![]() The bottom half of the panel houses the modulation source matrix (essentially the same as on Thor) and the master effects. The layout has been shuffled around a bit in version 2 to reflect the signal flow more accurately: the sound sources are now at the top, with the Modifiers underneath (see screen 1 above). Parsec 2 adds the option to link the Modifier modules from both engines, which all then operate on a single sound generator. In Parsec 1, these always operated in parallel to create tonal blends or movement. Parsec has two identical sound engines, laid out side by side on the panel either side of a mix control. And if you take some time to understand what Parsec is doing you can get even more stunning results, especially with some of the new version 2 modules. Some random tinkering will also lead you into less familiar, and more inspiring territory. This is a smart move from the designers, because if you’re familiar with Reason’s more conventional synths you should be able to get usable sounds from Parsec using a regular subtractive workflow. Given all this, Parsec’s user interface might strike you as surprisingly traditional, with sound generators that route to sound shapers, and a modulation matrix of LFOs and envelopes. But an additive approach gives you direct control over the spectrum of a sound from the bottom up, allowing you to do many things that would be impossible with subtractive filtering and signal processing. On the face of it, it might seem unnecessarily complex and processor-intensive to construct a sound from scratch using individual oscillators when a single sawtooth or noise generator gives you a wealth of them. Additive synthesis uses the fact that all waveforms can be described (and re-synthesised) by a series of harmonic (sinusoidal) constituents. I was disabused of this notion originally by instruments from VirSyn, such as Poseidon and Cube, which showed what fantastic sounds you could create when you have practical ways to coordinate and manipulate 512 oscillators. ![]() Sine Of The Timesįor me, additive synthesis as a concept was associated with the rather academic construction of sounds from sine waves. The version 2 release is a great excuse for us to explore this brilliant synth here for the first time. It was, and still is, bang on trend with the bright, cutting sound-design capabilities of other next-gen additive synths released around that time, such as NI’s Razor and AIR’s Loom. Parsec was launched back in 2013, bringing a fresh modern sound palette to the Rack which had been dominated by more traditional samplers and analogue modelling synths. Here’s the lowdown on this essential Reason Rack Extension. Propellerhead recently released a major update to their Parsec synth. You get verbal, auditory, and written warnings of approaching enemies except for the killer satellites.Ĭritic reviews added by Alsy, Tim Janssen, SoMuchChaotix, Stelios Kanitsakis.Screen 1: Parsec 2’s newly re-organised front panel. ![]() Without speech, you have no indication as to how long you must remain in the belt.Īfter level 3, levels start with killer satellites, which track your ship closely and are very difficult to kill. The speech synthesis REALLY helps here, as you get a verbal countdown towards completing the belt. You must use lift 1 for the tunnels.Īt the end of every level, you must maneuver through an asteroid belt. Your ship has three "lift" factors that control the speed of vertical movement. If you make it out alive, you receive bonus points and action resumes. There are three that get progressively longer and more difficult. ![]() Your ship as a limited amount of fuel, and when this runs low, game action stops allowing you a chance to fly through a refueling tunnel. You fly your ship over a planet that scrolls at the bottom of the screen.Įnemies fall into one of two major categories - three types of fighters (swoopers, LTFs, and saucers) and three types of cruisers (Urbites, Dramites, and Bynites).Īs if that wasn't enough, your laser can overheat, destroying your ship, so simply blasting away constantly will lose you the game. The third type of refueling tunnel is very difficult, and once you encounter it once, that's the type of tunnel you will see throughout the game. Varied enemies that require differing strategies to defeatĭifficulty increases in many ways - enemies move faster, require more shots to kill, all while your laser overheats more quickly.
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