The fourth machine of 1997

DIODORUS — the virtual analog with Scene Morph

Scene Morph holds two complete sounds at once and crossfades the entire patch between them under one control — so a patch can travel from a soft evolving pad to a hard cutting lead in a second. It is the defining feature of late-90s virtual analog hardware, and almost nothing on the market today revives it.

Built for evolving pads, cutting leads, weighty basses, and the layered and split multitimbral programming of classic late-90s hardware.

Three oscillators with FM and cross-modulation, twin multimode filters, an 8-slot modulation matrix with slew and curves, and 555 factory presets.

About the Windows warning — this is normal, and it is not a virus. The first time you run the installer, Windows will show a blue “Windows protected your PC” screen. That is Microsoft’s SmartScreen filter, and it appears for any installer that has not been code-signed yet. Click More info, then Run anyway, and the install continues as normal. Code signing is being arranged and the warning will go away in a future release.

€89 €59 — Introductory offer until 30th September

  • Windows 64-bit only
  • VST3 format
  • 555 factory presets
  • Bitimbral

DIODORUS on KVR Audio — product listing, specifications, and user reviews.

Current Release

Platform
Windows 64-bit VST3 only — macOS is not available
Sound Engine
3 oscillators with FM, cross-modulation and BLEP-corrected sync, unison spread with per-voice detune, twin multimode filters with serial, parallel and split routing, three LFOs, an 8-slot modulation matrix, arpeggiator, and bitimbral layer and split
DIODORUS synthesizer interface showing three oscillators, FM sources, twin filters, preset browser with Scene Morph, bitimbral slots, an 8-slot modulation matrix, effects, and arpeggiator.
Three oscillators, FM, twin filters, bitimbral slots, the 8-slot modulation matrix, effects, and the arpeggiator all sit on one screen — no menu diving.

The fourth machine

1997 had three virtual analogs. This is the fourth.

For about two years, virtual analog hardware got something right that almost nothing since has repeated: a complete synthesizer with every control on the front panel, no menu diving, no page turning, and an engine fast enough to play rather than program. Three machines from 1997 defined that idea. They are sought-after and expensive now, and none of them were ever quite finished.

DIODORUS is built as the fourth one — the machine that would have arrived a year later with the obvious next step already in it. Three oscillators instead of two. FM and cross-modulation on a virtual analog. Twin filters that split as well as chain. And the feature the hardware of that era gestured at and never delivered: two complete scenes held at once, crossfading under one control, assignable to a mod wheel or to host automation.

It is not an emulation of any particular instrument, and it does not pretend to be vintage. It is that design brief, finished.

Key Features

A full late-90s virtual analog signal path, with a morphing engine on top.

Scene Morph

Two complete sounds loaded side by side, with every parameter crossfading between them under one control. Assign it to the mod wheel, an LFO, or host automation and the patch itself becomes the performance.

Three Oscillators

Sine, square, saw and pulse shapes with per-oscillator octave, level, coarse and fine detune, and pulse width, plus a noise source and BLEP-corrected hard sync for clean, alias-free edge.

FM And Cross-Modulation

Three assignable FM sources with independent amounts let oscillators modulate each other for metallic tones, growling basses, and harmonically dense leads well beyond standard subtractive shapes.

Unison Spread

Voice count, detune, and stereo spread controls thicken any oscillator into a wide, drifting stack — from a subtle chorused double to a full-width wall.

Twin Multimode Filters

Two independent filters with selectable modes and slopes, routable in serial, parallel, or split, with key tracking, envelope amount, and a shared filter envelope for coordinated movement.

Bitimbral Layer And Split

Two slots with independent level, pan, and transpose, playable as a stacked layer or split across the keyboard — two sounds from one instance, and the two halves of a morph.

8-Slot Modulation Matrix

Eight routings with source, destination, amount, per-slot slew, and selectable response curves, so modulation can glide, snap, or accelerate rather than only moving in straight lines.

Three LFOs

Three LFOs with selectable shapes, direct destination assignment, and independent rate and depth, sitting alongside the amp and modulation envelopes for layered motion.

Arpeggiator

Mode, rate, octave range, note order, latch, gate length, and swing — enough control to write the part rather than just decorate it.

Effects

Delay, distortion, chorus, ring modulation, and reverb built in, so patches arrive closer to release-ready without immediately reaching for extra plugins.

