StarskyCarr’s Playful Beat with Cherry Audio’s Yellow Jacket

Starsky Carr starts off by giving us a quick behind-the-scenes look at Cherry Audio’s latest magic trick: the Yellow Jacket plugin. It’s a nod to the classic Chris Huggett-designed WASP synth, a vintage piece beloved for its gritty vibe and straightforward design. Starsky cuts through the fancy stuff and heads straight for the core—highlighting the unique quirks of this plugin, which Cherry Audio has modernized with some nifty features. He mentions the addition of poly modes and effects, including a clever emulation of the original synth’s speaker. This sets the tone for an exploration that balances nostalgia with technological innovation.

The Yellow Jacket features two oscillators, which Starsky knows are the life of this virtual beast. Oscillator 1 brings a sawtooth and pulse to the table, combined with a uniquely enhanced pulse width modulation that doesn’t tie up the LFO. It’s these kind of street-smart enhancements that make this synth rove into new sonic territories. Meanwhile, Oscillator 2 lacks a pulse width control but makes up for it with enhanced PWM, adding flexibility to its pitch dynamics. This powerhouse duo can emulate a heap of tones, giving the user a plethora of sound design possibilities. From low-down dirty basslines to suave leads, this synth makes it easy to whip up something special without having to break the bank or your brain.

Starsky isn’t just about the oscillators; he goes full tilt with the Yellow Jacket’s filter section as well. You get a smorgasbord of options: low-pass, band-pass, notch, and high-pass filters. While it lacks self-oscillation, the unique tone more than makes up for any missing features. It’s got a warm, dirty quality to it—imagine a mixtape jam session down in a smoky basement. In Starsky’s hands, this filter section sings, squeals, and growls, making it indispensable for crafting that in-your-face sound. Observing how the filter can be modulated with the control oscillator or the envelope, it’s like watching a live set unfold with every toggle and tweak. The sheer versatility in the filter’s tonal shaping is refreshingly reminiscent of old-school grit yet crafted with modern precision. If you’re into vintage vibes mixed with contemporary controls, this synth definitely hits that sweet, sweet spot.

Getting into the heart of the Yellow Jacket, Starsky breaks down the flexibility of its envelopes and the potential of its effects. With AD and repeat features, these envelope generators can double up as LFOs, adding rhythmic life to your sounds like a drummer on a sugar rush. Each knob twist and control envelops you in a more expansive aural landscape, somewhere between a broken subwoofer hum and street festival chaos. “It’s all about creating unique soundscapes,” Starsky notes, and with these tools in your kit, those soundscapes are well within reach. Plus, Cherry Audio blesses us with a generous offering of effects like drive, echo, and custom presets that show off just how far you can push this synth. It’s both a playground for audio experimentation and a reliable tool for sound design pros looking to expand their repertoire.