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
Synth / reFX
NEXUS5 by reFX is a ROMpler/synthesizer plugin with eight sound-generator types, thousands of factory presets, effects, and a built-in sample editor.
Phase Plant is a semi-modular software synthesizer combining wavetable, sample, and noise generators with modular modulation and built-in effects.
Score verdict
On the Dubspot Score, Phase Plant comes out ahead (8.7). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Nexus 5 | Phase Plant |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | $199 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.1 | 8.7 |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU (AudioUnit), AAX | VST2, VST3, AU (Audio Unit), AAX |
| Sound generators | 8 types: Virtual Analog, Sampler, Wavetable, Time Stretcher, Retro Sampler, Grain, Cloud, and FM | — |
| Presets | 5,454 included in the Starter edition; 33,352 in the Complete edition | — |
| Sample library | 6,810 multi-samples (~65.8 GB uncompressed) | — |
| Effects | Includes Bucket Brigade Delay, Particle Reverb, Vowel Filter, Rotary, and Pusher, plus 216 impulse responses | Three effects lanes; includes Kilohearts Essentials effects |
| Editing & sequencing | Built-in sample editor with slicer/loop/crossfade, 119 arpeggiator presets, and 52 trancegate presets | — |
| Operating systems | macOS 10.13+ (native Apple Silicon support) and Windows 10/11 | Windows and macOS, 64-bit x86 with SSE3; macOS Apple M-series supported |
| Type | — | Semi-modular software synthesizer (softsynth) |
| Generators | — | Regular waveforms, wavetables, samples, and noise |
| FM/Modulation | — | Cross-modulate and self-modulate volume, frequency, and phase between all signal generators |
| MIDI | — | MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) support |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.