This is true both to the naked ear and when you compare frequency graphs between the original’s hardware and Softube’s software. In our review, we said: “The sound is almost a perfect facsimile of the Juno-106. From the classic chorus effect and unison phase sounds to the expanded control panel and new artist presets, there’s so much to enjoy in this soft synth. We’ve found a favourite in Softube’s Model 84, however, with an extraordinarily accurate recreation that just screams ‘vintage’. Almost 40 years on, producers are still checking second-hand stores to get their hands on one, and there have been many impressive emulations over the years. The Roland Juno series of the 1980s is nothing short of iconic. Perhaps it’s best to consider them as cousins if you have to, but certainly not closer relatives than that.” It’s Massive then, and yet, of course, it isn’t an update to Massive in the strictest sense. In our review, we said: “The Massive X bonuses are the stupid numbers of modulation options, the insert effects that can be oscillators, the Reaktor-like Routing section, the noise – how much? – the sounds (the sounds!) and the looks (and resizable screen!). There are also three blocks of 10 send effects, nine filter types and two additional phase-modulation oscillators to load up on top of the two main wavetable oscillators. Massive X is certainly worth experimenting with, boasting a plethora of modulation possibilities, a unique routing section, over 170 wavetables and 10 wavetable modes.

The long-awaited update, Massive X, arrived in 2019 with a totally new design – so different, in fact, that NI has kept the original Massive available to download as a different entity. Native Instruments’ Massive made a name for itself during the rise of dubstep, thanks to a rich sonic palette and modulation engine that made it ideal for complex, moving basslines.

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