Synapse Proxima — Free Download
Proxima is a virtual analog synthesizer that recreates a 1982 hardware synth, adding modern features like an arpeggiator, effects, and extensive modulation.
Authentic Retro Tone
Proxima from Synapse captures the sound of a rare vintage analog synthesizer from 1982, famous for its six-voice polyphony and Curtis chips. Advanced circuit modeling recreates the oscillators, filters, and saturating amplifier in painstaking detail, delivering the warmth and character of the original hardware. The result is a plug-in that faithfully mimics the analog signal path.
Two high-quality virtual analog oscillators form the core, feeding a filter section with both low-pass and band-pass types, offering 12 or 24 dB per octave slopes. The 8x oversampled engine ensures a clean, accurate sound even when pushed into overdrive. For those who want even thicker textures, the polyphony can be expanded up to twelve voices.
Modern Modulation and Control
While Proxima honors its vintage roots, it brings the hardware into the modern DAW era. A powerful modulation matrix with ten slots lets you route sources to destinations for complex, evolving patches. This matrix includes the built-in arpeggiator and sequencer as a modulation source, allowing rhythmic movement to shape filter cutoff, pitch, or other parameters.
The arpeggiator and sequencer are designed with usability in mind, sporting a clean and straightforward interface. Despite its simplicity, it’s highly programmable, capable of intricate patterns that sync with your project tempo. This makes it easy to add motion, from subtle cyclical filter sweeps to rhythmic gate effects, all within the patch itself.
Built-In Effects and Sounds
The effects section in Proxima plays a significant role in sound design, allowing you to shape the final timbre without leaving the plugin. Whether you’re crafting soaring leads reminiscent of electric guitars or building lush, expansive pads, a comprehensive set of effects is included. This lets you add depth, space, and character directly in the signal chain.
Proxima also supports MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) and Microtuning (MTS). MPE compatibility means each note can have its own pitch bend, pressure, and timbre, offering expressive control perfect for pads and leads. Microtuning support allows you to use alternative tuning systems, useful for composers working with non-Western scales or experimental tunings.
Workflow and Integration
Working with Proxima is designed to be a smooth, intuitive experience. The interface integrates the classic look of the original hardware with modern usability, making it easy to find your way around. The combination of circuit-accurate sound and modern additions lets you move quickly from idea to finished sound, whether you’re creating a bass line, a lead, or a complex texture.
The ten-slot modulation matrix opens up a wide range of sound design possibilities, while the arpeggiator/sequencer adds a rhythmic dimension that’s both simple to operate and deep enough for complex patterns. With its effects section and flexible polyphony, Proxima is well suited for styles as diverse as retro synthwave, ambient electronic, and modern pop production, all from a single plugin.
Key features
- Accurate circuit simulation of a 1982 analog synth
- Two high-quality virtual analog oscillators
- Low-pass and band-pass filter types
- 8x oversampled engine
- Comprehensive effects section
- Up to 12 voices of polyphony
- Advanced arpeggiator/sequencer with 5 modulation slots
- Support for MPE and MTS
Best for
Proxima is best for musicians and producers who want the authentic character of a vintage analog synth with modern conveniences. It shines in genres like synthwave, electronic, and pop, offering everything from classic bass and lead sounds to expressive pads with MPE and microtuning support.
