Create Your own “Synthetic Symphony”, with Nick’s Online Synthesizer.

via richarddevine

The Dreammachine is a self-running Windows software synthesizer which can be used to create complex athmospheres and soundscapes for live performances.

The concept of the Dreammachine is based on very slow running LFO being used for wavesequencing and sound modulations. Thus, realtime editing is not as one might expect it – this is a machine for slow flowing motion of sounds.

There are three dedicated parts: Bottom (Bass), Back/Pad and Sparkles providing quite complex athmospheres and soundscapes which is mostly determined by the sequence of waves. Each part has got a 24 step sequencer for waves each with it’s own tempo setting to get more variations among the three parts.

Here’s a demo of the Dreammachine in action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’ve used The Dreammachine, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Pricing:

• 1st month the registration will be 79Euro
• after that til Dec. 31st ‘08 it will be 99Euro
• from Jan. 1st 09 it will be the regular price of 119Euro.

The registered version comes with 100 waves at each part and is capable to load other sf2 files. Of course the sproken phrases of the demo are in the registered version.

Baby Bion is free synth designed for Soundscapes and Atmospheres, but it can also be used as a general Lightweight Synth. The developed Dual Oscillator provides over 3500 different waveforms which can be mixed in many flexible ways including FM.

Here are the main features:

• Dual Oscillator - The Oscillator provides 2 waveforms which can be mixed using on of the many modes which includes A+B, A-B, Various FM Modes, Dual Pitch, Split and Distorted.
• Filter - Cascadable up to 8 times and includes Low Passes, Hi Passes, Band Passes, Comb, Low Shelf, Hi Shelf and Peak.
• 32 Stage Envelopes - Capable of Repeating Sections, One Envelope is for volume and the second is for the Filter and general purpose, assigned via the Modulation Routing.
• Drive - Auto Volume Distortion
• LFO - Uniquely Developed LFO with standard Shapes, plus custom shapes with Smooth Control.
• SoundScaper - Comb / Delay / Reverb Effect for creating interesting soundscapes.
• Flanger/Filter - Switchable between Flanger and Filter effect, LFO has over 300 predefined shapes with smooth control as well as standard shapes.
• FX Routing - 3 different Paths available.
• Modulation Routing - Multiple options for assigning Modulators to Destinations.
• Stereo Spread - Allows setting a random value to the Pan of each voice.

A demo of the Korg DS-10 Synth using four units.

XSEEDgames has several more Korg DS-10 demos at YouTube.

Yonac Software has introduce an iPhone synthesizer, miniSynth. 

miniSynth is a vintage-modeling keyboard synth for the iPhone platform, featuring dual oscillators, adjustable retro-style sound filter, attack/decay, glide and a tape-delay influenced delay unit. 

Features:

• Two variable-range, “old school” oscillators
• Four individual waveforms per oscillator (triangular, sawtooth, sine and square)
• Six stops per oscillator, giving approximately a 5-7000 Hz range, including individual LFO switches
• Dedicated VFO mixers
• User-controllable VCF (variable capacitance filter), with retro-modeling algorithm and feedback
• User-controllable attack/decay filters
• Programmable glide
• Vintage modeling “tape delay” reverb unit, including adjustable delay time and decay
• Keyboard-on mode
• 48-key, 4-octave keyboard
• 10 factory sound presets

Omnisphere is cross-platform, compatible with Apple Macintosh OS X 10.4 and higher as a native Universal Binary and also with Microsoft Windows XP/Vista. Audio Units, VST, and RTAS plug-in formats are supported for compatibility with all major host software.

Here’s their description:

This epic ‘Power Synth’ breaks completely new sonic ground by combining a wide variety of hybrid realtime synthesis techniques, an epic library of remarkable ‘Psychoacoustic’ sounds, and many innovative features that have never been seen before in any hardware or software synthesizer. The new instrument is the first to be based on Spectrasonics newly developed STEAM Engine.

“This is truly an Epic project,” said Eric Persing, Founder and Creative Director of Spectrasonics. “We have been working for many, many years; sampling unique sounds, experimenting, specifying the synthesis features and building the STEAM Engine to run it all. It’s been a very exciting process involving our team of software engineers, sound designers, musicians, and graphic artists from all over the world. We’ve been very deliberate in making it easy to use, and yet extremely powerful. Omnisphere is our new flagship synthesizer, and points the way to all our future virtual instruments. We are thrilled to offer a new product that will have a host of expansion capabilities in the future.”

