- First released almost thirty years ago, the OSCar (manufactured by the UK-based Oxford Synthesiser Company) was a pioneering mono-synth in a number of ways, not the least of which was that it implemented MIDI. Although only 2000 were made, OSCar's popularity spawned a clone in the form of GForce's ImpOscar back in 2003. Due to public demand and with user-sourced suggestions in evidence throughout its extended feature set, ImpOscar now returns as ImpOscar 2. Currently available in AU, VST and RTAS forms for Mac and as a VST for PC, ImpOscar builds hugely on its predecessor's legacy.
Perhaps most impressive amongst the new features is ImpOscar's new Unison mode, which allows up to eight voices to be stacked together, complete with independent tuning and glide times, to name but two parameters. Instantly, this feature substantially widens ImpOscar's potential and therefore the range of sounds to which you might turn to this plug-in. Whereas GForce's original was a great place to go for basses, leads and thinner sequence sounds, the lush offerings of Unison mode now include rich, detailed pads, atmospheres and drones, taking it way beyond the remit of a dance-only synth. Add in the new aftertouch capabilities, where parameters can be mapped to channel pressure and the sonic options widen yet further, with blasts of pleasing additional character just a keyboard squeeze away. Polyphony has been expanded to 16 voices too, no doubt to allow these extended patches the full playability they deserve.
The ImpOscar's sonic architecture is based on a twin-oscillator design, though there are enhancements here too, as a ring modulator has been added, capable of providing some wonderfully digital, biting overtones, as well as independent pulse width settings for the two oscillators. This widens the sonic options yet further, as does an extension to the instrument's LFO section, in the form of a second modulator. To increase the potential and usability here, an Auxiliary Modulation section has been added to allow easier and more flexible routing of control sources to your choice of targets. Also, the LFOs have been extended with slower sync speeds, so that sounds can throb and evolve more slowly than before, helping to produce some of the pad and drone noises I mentioned earlier.
Apparently, the single biggest request from users of the original ImpOscar was for a dedicated effects section and GForce has responded in style. The top left hand corner provides access to it where, by default, you can dial in the amount of Chorus and Delay you want and adjust delay time. However, if you crave a wider range of parameters, the effect panel can be opened (albeit via an unnecessarily small Panel Open button) which provides additional controls. These include independent feedback, length and mix amounts for the left and right delay channels, as well as filter controls for delay taps. It's possible to route external audio through the ImpOscar's sound engine and, through some DAW hosts, it's even possible to work audio through ImpOscar's own Arpeggiator.
The original ImpOscar's white noise generator was and remains great for adding grit and bite to sounds but it's been adapted here to allow either white or pink noise to be added, with a colour-coded toggle button keeping you in touch with which option is currently active. The pink noise settings are, as you'd expect, more subtle, so more gentle noise colouration is now possible. All of these enhancements are nicely shown off through the extended patch library, which finally does the instrument justice. Once upon a time, the best sounds to be coaxed from this instrument were those created by the user. Now, the database of sounds acts as a great starting point for sonic exploration, with the Unison mode brought to the fore through many patches.
The library itself is now easier to navigate too, thanks to the helpful Browser which, when launched, substitutes the entire GUI for a list of patches. For users of the standalone version in particular, the option within this screen to set up program change messages to toggle between patches should prove popular.
Other improvements include extensions to the Arpeggiator's modes and capabilities and a chord "hold and trigger" mode, which allows ImpOscar to "learn" a chord and then trigger the same chord spacing from different keys. Finally, you have an option to re-size the GUI from small, medium to large sizes, so you can match the instrument to the screen acreage you have available.
I was a big fan of the original ImpOscar, yet this second incarnation goes much further into new worlds of sonic possibility. It's a wonderful sounding instrument, variously capable of screaming leads, rounded basses and rich textures, but the warmth it now shows through pads, in particular, is unexpected but entirely welcome. Since acquiring the review copy, I've turned to it several times in my own production work and have been delighted to discover that it's as capable of filling holes in a production as it is providing the foundation for the lion's share of a track in its own right. Purists will argue that the changes take ImpOscar further away from the original instrument but, personally, I'm a huge fan of the new developments, which offer a much more modern parameter set.
Ratings
Cost: 4/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Versatility: 4.5/5
Ease of use: 4/5