That means Arturia has to sweeten the deal a bit so the software can compete. Of course, you could for these reasons go get an actual CZ-101. But to me the whole appeal of the CZ-101 is that it’s for people who love synths, not people trying to emulate their heroes. So yeah, Arturia are quick to drop names who have used it, like Salt-N-Pepa and Vince Clarke.

The CZ is somehow too easy, too friendly, too compact, too inexpensive to have the kind of adoration of some of the other 80s and 70s throwbacks. I want to talk about the CZ-101 because it’s long been one of my favorite instruments, and it’s a fairly unsung one. It’s a bit like what you do in a packed studio – you pull out one piece of gear, and say, hey, tonight is going to be about me and this instrument and very little else. So my approach to V Collection is actually to ignore all those presets – apologies, dear sound designer friends – and try to focus on one instrument.

The ability to just dial up a menu and say, “do I want an Oberheim SEM or a CS-80” is already pretty crazy, and the number of choices continues to grow. Photo ( CC-BY-SA) Neil Vance, via WikiCommons. For that crowd, the V Collection 7 adds the EMI Synthi V and the CZ-101 from Casio, circa 1985. Of course, if you read CDM, your favorite preset may be “default template,” and the idea of getting lost for hours in a vintage synth control layout may be the whole selling point. If the idea of a whole bunch of unfamiliar keyboards and control layouts is unappealing, V Collection 7 also includes the new Analog Lab 4, which consolidates all these things into easy presets and macro controls, and hundreds of new presets in their “Synthopedia.” That way if you do want to look up the way a familiar sound was produced – then tweak it yourself – you can. Jimmy Smith Strawberry Fields Forever, check and mate. So if you just want to add a convincing Mellotron or B-3, you’re covered – with an all-new Mellotron and a total ground-up sound engine overhaul for the B-3 V2.

Version 7 continues to balance the desires of the casual keyboardist and the obsessive synth sound designer – and everything in between. The EMS Synthi V makes an appearance in the new V Collection, too – if your tastes go more 70s than 80s.

Arturia analog lab arpeggiator