RHO OPHIUCHI is a full preset bank for Adam Szabo’s VIPER – 128 patches, mostly dialed up from scratch or from each other. There is a few exceptions – more of them later.

VIPER is a synth that makes a valiant attempt on emulating Access Virus A/B/C/TI hardware synths, and is partially compatible with them. Partially, because it can only import banks ans presets from the hardware, and because not all the Virus’ waveforms are bundled with VIPER.

Anyway, VIPER is extremely powerful thing even outside of emulation scope with some unique features. For one, it allows to import not only custom wavetables, but single-cycle custom waveforms too, and to use them with both Oscillators and LFOs. Besides, the wavetables, factory and custom, can be used with Grain and Formant oscillators as well.

For RHO OPHIUCHI 43 waveforms had been created using Vital and Audacity, with a few coming from Native Instruments FM8 synth (barebone TX* waveforms).

Besides, 32 wavetables sourced from this pack had been bundled with PHI OPHIUCHI.

What is particularly notable is the VIPER’s low imprint on CPU: mr. Szabo made sure of that. The demo comprises 18 instances of Viper, and this stack still runs smoothly.

Except for limiters/mastering plugins, no external effects are used.

Disclosure 1: Several patches have been imported from the Usual Suspects’ DSP56300 Osirus (Virus A/B/C Emulator) then heavily altered. These are: 004. Polar+_PD, 005. TWMangled_SY, 086. TuvaWl_TX.

Patch 055. JunoStr3_PD replicates Juno-6/60 Strings 3 preset.

Patch 096. Salomon_SY is an attempt at replication of the backbone synth timbre from the song ‘How Fortunate The Man With None’ by Dead Can Dance.

The rest are original.

Disclosure 2: The Usual Suspects’ DSP56300 Osirus does not include firmware of the hardware synths emulated. In my case my friend and colleague Ivan Kirichenko, the owner of The Day of Life Forgotten label, exported the firmware files from his own hardware units and gave them to me. So no piracy here.