Omnisphere offers a host of hybrid synthesis and new control capabilities including Variable Waveshaping DSP synthesis, Granular synthesis, Timbre Shifting, FM, polyphonic Ring Modulation, high-resolution streaming Sample Playback, Harmonia, Dual Multimode Filter structure, Chaos Envelopes, an advanced Unison mode, and the innovative Flex-Mod™ modulation routing system – to name a few.

The huge core library of Omnisphere is filled with years of creative sampling experiments and thousands of inspiring patches. Spectrasonics has pioneered several brand-new types of sampling for the core library of this instrument, including unique “Psychoacoustic” sounds and soundsources created with a new Composite Morphing Technique (CMT) – which morphs the harmonic characteristics of one instrument to another. As a bonus, a section of the core library is also devoted to representing the best of Spectrasonics award-winning sample libraries. When all of these organic core library soundsources are combined with the synthesis power of the STEAM engine, the sounds become “alive” in a truly dynamic and expressive way.

Among the many unique features this new multitimbral synth offers are its flexible arpeggiators with the innovative Groove Lock integration with Stylus RMX – allowing the arpeggiator’s pattern to instantly groove with the feel of the RMX drum loop; Live Mode for transitionless patch switching and layering, Stack Mode for powerful performance mapping; and integrated modulatable FX Racks.

Omnisphere is also the successor to Spectrasonics’ popular Atmosphere instrument, and contains enhanced versions of all the classic Atmosphere sounds. However, the brand new core library in Omnisphere is 10-times the size of Atmosphere and features thousands of completely new and different sounds.

There is an upgrade for all Atmosphere customers, available from Spectrasonics Techshop.

Cosmic Boy has released Icecream, a freeware VST instrument for Windows.

Features:

• 8-bit/Chip style Mono/Poly synthesizer.
• Dual Osc’s.
• 4 Octave per OSC.
• Osc2 Finetune.
• Step Sequencer Pitch/Filter.
• Bitcrusher 8bit,16bit, 24bit, 32bit.
• Filter Section.
• Amp/Filter ADSR.
• Harmonics Switch.
• Reverb/Delay.
• X/Y Pad.
• Glide and Glide Rate.

It’s a free download from Cosmic Boy’s MySpace page.

via Rekkerd

Proteus VX is not copy-protected or card-locked like other versions of E-MU’s instrument and sampling software, and can be used either as a VSTi or in stand alone mode on Windows (Proteus VX will install and function for most users on Windows Vista but is only officially tested and supported for Windows XP).

Proteus VX was previously only available as part of the “E-MU Production Tools Software Bundle” which is included with various E-MU hardware products.

Digidesign has announced the immediate availability of its Transfuser virtual instrument for Pro Tools.

Transfuser comes with nearly 2 GB of loops and phrases to get users started quickly. By combining a series of modular drum machine/sound generators, dedicated sequencers, loop manipulation tools, and effects with an intuitive drag-and-drop composition/editing interface, users can easily create, manipulate and perform loop- and rhythm-based music on the fly.

“Transfuser is an incredibly fun and creative way to quickly make and manipulate music right in Pro Tools,” says Digidesign’s Dusty DiMercurio. “Many people today rely on audio loops and phrases to create music. Transfuser offers user-friendly tools and a simple workflow that enables anyone to easily remix grooves and create original music from these building blockss.”

Transfuser is available now in RTAS format for both Mac OS X and Windows at a price of $295 / €282.

This episode of the 1Up show – an online video game show – features a look at the new Korg DS-10 synthesizer, which runs on the Nintendo DS platform.

Future Audio Workshop has released Circle, a new virtual synth for Mac & PC that’s designed to be easy to use.

Features:

• Visually Design Sounds – Simply move colour coded circles around the interface to start creating your own unique sounds. Preview the connections by just hovering the circle beneath a knob. Explore sound in an intuitive way.
• Powerful Audio Engine – Choose from a large variety of effects and audio modules. Mix the classic synthesizer tones of analog modeled filters and oscillators with contemporary wavetables and digital bit crushers.
• Creative control – Assign your midi controllers in a simple and fast way with visual midi learn. Attach multiple parameters to a single controller.

FAW Circle is Euro 149. A demo version is available for testing.

The sounds in KONTAKT RETRO MACHINES originate from eleven analog synths, five vintage digital synthesizers and six classic drum machines, with a dedicated sample set for each of the over 130 included KoreSounds.

KONTAKT RETRO MACHINES makes extensive use of the advanced capabilities of KORE 2 / KORE PLAYER and of its integrated instrument and effect engines. Every instrument sound offers eight distinct variations, organized in a scheme that includes optional percussive, pad, solo/lead and arpeggiated flavors of every preset.

