A bank built around acid character
Acid Vortex is a collection of 100 acid presets for Vital, built from Fractal Sounds Acid Splash wavetables. It covers sequenced lines, playable synths, basslines and pads, with sequences making up the main focus. The idea is to take the resonant character associated with acid and explore what a modern wavetable synth can do with it.
In the overview above, Black Marvin moves between rubbery resonance, metallic colour, heavy distortion and milder classic acid textures. Those differences matter when choosing a preset: a sound that fills the foreground of a techno track may play a very different role from a slowly evolving psychedelic sequence.
Choose a sequence or write your own phrase
The first useful distinction is between the synth presets and the sequences. The synths are playable starting points for your own MIDI phrasing. They still have internal movement, but you supply the musical sequence. The sequence presets are useful when you want to begin with a rhythmic behaviour and shape its tone as the track develops.
The overview also includes six pads and a selection of basslines. The pads carry a complementary acid character without necessarily turning into the most distorted sound in the arrangement. The basslines bring that character into the low register. Choose a role first, then audition the sound against the rest of your track.
Macros that give a patch more than one role
At 2:39, Black Marvin explains that the macros were designed for usable variation. In many presets, the first macro articulates the patch, while the remaining controls offer changes in colour or behaviour. The intention is to find useful alternatives within a sound, rather than making every control jump immediately to an extreme.
Some presets load with macros already moved away from zero. Those saved positions are intentional starting points. Listen there first, then move one control at a time. A small adjustment may be enough to make a line sit behind another sound; a larger movement can bring the same patch to the foreground.
The TB Rubber example, around 6:10, shows a gradual cutoff movement and a crunchier Electrify macro. These are controls demonstrated on that particular patch, not a universal assignment shared by every preset. The useful lesson is to explore the range of the patch you are actually playing.
From rubbery psytrance to harder techno acid
The sequence examples show why acid is a family of textures rather than one fixed sound. Around 4:57, a relatively restrained sequence has a rubbery character driven by its wavetable. Later examples introduce a more saturated, metallic impression. By 7:15, the direction moves toward a peak-time techno feel, with delay and an optional octave movement in the demonstrated patch.
At 8:19, the overview takes a more aggressive turn with a sound Black Marvin relates to bass music and cyberpunk aesthetics. A later sequence returns to a milder, more familiar acid character. Acid Vortex therefore has uses beyond psytrance, while remaining focused on that resonant acid identity. The video is a useful listening map for finding the part of the bank that matches your own production.
Acid Vortex presets or Acid Splash wavetables?
Choose Acid Vortex when you want finished Vital patches with modulation and performance controls in place. Choose Acid Splash when you want the oscillator material for designing your own sounds. Acid Splash is a separate collection of 120 wavetables, with compatibility listed for Serum, Vital, Phase Plant, Pigments and Hive 2.
All the presets in Acid Vortex were made using Acid Splash wavetables. That shared source material explains the family resemblance, but it does not make the two products interchangeable. A wavetable supplies oscillator content; a preset also defines how the instrument turns that content into a playable sound.
Before loading the bank
Acid Vortex requires Vital 1.5.1 or higher, and the synthesizer is not included. Listen to the spoken overview for the sound design choices, or use the no-talking walkthrough on the product page to compare the presets with fewer interruptions. The FAQ covers compatibility, the distinction between synths and sequences, and the macro workflow.
Continue exploring