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What is it?
Format(s)
Instrument(s)   
Operating System Availability
Operating System Latest Version
 2.5 
System Requirements
Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 (32-bit or 64-bit)
Plugin formats: 32-bit VSTi, 64-bit VSTi, VST3, Standalone
An internet-connection is required only for download and the installation.
 3.0 beta 
System Requirements
macOS 10.7 or higher / macOS 11 / macOS 12 / macOS 13
64-bit Intel or M1 or M2
Plugin formats: VSTi, Audio Unit (AUi), VST3, Standalone, Universal Binary
Native support for M1 and M2
Audio Demos
License & Installation Method
Voucher / Code for redemption on other website
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Icarus3

High-end synthesizer-workstation

https://www.tone2.com/icarus.html

Professional testers from various audio-magazines are convinced that Icarus is an epic synthesizer and a must-have for producers. This workstation is one of the most versatile and mighty synthesizers ever. Icarus2 offers 54 different synthesis methods and provides a gigantic sonic range. The audio engine is not only able to create all classic synthesizer sounds. It can produce a vast range of fresh sounds, which are impossible with other products. The innovative '3D wavetable synthesis', which is exclusive to Icarus, creates a new dimension of sounds with dynamic expression and acoustic movement. Besides that many other unique synthesis-methods are available that can be combined freely.
Icarus comes with the largest collection of filters available within a synthesizer. The audio-engine offers many powerful features like a drum-sequencer, a built-in vocoder, re-synthesis, a glitch-sequencer, the most advanced wavetable-editor available, an extremely mighty oscillator section, MSEGs, ...
However, the synth still remains very easy to use. A comfortable interface with drag & drop support gives you instant help, visual feedback and immediate acoustic results.
The award-winning audio engine offers high-end sound quality and extreme flexibility with low demands on your CPU.
Icarus ships with an inspiring collection of 1600 production-ready sounds created by professional designers. A smart patch browser allows you to find the right sound rapidly.

Synthesis

The reviews in various audio-magazines proof that Icarus is one of the most versatile, impressive sounding synths on the market. The exceptionally powerful audio-engine is able to create all important synthesizer sounds in high-end quality. Icarus can do a gigantic amount of synthesis-methods: 3D wavetables, classic wavetables, resynthesis of samples, vocoder, additive, substractive, analog, FM with up to 6 operators, formant synthesis, waveshaping, PWM, sync, ringmod, AM, noise, physical-modeling, phase-distortion, granular, time-stretching, pitch-shifting, samples, harmonic-morphing, FFT-filtering, lofi, import of custom waveforms and wavetables and many other innovative modes, exclusive to Icarus. Get instantly inspired by the massive number of fresh, original sounds and create tracks with unique and individual characteristics!
The sound-quality of Icarus easily surpasses conventional synths, but you don't need to own a high-end computer to be able to use it. The algorithms for this synthesizer were developed and optimized by an experienced DSP-expert. That's why Icarus offers the best possible sound quality together with low CPU demands.

3D-Wavetables

The award-winning '3D Wavetable Synthesis' creates sounds impossible with other synths and reveals a new level of dynamic expression. We have extended the classic wavetable-synthesis, which can cross-blend waveforms, with an additional morph-dimension. You can use 54 morph-modes to further shape and modulate the sound. The morph-modes are not limited to traditional waveshaping-methods. We also included a vast range of innovative and exclusive synthesis-methods, which are not available from other companies. This results in a wide range of unique sounds that cannot be produced by other synthesizers. Get inspired by unheared signature-sounds and give your productions an unique character.

Oscillators & Hypersaw

Icarus offers three oscillator-blocks with true stereo-architecture. Each oscillator-block itself again can contain up to 10 detuned hypersaw-oscillators. We've expanded the popular hypersaw concept with a stereo-processing, precise phase-control, punch and the ability to make single oscillators play chords. 37 different modes are available, including, hypersaw, supersaw, stereo hypersaw, unison, stacking, chords and flanging. The hypersaw-modes can be combined with any kind of wavetable, waveform or synthesis-method.

