What is Partials & Discrepancies?
It is an 8-voice additive synth where each voice has up to 128 partials, slot-based timbre motion, and discrepancy controls that make the voices diverge from one another.
synth
Partials & Discrepancies
An 8-voice additive polysynth with slot-based motion, up to 128 partials per voice, and deliberate divergence between voices.
SynthAU/VST3Mac/Win
What it is
Partials & Discrepancies is an 8-voice synth built around one additive oscillator per voice. It was made as a more disharmonic and experimental companion to Curves & Membranes, but still with a layout where you can actually follow what is happening and stay close to the sound while it shifts.
Each slot stores a full partial shape with seven node handles plus six behavior parameters, so the sound can move between harmonic and more broken states. Offset, Wave Warp, and Weirdness push the partials away from neat spacing, while the slot sequencer, voice offset, and discrepancy controls let voices drift, diverge, and sometimes misbehave in very musical ways.
It can do animated pads, unstable leads, brittle digital choirs, and inharmonic sweeps that still stay playable. The architecture is deliberately focused, with a compact set of controls that can move from sweet harmony to absolute trouble without losing the thread.
Full walkthrough
A walkthrough of Partials & Discrepancies covering the additive partial model, slot-based motion, discrepancy controls, and how the synth stays fast to work with while moving into stranger territory.
A no-talking set of sound examples showing what Partials & Discrepancies can do across animated, harmonic, dissonant, and more unstable territory.
An unplanned 26-minute session using the additive oscillator of Partials & Discrepancies in a few different ways. Good if you have time to kill, are looking for some boredom, or want to get to know the oscillator a bit better.
Highlights
128 partial additive core
Each voice is built from up to 128 partials, so the timbre can stay detailed even when it turns strange.
MTS-ESP and MPE compatible
Partials & Discrepancies supports MTS-ESP for alternative tuning systems and works with MPE-compatible controllers for more expressive playing.
Slot sequencer for timbre motion
Up to eight slots store full partial states and can sweep, step, slew, or key-follow between one another.
Discrepancy controls
Each voice gets its own stable random character, so tuning, filter, stereo, and slot position can drift apart in controlled amounts.
How producers use it
- Animated additive pads that move through several harmonic states
- Leads that can slide from consonant into dissonant without losing identity
- Sound-design sessions where visual feedback should help you understand the motion
Fit and focus
Great fit for:
- additive synthesis with a readable interface
- old polysynth character without old polysynth hassle
- harmonic exploration that stays playful
Questions people ask
How is it different from a conventional synth?
It puts the additive structure, slot motion, and voice divergence right in front of you, so the sound can get weird while the workflow stays readable.
Who is it for?
It is for synth users who want something more adventurous than a standard polysynth, but still immediate enough to use in real tracks.
Does it support MTS-ESP and MPE?
Yes. Partials & Discrepancies supports MTS-ESP for microtonal and alternative tuning setups, and it is also MPE compatible if you want a more expressive controller workflow.
Compatibility
macOS 10.15+, Windows 10/11
macOS: AU/VST3, Windows: VST3
Partials & Discrepancies also supports MTS-ESP and is MPE compatible.
These plugins use detailed real-time processing and are happiest on reasonably recent CPUs, especially when several instances are running at once.
Bundle option
Also available in bundle form
If this plugin fits your workflow, there is a good chance one of the bundles will fit even better and reduce total spend.
Includes 14 products.