Inside the Box: How I Use Arturia V Collection Synths in my Music Production

The Role of Arturia V Collection in My Music Production Setup

As someone who grew up chasing the sound of iconic hardware—often through sample packs or DIY attempts—I’ve found Arturia’s approach to software emulation nothing short of a revelation. After years of trying to pin down these classic sounds, using Arturia V Collection in music production has become second nature. It doesn’t just nod to the past—it delivers the raw, authentic tone of the machines that defined entire decades, with all the modern convenience of in-the-box production.

These are my go-to picks from the collection: CMI V, Emulator II V, DX7 V, Solina V, and Vocoder V. Each one has earned its place in my toolkit for different reasons—but they all share a sense of character that’s hard to fake.

CMI V – The Sound That Started It All

The Fairlight CMI marked the dawn of digital sampling and carved out a permanent place in the DNA of electronic music. I’ve been chasing that sound for years—buying original sample libraries, experimenting with third-party emulations—but nothing ever felt truly usable in a real-world mix. Then Arturia dropped CMI V and everything just clicked. It captures the gritty, digital texture that shaped early electronic production, but gives me the control and flexibility I need inside a modern DAW. When I’m after that raw, unmistakably ’80s character—glassy, sharp, and slightly alien—this is always where I start.

Emulator II V – Lo-Fi Soul with Character

The Emulator II has this unmistakable lo-fi charm—8-bit digital playback smoothed by warm analog filters. It’s the kind of sound that shaped the emotional core of early sample-based electronic music. I’d tried using sample packs over the years, even some rare .eii conversions, but they never felt playable or flexible enough. Arturia’s Emulator II V changed that. It captures the imperfect texture of the originals—the subtle pitch drift, the grainy depth—and wraps it in a workflow that lets me use it like a proper instrument. If I’m building something emotional but still raw, this is one of my first stops.

DX7 V – The FM Blueprint

I don’t always reach for FM synthesis, but when I do, it’s the DX7 V. Sometimes I just need a reliable bass patch when I’m not in the studio, and this delivers. It nails the sound of my hardware DXs—and crucially, it gives me access to all the original presets, which I love. It’s one of the cleanest, most useable FM emulations I’ve worked with and a serious bonus is the enhanced UI and sound shaping tools Arturia has added.

Solina V – The Synth String Sweet Spot

Synth strings are tricky. They can sound dated, or just sit awkwardly in a mix. I used to rely on the JV1080’s Vintage Expansion for passable string textures, but nothing ever quite felt right—until I tried Arturia’s Solina V. I’ve never played a real Solina, but I’ve heard it in enough records to know the tone. This plugin hits that space perfectly: thick, lush, slightly phasey with that analog shimmer that feels like early electronica or cosmic disco. It’s not just string filler—it’s a character piece. When I need that emotional lift or nostalgic sweep, this is what I use.

Vocoder V – Speaking in Frequencies

The vocoder’s always been a symbol of electronic music’s more alien side—robotic, coded, processed to the point of abstraction. Arturia’s Vocoder V leans into that history but adds a level of sound design depth that’s hard to ignore. I’ve used it on a few Am.Is. tracks, now—it’s not just for “robot voice” clichés. The built-in synth and sampler let me sculpt formant shapes and textures that go from Kraftwerk to Burial in seconds. Whether I’m smearing a voice into the pads or creating something entirely synthetic, it gives me the tools to shape identity in sound.

Arturia: The Future Built on the Past

What I love about Arturia is that they don’t just emulate—they understand. Their synths aren’t museum pieces—they’re living instruments. Whether you’re chasing that retro texture or just want high-quality tools with character, Arturia’s approach gives you the best of both worlds. It’s not just nostalgia—it’s practical, powerful, and inspiring.

Maybe it’s no coincidence I gravitate toward Arturia. I do have a French streak running through me—the art, the music, the visual style—from the bold lines of 1960s Pierre Cardin and Courrèges to the filtered funk and techno of ’90s Bangalter. There’s something in their design, their sound, their whole approach that feels familiar in all the right ways.