Filters

Icarus2 comes with the most powerful filter-section available on the market. Our synthesizer-flagship offers 63 exciting filter types. It's a best-of selection of over 300 filter-algorithms that were developed by Dipl. Inf. Univ. Markus Krause during the last 15 years. Many filter-types are exclusive and not available from other companies, which results in a wide range of unique sounds that cannot be produced by other synthesizers. All filters are musical useful and have really different sonic characteristics. We did not include similar sounding types.
There are two modular filter-blocks available. Each one is equipped with true stereo-architecture, flexible routing and multi-mode filters. Two stereo-distortion-sections, each with 9 different modes, allow you to further shape the sound.
An animated display shows the frequency-response and gives you immediate visual feedback. This makes it very easy to understand and tweak the filter-behavior.
Since all filters were created by an experienced DSP-expert, they do not only offer high-end sound-quality, but also low CPU-requirements.

Arpeggiator

The included arpeggiator instantly creates inspiring and wonderful melodies. Working with the powerful arpeggiator is very simple: Just input your notes into the note-sequencer. The arpeggiator supports advanced features such as glides, swing & shuffle, split, smart note-sorting, matrix-integration and gives you precise control over play-direction and velocity. Comfortable playing aids like auto-chord speed up the production process and assist you whenever you need it. Don't feel like programming your own patterns? Just load one of the many pattern-templates.

Drums

Icarus2 has been extended with a drum-sequencer. It is an easy-to-use, but powerful X0X-style sequencer-module. It comes with a wide variety of drum-sounds, noises and waveforms. You can also import your own samples and save your own templates. A large collection of 100 drum-patterns created by professional designers is included. The drum-sequencer supports swing, shuffle, loop-length, effect-send, key-split, roll, mono-samples, stereo-samples, looped samples and looped waveforms. Your sounds can be passed through punchy, BPM-synced envelopes, which allow you to create impressive 'gated-drum-sounds' easily. You can stretch wav-files with drum-loops or any other rhythmic content so that they automatically sync to BPM. Furthermore, the drum-sequencer is not only limited to playing drum sounds. It is also a small multi-timbral synthesizer that is able to play looped samples or waveforms with or without pitch-tracking. It does also come with a smart auto-accompaniment which automatically resolves the chord that you are currently playing and plays a bass-line that 'fits'.

Effects

Icarus comes with a smart and flexible effects-section. 54 different effects, feedback and a limiter can be combined in modular slots in order to build new and exciting results. You can create your own custom effects which can be saved and loaded separately.
The innovative ducking-module can make the mix sound more transparent and lush. It dynamically adjusts the volume of the effect-mix and prevents delays clashing with the original signal.

Glitch-sequencer

Icarus2 has been extended with a grid-based glitch-sequencer. You can chop your sounds and create modern glitchy, pitchstop, trancegate or stuttering effects. 'The Glitch' works similar to a multi-effect sequencer. The incoming audio is passed through 10 different effect-modules. Each effect is controlled by up to 16 segments to adjust the parameter of the effect. Furthermore, it is possible to adjust the speed, groove, routing, mix, smoothness and loop-length. Random-buttons allow you to create new sequences quicky. It is also possible to load and save your own templates.

Microtuning

Icarus offers 21 different microtuning-modes. The engine can slightly detune certain voices to make your chords sound fatter, harmonically rich and warm. We also developed several innovative algorithms that are not longer limited to the usage of a certain tonality. Icarus is able to analyze what you are playing in real-time and can enhance your chords automatically.

Equalizer

Optionally a smart equalizer with dynamic bass-boost and psychoacoustic-processing is provided to make your sound sit right in the mix. The EQ is easy to tweak since a display visualizes the frequency-response in real-time.

