Electronic Antique
Key Features
- Samples the Ondioline, a rare 1940s French electronic instrument considered a forerunner of the modern synthesizer
- Seven curated presets spanning string-like patches, brassy tones, atmospheric leads, and experimental soundscapes
- Central effects wheel adjusts release, attack, delay, vibrato, and tone per preset for quick tonal shaping
- Each preset pre-loaded with built-in effects including reverb, chorus, distortion, and granular pitch delay
- Wobbly, tape-saturated character delivers instant 1960s psychedelic and cinematic texture
- Runs in the standalone LABS plugin with no Kontakt requirement, keeping CPU and disk usage minimal at 442.6 MB
Description
Electronic Antique brings the rare Ondioline into your DAW through Spitfire Audio's LABS series. Designed and patented by French inventor Georges Jenny in the early 1940s, the Ondioline was one of the world's earliest synthesizers and hit its peak in the 1960s as a quirky replacement for string sections in psychedelic-era recordings and spaghetti-western film scores.
The LABS team captured the instrument's delightfully off-kilter sound and transformed the raw recordings into seven playable presets. Patches range from string-like tones and brassy textures to atmospheric lead lines and experimental soundscapes, all coated in a wobbly, warbly character drenched in tape saturation.
Three streamlined controls keep the interface clutter-free: sliders for dynamics and expression, plus a central effects wheel that adjusts parameters like release, attack, delay, vibrato, and tone. Each preset comes pre-loaded with its own effects chain including reverb, chorus, distortion, and granular pitch delay.
The modulating tone sits somewhere between a mellotron and the ondes Martenot, producing sounds that feel both nostalgic and otherworldly. It excels at adding 1960s-era eccentricity to tracks, from psychedelic lead lines to strange, evolving textures.
Electronic Antique runs in the dedicated LABS plugin and does not require Kontakt. It is available as VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX across macOS and Windows.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ondioline that Electronic Antique is based on?
The Ondioline is an electronic keyboard instrument designed by French inventor Georges Jenny in the early 1940s, considered one of the world's earliest synthesizers. It gained popularity in the 1960s as a quirky replacement for string sections in psychedelic recordings and spaghetti-western film scores before fading into obscurity.
How many presets does Electronic Antique include and what do they sound like?
Electronic Antique includes seven presets: Valved Bellows, The Paris Fair, Les Eternites, Harmonic Woods, Copper Transformer, Amped Up, and one additional patch. They range from string-like tones and brassy textures to atmospheric leads and experimental soundscapes, all with the Ondioline's signature wobbly, tape-saturated character.
Does Electronic Antique work as a standalone plugin or does it need Kontakt?
Electronic Antique does not require Kontakt. It runs inside the dedicated Spitfire LABS plugin, which is available as VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX. You just need to install the LABS plugin and download the Electronic Antique sound pack from within it.
What can the effects wheel in Electronic Antique control?
The central effects wheel adjusts different parameters depending on the preset, including release time, attack, delay, vibrato depth, and tone. Each preset also comes pre-loaded with its own effects chain featuring reverb, chorus, distortion, and granular pitch delay.
