- 3:45Knif Audio Knifonium - Playthrough | Plugin Alliance
- 26:17This is Brainworx Knifonium! ANALOG Synth in Software NIRVANA!!
- 16:01Knif Audio Knifonium - Overview with Matthew Wang | Plugin Alliance
- 8:00Knif Audio Knifonium - Pad Demonstration with Matthew Wang | Plugin Alliance
- 8:02Knif Audio Knifonium - Pluck-Arp Demonstration with Matthew Wang
- 9:01Knif Audio Knifonium - Lead Demonstration with Matthew Wang
- 7:26Knif Audio Knifonium - Bass Demonstration with Matthew Wang
- 14:45Hannes Bieger on the Knif Audio Knifonium plugin emulation (Short Version)
- 0:53Knif Audio Knifonium - Trailer
Overview
Capture the tone of a boutique synthesizer powered by 26 vacuum tubes
The Knifonium is an exceptionally beautiful-sounding analog synthesizer that is driven by a whopping 26 vacuum tubes. This upscale synth features two tube-driven oscillators, a 4th order ladder filter, a ring modulator, and a gorgeous “steampunk” aesthetic.
One of the most rare synths in production today
The original hardware units are handcrafted in small batches by high-end audio device designer Jonte Knif, with his incomparable sense for detail. As beautiful as these synthesizers are, the Knifonium is much more than a stunning piece of eye-candy capable of making “weird noises". It is an exceptionally musical and inspiring instrument with so many possibilities for shaping and modulating sound. Fewer than two dozen of them have ever been made.
Even more powerful than the original
Not only is the plugin version of the Knifonium more accessible and easy to use than the original, it also includes features that aren’t possible in the analog world. This plugin emulation of the Knifonium adds 8 independent voices to the synthesizer, opening up a new universe of possibilities. Imagine an atmospheric pad sound produced by a total of 208 vacuum tubes! It also includes mid-side and stereo spreading capabilities, a unison mode for even richer sounds than the original, and a carefully-curated BX effects section, including a vintage-style phaser, SPL EQ Ranger, Waveshaper, and more, giving you a wide range of effects that you will actually want to use.
Tested and approved by Jonte Knif himself
Lead designer Jonte Knife has been making vacuum tube-based hardware for mixing, mastering, and sound design for years, gaining critical acclaim for his tube and solid state designs alike. His Knifonium was carefully crafted to be the best in its class. Brainworx engineers modeled the complete circuits of the original hardware, including all 26 tubes, applying their patented Tolerance Modeling Technology to recreate the natural variations in envelope parameters, pitch, LFO speed, and more to make this recreation sound as realistically analog as possible. Jonte confirms that the plugin sounds and behaves just like the real thing. In his words "It sounds like nothing else".
Features
- Up to 8-voice polyphony driven by up to 208 carefully-modeled vacuum tubes.
- A powerful effects section featuring well-known studio-grade effects.
- A complete arpeggiator including flexible panning functions.
- Over 300 presets included by top sound designers.
- Mid/Side processing and onboard stereo field enhancements.
- TMT — Brainworx patent-registered “Tolerance Modeling Technology” (US Patent No. 10,725,727)
Audio Examples
Industry Reviews
Hannes Bieger
What I love about the plugin version is the added polyphony feature. This really opened up another world for me.
Junkie XL
Knifonium is going to be huge for film scores - the gnarly nature of this synth will be able to power through any mix and deliver a huge amount of weight to anything it's unleashed on.
edIT Beats
Fat analog sound but it's all about that feedback knob.
Eauxmar
Knifonium really is a Swiss Army knife of a synth. Nothing really sounds like it. As I’m always striving to make the most unique sounds ever, I feel like Knifonium is amazing at doing that. The… Read More
Cazzette
Super fun synth to work with. There is something very magical to the built-in saturation features and the GUI is really inspiring to me. I go to Knifonium for grit analog-sounding basslines.
Customer Reviews
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Not just a synth
★★★★★Sorry, bought this a view months ago, not really had time. Initial thought, okay fine. Another sort of minimoog vst...
today took some more time, wow, what a warm sound!
If you like… Read More -
Impressive!
★★★★★This has to be one of the smoothest sounding, yet warmest synths I have ever heard. The sound it projects is beautiful. Super clarity with nothing harsh about the sound whatsoever. The more I mess… Read More -
Great Sounding Synth
★★★★★It indeed sounds really good but it is very cpu hungry though! -
Favourite Synth
★★★★★I bought the synth just to try it out because I am very satisfied with all other Brainworx plugins. And I must say, this has taken off my shoes! I have been doing noise techno for over 20 years and… Read More -
knifonium
★★★★☆mega Teil
Specification
Supported Plugin Formats
AAX Native, AU, AAX AudioSuite, VST2, VST3
Supported Operating Systems Mac PC System Requirements
macOS 12 down to macOS 10.11
Windows 11 down to Windows 8
Intel, or Apple Silicon (except for AAX) architecture
x64-compatible CPU
Display resolution: 1440 × 900px or 1280 × 960px or higher
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Downloads
With the Installation Manager you can select, download & install all the Plugin Alliance products. Select any and all formats you need for your system! Mac & PC.
Knifonium Installers
Installation Manager
Manuals
ChangeLog
Knif Audio Knifonium - Changelog
Version 1.3.1 (Jun 28, 2022)
- General: Fixed potential blacklisting of VST2 on Windows
- General: Fixed potential crashes on Windows
- General: Fixed processing being Mono with VST2 in FL Studio
- General: Fixed value readouts not being present when clicking knob
Version 1.3 (Mar 15, 2022)
- General: added native Apple Silicon compatibility for VST3, VST2 and AU
- General: added macOS Monterey support
- General: added Windows 11 and Windows 10 21H1 support
- General: discontinued Windows 7 support
- General: discontinued macOS 10.9 and 10.11 support
- General: fixed metering behavior in block sizes of 2048 samples and higher
- Fixed time signature and synchronized LFO speed issues
- Fixed MIDI CC file storage issues on Windows 10
- Fixed incorrect AAX Audio Suite listing
- Fixed delayline behavior when switching presets
- Fixed an issue where legato notes may get triggered by mistake
Version 1.2 (Mar 22, 2021)
- General: Compatibility with Logic on Apple Silicon devices via the Rosetta-2 layer
- General: Fixed possible artefacts when freezing or bouncing tracks in Pro Tools
- General: Fixed automation highlighting disappearing in Studio One
- General: Improved license dialog visibility in dark mode
- Fixed possible sound vanishing upon reloading a session
- Fixed crash with engaged Arp and duplicating a track in Reaper in VST2 format
- Fixed memory leaking
Version 1.1
- skipped
Version 1.0.1 (15 Jul, 2020)
- fixed aliasing issues at higher registers
Version 1.0 (26 Jun, 2020)
- Release version