Interface

Icarus offers a huge sonic range, is extremely versatile, but still remains easy to use. Animated displays give you visual feedback. You can instantly see and hear the results of your actions.
Context sensitive tool-tips explain the function of the control that you're currently tweaking. The user-friendly and accessible interface makes tweaking easy for anyone, regardless of skill level or experience.
The GUI can be displayed with 12 different sizes and three scales: Small, normal or huge. It is also possible to hide parts of the interface, like the keyboard, when you don't need it.
The customize-able interface allows you to select your favorite color from 26 schemes.

Patch-browser

The patch-browser gives you instant access to a great and inspiring library with production-ready sounds. Icarus2 comes with an astounding collection of 1600 (!) hand-picked patches. Each sound has been carefully built by a professional sound-designer and has been crafted with a lot of love and great attention to detail. The patches are very easy-to-mix, because they've been carefully EQed, pre-mastered and are in perfect sync to your track tempo.
Since all patches have been sorted into categories you can find quickly what you need. You can tag your favourites with a ranking-system.
An on-screen keyboard allows you to audition to the sounds.

Modulation

Spice up your tracks with exciting movement! Do you want to use the LFO to wobble your sound? Simply drop it onto a knob and you've got it. Modulation can be as simple or complex as you want. Use drag & drop or the modulation matrix to connect dozens of sources to all important sound parameters. Modulate almost any parameter with audio-rate speed, from internal modulation sources like LFOs, punchy envelopes, step sequencers, and a wide variety of MIDI signals.

Multistage-envelope-generators

Two MSEGs are available as additional modulation-sources. The MSEGs can be operated as LFO or envelope and allow you to create any shape you can imagine. The MSEGs offer highest precision, support frequencies up into the audio-range and have been designed with the aspect of musical usefulness.
Literally anything is possible: The MSEGs can be synced to BPM, sync with the arpeggiator or run freely. Triads or dotted rhythms are also supported. You can define loop-points and start points. You can delay or fade the MSEGs. You can move, add or delete points with your mouse. You can bend lines upwards or downwards to change their shape or even create precise rectangular curves. The MSEGs can be edited completely freely or you can snap points to a grid of a select-able size. It is also possible to draw triangles, bars or ramps.

MIDI

Icarus2 supports MPE (Midi Polyphonic Expression), which can add several additional dimensions of dynamic expression to the sounds.
We've also included midi-learn, so assigning CC's is as simple as a right mouse click.

Wavetable-editor

Icarus comes with the most powerful wavetable-editor available on the market. You can use it to create your own waveforms and wavetables or to edit the ones that are included to Icarus. A random-generator allows you to create an infinite number of new and musically useful wavetables with a single mouse-click. The spectral editor turns Icarus into an additive synthesizer, giving you detailed control over the partials and phase. You can also draw your own waveforms using the mouse.
Icarus' flexible, compact and open file format allows sound-designers and artists to easily create their own soundsets, waveforms and wavetables. Many common file-formats are supported. It is even possible to import and export wavetables or waveforms from-and-to other synthesizers.
In Icarus all wavetables are stored within your patches and songs automatically, so you don't have to worry about managing any additional files on your hard-disc.
The comfortable editor includes over 100 professional tools to tweak wavetables. You get basic features like, cutting, mixing and filtering, as well as advanced tools such as de-noising, enhancing, re-synthesis, vocoder, spectral modification and phase manipulation.

