8-bit soul. Modern control.
Based on the legendary sound chip behind the Sinclair Spectrum +2, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and MSX, ZX3 lets you live your chiptune dreams from the comfort of your favourite DAW.
Having trouble? Open Gumroad directly.
ZX3 emulates the spirit of the AY-3-8912 sound chip used in classic home computers and game machines, then adds modern controls for writing inside today's DAWs. It is built for crunchy square leads, buzzer basses, chip-style arps, noise, drums, glides, and cassette-age electronic textures.
Choose the core sound from the Oscillator dropdown.
A classic square wave tone channel for leads, basses and chip melodies.
A low-bit-depth oscillator using an AY-style envelope shape at audio rate. Built for rubbery, rough-edged bass tones.
A brighter saw-like buzzer shape for sharp leads and arcade melodies.
The chip-style noise generator, useful for effects, bursts and retro percussion textures.
Prebuilt drum sounds for fast chip-flavoured rhythm parts.
ZX3 can run in mono mode for flowing lead lines and glide behaviour, or poly mode for chords and layered parts. Poly mode supports expanded creative playing beyond the original chip limitations.
All major controls support DAW automation, so you can draw or record movement directly inside your host.
ZX3 includes factory presets for quick starting points. You can also load and save your own presets using the preset controls inside the plugin.
ZX3 Home Micro Synth is available now from Gumroad and itch.io.
Having trouble with the checkout overlay? Open Gumroad directly.
Includes Mac AU, Windows VST3 and standalone builds.