Charlatan
Key Features
- Two dual oscillators per voice with fully drawable waveforms, cross-modulation (PM, FM, Ring Mod), windowed hard sync, and up to 7 unison voices each
- Ten filter types across two filters per voice, including 4-pole ladder, acid low-pass, Sallen-Key, notch, and comb, with serial, parallel, or dual routing
- Four freely drawable MSEG generators that work as LFOs or envelopes, plus four XFORM transformers for custom modulation mapping via drag-and-drop
- Built-in effects chain with distortion, 8-pole phaser, chorus, reverb, dual-mode delay, and parametric EQ
- Optional 2x internal oversampling for cleaner high-frequency content in critical mix situations
- Extremely low CPU and RAM footprint, practical for layering many instances in large projects
- Polyphonic and legato voice modes with polyphonic glide and note lock for expressive performance
Description
Charlatan is a polyphonic virtual analog synthesizer by BlauKraut Engineering, built around two dual oscillators with fully drawable waveforms, cross-modulation (phase mod, frequency mod, ring mod), windowed hard sync, and up to seven unison voices per oscillator. Its dual multi-mode filter section offers ten types including 4-pole ladder, acid low-pass, Sallen-Key, notch, and comb filters, routable in serial, parallel, or dual configurations.
Four freely drawable modulation generators double as LFOs or envelope generators, with four XFORM transformers for custom control signal mapping and drag-and-drop routing to any parameter. The built-in effects chain covers distortion, an 8-pole phaser, chorus, reverb, dual-mode delay, and a parametric EQ.
Despite its deep feature set, Charlatan's streamlined single-page interface keeps everything accessible without menu diving. It excels at authentic analog bass and lead tones thanks to lifelike oscillators, a fat resonant filter, and snappy envelopes, while optional 2x internal oversampling ensures clean high-frequency content.
CPU usage is remarkably low, making it practical to run dozens of instances in a single project without bogging down the session. Charlatan has earned a reputation as a go-to bread-and-butter synth that rewards hands-on tweaking over preset browsing.
Version 3.3.2 is the latest release, adding a constant modulation source, persistent grid settings, mouse wheel editing in the oscillator harmonics and MSEG editors, and dual delay modes introduced in v3.3.0.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Charlatan a 64-bit plugin and does it support VST3?
Yes. Charlatan 3 is 64-bit only and ships in VST3 and CLAP formats. The older 32-bit VST2 builds are no longer distributed — only the v3 release is actively maintained.
Is Charlatan still maintained?
Yes. BlauKraut Engineering released version 3.3.2 in November 2025 with ongoing bug fixes and new features. The project has been actively updated throughout the Charlatan 3 lifecycle.
How does Charlatan compare to u-he Tyrell N6?
Both are well-regarded free VA synths, but Charlatan 3 goes deeper on modulation — its four XFORM transformers and freely drawable MSEG shapes give it more flexibility than Tyrell N6. Tyrell is simpler and more immediate; Charlatan rewards those willing to explore its routing system.
Where is Charlatan's preset folder on Windows?
On Windows, presets are stored under Documents/VST3 Presets/BlauKraut Engineering/Charlatan. The plugin's built-in preset browser lets you browse and load them directly without leaving the interface.
