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
Interphase Cartograph is a Casio VZ-1 style interactive phase distortion synth with Classic and Extended modes, SysEx import, and through-zero FM, at around $7.
Arturia Pigments is a software synthesizer combining six synthesis engines, drag-and-drop modulation, filters, effects, and sequencing.
Score verdict
On the Dubspot Score, Arturia Pigments comes out ahead (9.1). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Phantomexposure Interphase Cartograph | Arturia Pigments |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7 | $199 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.0 | 9.1 |
| Formats | VST3, Standalone | Standalone, VST, VST3, AAX, Audio Unit (AU), NKS |
| Type | Interactive phase distortion (iPD) synthesizer | — |
| Based on | Casio VZ-1 and VZ-10M (1988) | — |
| Classic mode | 4 lines, 8 modules, 8 iPD waveforms, 8-stage envelopes | — |
| Extended mode | 6 lines, 12 modules, 8 morphable waveforms, 12-stage envelopes, AM, through-zero FM | — |
| Modulation | 2 LFOs, 16-slot modulation matrix, 6 macros | — |
| Extras | Arpeggiator, microtuning, lockable randomizer, VZ-1 SysEx import | — |
| Presets | 43 factory presets, illustrated PDF manual | Over 1,700 presets |
| Formats | VST3, standalone | — |
| Operating system | Windows 64-bit; signed Universal macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) | — |
| Price | Around $7 | — |
| Synthesis engines | — | Six engines: Modal, Granular, Wavetable, Sample, Harmonic, and Virtual Analog (plus a Utility engine) |
| Filters | — | 19 filter types and 68 filter modes |
| Effects | — | 20 effects, with 3 FX slots per bus across two insert buses and one send/return bus |
| Current version | — | Pigments 7 |
| Platforms | — | Windows 10+ (64-bit) and macOS 11+ (incl. Apple M1); 4 GB RAM, 3 GB disk space |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.