Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which synth to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Cherry Audio Pentaphonic is a $59 recreation of the rare 1981 Gleeman hybrid synth, with up to 16 voices, three UI themes, and a polyphonic step sequencer.
Microvolt 3901 is Pittsburgh Modular's software version of the 3900 semi-modular synth, with seven oscillators, 19 effects, a full patch bay and six-voice polyphony.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Cherry Audio Pentaphonic | Microvolt 3901 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $59 | $69 |
| Dubspot Score | — | — |
| Formats | AU, VST, VST3, AAX, standalone, macOS, Windows | Standalone, VST3, AU, AUv3 |
| Voices | Mono, unison, or 2–16 | — |
| Oscillators | 3 DCOs per voice, 8 stair-stepped waveforms, PWM, sync, noise | Seven sources, including Microvolt, Lifeforms SV-1, Double Helix wavetable, DNA Symbiotic Waves |
| Filter | 24 dB 4-pole and 12 dB 2-pole low-pass, key tracking | — |
| Sequencer | 16×4 polyphonic steps, arp, Parameter Animator | 16-step; built-in touch-plate keyboard |
| Effects | 22, up to 5 in a chain | 19, usable at the end of the chain or patched inside the synth |
| Presets | 375+, plus a $9.99 Translucent pack | 200 factory, import and export, 100-step undo |
| Disk | 196 MB | — |
| System | macOS 10.13+ or Windows 7+, 64-bit | — |
| Developer | — | Pittsburgh Modular |
| Type | — | Patchable virtual-analog / semi-modular synth |
| Models | — | Microvolt 3900 plus classic Pittsburgh Modular Eurorack modules |
| Modulation | — | Ten sources: VILFO, dual LFO, function generator, Game System, envelopes, modulation oscillator, sample and hold, ring modulator |
| Patching | — | Full patch bay routing audio and CV |
| Polyphony | — | Six voices, or mono with up to six unison voices |
| Sync | — | MIDI, Ableton Link, host sync |
| Formats | — | macOS: Standalone, AU, VST3. Windows: Standalone, VST3. iPad (Standalone, AUv3) coming |
| Systems | — | macOS 12+, Windows 10/11 (64-bit, incl. ARM64), iPadOS 15+ |
| Price | — | $69 (Mac and Windows); 7-day free trial |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.