Soundbytes has announced the EST Sampling-Groovebox VSTi. EST is a mixture of hq-sampler and an advanced 12-row / 16-step-sequencer.

The EST-Loop-factory comes as a VSTi-plugin, supports (optionally) multi-out and works well with every VST-Host. EST will be released within the next week. Preorders are welcome for 49 EUR.

The heart of EST is a 12*multitimbral sampler. Each sampler can be controlled either by your host, midi-in or the internal step-sequencer. The step-sequencer contains 128 recallable patterns, which are clearly organized in banks, programs and variations. Each pattern contains complete sequences with triggers, notes and automation-data for the 12 samplers.

Sampler

• Imports WAV and AIF with all known sub formats
• Uses its own 32-bit-float format for setting up slots (a sample with
• extensions) and kits
• Quick access via tree-menus and customizable sample-directory’s
• One shot, forward, backward, ping pong
• Scalable root-key
• Multi-sample support by using multiple rows and key zones (from/to)
• Keytrack-option
• Sample-offset controllable
• Up to 128 voices polyphony
• Modes: Poly, Legato and Mono
• Scalable Unison, Voice-Limit and Detune
• Chord-mode (combinable with unison)
• Morph mode (channels are used as oscillators)
• Volume, pan and morph with inertia
• Pitchbend (global and single) with scalable range
• Fine-tune
• Glide-mode (works even in poly mode) with adjustable glide-time
• Amplitude envelope ADSR with velocity sense.
• Modulation envelope ADSR with velocity sense (can be modulated by LFO2)
• Two syncable LFO’s with sin, tri, pulse, saw, saw up/down and scalable phase
• Filters (lp, hp, bp, notch, eq, hs, ls) with overdrive
• Modulation of pitch, filter, morph and mod-adsr itself
• Almost all parameters can be automated by the step-sequencer
• Loop-recorder for reuse of sequences as samples or usage in other applications
• Basic functions for mono/stereo-conversion, channel swap, normalize, gain and reverse
• Menu option to edit and reload sample in your preferred sample-editor

GUI

• Well structured, lightweight user-interface with customizable color-schemes
• Visualization of used patterns
• Step-LED’s for visual feedback
• Integrated Help system
• Support for right mouse button, wheel
• Almost all functions are available without control/shift keys

Global settings and functions

• Preset browser
• Scope and level display (with clip and sync indicator)
• Gain slider
• Song info (opens linked web site or document)
• Sync mode (internal, host, manual)
• Key-select (auto-activation of rows regarding key-zone)
• Grid-size (piano-roll and drum-grid)
• Record velocity, delay-time and auto-step
• Audition (editing and sample-import, velocity and gate-time)

Synchronization

• Host synchronization for tempo, transport
• Inter process synchronization (mute, solo, play, record)
• Relative tempo from 1/32. to 32/1t
• Sample accurate timing
• 3 different Sync-modes (internal, host, manual)

Row Parameters

• Output-port (EST can use up to 12 outputs)
• Trigger channel (active, all and 1-16)
• Route-row (trigger other rows, make custom chords, trigger multi-samples)
• Relative transpose, velocity, gate-time and delay
• Swing affecting delay and velocity (scalable first step and interval)
• Humanization for velocity, delay and gate-time
• Step-divide, which allows to play a row in a different tempo (adjustable divide and length)

Live situation (midi-in targets)

• Bank, program and variation recall via midi-note
• Start/Stop, Start, Mute/Solo, Sync
• Row-mute
• Navigation and editing via controllers (every single step can be controlled)
• Midi-Learn function
• Midi-Thru
• Panic
• Transpose via midi-note (global and single-row)
• Free and Hold mode

Recording

• Step and Live recording
• Adjustable auto-step, velocity and delay
• Built-in Loop-Recorder, Wave-export
• Record loop to sample

Pattern editing

• Piano-roll and drum-grid
• Colors can assigned to rows
• All-rows-visible mode
• Easy pattern editing with left/right mouse buttons
• Cut, Copy and Paste for patterns, variations, rows and step-values
• Undo and snapshot
• Row rotate, reverse and random step shuffle
• Auto-trigger, inverse and trigger-random
• Note transpose, set to root/last note, note-random
• Chord-progressions
• Value increment, decrement, two value-random functions (absolute, relative)
• All functions can optionally affect all or selected steps
• Pattern lock (run one pattern and edit another)
• Mouse sweeping for quick value drawing
• Different random functions for notes, triggers and values
• Rotate, reverse, transpose etc.
• Data-has-changed indicator
• Import/Export functions for banks and single patterns.
• Tree-menus (quick access) for saved banks and patterns
• Quick step mute/unmute
• Magic function which produced sequences based on chords-progressions and random

Pattern structure

• 16 variations
• 12 trigger rows
• Default variation (optionally), which is automatically selected on pattern change
• Target-parameters of the 5 automation-rows

Variation structure

• Tempo (relative to host)
• Mode (free/hold)
• LFO and row-subdivide restart option (never, always, on variation or pattern change)
• First/Last step (pattern length)
• Step-row (every single step can be muted)
• Order-row (defines the actual play-order)
• Break-row (enables triggering other-patterns)
• Mute/Solo states of the trigger rows

Trigger-row structure

• 16 triggers (on/off) and a note-value and chord-descriptor
• -row
• Gate-row (note duration)
• Fill-row (re triggers notes automatically, different modes)
• Hits-row (used to create sub-patterns and chord-progressions)
• Delay-row
• 5 Automation rows

Automation parameters

• Offset, morph, morph-time, detune, pitch, fine-tune
• Gain, gain-time, pan, pan-time, hit-pan
• Cutoff, resonance, drive
• ADSR-settings of both envelopes
• Phase of both LFO’s
• Almost all track-parameters

Additional info is available at the SoundBytes site.