Authentic “vintage synth” operation is achieved through special performance features like adjustable glide, unison, polyphonic portamento, optional pure tuning mode and much more.

KONTAKT RETRO MACHINES is now available for download purchase in the NI Online Shop for $59 / €49.

Changes in Scanned Synth Pro 2

• New GUI design
• New presets
• An audio input that can be used to feed Scanned Synth Pro’s hammer and mass shapes making its sound even more dynamic
• An envelope follower that follows the level of the audio input and can be used to modulate the synth’s parameters
• A Danger Switch for extra nastiness
• Context-sensitive help
• The facility to load and save fxp and fxb files from within the plugin
• Improved sound quality and host support

Any synth, hard or soft, with a “Danger Switch” is worth checking out, in my book.

Scanned Synth Pro 2 is available for Windows PC and costs 60 EUR. (Registered users of version 1 can upgrade to version 2 for free).

The original MS-10 (price 53,500 yen in 1978; US$300 then) was a monophonic, single oscillator job. DS-10 simulator works as two synthesizers (each of them, dual-oscillator affair), since Nintendo DS has dual-screen, upper and lower.

Adding to this two tracks (or two synthesizers), four tracks of drum machine sounds have been built-in. Altogether, DS-10 can be treated as six tracks, 16-step synthesizer/sequencer. Maximum, tune of 99 phrases long can be produced.

Three ways of note entry input: Touch-control screen, keyboard screen, and X-Y matrix screen. All three of them controlled by DS stylus.

Variable resistor nobs and patch panel wiring, too, are easily controlled by a stylus. Sound effect modification has three modes: Delay, chorus, and flanger. Controllable on mixer screen. Only drag is the sound output. DS’ line output is rather feeble and full of noise, but no midi-in/out are possible. Sure, restriction from the DS platform, a revenge of hardware!

Already, thousands of DTM freaks have queued up in Japan to get Korg DS-10. Their waiting will be rather long. Release date, July 24, 2008, and only at Amazon Japan (amazon.co.jp). Only consolation would be its price tag, just 4,800 yen (US$46), very much affordable for everybody with Nintendo DS already in his hand.

No word still on a US or European release date.

Atomic is a 16 step sequencer composing tool with a built in synth that also has the ability to control other softsynths or even hardware via its MIDI out function.

The design is circular, inspired by step sequencers such as the Buchla Arbitrary Function Generator and Future Retro Revolution.

You can preview Atomic below:

Sequencer:

• 16 step sequencer in a circular design with 3 rows: seminotes, velocity
• and gate.
• BPM Rate with 5 modes including random.
• Separate rhythm grid.
• Advanced arpeggiator with separate rate, 5 modes with gate and octave controls.
• Latch mode for continuous play.
• MIDI Out for use in modular hosts which also includes LFO’s and
• step modulators to control external vst’s or hardware.

Synth:

• 2 Oscillators with 14 waveforms including additive partials.
• Separate phase controls, detune and octave as well as harmonic tuning mode.
• VCF with 4 filter types with velocity control.
• 2 dedicated envelope generators, one for amp and one for filter.
• 2 LFOs, Sub Oscillator, Step Modulator, Random Generator and Keyboard control
• with zone and mod wheel assign which includes sequencer controls for step and
• rate.
• Comprehensive mod matrix.

Effects

• X-Y delay with separate multimode filters which can be modulated via mod matrix.
• Spacial stereo reverb
• Phaser with wide sweeping range.
• Master section with volume, pan and tuning
• CC map for hardware MIDI knob controllers.

Nucleus SoundLab

Description:

Viral Outbreak is a new soundware product based on the sounds of the Virus* TI hardware synthesizer. Using 96khz multisampling, manual looping and professional preset design, Nucleus SoundLab brings this powerful electronica sound to your productions.

Viral Outbreak is available both as a VSTi plugin, and a Reason 4.0 Refill.

Viral Outbreak contains all manner of TI-based sounds. Classic wavetables, raw saw and pulse waveforms (sampled at multiple pulsewidths), unison dance leads, breathtaking pads, bizarre formant effects, massive supersaws and even punchy synth drumkits.

The library is available in several formats, starting at $99.95. Demos available at the Nucleus SoundLab site.

