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 / Reveal Sound
Spire by Reveal Sound is a polyphonic software synthesizer combining four multimode oscillators with a unison engine, filters, and built-in effects.
Synth / LennarDigital
Sylenth1 is a virtual analog software synthesizer with four unison oscillators, two filter sections, and built-in effects.
Editorial analysis
Spire and Sylenth1 are the two synths most often cross-shopped by producers chasing fat, ready-to-mix EDM leads, basses, and supersaws. Both are single-panel, preset-heavy workhorses from the same era, and both are now dated in the UI. The question is rarely 'which is more powerful' and almost always 'which one gets me to the sound I already hear in my head faster.'
Decisive signal
The decisive split is architecture and range. Sylenth1 is a purebred virtual-analog subtractive synth: four unison oscillators, two multi-stage filters, and nothing else, which is exactly why it sounds so consistently warm and mixes with almost no effort. Spire is a broader design, with four polymorphing oscillators (Classic, FM, AMSync, SawPWM, HardFM, Vowel), a nine-voice-per-oscillator unison engine, a 15-slot mod matrix, and an onboard multiband compressor and EQ. That means Spire can go wider and finish a patch inside the plugin, but it is heavier and busier; Sylenth1 does less and does it cleanly, running hundreds of voices where Spire's stacked patches cost more CPU.
Choose Spire if
The trance, EDM, or psytrance producer who wants the widest, glassiest supersaws and a deeper mod matrix and effects rack to finish patches inside the plugin.
Open plugin file →Choose Sylenth1 if
The producer who wants warm, ready-to-mix analog-style leads and basses with minimal CPU cost, maximum stability, and the best value of the two.
Open plugin file →Buying verdict
Sylenth1 wins on value and sound-per-effort: at roughly €139 it delivers that signature analog polish, rock-solid stability, and effortless mixing, and its higher 8.4 score reflects how little it asks in return. Spire, at $189, earns its keep only if you specifically want its best-in-class supersaw and unison engine plus the deeper modulation and effects to sculpt a full patch without leaving the synth. Neither is a modern sound-design flagship, so if you want the broader, more genre-flexible engine choose Spire; if you want the fastest, cleanest path to a great analog-style sound, Sylenth1 is the safer buy.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Spire | Sylenth1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | — | — |
| Dubspot Score | 8.1 | 8.4 |
| Formats | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX, CLAP | VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Oscillators | 4x multimode polymorphing oscillators (Classic, Noise, FM, AMSync, SawPWM, HardFM, Vowel) | 4 alias-free unison oscillators; up to 8 unison voices each (32 voices per note) |
| Unison | 9x unison voices per oscillator (supersaw/hypersaw capable, spread by chords and octaves) | — |
| Filters | 2x multimode filters with analogue and digital types (Perfecto, Infecto, Acido, Scorpio, Combo, Shaper) | 2 filter sections, each with 4 filter stages and nonlinear saturation |
| Built-in FX | Shaper/Decimator, Phaser/Vowel, Chorus/Flanger, Delay, Reverb, plus X-Comp multiband compressor and 3-band EQ | — |
| Modulation | 4x Macros, 4x Envelopes, 4x LFOs with morphing shapes, 15x matrix slots (2 sources + 4 targets each), 2x Steppers, Arpeggiator | — |
| Factory presets | Over 1000 factory presets (arpeggios, basses, leads, pads, plucks, drums, FX) | — |
| Current version | 1.5.19 | — |
| System requirements | macOS 10.15+ (Intel/Apple M1) or Windows (64-bit and 32-bit); legacy builds for macOS 10.8-10.14 | — |
| Synth engine | — | Virtual analog (subtractive) |
| Polyphony | — | 16 notes (up to 512 voices simultaneously) |
| Effects | — | Arpeggiator, distortion, phaser, chorus/flanger, EQ, delay, reverb, compressor |
| Presets | — | Over 2,500 presets included |
Quick reference
Sylenth1 is the easier starting point. Its strictly subtractive, single-panel layout means every control is visible and predictable, and the 2,500-plus presets get you to a usable sound immediately. Spire's polymorphing oscillators and 15-slot matrix are more powerful but denser, so newcomers hit the learning curve sooner.
Sylenth1 is the cheaper and more efficient buy at around €139 with two-computer activation, versus $189 for Spire. Sylenth1 also runs far more voices on modest hardware. Spire justifies its higher price only if you specifically need its supersaw engine, broader oscillator modes, and deeper onboard effects and modulation.
Both are known for supersaws, but Spire's nine-voice-per-oscillator unison engine is widely regarded as best-in-class, spreading across chords and octaves for an exceptionally wide, glassy result. Sylenth1's supersaws are fatter and warmer with a more analog character. Trance and big-room producers usually lean Spire; producers after a rounder, mix-ready saw often prefer Sylenth1.
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.