The creative effects category is an expansive one, taking in distortions, delays, choruses, reverbs and more – it’s a tough one to narrow down. As our ethos this year is all about sharing the love, and not attributing one singular award to a central winner, it’s made the job slightly easier. But still, there’s quite a bit of ground to cover. One release that we can universally agree exceeded expectations was Erica Synths’ Zen Delay Virtual. Nothing was sacrificed when building the modern classic hardware Zen Delay hardware unit in the software domain. Retaining the simple, knob-based UI of its parent, the ‘ZDV’ makes crafting captivating delays incredibly easy, while further subtle tweaks of the Drive, Feedback and Resonance knobs yield expansive flavours that few software-based delays can generate. The expanded modulation and routing controls within the software version led us to proclaim that the ZDV represented “a fluid transition of a modern hardware classic into a versatile software delay. We’ll be keeping ZDV close”. And, we have.
Retro flavours continued to dominate the music production space in 2023, with JMG Sound’s Retronaut being a particularly vibrant addition to the growing arcade hall of ’80s-leaning effects. Ostensibly a multi-voice vibrato and chorus, this ‘lofi nostalgia machine’ went beyond the norm with its expansive modulation options and peerless memorystirring sound palette. In our review, we concluded that, “While we’re not exactly lacking in vintage-angled software in our collection, the sound-enlivening qualities that JMG Sound’s latest bring make it far more than just the nostalgia machine the company promised.”