Techno Plugins 2026: Serum 2, Diva & Pro-Q 4 Overview
· re:union Radio editorial · 3 min read
Serum 2, u-he Diva, and FabFilter Pro-Q 4: what these three techno plugins bring to the table—oscillators, filter models, dynamic EQ, and formats.
Techno plugins decide whether your bass hits hard in the club and your mix stays clean on a big rig. Three tools cover the core bases: Xfer's hybrid synth Serum 2 and u-he's analog emulation Diva for sound generation, FabFilter's Pro-Q 4 for shaping. Here's what they can do, according to the makers.
At a glance
- Serum 2 is a free upgrade for Serum 1 owners and brings five oscillator types.
- Diva models five oscillator and five filter models from classic hardware synths.
- Pro-Q 4 offers up to 24 EQ bands with Dynamic and Spectral Dynamics modes.
- All three are available for Windows and macOS; supported plugin formats differ in detail (see table below).
Serum 2: Five Oscillators for Bass, Stabs, and Textures
Xfer Records calls Serum 2 an "Advanced Hybrid Synthesizer." The heart remains the wavetable oscillator: in Smooth Interpolation mode it allows virtually unlimited frame positions in the wavetable, no morphing required. New additions are Multisample, Sample, Granular, and Spectral oscillators.
Especially interesting for techno: the Sample oscillator has a Rate knob for tape-stop effects and slices samples. The Spectral oscillator resynthesizes samples in real time on the harmonic level. On top come an arpeggiator, clip sequencer, and flexible effect routing. Out of the box, Serum 2 ships with over 626 presets and 288 wavetables.
u-he Diva: Analog Character from Circuit Simulation
The name stands for "Dinosaur Impersonating Virtual Analogue." According to u-he, Diva is the first native software synth to apply methods from industrial circuit simulators in real time. The maker is upfront that this noticeably costs CPU.
You combine five oscillator models (Triple VCO, Dual VCO, DCO, Dual VCO Eco, Digital) with five filters (Ladder, Cascade, Multimode, Bite, Uhbie). The Ladder filter runs at 24 dB per octave and can be switched to 12 dB. In the Trimmers section you dial in detuning and drift between voices, just like real hardware gets from component tolerances.
On the product page plays "Angular Momentum (Kriece's Diva Dub)" by Ugly Frank & Kriece: a tech-house track whose sounds—except drums and percussion—come entirely from Diva. Resident Advisor gave Diva an Honorable Mention as best synth plugin in 2011.
FabFilter Pro-Q 4: Precise EQing in Dense Mixes
Pro-Q 4 offers up to 24 bands. Every bell and shelf band can work dynamically, with adjustable attack and release, sidechain filter, and external trigger. New is Spectral Dynamics: instead of ducking the whole band, the EQ only acts on frequencies within the band that exceed the threshold.
With EQ Sketch you draw a base curve in a single gesture. Filters reach up to 96 dB per octave, high- and low-pass additionally get a brickwall slope. The Instance List shows all instances of Pro-Q 4, Pro-C 3, Pro-DS, and Pro-G in your session, while Gentle and Warm modes add analog color. How to build your track's foundation is covered in Techno Production: Kick Drums Like the Pros.
"FabFilter Pro-Q has one of the best GUIs of any EQ out there and sonically compares to the best."
— Dave Pensado, quoted on fabfilter.com
Technical Specs Compared
| Serum 2 – Oscillator Types | Wavetable, Multisample, Sample, Granular, Spectral |
|---|---|
| Serum 2 – Presets / Wavetables | over 626 / 288 |
| Serum 2 – Formats | VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit) |
| Serum 2 – Systems | Windows 10 or later; macOS from High Sierra (Intel) or Big Sur (Apple Silicon) |
| Diva – Oscillator & Filter Models | 5 each |
| Diva – Voice Modes | polyphonic (up to 16 voices), duophonic, monophonic, legato |
| Diva – Factory Presets | over 1,200 |
| Diva – Formats | CLAP, AUv2, VST3, AAX |
| Pro-Q 4 – EQ Bands | up to 24 |
| Pro-Q 4 – Slope Steepness | up to 96 dB/octave, brickwall for high- and low-pass |
| Pro-Q 4 – Surround | up to Dolby Atmos 9.1.6 |
| Pro-Q 4 – Formats | VST, VST3, AU, CLAP, AAX Native, AudioSuite |
FAQ
Is Serum 2 free for Serum 1 owners?
Yes. Xfer Records offers Serum 2 as a free upgrade for Serum 1 owners and promises lifetime free updates.
Can I try the plugins before buying?
Yes. The Serum 2 demo is limited to 15 minutes, Pro-Q 4 comes as a 30-day trial. The Diva demo produces occasional crackles until you enter a serial number.
Source: Xfer Records – Serum 2, u-he – Diva, FabFilter – Pro-Q 4
