Kilohearts has announced that the kHs ONE virtual synthesizer, which was previously sold for $19, is no longer available for purchase and is now free to download from their website.
kHs ONE is a subtractive virtual analog synthesizer that has a simple but flexible synthesis engine with two main oscillators, a sub-oscillator, two filters, three envelopes, two LFOs, chorus and delay effects, and a modulation matrix.
The synthesis engine is capable of creating a variety of sounds while still being user-friendly. Although not as versatile as Vital or Surge XT, kHs ONE can produce the typical sounds associated with subtractive synthesis.
The primary advantage of kHs ONE is its user-friendly interface. Kilohearts designed it with an easy-to-use layout, making it a great learning tool for those wanting to start creating synth patches from scratch.
However, it's not just about its interface, the internal components also sound excellent. The oscillators and filters are of high quality and generate rich sounds compared to most other virtual analog synthesizers.
It doesn't have the level of analog emulation as DIVA but it still has an organic sound that doesn't put a heavy load on the CPU. If you're looking for a great-sounding subtractive synth that has an analog feel and is suitable for beginner synthesis enthusiasts, kHs ONE is the perfect choice.
Kilohearts posted a short note about discontinuing kHs One: “kHs ONE has been discontinued and is no longer available through the regular Kilohearts Installer. A stand-alone installer for the very last version of kHs ONE is available below. Please note that kHs ONE is not available in the VST3 format.”
Kilohearts has ceased development of kHs ONE and made the latest version available for free download instead of its original price of $19.
This means there will be no future updates or technical support, but users can still use the synthesizer in their digital audio workstation for free.
kHs ONE is compatible with most contemporary digital audio workstations that support the VST2, AAX, or Audio Unit plugin formats.
Although, its user interface may be difficult to use on high-resolution screens because it is not resizable.
The virtual synthesizer is available for Windows and macOS in 64-bit VST2, AAX, and Audio Unit formats.
Download: kHs ONE (discontinued, free to download)
