9.1Essential
Arturia Pigments is a software synthesizer combining six synthesis engines, drag-and-drop modulation, filters, effects, and sequencing.
Plugin comparison
Arturia Pigments vs reFX Rippler
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
8.5Great
reFX Rippler is a dual-layer physical modeling synthesizer with 12 acoustic models, bi-directional energy coupling, and subtractive shaping.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
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
Specs compared
| Signal | Arturia Pigments | reFX Rippler |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199 | €99 intro (regular €129) |
| Dubspot Score | 9.1 | 8.5 |
| Formats | Standalone, VST, VST3, AAX, Audio Unit (AU), NKS | VST3, AU, AAX |
| 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 | 13 on master bus, 12 per layer, modular chain |
| Presets | Over 1,700 presets | 441 factory presets, 10 arpeggiator presets |
| Current version | Pigments 7 | — |
| Platforms | Windows 10+ (64-bit) and macOS 11+ (incl. Apple M1); 4 GB RAM, 3 GB disk space | Windows 10/11; macOS 10.13+ (Intel or Apple Silicon), 8GB RAM |
| 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) |
| Formats | — | AU, VST3, AAX |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.