Galaxy Instruments and Best Service have released Galaxy X, a new synth based on effect convolution.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
Convolution is the process of multiplying two signals together or folding one audio file over the other one. The result is a hybrid of the two original sounds, introducing a whole new world of sound creations.
With Galaxy X, those two sound files are the Sources and the X-Files:
The Sources are sample sets especially and exclusively recorded and tweaked for use with FX Convolution. All in all X delivers about 15BG of source material with almost 1000 tonally playable source key instruments, over 2000 Effect Sounds and over 5000 Loops.
The X-Files are Impulse Responses, specifically created for FX convolution, which shape, twist, filter, reverse, deepen, morph and even destroy and rebuild the source sounds.
By the X-Engine’s X-Files, a celeste can mutate into a tuning orchestra, ‘a bowed ventilator sinks into the resonances of a piano, a sitar smashes into a clatter of glass, a tonal dance loop arises from a kalimba.’
Galaxy X Convolution Synthesizer
- Convolution Synthesizer
- New sound synthesis for exciting new sounds
- Integrated system for FX convolution in one virtual instrument
- Complete production kit: X-Keys, X-FX and X-Loops
- More than 1000 ready-to-play Instrument Layers
- Easy creation of user sounds
- 15GB of Source Sounds
- More than 1000 multi-sampled Source Key Instruments
- More than 5000 Source Loops
- More than 2000 Source Effect Sounds
- More than 1400 Convolution X-Files for completely altering the source sounds
- Complex sound design with an extremely intuitive user interface
- Easy dynamic use of convolution using the Mod Wheel
- X-Eye for visualizing the amount of convolution
- Musical and intuitive Pre-X and Post-X effects
Check out the preview video and let us know what you think about Galaxy X.
Galaxy X is available via Best Service and priced at US $267.23.
via aymat, Best Service
It is a clever concept. I think it would be possible to replicate some of the sound design features in other ways- using our own samples and convolution processes. But to have them all carefully optimized makes sense since file lengths alone can create very heavy burdens for convolution.
It’s a snazzy trailer, but it keeps us wondering about what kinds of things it will do. It’s clear that it will do wonderful hybrid sound-design things. I wonder what it does for percussion, melody and harmonic kinds of sounds.
I think this looks amazing. It makes morphing sounds look and sound sexy. Morphine is something I generally never do, but having a tool that seems dedicated to creating new sounds in that way would certainly inspire me.
Nice sounds on the vid. Looks like they used some legit sound sources.
Convolution synthesis is interesting – but can it produce musically useful sounds? The video didn’t help much.
My intuition (given that time-domain convolution is multiplication in the frequency domain) is that it will be comparable to high-resolution vocoding (i.e. dynamic multiband filtering.) Or that maybe it will just sound like mediocre reverb or flanging.
Does anyone have some good, clean examples of usable sounds made with convolution synthesis?
I’ve used a freeware convolution plugin called LAConvolver to do some non-reverb kinds of convolution. It’s really nothing like vocoding or granular, it is much more “physical” than those. In the same way that convolving a starter pistol in a parking garage can make anything sound like it is in a parking garage– convolving a musical tone with some percussive sound makes the tone sound like it is coming from the drum as a resonator. It is really amazing.
I think they are smart to offer this instrument, and computers are now fast enough to pull it off.
Oh yeah, just the impulse response, not the whole signal. That would basically just be like chaining two instruments together, like a piano played through a french horn, etc.. And you can also make filters, echoes, reverb, etc.. Not sure how they can claim to change something’s pitch with convolution, though – that would seem to require modulation in time (or perhaps convolution in frequency) rather than convolution in time.
I’d still like to hear some isolated examples.
When I see products with massive sample libraries included I have to wonder how much of the tone-goodness comes from the samples and how much from the instrument itself. II avoid acquiring new samples these days. And I agree with others that it would be nice to hear some real examples instead of marketing hype.
i just jizzed in my pants
Hi everyone,
thanks for taking interest in our newest development, the Galaxy X. It took us a while, but we’ve finally put the first batch of audio-demos online and more will follow pretty soon. We are currently working on video-tutorials and hope to release them as soon as possible.
Here is the link to the audio demos (also on our website as well):
http://soundcloud.com/galaxy-instruments/sets/galaxy-x_demo-tracks
If you have any questions regarding the Galaxy X, just post them here or get in touch with us via e-mail.
Cheers,
Stephan
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Galaxy Instruments
galaxy-instruments.com
facebook.com/galaxyinstruments
convolution is NOT “the process of multiplying two signals together or folding one audio file over the other one” it is completely incorrect.