Vanguard was a

VSTi Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is an audio plug-in software interface that integrates software synthesizers and effects units into digital audio workstations. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional ...

and AU

software synthesizer A software synthesizer or softsynth is a computer program that generates digital audio, usually for music. Computer software that can create sounds or music is not new, but advances in processing speed now allow softsynths to accomplish the sam ...

created by Canadian independent publishe
reFX
and Markus Krause fro
Tone2 Audio

Production

Released in 2004, Vanguard was a

virtual analog synthesizer An analog modeling synthesizer is a synthesizer that generates the sounds of traditional analog synthesizers using DSP components and software algorithms. Analog modeling synthesizers simulate the behavior of the original electronic circuitry in o ...

with three oscillators, 31 waveforms alongside a

supersaw The Roland JP-8000 is an analog modeling synthesizer released by the Roland Corporation in 1996. Overview The Roland JP-8000 was released in early 1997 as part of the first wave of virtual analog modeling synthesizers (VA synths). Others fro ...

that goes up to 10-voices, a filter with 13 types,

delay Delay (from Latin: dilatio) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Delay 1968'', a 1981 album by German experimental rock band Can * ''The Delay'', a 2012 Uruguayan film People * B. H. DeLay (1891–1923), American aviator and acto ...

, and reverb effects, and stereo pattern controlled trancegate and arpeggiator. Most functions could be automated, such as

cutoff frequencies In physics and electrical engineering, a cutoff frequency, corner frequency, or break frequency is a boundary in a system's frequency response at which energy flowing through the system begins to be reduced ( attenuated or reflected) rather tha ...

, resonance, ADSR, and LFO. Vanguard worked with any VST-capable host and featured the Trancegate and Arpeggiator tools. A majority of the audio engine was programmed by Markus Krause o
Tone2 Audio
The factory presets were made by

Manuel Schleis Manuel Schleis (*1979) is a German music producer. About He worked together with DJ Manuel Reuter (DJ Manian, danceformation Cascada, also Spencer & Hill) and has produced many club hits and remixes for Sugababes, Moby, Scooter (band), Axwell, ...

and Markus Krause.

Discontinuation and current use

Vanguard was discontinued in 2016. The software can still be downloaded from th
reFX
website for existing licensed users and can still be played through any

DAW Daw or DAW may refer to: People and language * Daw (given name) * Daw (surname) * Daw, an honorific used in Burmese name#Honorifics, Burmese names * Dâw people, an indigenous people of Brazil * Dâw language, a language of Brazil * Davaoeño lang ...

that supports 32-bit or 64-bit plugins, namely

FL Studio FL Studio (previously known as FruityLoops before 2003) is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by the Belgian company Image-Line. FL Studio features a graphical user interface with a pattern-based music sequencer. The program is avail ...

. Vanguard is used by many electronic dance music producers, despite not remaining as prevalent a
reFX
s Nexus 4 hybrid

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

plugin. Vanguard is considered to be an impressive and straightforward synth amongst many producers.

Revival

In late 2022, reFX announced they had revived the Vanguard synthesizer as Vanguard 2 with an updated vector-based user interface, in addition to 10 new wavetables by Mirko Ruta, 24db ladder filters for lowpass and highpass, a new reverb by Mirko Ruta replacing the old reverb and a distortion effect alongside 136 new factory presets made by Mirko Ruta and other modulation features, such as a new 3rd envelope and a new delay type intended to widen a sound.

References

External links

refx.com
- manufacturer's website
tone2.com
- developer of the audio engine Software synthesizers {{music-software-stub