8.5Great
reFX Rippler is a dual-layer physical modeling synthesizer with 12 acoustic models, bi-directional energy coupling, and subtractive shaping.
Plugin comparison
reFX Rippler vs Serum 2
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which synth to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
9.2Essential
Serum 2 is Xfer Records' wavetable synthesizer plugin with five oscillator engines, flexible effect routing, an arpeggiator, and a clip sequencer.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
On the Dubspot Score, Serum 2 comes out ahead (9.2). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | reFX Rippler | Serum 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €99 intro (regular €129) | $249 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.5 | 9.2 |
| Formats | VST3, AU, AAX | VST3, AU, AAX |
| Type | Dual-layer physical modeling + subtractive synthesizer | — |
| Acoustic models | 12 (String, Drumhead, Beam, Djembe, Squared, Vibraphone, Bell, Marimba, Membrane, Open Tube, Plate, Closed Tube) | — |
| Layer routing | Parallel or serial, with bi-directional energy coupling | — |
| Sound sources | 2 oscillators, 2 filters, 32 exciter samples | — |
| Modulation | Envelopes, LFOs (64 shapes), Mod Mapping curves, MPE, aftertouch, microtuning (Scala/MTS) | — |
| Effects | 13 on master bus, 12 per layer, modular chain | — |
| Presets | 441 factory presets, 10 arpeggiator presets | — |
| Formats | AU, VST3, AAX | — |
| Platforms | Windows 10/11; macOS 10.13+ (Intel or Apple Silicon), 8GB RAM | Windows 10+ and macOS High Sierra+ (Intel) / Big Sur+ (Apple Silicon) |
| Oscillator engines | — | 5 (Wavetable, Multisample, Sample, Granular, Spectral) |
| Factory presets | — | Over 626 presets |
| Wavetables | — | 288 wavetables |
| Plugin formats | — | VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit) |
| Additional tools | — | Arpeggiator, clip sequencer, flexible effect routing |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.