Native Instruments just released Super*Saw, a synth built to do one thing: stack detuned saws into the wide wall of sound that defined two decades of electronic music. A clever little product at $99, designed with A. G. Cook. But that exact job is one dozens of plugins already do — some for free, some for the past fifteen years. Here are eight synths that deliver a genuine supersaw, sorted into honest families based on what they actually do best.
A word of framing, because it’s what sets this site apart: this is not a « best synths » ranking. It’s a shortlist of tools that give you that specific tone — the wide, slightly out-of-tune multi-saw of a trance chorus or an EDM drop. And they don’t all get there the same way. Some are built around the supersaw, some are Swiss-army synths that nail it anyway, and some are dedicated trance machines. The supersaw was born in hardware, on a Roland JP-8000 back in 1996, and today it lives inside the box — often better than in its original cradle.
The real deal: built around the supersaw
Two plugins treat the supersaw as the starting point of their architecture, not a side effect. If you want the sound with no compromise, start here.
Arturia Jup-8000 V
This is the most faithful equivalent you can get, for a simple reason: Arturia reverse-engineered the circuitry of the Roland JP-8000, the machine that invented the Super Saw mode. You get the original oscillator, its seven stacked saws and its slightly digital grain, wrapped in modern tools (effects, modulation, sequencer). If your mental reference is the late-90s eurodance lead, this is where you’ll find it closest to the source.
Next to NI’s Super*Saw, the Jup-8000 V plays in a different league of depth: it isn’t a one-trick, it’s a full synth where the supersaw is just one mode. Honest trade-off: it costs more and asks for a little more learning.
At a glance — Maker: Arturia · Price: $149 · Formats: VST, VST3, AU, AAX (macOS 11+, Windows 10+)
Synapse Audio Dune 3
Dune 3 ships with a « Swarm » mode that Synapse itself describes as an evolution of the classic supersaw: each oscillator gets its own subtle modulation, giving a wall of saws that breathes rather than sitting static. The scale is unapologetic — up to 8 unison voices, meaning over 500 oscillators per note. For massive pads and thick leads, it’s one of the most generous engines on the market.
Honestly, Dune 3 does far more than supersaw (VA, FM, wavetable), but its DNA is cut for dense unison. It’s the pick for when you want it to overflow.
At a glance — Maker: Synapse Audio · Price: €199 · Formats: VST2, VST3, AU, AAX (macOS 10.14+, Windows 7+)
The all-rounders that excel at supersaw
These aren’t dedicated to the supersaw, but their unison section is so accomplished they produce it as well — sometimes better — than the specialists. They’re also the synths you’ll use for everything else.
Vital
Vital is the strongest argument against the idea that a good supersaw has to be paid for. Matt Tytel’s free wavetable synth has a clean, efficient unison section: push the voices to seven, dial the detune to around 30-40%, and you get a wide, modern wall of saws with no CPU strain. The sound quality quietly holds up against paid competitors.
The basic version is free and complete; the paid Plus and Pro tiers mostly add presets and wavetables. To start with supersaw without spending a cent, this is the entry point I’d recommend.
At a glance — Maker: Matt Tytel (Vital Audio) · Price: free (paid Plus and Pro tiers) · Formats: VST3, AU, CLAP, LV2, standalone (macOS, Windows, Linux)
Xfer Records Serum 2
Serum is still the wavetable reference of modern production, and version 2 widens the engine further (multisample, granular, spectral). For supersaw, the case has been closed for a decade: Serum’s unison is precise, the visual feedback helps you sculpt detune by eye, and the preset ecosystem is huge. It’s the « default » choice for many producers — and for good reasons.
The only real caveat next to the free options is the price: Serum 2 is the most expensive in this list. You’re paying for the versatility and the ecosystem, not the supersaw itself.
