WELCOME TO RADICAL1
Radical1 is our first step into a vivid, colorful world of additive synthesis. Created for musicians, sound designers, and curious creators, it blends spectral control, deep modulation, and musical movement into an instrument that feels alive under your hands.
This is Radical1 Early Access, a continuously evolving instrument that invites you to explore its universe from the very beginning. The Early Access release is available to explore right now - both as a free trial and at a discounted early-access price. If you choose to purchase it during the preview, your license automatically includes the full version when it ships, complete with all factory presets. Until then, you get immediate access to everything already available inside the Early Access release.
WOW! This thing is AMAZING!!!”
Stephen Gallagher
Award-winning composer,
Emmy-award winning music editor
KEY FEATURES
Expressive Additive Engine
Radical1 builds sound from harmonics you can sculpt, bend, and animate. Create tones that evolve like acoustic instruments, shimmer with spectral color, or punch with modern electronic character. Everything reacts musically to your touch.
Infinitely Modular for Living Movement
Use as many layers, blocks and modulators your imagination (and CPU) calls for. Shape subtle variations or sweeping transformations. From simple patches into expressive, evolving sonic stories.
Spectral Tools with Musical Intent
Work directly at the harmonic level with shaping oscillators, spectral filters, and time-varying modifiers. Craft sound from the inside out with precision and playfulness.
WHAT YOU SEE
IS WHAT
YOU HEAR
Radical1 introduces a clearer, more intuitive way to work with additive sound. Layers, modules, blocks, and modulation paths are displayed exactly as the instrument plays them. No hidden routings. No guesswork. You always see what is shaping your sound.
Movement becomes easy to follow and fun to explore. Every modulation connection is visible in real time, so you can design complex behaviors with confidence and understand your patch at a glance.
Starred parameters highlight the controls you reach for most often, keeping essential adjustments ready on the surface while deeper options stay neatly organized below.
This transparency creates a workflow that feels fluid, musical, and deeply connected to the sound you’re shaping.
In Radical1, the visual story and the sonic result stay perfectly in sync.
I'm deeply impressed by the quietly elegant and intuitive interface. The quality of the sound is outstanding and there is an absence of friction that I find very refreshing!”
Beth Burnett
Composer, Producer, Sync Artist
DOWNLOAD
TRIAL
MEET RADICAL1 SOLO
Radical1 Solo is a free monophonic additive synthesizer built on the complete Radical1 synthesis engine.
It has the same oscillators, modulation system, filters, and effects as Radical1, all packaged into a focused single-voice, single-layer instrument that’s perfect for basses, leads, and sequences.
Radical1 Solo isn’t just a way to discover Radical1, it’s an instrument you’ll want to keep coming back to.
And when inspiration calls for rich layered sounds, expressive chords, or evolving textures, Radical1 is ready to grow with you, while staying fully compatible with the sounds you’ve already created.
Whether you’re discovering Radical1 for the first time or simply looking for a powerful free synth, Radical1 Solo is yours to keep.
TECHNICAL
Engine & Synthesis
- Patent-pending additive engine capable of generating tens of thousands of oscillators in real time with minimal CPU usage
- Clean, accurate frequency response up to Nyquist with no aliasing and no oversampling
- Morphing Fluid Oscillators for smoothly transitioning timbres and continuously reshaping harmonic structures
- Direct Spectrum Drawing generators for hands-on harmonic sculpting
- Spectral Sample Resynthesis for turning recordings into fully controllable additive structures
- Spectral shaping tools, harmonic modifiers, and a real-time spectral display
- Polyphonic, per-voice processing and modulation
- Ultra-fast, sample-accurate envelopes for sharp transients and detailed expressive control
Workflow & Modulation
- “What You See Is What You Hear” workflow with fully visible layers, modules, blocks, and modulation paths
- Unlimited layers for building complex, multi-part patches
- Unlimited modulation sources with clear visual routing and instant feedback
- Starred parameters for immediate access to your most important controls
- Scalable, high-resolution interface designed for clarity and speed
Effects & Processing
- Built-in MIDI Effects Rack for arpeggiation, sequencing, note shaping, and performance behaviors
- Time-Domain Audio FX Rack for filters, dynamics, spatial tools, and creative processing
- Spectral Block FX for harmonic-domain bending and spectral transformation
- Modular signal flow that lets you place spectral audio effects exactly where you want them
For Deep Divers
- Formula Blocks for writing custom DSP code directly inside Radical1 (tone shaping and synthesis processing limited only by imagination)
- Direct access to internal modulation streams, harmonic structures, and spectral domains
- An expanding collection of modules and blocks for advanced sound design
- If you enjoy exploring the inner workings and want to share ideas, experiments, or feedback, we’d love to have you join our forum community. It’s a place for deep dives, curiosity, and shaping Radical1 together.
Integration & Expansion
- MPE-ready expressive control
- Expanding library of presets, modules, and effects
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
- Mac: Apple Silicon or 64-bit Intel Core CPU, 8GB RAM, macOS 10.14 or higher
- Windows: Intel/AMD 64-bit CPU, 8GB RAM, Windows 10 or higher
- Minimum Resolution: 1366x768 (1680x1050 or greater recommended)
- Plug-in formats: AAX, Audio Unit, VST3
- Free iLok account and iLok License Manager (iLok USB key is not required)
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
- Mac: Apple Silicon or 64-bit Intel Core CPU, 8GB RAM, macOS 10.14 or higher
- Windows: Intel/AMD 64-bit CPU, 8GB RAM, Windows 10 or higher
- Minimum Resolution: 1366x768 (1680x1050 or greater recommended)
- Plug-in formats: AAX, Audio Unit, VST3
- Free iLok account and iLok License Manager (iLok USB key is not required)
RELEASE NOTES
2026-09-03: Version 0.9.7
NEW FEATURES & IMPROVEMENTS
- Default mapping mode for pressure supports both MPE and Poly After-touch.
- Improved additive sample auto pitch-detection.
- Envelopes and MSEG thumbnail view.
- Improved right-click support.
- Improved Chorus FX behavior when being modulated.
- Improved scaling behavior to adapt to possible screen area.
- Minor improvements and bug fixes.
BUG FIXES
- Fix possible freeze when removing Radical1 (or Radical1 Solo) instance.
- [AAX] Fix templates might discard template's starred parameters.