Obscurium by Sugar Bytes Review
Obscurium is a unique instrument where a Sequencer and a Synthesizer did have a baby and called it Obscurium.
Sugar Bytes is a Berlin-based company focusing on Plug-ins for studio musicians and live performers. Multi-effects like Looperator, Turnado & Artillery changed the way music made in a professional production setting. Egoist, Obscurium, Effectrix, and Factory are all recognized tools to improve composing and assist your creativity through their fresh approach. In December Aparillo has been added to Sugar Bytes portfolio. Sugar Bytes granted a review copy with no strings attached.
Installation
After downloading and installing the plugin, you need to enter the serial number. This can also be done during the installation. If you need to enter the serial later, you can do that on the “About Page” or do a reinstall.
Sound
Through the colorful and busy UI, you can create, morph and sequence sounds to create some new sounds. Give yourself time to understand the Interface, possibly by starting to play through some of the more than 400 presets.
Obscurium synth engine oscillators include an analog and FM emulation can produce massively heterogeneous developing riffs and patterns. When you have set up your sound sources, you can go crazy and paint the parameter on the screen into the sequencer. There are different brushes available also a random one.
Obscurium can integrate another instrument (VST) as the source. To be able to use this feature you to the sound tab do a Rescan All first.
The scan will take some minutes depending on the number of VST instruments you have installed. Some VST will prompt you for registration once again during this process. I did see this with SynthMaster while others will ask you to allow access to stored information. This is due to the different copyright protection that the VST use. Another third-party plugin like VEP reminded me of an update I need to install. Overall the side effects of scanning all you VST can be exciting.
After this scan is done, you can host your VST instrument as an alternative to internal analog and FM oscillators. Any available VST after the scan will be then selectable in the plugin.
Just be aware when you change the preset the sound source changes, and you need to reload your external VST (like Kontakt). In the example below I did load Haunted Spaces by Soniccouture into Kontakt as the source instrument and let Obscurium do its magic.
I used the feature to integrate external VST often and like to experiment with known sources and experience a new instrument through Obscurium.
User interface & Usability
When I first used Obscurium, I was overwhelmed by the energetic interface. I appreciate more simple interfaces, and after spending some time with Obscurium, I got it and saw the light. You kind of crawl, walk and run as this is not an easy plugin to use. Give your self enough time and the complexity goes away and using the plugin becomes easier.
Rating: Four out of five stars
Obscurium is a sharp instrument and uses a complex UI, integrates your VST instruments and as a result allows you to create exceptional stimulating sequences and sounds. If you make any electronic music, are involved in the sound design, trailer, score for film or games Obscurium helps you to develop new original sounds and instruments. Looking for new arpeggios, unusual morphing sounds, riffs Obscurium has that for you.
Area of improvement: A more straightforward UI.
