AudioThing SX1000: A Vintage Italian Synth Reimagined
For decades, the Jen SX1000 has been a cult favorite among synth enthusiasts—an unassuming but characterful monosynth that gave European musicians an affordable way into analog synthesis in the late ‘70s. With its single oscillator, surprisingly fat filter, and hands-on simplicity, it developed a dedicated following, even as synth technology moved far beyond its limitations. Now, AudioThing, a company known for its quirky but high-quality vintage-inspired plugins, has brought the SX1000 into the modern age. This new software emulation not only captures the original’s charm but expands it in ways that make it far more usable in today’s production environment.
From Mono to Poly: A Vintage Synth Gets a Major Upgrade
At its core, the AudioThing SX1000 is a faithful recreation of the original, but with key enhancements that push it beyond a simple nostalgia trip. The original Jen SX1000 was a monophonic synth with a single digital-controlled oscillator (DCO)—a design choice that made it more stable than the voltage-controlled oscillators of the time but also gave it a distinctive tone. AudioThing keeps this intact while adding a polyphonic mode, allowing users to play chords and stack sounds in a way that wasn’t possible before.
The oscillator section retains the sawtooth, square, and pulse waveforms, but there’s a new sub-oscillator mod that lets you drop it down to -3 octaves for thicker, beefier bass sounds. Another small but significant improvement is the ability to disable the digital white/pink noise generator, which in the original was a looping sample rather than a true noise source—something that could be distracting in certain settings. These small tweaks show that AudioThing understands how to stay true to the original while fixing its limitations.
Classic Analog Vibe with Expanded Modulation
One of the defining characteristics of the Jen SX1000 was its 24dB/oct lowpass filter, which could get pretty aggressive at higher resonance settings. AudioThing has meticulously modeled this filter, giving it the same snappy, resonant character. To make it more flexible, they’ve upgraded the LFO section with new waveforms and a sync mode, allowing it to lock to tempo—something essential for modern production but impossible on the original hardware.
The two ADSR envelopes also get an upgrade in terms of responsiveness. The original Jen SX1000, while fun, was sometimes a little sluggish when it came to modulation, making it tricky to shape percussive sounds. In the software version, AudioThing has refined the envelope behavior, making it snappier when needed while still keeping the analog-like response.
Arpeggiator and Effects – More Than Just a Recreation
One of the biggest departures from the original SX1000 is the addition of an arpeggiator, something that simply didn’t exist on the hardware. Rather than just throwing in a basic version, AudioThing has gone with an inspired-by-Roland Juno-60 style arpeggiator, featuring four modes—including random and chord modes. This addition makes the SX1000 far more versatile, allowing for instant Berlin-school sequences or shimmering pads with minimal programming effort.
Then there are the effects. If you’ve used AudioThing plugins before, you’ll know that the company has a knack for unique and great-sounding effects, from tape echoes to spring reverbs. For the SX1000, they’ve packed in a suite of built-in effects, including:
Outer Space – An emulation of the legendary Roland RE-201 Space Echo, perfect for dubby textures.
Spring Reverb – Capturing the vintage, slightly lo-fi sound of hardware spring tanks.
Wave Folder – A tool for adding harmonics and making the SX1000 sound dirtier and more aggressive.
BBD-Style Flanger – Inspired by classic analog flangers, great for widening and thickening leads and pads.
All of these effects can be freely reordered, letting you shape the sound in creative ways. The inclusion of these built-in effects eliminates the need for extra plugins and makes the SX1000 a complete instrument rather than just a dry emulation.
How Does It Compare to Other Vintage Emulations?
The AudioThing SX1000 occupies a unique space in the world of vintage synth emulations. Unlike the Minimoog, Prophet-5, or Juno, which have richer oscillator sections and more complex modulation, the SX1000 is all about a simple, raw, single-oscillator sound. That’s what makes it special—it’s limited, quirky, and immediate, just like the original hardware. If you’re looking for a straightforward, analog-style monosynth with vintage character, this is something worth checking out.
For those who want another single-oscillator monosynth with a legendary reputation, TAL BassLine-101 is a great alternative. Based on the Roland SH-101, it offers a similarly straightforward workflow, but with a snappier filter and a built-in sequencer, making it a go-to for basslines and acid-style leads. The SH-101’s filter is a little punchier than the SX1000, but both synths share that raw, no-frills charm.
Another strong contender in the single-oscillator monosynth category is U-He Repro-1, an emulation of the Sequential Pro-One. While it technically has two oscillators, it still maintains a focused, aggressive tone that fits the SX1000’s immediate, hands-on spirit. The Repro-1’s filter and modulation options make it more flexible, but it still has a similar vintage monosynth appeal.
If you're into quirky, character-driven synths with a single-oscillator approach, GForce Oddity 3 (a take on the ARP Odyssey) is worth a look. While not strictly a single-oscillator synth, its duophonic structure and raw analog tone put it in the same "weird vintage monosynth" category as the SX1000. The Odyssey’s modulation flexibility and extra waveforms make it more powerful, but it still shares the SX1000’s analog unpredictability.
For those who like the single-oscillator sound but want something fatter, Cherry Audio Memorymode (a Memorymoog emulation) is a step up. While polyphonic, it retains a thick vintage tone that can be stripped down to behave like a mono synth. Similarly, Arturia Mini V is a Minimoog emulation that, while not a one-oscillator synth, still operates in a similarly simple and limited way when played in mono.
What makes the SX1000 stand out is that it doesn’t try to be a powerhouse polysynth or a heavily modulated sound design tool—it stays true to its single-oscillator, no-nonsense approach. If you love synths that embrace their limitations, focusing on pure tone, character, and immediacy, it’s one of the most compelling options out there.
Who Is This For (And Not For)?
If you love the sound of late-‘70s analog synths, especially ones with a raw, slightly imperfect character, this is for you. It’s a great pick for producers looking for a new flavor of analog synth that isn’t overused. The polyphonic mode and built-in effects also make it a solid choice for ambient, synthwave, and electronic musicians who want something unique but versatile.
However, if you’re after a deep, fully modular synth engine or hyper-realistic analog modeling, this might not be the best fit. The SX1000 stays true to its straightforward and immediate design, so if you’re looking for complex modulations or a massive range of oscillator options, you might prefer something like U-He Diva or Softube Model 84.
AudioThing has knocked it out of the park with the SX1000. This isn’t just another throwback plugin—it’s a carefully enhanced version of a rare classic, keeping everything that made the original charming while fixing its biggest limitations. The polyphonic mode, expanded LFO, arpeggiator, and built-in effects make it much more than a niche collector’s piece; this is a legitimately useful synth for modern production.
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