Rebuild any sound with a SINGLE mouse-click

With Icarus anyone can build fantastic sounds quickly and easily. Traditional resynthesis methods require a deep knowledge of sample-editing in order to achieve good results. It needs time-consuming pre-processing with a sample-editor and precisely tuned samples.
We have taken care of these problems for you and have developed completely new algorithms. Icarus' innovative wavetable-resynthesis can rebuild sounds with a single mouse-click! It works with nearly any kind of audio-material and produces high-quality results. Simply click the button, select a WAV file and Icarus will automatically create a patch, which sounds like the original. Optionally, you can further shape your sound with morphing, BPM-synchronization, time-stretching, the filters, the effects or any other module.
Traditional sample-import, auto-tuning, beat-slicing, pitch-shifting, noise-reduction and granular playback is also supported.
All waveforms, wavetables and samples are automatically stored within your patches or songs. This means you don't have to worry about any files missing on your hard drive or broken song-projects.

Why do you need vocals to create a chart-hit?

If you listen to popular songs you will notice that nearly all of them use a lot of vocals. We are naturally drawn to those sounds, as they are reflections of the spoken word. However, adding vocals to your tracks is a demanding task: You need a singer, a microphone, a recording studio, a wealth of experience and a lot of patience...
Icarus can take care of your work since it can sing chants for you. Simply pick one of the vocoder patches and play a melody. These sounds are not just a bunch of 'vocal samples' - this is real speech-synthesis. These vocalic chants are never out-of-tune. Magically they can automatically synchronize to your song's BPM-rate!
With the built-in vocoder you can also create your own phrases. The top quality vocoder module has 1024 bands and is very easy to use: Simply click on 'Vocoder' and select a WAV file containing speech. Icarus will analyze it and automatically create a patch. Optionally, you can further shape your sound with morphing, the filters, the effects or any other module. Playing the sound forwards, backwards, formant shifting, BPM-sync, time-stretching and looping is also possible.

Summary:

  • Icarus2 is a powerful synthesizer-workstation.
  • Icarus2 is also the most advanced wavetable-synthesizer on the market, but not limited to wavetable-synthesis.
  • The audio-engine can do 54 different synthesis modes and is able to produce all important synthesizer sounds.
  • The 3D-wavetable-synthesis allows a new dimension of dynamic expression.
  • High-end sound-quality with low CPU-requirement.
  • Easy-to-use interface with animated displays and context-sensitive help.
  • Huge sonic range.
  • Over 1600 presets by professional designers.
  • GUI with 12 sizes, 3 zoom-levels and 26 color-schemes.
  • Drag & drop modulation.
  • Drum-sequencer with 100 drum-patterns.
  • Powerful arpeggiator with autochord-support, shuffle and swing.
  • 3 x 53 effects, vocoder.
  • Glitch-sequencer.
  • 10x stereo hypersaw, unison, stacks, chords.
  • Polyphonic, monophonic, several legato modes.
  • The most powerful filter-section available on the market: Dual multi-mode filters with 62 filter-types and 8 distortion-types.
  • Customizable user-interface.
  • Expandability, modular.

Features:

  • Sound engine with true stereo-architecture.
  • 3D-wavetable-synthesis: Waves can be morphed in 3 dimensions.
  • Multicore-processor support.
  • MSEGs with BPM sync (multistage envelope generators).
  • Very flexible mod-matrix with precise modulation up to the audio-range.
  • Efficient patch-browser.
  • The most powerful wavetable-editor available on the market.
  • Spectrum-editor for editing single harmonics.
  • The re-synthesis allows you to rebuild any sound with a mouse-click.
  • A random-buttom allows you to create new sounds with a mouse-click.
  • Sample-import and automatic tuning.
  • 54 different synthesis-modes that can be combined.
  • Dual multi-mode filters with 2 x 62 filter types.
  • 2 x 8 distortion types.
  • 3 x 53 effects, vocoder, trancegate.
  • 10x stereo Hypersaw, unison, stacks.
  • Polyphonic, monophonic, legato.
  • Up to 256 waveforms per wavetable.
  • Unlimited number of wavetables and waveforms.
  • Random-generator for wavetables.
  • Midi-learn.
  • MPE-support (Midi polyphonic expression).
  • Context sensitive help.
  • Drag & drop modulation.
  • Punchy envelopes and very fast LFOs.
  • Expandability.
  • Customizable user interface.
  • Can import and export samples, waveforms or wavetables in WAV format.
  • Standalone version for PC.
  • Flexible preset-management.
  • Microtuning for enhanced chords.
  • Equalizer with dynamic bass-boost and psychoacoustic processing.
  • Free support and updates.

