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
Arturia Pigments is a software synthesizer combining six synthesis engines, drag-and-drop modulation, filters, effects, and sequencing.
Rob Papen Quad-2 is a phase-distortion and waveshaping synthesizer with 36 filter types, additive and spectral waveforms, a deep modulation matrix and over 1000 presets.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Arturia Pigments | Rob Papen Quad-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199 | €49 / $49 |
| Dubspot Score | 9.1 | — |
| Formats | Standalone, VST, VST3, AAX, Audio Unit (AU), NKS | VST, VST3, AU, RTAS, 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 | 36 types, 6 dB to 36 dB slopes (LP, HP, BP, notch, comb, vocal, formant, ring) |
| Effects | 20 effects, with 3 FX slots per bus across two insert buses and one send/return bus | FX-1 (chorus, ensemble, flanger, phaser, widener); FX-2 (reverb, delay) |
| Presets | Over 1,700 presets | Over 1000 |
| Current version | Pigments 7 | — |
| Platforms | Windows 10+ (64-bit) and macOS 11+ (incl. Apple M1); 4 GB RAM, 3 GB disk space | — |
| Type | — | Phase-distortion and waveshaping synthesizer |
| Oscillators | — | 2, plus a sub-oscillator with spread; additive and spectral waves |
| Sound shaping | — | Phase distortion and waveshaper per oscillator |
| Oscillator modulation | — | Ring modulation, phase modulation, multiple FM routings |
| Modulation | — | 16 sources, 165 destinations, 16-slot matrix; 2 LFOs; 2 envelopes |
| Arpeggiator | — | 16 steps, 11 modes, per-step octave, swing and velocity |
| Polyphony | — | 16 voices, 8 play modes including unison 2, 3, 4, 6 |
| Formats | — | VST, VST3, AU, RTAS, AAX (macOS and Windows) |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.