Schmidt-Synthesizer has announced the Schmidt Vi, a software plugin that models its Eightvoice Analog Synthesizer, available now in AAX, AU, VST, and VST3 formats. The timing is deliberate: the hardware instrument, which has been in production for 15 years, is winding down after the remaining Classic units and a final run of 20 “Final Series” units are sold.

The original Eightvoice debuted at Musikmesse 2012 and built a reputation as one of the more ambitious polyphonic analog synthesizers of the modern era, with over 100 units eventually built entirely in Germany using through-hole construction. Rising manufacturing costs and component availability have made continued production unworkable, prompting the company to pursue a software alternative.

Developed in collaboration with UJAM, the Schmidt Vi was built by analyzing the hardware’s analog signal path at the circuit level, covering what the company describes as every interaction and behavioral nuance of the original design. That includes the instrument’s distinctive chain of five ring modulators fed by six pulse waves with varying pulse widths, a feature the company says was unique to the hardware. The full modulation routing, glide and portamento controls, and programmable per-preset realtime modifiers are all present in the plugin, along with a GUI that mirrors the hardware’s front panel layout.

A prototype was shown at Superbooth earlier this year. The Schmidt Vi is available now through the Schmidt-Synthesizer shop at a price point the company positions as accessible compared to the hardware.