Modulators (all can be used simunaniously):

  • 2 MSEGs (loop support, BPM-sync).
  • 4 AHDSR envelopes.
  • 14 Decay envelopes.
  • 2 Hold envelopes.
  • 16 LFOs with sine waveform.
  • 3 LFOs with 45 morphable waveforms and BPM-sync.
  • Step-LFO / gate with custom-waveform.
  • Arpeggiator.
  • Various MIDI CCs.
  • 4 Noise sources.
  • Key-split.

Synthesis methods (can be combined):

  • 3D wavetables / classic wavetables.
  • Resynthesis of samples.
  • Vocoder.
  • Hypersaw / stereo hypersaw / supersaw / unison.
  • Stacks / chords / autochord.
  • Additive.
  • Substractive / analog.
  • FM with up to 6 operators.
  • Speech-synthesis.
  • Formant-synthesis.
  • Wave-shaping.
  • PWM.
  • Sync.
  • Ringmod, AM.
  • Noise.
  • Physical-modeling.
  • Phase-distortion.
  • Granular.
  • Time-stretching.
  • Pitch-shifting.
  • Samples.
  • Harmonic-morphing.
  • FFT-filtering.
  • Lofi.
  • Import of waveforms and wavetables.
  • Many other innovative modes, exclusive to Icarus.

Effect types (can be combined for new effects):

  • Reverb Medium, Reverb Big, Reverb Plate, Reverb Glass, Reverb Dark, Reverb Infinite, Reverb Feedback, Reverb Spring, Reverb Trance, Reverb Cheap, Reflections.
  • Delay, Pingpong, Multitap, Delay Fat, Delay Dual, Delay Diffuse, Delay Band, Tape Delay, Echo.
  • Chorus, Smart Unison, Ensemble.
  • Phaser, Phaser Stereo.
  • Flanger, Flanger Stereo.
  • Vibrato, Vibrato stereo.
  • Autopan, Surround Pan, Rotary, Tremolo.
  • EQ High Cut, EQ Low Cut, EQ Param.
  • Saturate, Soft Clip, Hard Clip, Rectify, Bitcrush, Warp, Waveshape, Amp Sim, Multiband Distortion, Degrader, Multiband Degrader, Noise.
  • Compressor, Limiter.
  • Surround Encode.
  • Trancegate.
  • Glitch-sequencer with Repeat, Gate, Pan, Tremolo, Lowpass, Highpass, Bitcrush, Degrade, Detune, Pitchslide.
  • Feedback.
  • Microtuning.
  • Psychoacoustic processing.
  • Bass-boost.

Filter types (can be combined):

  • Low-pass: Digital 12dB, Digital 24dB, Butter 24dB, Curtis 12dB, Curtis Analog, Tone2 24dB, Tone2 Analog, Tone2 Scream, 303 18dB, 303 Analog, Chain 6-48dB, Elliptic, Octave, Shaped, AM, HighQ.
  • High-pass: Digital 12dB, Analog 12dB, Analog 24dB, Chain 6-48dB.
  • Band-pass: Digital 12dB, Digital 24dB, Analog 12dB, Analog 24dB, Boobs.
  • Equalizer: Notch, Peak Tight, Peak Medium, Peak Wide, Shelf Tight, Shelf Wide, Bandlimit.
  • Vocalic: A, U, I, IEA, AOU, IYU, IEAOU.
  • Comb-filters: Phaser 2x, Phaser 2x FB, Phaser 3x, Phaser 3x FB, Comb+, Comb-.
  • Fractal-filters: LP 1, LP 2, LP 3, LP 4, FO 1, FO 2.
  • Ring-modulation: Ringmod, LP, LP2, FM Lowpass, AM.
  • Pysical-modeling resonators: Guitar, Flute, Odd, Even.
  • LoFi: Resampling, Sample & Hold.

