Adrian Anders sends along his top picks from the Messe show in Frankfurt that might be under everyone else’s radar. First up: the long-awaited Terratec Producer Komplexer is now finally on its way. This monster soft synth combines virtual analog and wavetable synthesis in a monster of a plug-in. Vocoder? Check. Tons of modulation? Yup. Arpeggiator? You got it. And to top it all off, you can control this beast with some eight “macro controllers” that are supposed to appeal to newcomers and advanced users alike. (Because you know there’s no better way to appeal to newbies than to call something “Komplexer.”) Waldorf fans will recognize features from the now-defunct but beloved MicroQ synth, and sure enough the Terratec software will import your MicroQ presets. I’m pretty sure it also makes espresso. The one thing it doesn’t do: run on Mac.


Compatibility: Windows 2000/XP, VST


Pricing/Availability: EUR199; released


CDM Messe Outlook: Superb, if this thing is as good in use as it is on paper. I just hope it’s not too “Komplexer.”