D16 Group releases Phosycon 2, a “gateway” to every TB-303 bassline synth ever made
Everybody needs a 303.
Polish software developer D16 Group has released Phosycon 2, updating its beloved Roland TB-303 emulation plugin with a new sequencer, arpeggiator, signal chain, and effects engine.
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You may have heard that every original analogue TB-303 made from 1981-1984 sounds slightly different. Happily, D16 reckons that Phosycon 2 doesn’t just emulate a single TB-303, but acts as a “gateway” to all TB-303s. How? Calibration Parameters. These allow you to get under the hood and alter the characteristics of envelopes, the clicks and noise of the coveted BA662 chip, square PW shift and more.
Alongside these deep, geeky parameters are the essential features of the TB-303 – with a little more for enhanced acidity. From envelope modulation, cutoff frequency and resonance to accent decay, slide time and sweep amount, you can shape Phosycon 2 to sound as liquid or rigid as you like. There’s even vibrato modulation in this modern emulation.
D16 has expanded the effects chain in Phopsycon 2, adding 19 models of distortion for bringing serious grit to your basslines. Plus, you get access to limiter, EQ, chorus, delay and reverb modules that are reroutable. This means, for example, you could put the EQ after the reverb and chorus, or get creative and put the delay and reverb after the limiter.
The original 303 was infamous for its esoteric sequencer. Phosycon 2 lets you tinker with Roland’s old-school sequencing system, but also offers drag-and-drop export of patterns, an integrated randomiser, and a completely new piano roll-style sequencer to input the notes you want the plugin to play. You’ll be able to program a pattern ranging from one to 64 steps, with control over the length and time signature of each step.
In addition, its new arpeggiator lets you create a pattern using a pitch index. D16 says a new advanced tool lets you “prepare a ‘template’ of your riff that’s a basis for more production-predictable sequences.”
To get you started, though, D16 has included over 800 presets and patterns. You can also hook up a MIDI controller and use the plugins MIDI Learn capabilities to assign parameters to your controller and easily get hands-on with the 303 emulation.
Phosycon 2 is available now at an introductory price of €89, moving up to €119 in due course. It is compatible with macOS and Windows in VST, VST3, AAX and AU formats.
Learn more at d16.pl.