{See video at top of page}

User Reviews Average user rating of 3.40 from 5 reviews Add A Review
Icarus3

Reviewed By MISSY [all]
July 13th, 2023
Version reviewed: 2 on Windows

Reinstalled my 3 purchases last night on an expensive top range laptop and whilst Icarus was fine last night today the software is stating that I've MANUALLY moved the activation key instead of activating the correct way of which is an OUT AND OUT LIE as I activated it VIA the Ui by importing correctly. Subsequently it REFUSES to let me use it anymore and this is diabolical.

Warlock will not work properly as a stand alone and Electra is WAY oversized. Not impressed at all.

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Icarus3

Reviewed By VELLTONE MUSIC [all]
October 8th, 2022
Version reviewed: 1 on Windows

The only virtual synth, which sounds more convincing than hardware synthesizer - amazing filters, friendly workflow, incredible intuitive 3D sound via 3 osc architecture.

If need something to add character and presence to your mix, Icarus do it easy.

Outstanding synth!!.

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Icarus3

Reviewed By MegaPixel [all]
April 16th, 2022
Version reviewed: 2.08 on Windows

The good:

  • 3 x Oscillators which you can create some rather cool stuff with.
  • 3 x LFOs.
  • 1 x Step LFO (user customisable).
  • 2 x MSEGs.
  • Resynthesis (very cool, bit hit and miss though).
  • Vocoder.
  • 2 x Filters (chained).
  • Wavetable editor.
  • Half decent preset browser.
  • Arp editor.
  • Drums editor.
  • Glitch editor.
  • 1 x Vol Env.
  • 3 x AHDSR Env.
  • Wavetable paradise (almost).
  • Lots of effects (but there's more to this).

Overall its not that complicated to use, and you can get some great result just keeping things light with OSC1 to 3 and playing with the LFOs, MSEGs, Arp and/or the Glitch machine.

The bad:

  • Step LFO module should be part of the main editor area as it's user editable, so its a very small area to edit what you want and often is a trial and error repeating the note for a very very long time till you get what you want. Also no presets.
  • Routing, LFOs are fixed into modules and divided between OSC1 to 3 & Filter 1 & 2. So you get only 2 LFOs for OSC 1 to 3 and 1 LFO for the filters. You can however drag LFO 1 & 2 to other things resulting in some insanity (but this can be a good thing), but overall this is a limiting design/approach to things. It ties you down, bitwig will help you greatly here. Same with the MSEGs but Bitwig can't help you with that as they don't have a MSEG modulator and doubt we will see one for many years yet.
  • Preset browser (everything starts with 3 stars) where as it should be zero, and you can't give a zero star rating.
  • Presets are stored in with the VST folder (should be in the documents folder as per most other synths).
  • Preset classification, what is a seq or an arp is often in the leads or bass folders and so on, even worse for the expansions, they are all over the place and you have no idea what you will get next, best to ignore the folder names and due to this a drag and drop and create folders feature would be good so you could re-organise or delete but there's none of that.
  • Expansions / Additional presets, very poor, 25% of them if that are any good, very poor sound design.
  • The effects are often overpowering, their presets are drowned in them and are often unusable for anything other than showing you what they can do. Reverb ducking is nice though, every reverb should offer this but I pref to take my effects out to other 3rd party vst's I've purchased but some are very usable. So use them gently.

Overall, you can make some cool stuff but don't rely on the presets or the expansion presets, the good ones in the factory presets is as good as it gets, making your own is where its at. If your a preset junkie, this is not for you, if your into sound design you should enjoy this VST but you will soon find yourself wishing it did things in different ways and needing more LFOs and you will get annoyed with that step LFO. Those with bitwig will get a lot better use out this VST thanks to its modules (modulators) which can be assigned to nearly everything inside the VST giving you superior control than what the VST offers alone.

