Native Instruments and A. G. Cook Launch SuperStarSaw Synthesizer to Redefine the Legacy of the Supersaw Wave
The landscape of digital music production has undergone a significant transformation with the official release of Super*Saw (stylized as SuperStarSaw), a specialized software synthesizer developed through a landmark collaboration between Native Instruments and the influential producer A. G. Cook. Announced following an intimate showcase at Baltic Studios in London, the instrument represents more than a mere digital tool; it is a conceptual bridge between the virtual analog revolution of the 1990s and the hyper-layered, maximalist aesthetics of contemporary pop and electronic music. By isolating and expanding upon the "supersaw"—a sound characterized by multiple detuned sawtooth waves stacked together—Native Instruments and Cook aim to provide producers with a streamlined, highly expressive interface that eliminates the traditionally tedious process of manual oscillator stacking.
The release marks a pivotal moment for Native Instruments, a company that has long dominated the virtual instrument market with flagship products like Massive and Kontakt. By partnering with A. G. Cook, the founder of the PC Music collective and a primary architect behind the "hyperpop" movement, the company is signaling a shift toward artist-driven, ideology-focused software design. Cook, whose production credits include era-defining work with Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, and Oklou, has spent over a decade utilizing the supersaw as a foundational element of his sonic identity. The creation of Super*Saw allows the broader production community to access the specific logic and workflow that Cook has refined across his solo discography, including the sprawling 7G, the critically acclaimed Apple, and his most recent 2024 triple-album, Britpop.
The Historical Context of the Supersaw Wave
To understand the significance of Super*Saw, one must look back to the mid-1990s, an era defined by the transition from hardware-based analog synthesis to digital virtual analog (VA) technology. The supersaw was first popularized by the Roland JP-8000 synthesizer, released in 1996. Unlike traditional synthesizers that might offer one or two oscillators per voice, the JP-8000 introduced a unique oscillator type that emulated the sound of seven sawtooth waves playing simultaneously and slightly out of tune with one another. This created a lush, thick, and harmonically rich texture that became the backbone of the "Classic Trance" era and Eurodance anthems.
As computing power increased, the ability to stack oscillators became more accessible, yet the process often remained cumbersome. Producers seeking the "wall of sound" effect often had to duplicate tracks, manually adjust fine-tuning across dozens of instances, and coordinate complex automation to maintain movement and clarity. A. G. Cook’s career has been defined by pushing these digital limits to their breaking point. In his hands, the supersaw evolved from a trance cliché into a versatile tool for deconstructed pop, capable of shifting from delicate, crystalline pads to aggressive, percussive blocks of noise. Super*Saw is designed to condense this history into a single, playable interface, allowing for "stacking to new heights" without the technical overhead.
Technical Architecture and the Dual-Layer System
The core architecture of Super*Saw is built around a dual 8-voice sawtooth oscillator system. This design choice reflects Cook’s personal philosophy of sound design, which often involves "pairing" sounds to create a sense of internal dialogue or contrast. The interface is visually and functionally divided into two distinct layers, color-coded in vivid pink and green—a direct reference to the aesthetic branding of Cook’s Britpop album cycle.
The "Pink" and "Green" layers operate as independent engines that can be blended, modulated, and randomized. According to Cook, this dual-layer approach functions like a "comedic duo," where one layer can provide a stable, fundamental harmonic anchor while the other is pushed into chaotic, detuned, or highly modulated territory. Each layer features controls for spread, width, and voice count, allowing users to move from a thin, surgical single-wave lead to a massive, 16-oscillator stack that fills the entire frequency spectrum.
One of the most innovative features of the instrument is the star-shaped modulator, a visual and functional centerpiece that gives the plugin its name. This modulator can be mapped to various parameters, including panning, amplitude, and pitch, providing a rhythmic and textural "shimmer" that is synonymous with Cook’s production style. Additionally, the inclusion of a 4-corner Morpher allows producers to perform real-time transitions between different states. Instead of relying on static presets or linear automation, the Morpher enables the user to navigate a "sound space," shifting between different chord shapes and detuning rates fluidly.
A. G. Cook’s Production Philosophy and Workflow
During the launch event at Baltic Studios, A. G. Cook elaborated on the frustrations that led to the development of Super*Saw. He noted that achieving his signature sounds often involved "long workarounds" that disconnected him from the musicality of the instrument. He cited his track "Stargon" as an example of a project where the complexity of the synth stacking became a barrier to creativity. "It was a real pain to get all the automation right and meticulously line everything up," Cook remarked. "It never felt like I was playing the synths or interacting with them in a musical way."
Super*Saw is his response to that friction. By limiting the synthesizer’s sound source strictly to sawtooth waves, the instrument forces the producer to focus on the nuances of the "stack" rather than getting lost in a sea of wavetables or FM algorithms. This "minimalism through maximalism" approach allows for a faster workflow where the producer can stay in a creative flow state. The inclusion of a randomization "dice" button further emphasizes this, encouraging happy accidents and rapid experimentation—a hallmark of the computer-based music making that Cook champions.
Industry Implications and the Rise of Artist-Specific Tools
The release of Super*Saw is part of a broader trend within the music technology industry where software developers are moving away from "all-in-one" workstations in favor of specialized, artist-branded tools. This shift acknowledges that modern producers are often looking for a specific "vibe" or a curated set of constraints rather than an infinite array of choices. Native Instruments’ decision to collaborate with a figure as polarizing and influential as A. G. Cook suggests a desire to capture the energy of the underground and experimental pop scenes.
Industry analysts suggest that this move could be a strategic response to the success of boutique plugin companies like Baby Audio, Output, and Arturia, who have found success by focusing on unique user interfaces and specific sonic signatures. By bringing Cook into the fold, Native Instruments is tapping into a demographic of younger, DAW-native producers who value aesthetic cohesion and immediate results. The "SuperStarSaw" is positioned not just as a synth for hyperpop, but as a versatile tool for anyone looking to add a modern, digital edge to their tracks, from cinematic scoring to heavy bass music.
Broader Impact and the Future of the "Stack"
As the "supersaw" celebrates nearly three decades of existence, its relevance shows no signs of waning. It has transitioned from the stadiums of 90s rave culture to the bedroom studios of the 2020s, proving to be one of the most resilient sounds in the electronic lexicon. A. G. Cook views Super*Saw as a "coda" or "epilogue" to his recent work, a way of distilling his decade-long exploration of the sound into a format that others can use to forge their own paths.
The instrument’s ability to turn dense harmonic information into "blocks of sound" that function almost percussively is likely to influence a new generation of producers. In the current music climate, where the lines between pop, electronic, and experimental music are increasingly blurred, tools like Super*Saw provide the necessary firepower to create sounds that are both familiar and alien.
Native Instruments has confirmed that SuperSaw is now available as a standalone plugin and as part of their broader software ecosystem. As producers begin to integrate the "pink and green" layers into their sessions, the legacy of the stacked sawtooth wave enters a new, more accessible chapter. Whether it is used to create shimmering, euphoric melodies or "Mad Max"-style walls of noise, the SuperSaw stands as a testament to the enduring power of digital synthesis and the creative potential of pushing a single idea to its absolute extreme. Through this collaboration, the "SuperStar" of the 90s has been successfully reimagined for the hyper-digital future.
