Predator 3

I was looking for a good go-to-synthesizer for all my needs in the studio and I ended up with Predator.

Interface:
One of the best out there. Easy to use and intuitive. Everything, beside 2 sub-pages (arpeggiator / advanced settings), can be accessed at a one single page interface. The overall layout is clean and simple. Since I had already some experience with different synthesizers I think even beginners will quickly get into the handling.

Sound:
Very good sound that's all I can say. It can sound very warm and even the phrase is sometimes over-used *analogue*, but in the same time it can sound very digital.

Even with just one oscillator turned on you get nice results immediately, thanks to features like the spread button and the dedicated sub-oscillator each oscillator has.

The best thing about Predator is the width of possibilities when creating sounds. Most of the subtractive synthesizers I know just have the standard waveforms like saw, square, triangle, sine and a noise generator. Predator offers you a range of 128 different waveforms, including spectral waveforms and loads of different vocal waveforms.

Features:
It comes with a PredatorFX version too, which gives you access to the decent FX on each track and other instruments. This way you can use all the build-in effects also as an insert in your DAW. All of them are good and the reverb is one of the best build-in reverbs I know.

Another top feature for me are the variation options which is the randomizer of Predator. You got 4 different variation modes, randomizing different parameters of a sound by an amount you can select. The results of those variations are always useful, and you don't turn up with useless sounds, where the volume are other essential parameters are set to 0 or other, weird "randomized issues" you sometimes get with other tools.

Morphing lets you combine 2 single presets by a amount you can select.

Having LFOs already set up to the Filter and the OSC Pitch is a nice idea, since I usually go for these anyway and this I don't have to set them up manually each time.

Presets:
I think they are 2.000+ presets for every style you can imagine and all of them are very useful and inspiring. After browsing trough them, I instantly recognized some sounds I know from some productions I really like. You got all classic synth-sounds, modern sounds for dance or ambient and banks that really show the possibilities like the bank made by Antonio Sage, which is one of my favourites.

A decent amount of 3rd party banks is available to, made by designers like Ummet Ozcan, Arksun and Andy Tau.

Documentation:
A decent manual.

If you click on the "?" on the Predator GUI, a help file going to open up, which is like a quick start guide.

Customer Support:
Rob Papen got his own forum here at KVR and I see him posting here daily, helping out people having problems or bugs.

Value For Money:
For what you get, the price is unbeatable. A workhorse for all your subtractive (and beyond) synthesis needs, with new sounds in no time, more presets than I ever saw in any other synthesier and some great build-in effects.

Stability:
Not one single crash here in the time I've been using it so far.

All I can say, after 3 weeks of having it is that I already have nearly 2 banks full of custom made sounds by myself. I never was getting into any synthesier as quick and easy as into Predator. It can sound very soft, warm, fat, harsh, whatever you want it to sound like. With all those features on top, I never had one single moment playing around with it, not having a smile on my face.Read Review