Worth a buy?
If you have Rapid or Avenger, NO.

If you want resynthesis and don't have Halion6 or Falcon, maybe, expensive for just that though.

I would say its a YES, if its on sale (50%+ off), you have Bitwig and enjoy sound design, but don't waste your money on any of the expansions, maybe grab the wavetable expansion only, and then set a good few hours aside to make some cool sounds ranging from the usual to the insane.

As for this becoming part of someones daily / weekly workflow, I don't think that will happen, well not for me, I might reach for it now and again but I will probably only end up using it when I have something unique I think it will be good for or I have started to accumulate a lot of presets I've created, which will take much time.

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Icarus3

Reviewed By mdstudio [all]
January 8th, 2019
Version reviewed: 1.6 on Mac

Excellent resynthesis (importing samples and creating wavetables). Low CPU usage. This is my favorite wavetable synth (with Serum being close second).

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Icarus3

Reviewed By Introspective [all]
June 16th, 2017
Version reviewed: 1.1 on Mac

Icarus is Tone2's magnum opus.

If you are familiar with the company, you will know that there's a particular "quality" to their synths: a fairly digital sound, a fairly scratchy reverb, a feeling of "technical excellence" at the expense, perhaps, of refinement. Those qualities are still here in Icarus, but they seem to have "owned" that, more or less, and produced something that really stands out. Icarus has a striking *clarity* to its sound, a snappiness to its envelopes, and an elegance to its workflow that is quite compelling.

If there is a standout negative to this, it is that Icarus more or less makes the rest of their synths superfluous. My first Tone2 synth was Gladiator, and I loved it. ...Then along came ElextraX, and I felt I no longer needed Gladiator to get the same kind of sound, so I stopped using it. ...In fact, ElectraX was so much easier to use and such a capable synth, that even after extensive demos of their other synths (notably their FM and "transwave" synths), I felt their was too much overlap in the sound to warrant another purchase. And again, when Icarus was released, I listened to the demos and thought "meh: this is just a reskinning of ElectraX."

I forget what the catalyst was—perhaps a YouTube video comparing Icarus to Serum or something—but eventually I broke down and downloaded the demo. I bought it a few days later. Indeed, the workflow here is quite similar to that of ElectraX, though I like that it's not "four synths in one," which is something I always found a little irksome. Everything is a bit more "succinct" here, in ways that are difficult to qualify, but was actually the *sound* that hadn't quite come across to me in the demos I'd listened to. The hypersaw sounds fuller, the wavetable scanning seems smoother, the filters are a little more refined, and the effects ... well.. perhaps they *use* them a bit less in the presets or something; that Tone2 reverb still has a quality to it that I *strongly* dislike (turning off the reverb is always my first tweak for Tone2 patches), but it bothers me much less with Icarus. :)

Tone2 has really outdone Serum in terms of wavetable manipulation: every feature here is a delight, from the drawing tools to the randomize function: you will end up with very pleasing results with MUCH less work. They are really to be lauded here. The resynthesis is always great fun to play with and can result in your own very distinct patches.

(A quick note: I do NOT think that Icarus "sounds better" than Serum. There is still a *crispness* to Serum that Icarus does not capture. Serum sounds much more ... clinical: I am going to play EXACTLY these frequencies, RIGHT here. Icarus reminds me more of a Virus, here: still very digital, but somewhat "warmer" or perhaps "smoother". If you own Serum, you do not *need* Icarus. ...but if you are a wavetable-junkie and really like editing them, you will find Icarus a delightful addition.)

