Khorlo by JAS-I is a free physical-modeling synth built on a rotating cylinder with eight strings and eight pluckers, with nine filters, deep modulation, and a ten-slot FX rack.
Plugin comparison
Khorlo 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 | Khorlo | Serum 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $249 |
| Dubspot Score | — | 9.2 |
| Formats | VST3, AU, CLAP | VST3, AU, AAX |
| Type | Rotating physical-modeling / resonator synth | — |
| Engine | Virtual cylinder, 8 strings, 8 pluckers, bowed resonators | — |
| Filters | 9 models (incl. Cascade, Squelch, Scream) | — |
| Modulation | 8 banks, 4 macros, velocity, mod wheel, aftertouch, MPE | — |
| Effects | 10-slot reorderable rack | — |
| Formats | VST3, AU, CLAP | — |
| macOS | 11 or later, universal | — |
| Windows | 10 or later, 64-bit (WebView2) | — |
| Linux | x86-64 (WebKitGTK) | — |
| Version | 0.9.03 (beta) | — |
| Price | Free | — |
| Oscillator engines | — | 5 (Wavetable, Multisample, Sample, Granular, Spectral) |
| Factory presets | — | Over 626 presets |
| Wavetables | — | 288 wavetables |
| Plugin formats | — | VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit) |
| Platforms | — | Windows 10+ and macOS High Sierra+ (Intel) / Big Sur+ (Apple Silicon) |
| Additional tools | — | Arpeggiator, clip sequencer, flexible effect routing |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.