TAL’s latest major updates for the BassLine-101 v3 & U-NO-LX v4 Synthesizer plugins feature new UI’s, MPE support & no longer 32-bit support.
That’s a nice surprise for the end of the year. Both Synthesizer plugins and emulations of the Roland SH-101 and Juno 106 have gotten new larger interfaces. They now feature a keyboard as well as another display on the left side. Like the old versions, the UI is also scalable.
Now it’s also possible to disable the audio engine of the plugins. With this, you can only work with the Bassline-101 step sequencer with MIDI out. Handy feature because you now have a 101 style sequencer for your DAW. Further, they added MPE support to it and fixed several bugs. Important to know, they dropped 32-bit support for Windows and macOS. Nice free update in my opinion.
Features
TAL-U-NO-LX is a complete rewritten emulation of the popular Juno 60 with a new engine and GUI. Up to date zero feedback delay filters and carefully calibrated controls make this synth a good replacement for the analog device with all the advantages software plugins have. As an addition, the TAL-U-NO-LX also supports portamento and different filter LFO waveforms and some more useful features.
An arpeggiator with different sync modes and hold function is also included. A very fast envelope with a smooth roll-off, emulated inaccuracy and a very smooth filter sound gives this synth the typical sound. The synth was calibrated after a hardware device that’s the property of TAL.
TAL-BassLine-101 V3 is a monophonic bass synthesizer and a very accurate emulation of the popular SH 101. The GUI is intuitive and easy to use. It produces the raw sound you know from analogue devices without any effects. Its 24dB zero feedback delay low pass filter has a very smooth and authentic sound without any digital artifacts, especially designed and calibrated for extreme settings. It sounds even smooth with a lot resonance and a high oscillator pitch where most emulations fail.
Details as envelope transitions between overlapping notes are carefully modeled. The oscillators do not use any samples. TAL-BassLine-101 generates all wave-forms in real time. Filter-FM allows it to choose an oscillator waveform as modulation source for the filter cutoff. This additional feature can be used to create a wide range of new sounds.
TAL BassLine-101 V3 & U-NO-LX V4 are available now as a free update for existing users. The plugins are available for $60 (excl. taxes).
More information here: TAL
Monophonic MPE, eh? “Mono Preposterous Expression”?
As with Shockwave from Kai Aras, we need a way to identify synths which work correctly with expressive controllers like the LinnStrument, Sense Morph, Madrona Soundplane, ContinuuMini, or ROLI Lightpad & Seaboard. That’s not the same as MPE support. ROLI calls this “5D”, which might not work with everyone. We need a good name. “MPE” isn’t it. (It’s already shifted from “Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression” to “MIDI Polyphonic Expression”. Doesn’t sound like changing the ‘P’ to mean something else would make any sense. Polyphony is precisely the reason MPE is important.)
As MIDI2 approaches, we need a way to avoid misleading descriptions.
Both emulations from TAL are polyphonic even the BassLine-101. You can switch in mono but also in poly mode. I can’t test MPE because I don’t have a controller right now. With MIDI 2, MPE will change, pretty sure.