Arturia has released Pigments Play, a free version of Pigments, its flagship multi-engine software synth.
Pigments Play follows the same approach the company took with Analog Lab Play, which arrived in 2023 as a free, stripped-down edition of Analog Lab, built around a simplified Play View and a curated set of 100 presets.
The instrument is based on the updated Play View that Arturia introduced with Pigments 7 last December, which features an audio-reactive visualiser and an interface designed for browsing presets and making quick adjustments rather than getting into the weeds with complex sound design.
Pigments Play's 100 presets cover a variety of genres, including modern pop, R&B, garage, house, drum and bass, trap and ambient. (That might not seem like much compared to the 1700 presets that come with the full version of Pigments, but it’s not bad for a free plugin, and they sound fantastic – just check out the overview video below.)
Though Pigments Play lacks some of Pigments’ more advanced features, there’s a lot more under the hood than you might expect: it features the same six synthesis engines as the full version, spanning virtual analogue, wavetable, sample-based, granular, harmonic and modal, and is equipped with the same 68 filter modes and 20 effect algorithms.
Each Pigments Play preset has four macros for immediate sound-shaping that are unique to each preset, and you can find simplified oscillator, filter and envelope controls at the bottom of the interface for both of its dual sound engines, which can both be swapped out to customize each preset. Alongside these, there’s a Utility engine that can be used to add a noise generator or sub-oscillator.
Pigments Play’s effects section has two slots, giving you access to all of the same effects you’ll get in the paid-for version, covering various flavours of delay, reverb, distortion, dynamics and modulation effects.
Sounds can be filtered by type and instrument in the browser, and the plugin is linked up to Arturia's Sound Store, where you can find 200 additional sound banks organised by artist and genre, both free and paid-for. And if you own an Arturia controller or keyboard, it’ll be mapped to Pigments Play’s main controls automatically.
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Pigments 7 was released last December, bringing three new filter modes (Rage, Ripple and Reverb), a new Corroder distortion effect, refined envelopes and a bundle of new content. It also redesigned Pigments’ Play View (the same one you’ll find in Pigments Play) introducing a visualiser that represents the sonic character of each preset, reacting graphically to both sound and parameter changes.
Arturia’s Pigments takes the number one spot in our guide to the best synth plugins and has received glowing reviews from our team; it’s an impressively powerful and versatile instrument that manages to remain accessible and fun despite its advanced capabilities and extensive feature set.
Pigments Play would make an excellent introduction to the full version for anyone considering adding the instrument to their collection, but even if you're not curious about Pigments, this is a stellar free synth plugin that's undoubtedly worth downloading.
Arturia Pigments Play is available now as a free download for macOS and Windows in VST/AU/AAX formats or as a standalone app.
