Spitfire Audio collaborated with technologist and composer BT to create the Phoenix hybrid synth designed for cinematic sound design.
It features six synthesis engines — spectral wavetables, FM, sampler, 2OP FM transients, subharmonic generation, and complex noise oscillator — to provide sounds which evolve with movement even from single notes.
There are 552 presets on board, 37 effects, and 16 full MPE-controllable voices. Added to this is over 40GB-worth of recordings chosen for movement and dynamics.
There are over 80 warp modes, alternative synths across stereo, bespoke effects, an advanced arpeggiator, six operator FM with up to 48 oscillators stacked per note, and a meta sequencer featuring eight sequencers that are also envelopes.
Included are three libraries from BT, allowing the exploration of polyconvolution, where impulse responses are used as a tonal and rhythmic element.
Phoenix is not a lightweight install – you’ll need at least 80GB during install and 40GB for the library once installed.
Rather frustratingly — and whether this is for licensing issues or because some processing or other activities are done online — the computer where Phoenix is installed must be continuously connected to the Internet during use, with offline operation as yet unsupported. Granted, this isn’t a problem for many people but might be limiting in certain situations. That said, it is a standalone or DAW plugin so in a well-connected studio environment you should be fine.