555 Factory Presets

A deep factory library across leads, pads, basses, arps, keys, and motion sounds, with a browser that filters by category and steps through sounds one at a time.

Preset Import And Export

Save, export, and import presets and banks for backing up your own work, sharing patches, and loading expansion banks as they are released.

Audio Demos

Hear DIODORUS — factory presets straight out of the plugin.

36 factory presets, recorded dry. Scroll the list to hear them all.

Bass

Distant Drift

Bass

Lunar Passage

Bass

Northern Threshold

Bass

Pale Veil

Bass

Russet Cascade

Bass

Sable Bloom

Bass

Wandering Lantern

Bass

Wax Anthem

Saw Stack

Aurora Wall

Saw Stack

Hypernova

Saw Stack

Saw Choir

Saw Stack

Trans Atlantic

Saw Stack

Unison

Saw Stack

Wide Awake

Lead

Fat Detune

Lead

Firestarter

Lead

Funky Worm

Lead

Hot Rod

Lead

Mono Glide

Lead

Screamer

Lead

Solar Flare

Lead

Square Lead

Pad

Glass Tide

Pad

Hollow Mirage

Pad

Solar Bloom

Pad

Violet Halo

Polysynth

Dusk Carriage

Polysynth

Gilded Anthem

Polysynth

Glass Spire

Polysynth

Slow Cinder

Polysynth

Solar Static

Strings

Copper Moon

Strings

Faded Carriage

Strings

Gilded Vow

Choir

Lunar Harbor

Choir

Wax Mirage

Try Before You Buy

A full-featured free demo, with nothing switched off but time.

Free Demo

  • Every oscillator, filter, and modulation feature unlocked
  • All factory presets
  • Scene Morph fully available
  • Brief audio dropout roughly once per minute
  • User preset saving and bank import/export disabled
Download The Free Demo

Full Version

  • Every oscillator, filter, and modulation feature unlocked
  • All factory presets
  • Scene Morph fully available
  • Uninterrupted audio
  • Full preset saving, export, and bank import
Buy DIODORUS

Your Demo Projects Aren’t Hostages

The demo installs as its own separate plugin, so it never overwrites or conflicts with the full version. Anything you start in the demo keeps working when you buy — load the project, swap in the full plugin, and carry on from where you stopped.

Both versions install as Windows 64-bit VST3 and can sit on the same system at the same time.

Expansions

Expansion banks are on the way.

DIODORUS reads and writes its own bank format, so additional preset collections can be installed straight into the browser alongside the factory library. Expansion banks are in development and will be announced as they are released.

Get Notified

System Requirements

64-bit VST3 only — please check before you buy.

System

  • Windows 64-bit
  • VST3 format only
  • No macOS version is available
  • No AU, AAX, or 32-bit build is available
  • Compatible DAW with VST3 support

Important Release Notes

  • The Windows installer is unsigned while code-signing is being set up.
  • Windows may show an Unknown Publisher or SmartScreen warning during install.
  • If your DAW does not detect DIODORUS immediately, rescan VST3 plugins after installation.
  • The demo and full version install separately and can coexist on one system.

Install

  • Current version: 1.0.2
  • Format: Windows 64-bit VST3
  • Install path: `C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\`
  • Factory presets: 555 total (526 plus 29 layer/split)
  • User preset slots: 40
  • Expansion region: holds up to 80 presets
  • File formats: `.vabank` for banks, `.vapreset` for single presets
  • Preset banks import and export from the browser

Pricing

One purchase, no subscription.

Available Now

DIODORUS

€89 €59 — Introductory offer until 30th September

Includes the Windows 64-bit VST3 installer, the full 555-preset factory library, Scene Morph, bitimbral layer and split, and preset bank import and export. Licensed for use on up to two computers you own, with free updates within the current version.

Buy DIODORUS Try The Free Demo First

About the Windows warning — this is normal, and it is not a virus. The first time you run the installer, Windows will show a blue “Windows protected your PC” screen. That is Microsoft’s SmartScreen filter, and it appears for any installer that has not been code-signed yet. Click More info, then Run anyway, and the install continues as normal. Code signing is being arranged and the warning will go away in a future release.

Instant download after purchase • Secure checkout • 14-day refund policy

Sold through Lemon Squeezy as merchant of record — their name may appear on your statement.

After purchase, your download link arrives by email. If it doesn’t appear within a few minutes, please check your junk or spam folder — delivery emails occasionally land there in error.