Icy Synths for the Winter Season

Warmth is all we ever go on about in synthesizer circles. Ok I exaggerate, but a proportion of enthusiasts seem to rest a synthesizer's worth upon it's fatness. Thin or cold? Practically slurs!

The reality is, not every sound in a song can be a bowel-inducing rumble; there's definitely a place in electronic music for slighter, icy tones with plenty of sparkle. A glassy top end, full of interesting harmonics, is usually what gives me the chills! To be honest, I'm not sure I've ever played a truly "thin" synth...but I have played several neutral ones where a little EQ or saturation is welcome.

Anyhow, it's December, so let's take a look at some Ice Queens.

Casio VZ-1/8m/10m

It's basically like a DX7, but not. This instrument's Interactive Phase Distortion adds a number of quirks to the FM paradigm, including new waveforms (a variety of saw waves & noise flavours) and ring modulation. There's a frosty wind blowing through many of the presets below:

The uncanny Human Chorus sends an icy chill down my spine, in a good way! Wind EFX evokes the inclement weather around an Artic research station, New Age Piano is a perfectly sparkly poly sound and Too Far could accompany footage of floating Icebergs.

Kawai K5/K5m

This additive classic from 1987 had been on my list (along with the VZ!) for quite some time. With 64 (or 128!) harmonic partials, grouped under 4 envelopes, things can certainly glisten and shimmer. Further sound-shaping options come in the form of a dynamic filter, a formant filter & looping envelopes - all digital.

It is certainly capable of warm analogue-type pads (by detuning two sets of 64 partials, even more in Combi mode!) but the main draw here is frosty bliss.

Roland Jupiter 6

The Jupiter 6 is not a thin synthesizer, but it certainly can provide a range of bleak and crisp tones. Absent is the Jupiter 8's acclaimed 12dB lowpass mode; instead featuring a 24dB lowpass without any bass compensation once resonance is added. Extensive sound shaping options (Xmod, Super Fast LFOs) mean that the 6 isn't one big sweet spot - veering towards the aggressive & dystopian quite easily. For my money, it's the most interesting Jupiter; the high reso filter-swept pads evoking scenes of shifting ice plates.

Let us know your favourite Ice Queen in the comments, and remember to wrap up warm!

Posted by MagicalSynthAdventure an expert in synthesis technology from last Century and Amiga enthusiast.

• 'Listening Glossary' from Hannah Kemp-Welch 29-Sep-26
• Free Custom Firmware for Mvave FM-1 29-Sep-26
• Korg Triton – Famous Songs and Sounds 29-Sep-26
• Chipsynth OPMZ from Plogue 29-Sep-26
• Broke Beats pt2 - A £30 DAW & Microcomputer 28-Sep-26