At a glance — Maker: Xfer Records · Price: $249 · Formats: VST3, AU, AAX (macOS, Windows)
u-he Hive 2
Hive 2 has a specific supersaw argument: up to 16 unison voices per oscillator, inside an engine designed to be CPU-light and fast to program. Where others bury you in menus, Hive keeps a direct interface: stack, detune, filter, done. This is the « frictionless » supersaw.
Less deep than Serum on pure synthesis, Hive 2 makes up for it with speed and lightness — valuable when you’re layering several supersaws in one project.
At a glance — Maker: u-he · Price: €149 · Formats: VST3, AU, AAX, CLAP (macOS, Windows, Linux)
Surge XT
Surge XT is the delightful anomaly of this list: a full hybrid synth, free and open source (GPL), maintained by an active community. Its unison goes to 16 voices, its oscillators and filters are excellent, and it costs nothing — not now, not for updates. It’s a genuine professional instrument, not a toy.
Honestly, Surge isn’t cut specifically for supersaw the way the Jup-8000 V is, and its interface is denser than Hive’s. But for zero cost, cross-platform, it’s the free cousin you can’t ignore.
At a glance — Maker: Surge Synth Team · Price: free and open source (GPL) · Formats: VST3, AU, CLAP, LV2, standalone (Windows, macOS, Linux)
The trance and EDM specialists
These two aren’t the most versatile, but they were built for one very specific use: the detuned pads and leads of trance and EDM. Their sound almost pours out on its own.
LennarDigital Sylenth1
Sylenth1 is over fifteen years old and still a reference, for one reason: its four alias-free oscillators, with eight unison voices in stereo, produce a warm, dense, instantly musical supersaw. It’s the sound that defined a generation of European trance and dance. No wavetable, no granular — it does saws and pads, superbly.
It’s a narrower synth than Serum or Vital, but in its lane, few things sound this good this fast.
At a glance — Maker: LennarDigital · Price: €139 · Formats: VST, AU, AAX (macOS, Windows)
Reveal Sound Spire
Spire is the other big name in trance pads, with a more modern approach than Sylenth1: four synthesis modes, a built-in effect chain, an arpeggiator and chord modes. For big supersaw chords, cutting leads and bright EDM pads, it’s a safe bet — so much so that entire preset packs are dedicated to its supersaws.
Spire ticks the same box as Sylenth1, a little richer and a little pricier. Between the two, it mostly comes down to taste: warm and vintage for Sylenth1, bright and contemporary for Spire.
At a glance — Maker: Reveal Sound · Price: ≈ $189 · Formats: VST, VST3, AU, AAX (macOS, Windows)
At a glance
| Product | Maker | Price | The job in a word |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jup-8000 V | Arturia | $149 | Authenticity |
| Dune 3 | Synapse Audio | €199 | Excess |
| Vital | Matt Tytel | Free | Value |
| Serum 2 | Xfer Records | $249 | Reference |
| Hive 2 | u-he | €149 | Speed |
| Surge XT | Surge Synth Team | Free | Freedom |
| Sylenth1 | LennarDigital | €139 | Warmth |
| Spire | Reveal Sound | ≈ $189 | Trance |
Which one should you pick?
Zero budget? Get Vital: it’s the most complete free option, and its supersaw has nothing to envy the paid ones. If you want open source on principle and cross-platform, Surge XT does the job.
The exact JP-8000 sound? Arturia’s Jup-8000 V, no hesitation — it’s the original machine, faithfully rendered. The classic trance pad? Sylenth1 for vintage warmth, Spire for a brighter finish. The most enormous wall of saws? Dune 3 and its Swarm mode. A do-it-all synth that also excels at supersaw? Serum 2 or Hive 2, depending on whether you value the ecosystem or the speed.
And the Native Instruments Super*Saw that prompted this shortlist? It’s an unapologetic one-trick at $99, well made, for those who want the sound with no learning curve at all. A legitimate choice — as long as you know most of the synths above do the same thing inside a far broader instrument. In the same spirit, see our roundup of plugins that turn any sound into a drum kit and, on the hardware side, the M-VAVE FM-1 for pocket FM synthesis.
