And the Glitch sequencer is an endlessly inspiring tool, upping the fun factor and introducing a wildly creative new string to Icarus’ bow. The MSEGs bring a welcome increase in modulation scope, enabling a greater degree of complex parameter movement than is offered by the Step LFO. Icarus 2’s other big new features are unarguably transformative. That hardly makes its inclusion a bad thing, though, of course. In fact, though the drum sequencer is capable enough, we could take it or leave it – we’d always rather program our beats in a dedicated plugin rather than a sub-section of a synth. Yes, the new drum sequencer and ability to use the MSEGs (and Arpeggiator) to ‘sequence’ individual oscs enables it to create simple tracks in a single instance, but that’s a long way from the true multitimbrality – ie, layering and keysplitting of multiple patches, and/or assignment of them to separate MIDI channels – that defines a workstation synth. Tone2 suggest that Icarus 2 now qualifies as a ‘workstation’, but we’d take issue with that. Thorn is a world-class soft synth that we confidently predict will become a dance music production staple. Totally inspiring, utterly absorbing, ridiculously versatile and sounding phenomenal, VPS Avenger is quite unlike any other synth out there. It’s as solid and flexible a multistage envelope as we’ve seen in any synth – great stuff. Any number of breakpoints can be clicked in, and the lines between them curved by dragging.Īdjustable grid resolution and snap-to-grid make detailed editing easy, and further niceties include separate start and loop points, delay and fade-in. Providing the means with which to design intricate rhythmic modulation shapes and sequences, we suspect the two host-syncable MSEGs will prove far more useful than the Drum Sequencer for most Icarus users. It’s just a shame you can’t change track rates and lengths independently of each other to create polyrhythmic percussion lines. Given its ‘secondary’ status, the Drum Sequencer is appropriately simple but effective. There’s no denying xthe punch and spectral range, nor them staggering versatility of its architecture
The global sequencer rate and length are adjustable, and the bipolar Swing/Shuffle parameter brings the groove. Per-step Velocity sliders govern volume, while pitch can be tweaked directly and modulated by velocity DSR envelope sliders shape the dynamics of each sample and an effects send routes individual tracks to one of the three FX modules. One-shot samples (around 250 are included) and/or loops (automatically synced to tempo) are loaded into five tracks and sequenced in the usual X0X-style way. The most attention-grabbing new feature of Icarus 2, then, is the Drum Sequencer, with which rhythm tracks can be triggered alongside your synth lines.
(Image credit: Future) Performance and verdict With an onboard Drum Sequencer, you can build drum and percussion tracks into your patches, while the Glitch Sequencer is a fine addition for mad rhythmic processing.
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