Details:

• No sampler required! Viral Outbreak is powered by a full copy of the amazing WusikEngine V4 by Wusik.com. You can even use this engine to load our other Wusikstation libraries! Note that you will also get a free upgrade to WusikEngine V5 once released.
• Nearly 3.5GB of multisamples comprising 180+ soundsets.
• Sampled at 32-bit 96khz quality! For resource efficiency, then carefully downsampled to 24-bit 48khz.
• Comes loaded with nearly 950 presets by the best preset designers out there: Pro-Sounds, Teksonik, Tim Conrardy, Jeremy Janzen, rsmus7 and more!
• An amazing, TI-inspired, Wusikstation v1-v3 skin by Vera Kinter. Click here for a full-size preview of this skin!

The Refill details:

• Nearly 2GB compressed in Refill format! (contains the exact same samples as the VSTi)
• 235 unique Reason Combinators included by a variety of talented Reason sound designers included Adam Fielding, Tom Pritchard, Nick Hutton and Shaun Wallace.
• Large variety of additional individual patches for Reason’s modules.
• Programmed for Reason 4, and as such makes good use of Thor and RPG-8.
• Beautiful Viral-themed Combinator backdrop by Danny from sgxmusic.com.

For those who own the previously available Viral Outbreak Volume One Wusikstation soundset, here is whats new:

• 1.3GB+ of new sample content. Much of it is created with the new granular/formant TI oscillators.
• 300+ new patches
• Old presets have been volume-balanced, and culled for quality so only the best remain.
• A favorites preset folder has been created containing the best 178 presets in the set.

Robin Schmidt’s Music Engineering Tools has released a public beta version a new free synth VST for Windows, Straightline.

Description:

Straightliner is a straight-lined subtractive synthesizer in a modern guise. You will find the well known building blocks of classic analog synthesizers (4 oscillators, a filter, 2 envelope generators) patched together in the traditional way.

Now you are probably tempted to say ’boring!’ – however, the building blocks themselves offer much more flexibility than commonly seen in subtractive (aka ’virtual analog’) synthesizers: Instead of relying on a set of fixed waveforms, Straightliner’s oscillators support loading of arbitrary (single cycle) audio files which may be even stereo.

In turn, the whole signal path is laid out in stereo. The standard ADSR model for envelopes is replaced by a flexible modulation generator which allows to define an arbitrary number of breakpoints. The heart of subtractive synthesizers is the filter, of course. In this department, Straightliner offers a multimode filter with various modes, among them the usual suspects like lowpass, highpass, bandpass, but also bell- and shelving types and some ’morphable’ types and (remark: at this early beta-stage, only the ’Moogish Lowpass’ type is implemented).

I posted earlier about a free Commodore 64 synth VST. Pretty much instantaneously, reader BlueBrat let me know about a free Atari synth VST for Windows.

YMVST emulates the Atari’s built-in YM2149 sound chip, and sounds pretty awesome, too.

Preview the YMVST’s sound below.

Odosynth’s 388911 bytes is a freeware/donationware Commodore 64 style virtual synth for Windows. 

Features:

• 1 oscillator with 4 difftent waveforms: Saw Triangle Pulse and Pitched noise
• 3 BPM sequencer with 7 rates and 2 to 8 steps .You can end a sequence or loop it.
• The first sequencer has notes from c to b and octaves from -3 to 4
• In the 2nd (waveform sequencer) you can select saw,triange,noise,ring saw,ring triangle,ring pulse.
• 3rth sequencer for octaves from -3 to 4 
• A filter with envelope from 1 to 8 stages and 13 curves you can select where you want your sustain point.
• Filter types: lowpass,hipass and bandpass.You can activate more than one filter type like on a real c64.
• Cutoff and resonance and a on/off button to save some CPU 
• A pitch envelope from 1 to 8 stages and you can select where you want your sustain point. And has a on/off button to save some cpu
• A PW envelope from 1 to 8 stages and you can select where you want your sustain point.
• A has a on/off button to save some cpu 
• Two LFOs with 19 different waveforms and free speed or 14 bpm speeds
• Ringmodulation with a bitcrucher notes from c to b and octaves from -4 to 4 
• A Bitcrusher
• Volume envelope

DSK has released OranZe, a new free SynthEdit VSTi for Windows.

Features:

• 2 OSC, 135 waveforms*
• Phase mod.
• Amp. envelope
• Octave selector and microtuning
• 2 multi-mode Filter
• 2 LFO’s with 5 waveforms
• 1 extra LFO, with waveforms
• LFO Routing Matrix
• Note sequencer (32 steps)
• Gate Sequencer (16 steps)
• Light delay effect
• Midi automation
• Velocity response
• Preset manager
• Preset and step seq. “one click generator” (randomize button)

Preview OranZe below:

It’s a free download via rekkerd.org.