Arturia Pigments 7: A Digital Flagship Evolves with Expressive Play, Filters, and Workflow Polish

Pigments 7 opens with a completely redesigned Play View, immediately setting the tone for a more engaging and intuitive user experience. The interface now centers around circular macro controls, making it easier to manipulate the core parameters of each preset without diving into submenus. This macro-centric approach is clearly designed to benefit both studio users and live performers, with larger preset names for quick identification and a layout that prioritizes immediate, hands-on control.

At the heart of the new Play View is a reactive visualizer that responds in real time to both preset type and user input. This isn’t just eye candy: it provides instant feedback on the structure and behavior of a sound, helping users understand timbral changes before even playing a note. Arturia positions this as an ideal entry point for exploring presets and grasping how sounds are constructed, making Pigments 7 more accessible for newcomers while still offering depth for seasoned users.

Pigments 7 introduces two standout filters—Rage and Ripple—that push the boundaries of what digital filtering can achieve. Rage is particularly notable for integrating distortion directly into its feedback path, allowing resonance and drive to interact in unpredictable, harmonically rich ways. Unlike standard distortion, Rage operates polyphonically, so chords and intervals are processed independently, resulting in a depth and complexity that bus effects simply can’t match.

Ripple, on the other hand, leverages multiple all-pass filters to create intricate phase interactions. With three selectable modes—subtle, medium, and hard—users can dial in anything from gentle movement to bold, resonant coloration. Dedicated drive and feedback controls further expand the tonal palette, making Ripple a versatile tool for both classic and experimental sound design. These filters are not just about coloration; they’re about giving users new ways to animate and sculpt their patches.

The Coroda effect arrives as a fresh addition to Pigments 7’s arsenal, designed to inject controlled grit and evolving texture into sounds. What sets Coroda apart is its ability to modulate the input signal using both internal and external sources, ranging from subtle stereo enhancement to aggressive digital erosion. This flexibility makes it a creative playground for those seeking to add movement and edge to their patches.

Coroda’s modulation routing is particularly noteworthy: it can respond to envelopes, LFOs, or even audio inputs, allowing it to become an integral part of musical expression rather than just a static effect. The result is an effect that’s not only reactive but also deeply musical, opening up new dimensions for dynamic sound design within Pigments 7.

Pigments 7 now features an expanded library of sound design tutorials built directly into the instrument, reflecting Arturia’s commitment to user education. These tutorials span a wide range of musical styles and sound types, from vintage synth basics to cinematic modern textures. Importantly, they’re structured as flexible frameworks rather than rigid step-by-step guides, encouraging users to experiment and personalize their learning journey.

This approach makes the tutorials both practical and inspiring, serving as a launchpad for deeper exploration of Pigments’ capabilities. By embedding these resources within the software itself, Arturia lowers the barrier to entry for new users and provides ongoing value for experienced sound designers looking to expand their toolkit.