issues, eventually evolving into a completely new synth.

MS-4 is still focused on stereo FM synthesis. The oscillators have been improved and the FM matrix has been expanded for deeper routing and more control over modulation between operators. It also supports MTS-ESP for microtonal tuning, allowing custom scales and alternative temperaments. A sync mode allows oscillator phases to continue instead of resetting on each note, which helps create evolving sounds and wider stereo movement.

A comb filter based on Karplus-Strong design is included and works well with FM as the excitation source for plucked and resonant sounds. The comb filter includes a keytrack toggle and an optional voice mode for polyphonic, per voice processing.

There are two main filters, one per voice and one on the main output. Both include low pass, high pass, and band pass modes. A keytracked filter option lets the cutoff follow the keyboard for more responsive tone shaping.

Modulation is handled by four LFOs, each with trigger modes, one shot mode, free running mode, tempo sync, position sync, and a random option for added movement.

The distortion section includes multiple selectable algorithms and also has a voice mode option. Running distortion per voice allows harmonics to layer more naturally when playing chords. A custom Space effect is included for adding depth and atmosphere.

You can adjust the number of voices to reduce CPU usage when needed. The interface is fully resizable and the preset system supports folders and categories for better organization.

MS-4 was rebuilt in C++ using JUCE instead of SynthEdit. It now has a solid macOS VST3 build and full Linux support.

Development is ongoing. If you would like to try early versions and support development, you can check it out on Patreon.