Rigorous and full of potential. Hardly when approaching a Rob Papen product for the first time, the first definition could be different. Rigor and completeness. Punch is Rob Papen's drum machine, dedicated to percussive sounds / drums generated by the hybrid synthesis / samples.
Installation
As with all Rob Papen products, all phases of the user experience related to installation are extremely easy. Installation is extremely easy, without any difficulties or potential hitches even during the practical management of software protection (based on serial number). The test in question is carried out on Studio One Pro. The results are satisfactory and the Drum synth is immediately recognized and made available by the DAW.
Interface
Since the time of the first collaboration between Rob Papen e Concrete FX, the interfaces all look similar. The environment is managed with great rigor, without leaving room for unnecessary frills and aesthetics, to which we are particularly accustomed today, even and above all in the face of hybrid products on a platform. Contact 5. A very large number of functions are concentrated in a few screens, the crowding of which is solved thanks to the use of small knobs and buttons that offer a “classic” feeling, which brings to mind traditional VSTs. If the fancyness of the GUI is one of the reasons that lead you to buy, Punch does not offer an extreme modernity of approach. If, on the other hand, essentiality, completeness and sonic potential are the lights that illuminate your path, you will find bread for your teeth. The main sections into which Punch is divided are: a browser section (here called “Manager”); an “easy” section with sliders relating to the functions most commonly subject to real time tweaking (filters, LFOs and some ADSR parameters); a “Mixer” section (volume and pan for each sound / pad); a section “Mod FX (modulations and effects management). The lower part of the interface is dedicated to accommodate a sequencer and a "button" version of the typical pads.
Browsing and tweaking
Punch's browser, called “Manager”, allows you to access the (many) preset banks present. Up to thirty-two presets are available for each bank. Furthermore, each preset brings with it a set of sequences that can be activated with keyboard triggers, very practical in use. The typical figures often recur hihat, BD e Snare, with some pleasant surprises. As already mentioned, the large number of banks, (containing the default ones and those subject to customization named Ian Boddy) offers a wide range of options, from minimal, to electro, passing through hip hop, cinematic, hardcore and more. Perhaps, in light of what is happening at the moment, a Dubstep section would have been relevant. The same section Hip Hop perhaps it should have benefited from some richer presets, enriched by natural sounds, claps and a whole series of percussive amenities, brought into vogue many years ago by Timbaland and associates and which, among other things, abound in recent mainstream releases by artists such as Rhianna. The presets of this section, on the whole, recall more Trip Hop sounds than belonging to the traditional Hip Hop. However, the set of preserts, also given the tweaking potential, constitute an excellent starting point for obtaining an infinity of different percussive settings.
Modulations and effects
Two LFOs and two Envelopes, combinable with controllers in 8 configurations / modulation slots complete the “Mod” section of Punch. This number is, in our opinion, more than abundant since it is a percussive synth. Four effect slots and a very rich supply of single effects. There is really everything, distortions, delays, bit crusher, reverb and much more. The only drawback is represented by a somewhat reduced number of effects able to “pump” the sounds, such as enhancers, compressors and limiters. Another thing that we would suggest for a future release is the presence of creative "presets" in the effects section that exploit the four available slots, in a similar way to what happens in romplers such as Nexus 2.
Sound and playability
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Punch has the characteristic of offering a rigorous and clean sound, typical of Rob Papen's sound research. A sound that is always a starting point rather than a point of arrival. In fact, almost all of the available presets offer a fair variety in the colors and flavors offered, even if they do not sound "finalized". Forget load-and-play-smash-speaker presets. Punch is a flexible instrument that is a candidate to wear a variety of faces, but that needs a little care if you want to take its qualities and, above all, its sound to the limits. It is one of those "virtual machines" that ideally go hand in hand with creative sidechaining and which, compared to many competitors, offers almost infinite potential. Highly recommended for those who chew a bit of sound production and have a minimum of know-how in drum treatment. Nowadays, however, it can also lend itself well to use by less experienced users, especially if it is combined with modern mix-helpers such as, just to name a couple, the Chris Lord series by Waves or EzMix by Toontrack.
See you next review
Antonio Campeglia
USEFUL INFORMATION
Producer: Rob Papen
Model: Punch
Website: www.robpapen.com
Italian distributor: www.midiware.com
Cost: Euro 125,00 + VAT
Demo version: www.robpapen.com/demo-version-punch.html
