Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1509389
REVIEW ever before have I had so much trouble to get my head around the synthesizer plug-in I'm covering in this review: GForce's Oddity3. This plug- in is based on the ARP Odyssey, a synth dating back to the seventies. Imagine this synth was used for the theme song of Doctor Who at the time, and that ABBA, Herbie Hancock and French compos- er Jean-Michel Jarre had one…Well, for around $125, you can have this synth too as a plug-in to your DAW, and it sounds just like the real thing. GForce's Oddity3 is the plug-in that comes closest to the real Odyssey, with some enhancements, of course. Oddity was introduced back in 2002 and was praised for its likeness to the ARP Odyssey. This latest version uses a slight- ly-dierent approach to oscillators and the likes than the one I got used to, so it was a bit of a challenge to learn it. I'll jump ahead of myself and give you the verdict already. My hunch was that this synth would be very useful for soundtracks and special eects, and I've not been disappointed at all. Quite the contrary, in fact. GForce Software individually engineers all of their virtual instruments without relying upon core code libraries to ensure unique and authentic character. They take the spirit of the original instrument and add features that enhance the user experience in the DAW environment. The Oddity3 is an emulation of the ARP Odyssey they created together with Ohm Force using state-of-the-art com- ponent modeling technology to achieve the most realistic analogue synthesizer sound possible. What I've seen so far from GForce is that they indeed succeed at recalling the exact signature sound in a plug-in on a level few other software companies can. The Oberheim OB-E, a plug-in version of the 8-Voice, is testament to their capabil- ities. Listening to recordings from when I was a 16-18 year old, and then listening to the Oddity3 plug-in revealed the same closeness to the real thing. What's it good for? For myself, the Oddity3 was not easy to learn and it won't be for you either, if as so far you've only worked with plug-ins like Zebra 2 or DUNE 3. It's an entirely dierent world GForce has managed to project from the 1980s into a 2023 plug- in. Having said that, once you grasp what each component does and how it fits in a workflow, it's not dicult to start making your own patches, although you may never feel the need to, as Oddity3 comes with a load of patches included, and many of those are quite usable for movie sound scores. That's because the synth has what I can only describe as "clari- ty" built-in. It can generate crystal-clear sounds without white or pink noise audi- bly present. It's a formidable instrument for creating bell sounds or sounds that act like sonic springs. These capabilities, and the extras that weren't in the original Odyssey, but which GForce have added to Oddity3, make it excellent for delicate, detailed music — not necessarily upbeat or downbeat — but less so for dark, broadly painted soundscapes, although you can generate those as well. Don't expect those to sound as dark and threatening as something you can get out of the Oberheim OB-E, though. For example, the included patches that are reminiscent of the Blade Runner sound don't come close. Those of the Oberheim OB-E — as well as the one that comes with DUNE 3 — are much closer. Having said that, what you can get out of the Oddity3 can be mesmerizing, and in that respect, I found it to be extreme- ly-well suited for cinematic use, and even for documentaries. Special eects are an- other area where the Oddity3 synth will shine. Some of the eects the Oddity3 is capable of are impossible to create with anything else — or at least much, much harder to obtain. Oh, and if you think all synths sound the same, as I recently read in a subred- dit discussion, you might give Oddity3 a chance. You'll be surprised how dierent some synths can sound from others. Oddity3 is available now for download. GFORCE SOFTWARE'S ODDITY3 SYNTH PLUG-IN BY ERIK VLIETINCK ERIK@ THECONTENTGAME.COM RECALLING THE SIGNATURE SOUND OF A POPULAR VINTAGE SYNTH N VITAL STATS MANUFACTURER: GForce Software PRODUCT: Oddity3 PRICE: $126 WEBSITE: www.gforcesoftware.com