The mod-matrix here meets all the modern requirements: drag-and-drop but *also* right-click assign, and *also* directly editable. Assignments are graphically displayed along with their depth and can be modified right from the affected knob. A good number of envelopes (4), a good number of LFOS (4), surprising number of waveshapes for the LFOs, the arp can be used as a mod source, and one mod slot can affect the depth of another. (This is actually less powerful than a matrix with built-in depth modifiers, but it'll do—it is at least clear, here.) A good number of slots—I haven't found myself wanting for more, yet (though, eventually, I'm sure I will. I always do).

The filters are really amazing here: there are SO MANY of them, and the "typical" ones are very high-quality and the "creative" ones are a lot of fun. The drive is not the highest-quality, but it's available and it does contribute to the quality of the sound. The display is also highly appreciated: while it's not *attractive*, it's actually one of the most useful graphical representations of a filter I've seen: very fast and very detailed. You really feel like you can see *exactly* what the filter is doing.

I'm not personally a big fan of Tone2's effects, so I largely skip this section. They "work," but the controls are a bit weird (rather than knobs, you "drag" text values). There is, as Aiyn Zahev said (of another synth) "a cheeky duck knob" to the effects, though, and that's nice for when you want THAT sound.

The EQ and limiter of limited (har har) quality, but, again, they add to the sound.

Really, the "stand out qualities" to this synth have to be the wavetable oscillators (PARTICULARLY the editor), the diverse filters, and the *cracking* all-on-one-page workflow.

Icarus is one of those synths that doesn't quite scream "we are aiming squarely at synth X." If it did, I would have to say it was aiming at Serum. ...which would be a shame, because I think, ultimately, Serum is a superior overall synth. That having been said, personally I actually find Icarus a more *usable* synth. It's more immediately creative, it's a bit broader in sound and usability. ...I've never really gotten a *truly* satisfying pad out of Serum, for example: that's just not its strength. ...Icarus handles them with aplomb. For me, Icarus is more of a stand-in for an Access Virus or a Blofeld or the like: a decent VA, albeit on the digital side, with that "wavetabley" sound that excels at pads and plucks.

I don't care about making dubstep basses, so don't ask me if it's good for that. ...I doubt it could touch Serum for that sound, though.

[shrug] I am finding this difficult to express, but: I reach for Icarus more often than Serum. Serum, for me, is something *specific, * for cutting, standout sounds. It screams "here I am!" regardless of how you use it. Icarus is more of a broad tool that handles almost everything very well, AND it is best-in-class for wavetable editing, hands-down.

I also own VPS Avenger ... and ... yeah... I would have a *really* hard time selling you Icarus if you were looking at Avenger. You're just going to get more bang for your buck, there: better-sounding (sounds very much like a Virus), better depth ... just a whole lot more "to" it. ...Unless you're still looking for that Wavetable editor, which is decidedly superior in Icarus. ...Think of Icarus like a Blofeld, here: would you still buy one if you owned a Virus? ...If so, then, yeah, you will want both Icarus AND Avenger. If you just want one, go for Avenger, period. (You might also prefer Icarus if you were one of those people who hate REALLY broad synths for being really broad. Icarus has more personality.)

All of that said, Icarus, today, is certainly one of my top-ten VSTs, right up there with Serum, Avenger, Omnisphere, Strobe, Diva, RePro, and LuSH. For me, I would probably even put it in my top five. Perhaps I cannot *quite* tell you why. ...it's probably because I *love* wavetables. :) When it comes down to it, if you are a studio-minimalist (or just don't have the money for overlap), Icarus is a hard sell. You'll probably want either Serum or Avenger. But if you just love sound-design and can handle having another creative synth in your arsenal, you would be remiss to pass over Icarus. It is really something very special.

A final note: I am aware that there is a group of users on KVR who feel it is their duty to downvote all "overly-positive" reviews. Conceptually, I understand their motivation: to account for some of the "hype" that surrounds synths and to point out that "things can always get better." So be it; I am powerless to stop them. I do, however, have a message for them: you are idiots; get over yourselves.

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