“Easy access to a wide range of modulators and effects were a must for creating compelling and lively patches. I especially enjoyed the quality of the samples and the ability to have two parallel chains of instruments going on. I focused on sounds that were simple and inspiring, while making a few that would also propose a musical or melodic idea, in the hope of sparking musical inspiration.”

“The main strengths to me are the ability to assign multiple parameters from different engines to the Morph knob and doing so with a well laid out, easy to use modulation system. My approach this time was to start by choosing two samples for the Sample engines then choosing two synth engines. Afterwards I dialled in the synth engine sounds a bit then assigned all Morph knob modulations to them, then adjusted filter settings. From there I assigned FX and Movement modulations, adjusting volume and re-adjusting previous assignments along the way. ”

“I'm definitely enjoying the Morph feature. You can seamlessly transition between sound eras - from ancient instruments to ultra-modern ones. Imagine you're composing a 10-track piece with Yangtze on each track and at one point you automate the Morph knob on all tracks simultaneously! I think this is an amazing feature for film or game scoring, when transitioning from one scene to another. During my college years, I had the opportunity to intern at a university in China. I was able to visit cities like Harbin, Dalian, and Jiamusi. I interacted a lot with ordinary people. I think I captured the essence of this rich culture. Every time I opened Yangtze, I tried to remember everything that happened to me in China, everything I saw and heard. It was a great help in my work on the sounds.”

“The strengths of the Augmented Series is the ability to quickly layer real multi-sampled instruments with synth and sampled elements creating a uniquely hybrid sound. The new UI of version 2 has vastly improved workflow and is a joy to design sounds with. Unless I am directed to design a specific sound, I will always try to approach the synth in a unique way by finding its oddities and hidden features. I get bored quickly by the same ideas and approaches, so I am always seeking new territory. ”

“The main strength of this instrument is the sound possibility gives by this 4 engines and the Morph feature to makes complex and evolving sounds. Experimental sounds created for Voices combine very well with all the real articulations, spice it up with some synthesis element and get a good recipe for a good sound.”

“What immediately drew me to Augmented Strings was just how easily I am able to morph from organic to electronic elements. The sample engines and synths are extremely powerful, with some great choices in sounds built in. The versatile effects and the ease of use have made this instrument my go-to when it comes to putting quick ideas down. My musical work melds organic and electronic sounds, and that’s the approach I took while building these presets. I wanted to build a set of presets that could easily be added into almost every genre as well as scores for film. The ease in which strings could be transformed into just about anything else was my biggest inspiration, and I experimented my way up from there.”

“Like the other instruments in the Augmented Series, this one is both practical and powerful, especially with the brand new modulation system. While I craft my own sounds, I appreciate the huge value the vast, high-quality, ready-to-use preset library adds—especially with macros that offer deep, expressive control instantly, without having to dive into complex synthesis. I spent most of the time exploring combinations of mallet samples and synth engine presets, chasing happy accidents. When something promising emerged, I added modulation to give the sound its own dynamic personality, shaping it further with well-mapped macros. Effects then added depth, character, and space, often transforming the patch entirely. ”

“The Augmented Instruments are characterized by enormous tonal flexibility and high sound quality. The preset bank system is well designed and supports me very well in my musical work. The modulation options are diverse and the morphing raises the instrument to the next level. The possibility of morphing between two sounds really appealed to me. That and the excellent FX unit as well as the modulation options stimulated my imagination to program presets. It was very exciting to combine acoustic instruments with synthetic sounds. ”