Monthly Archives: September 2021

AIR Music Technology Hybrid v3.0.10 VST AAX [WIN]

Hybrid 3.0 is the next generation in synthesis. This high-definition virtual synthesizer combines the coveted warmth of analog synths with a full range of futuristic digital manipulation capabilities. The result is the best of both worlds — a virtual instrument with a comprehensive set of precisely adjustable parameters that can sound like a synth you remember or something no one has ever heard before.

1200+ Built-In Sounds

Hybrid 3.0 comes with over 1,200 inspirational presets designed to jumpstart the creative process. Over 200 new patches, designed by the acclaimed AIR sound designers, include everything from wobbles, synth pads, arpeggios, poly synths, basses, leads, sequences, and much more. Hybrid veterans will be pleased to find that the familiar Hybrid 2.0 presets have been completely reworked, allowing users to experience their favorite sounds with all the sonic improvements of Hybrid 3.0. If you’re prone to tweaking, Hybrid 3.0 is loaded with a comprehensive set of user-adjustable parameters that let you create unique sounds and fine-tune them to taste. With support for two simultaneous parts (i.e. a powerful combination of two separate, 3-oscillator synthesizers), you can layer, split, or spread sounds to produce deep, complex, and wide patches. Plus, the simple patch browser makes it easy to find the preset you’re looking for and allows you to load two presets simultaneously, one into each part, for experimenting with rich timbres and playing multi-patch sounds.

High-Definition Oscillators

With three versatile oscillators and a sub oscillator per part, Hybrid 3.0 is capable of stacking multiple oscillators together for huge pads, leads, basses, and more. Two multifunctional oscillators can recreate the classic subtractive-synthesis waveforms for a dose of analog nostalgia. In addition, these oscillators feature algorithms for digital wavetables. As a result, users can choose from nine different modes, including the Multi-Square waveform, Saw Sync, Saw Cross Modulation (which modulates the pitch of a saw wave with the output of a triangle wave for complex tones), Saw Multi (a stack of seven saws in unison), Square Sync, Square Cross Modulation, Square Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), and Wavetable. Hybrid 3.0 offers 100 wavetables with up to 64 single-cycle waveforms each. A third oscillator includes saw, square, or triangle waves, plus a noise generator and a sub oscillator for deep bass effects.

Dual Filtering and Saturation Modes

Hybrid 3.0 features two multi-mode filters that can run in series or in parallel. In addition, the filters can be assigned one per channel to the stereo outputs, or set so that Oscillator 1 feeds Filter 1, with the remaining Oscillators being routed to Filter 2. Both of the filters offer your choice of DCF (Digitally Controlled Filter) or VCF models. The vintage Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF) makes it easier than ever to achieve those fat, retro synth sounds of the ’70s and ’80s. This sound filter brings the legendary soft and fat warmth of classic analog synth hardware filters to Hybrid 3.0.

Use the revolutionary multimode filters to control the tone color of a part by removing or accenting certain frequencies. Choose from an extensive collection of 23 modes. Then dial in the filter cut-off, velocity, and key tracking. Use the resonance dial to change the tone from a nasal sound to a ringing tone by emphasizing frequencies around the cut-off and generating self-oscillation. A blend of the third oscillator and noise generator can serve as an audio modulation source for filter cut-off, producing distinctive electronic audio effects.

To add some serious edge, adjust the filter saturation. Hybrid 3.0 offers the original Overdrive filter, which creates a soft tube-like clipping and includes five additional filter saturation modes: Distort, which creates a harder, brighter clipping; Hard Clip, which creates a very hard and bright transistor-like clipping; Rectify, which creates a gentle distortion that retains the character of the input signal; Bit Crush, which creates deliberate aliasing by reducing the bit depth; and Resample, which creates deliberate aliasing by reducing the sample rate.

LFOs

Hybrid 3.0 includes four LFOs per part: two monophonic, one polyphonic, and one special Pump LFO. Use the LFOs to modulate pitch, loudness, or cut-off to produce vibrato, tremolo, or electronic sweeps. Choose from eight modulation types, ranging from sine and triangle waves to random, “drift,” and sample-and-hold modulation. Change the depth, rate, phase, and sync mode to quickly and dramatically alter the sound.

Pump is a special type of envelope that simulates studio side-chaining to create the pumping-and-breathing effect. In the case of Hybrid 3.0, this rhythmic effect can be applied to much more than the overall mix. The Pump LFO can be routed to create a rhythmic effect on a variety of specific parameters, such as pitch or filter settings.

Envelope Editors

Use the four envelope editors to easily sculpt the filter, amplitude, and any two other modulation envelopes. Adjust velocity, attack, decay, and key tracking, and then type in the envelope rate.

Hype Algorithm

New to Hybrid 3.0 is Hype, a quick way of enhancing the low- or high- end of any patch. Beef up wobbles, basses, and kick-drum sounds with deep, sub-bass by adjusting the Hype Low parameter, or turn up Hype High to polish off the high end with shimmer and sparkle; the latter sounds great on pads, strings, brass, and percussive sounds.

Doubling

Hybrid 3.0 offers a new way of making your patches sound enormous. Two Doubling knobs, one for each part, are built into the Common tab for additional widening and thickening. Turn up the Doubling knobs to full for a dramatic response or mix it in subtly for a slight thickening effect.

Performance-Oriented Features

Whether you use it in the studio or in a live situation, Hybrid 3.0 is built to perform. Use the step sequencers for arpeggiation or phrase generation. Set the modulation matrix to easily map modulations from sources to destinations. And set up “morph” groups to modify sounds on the fly, from the interface or a MIDI controller.

Step Sequencers

Hybrid 3.0’s onboard 16-step sequencers have been revamped for more programming and sequencing flexibility. Now, steps can be linked together to vary sequencer rhythm, manipulate note dynamics, and create advanced modulation patterns. Like before, both step sequencers can function as a composition tool or an extra modulation source, making it easy to create patches that move and evolve. You can set note values, velocity, and modulation, and then pick from nine playback options to use the sequencer as a step sequence, arpeggiator, or MIDI phrase generator. Plus, you can even import your own MIDI phrases for complete customization.

Modulation Matrices

Hybrid 3.0 also offers flexible and easy-to-use modulation matrices with 16 assignable modulation sources and more than 20 destinations each. Assign modulations to an oscillator or filter. Hybrid 3.0 allows multiple assignments of sources and destinations, all with adjustable intensities.

Morph Groups

With Hybrid 3.0, you can assign any rotary control or fader on the plugin’s interface to one of the four “morph” groups. Assign pan, filter, or amplifier envelopes to a morph group to alter sounds from your controller while recording or playing live. Each morph group can control several parameters simultaneously. You, in turn, can control morph groups from the dials on the interface or from a MIDI controller.

Effects

Hybrid 3.0 provides two insert effect sends per part, each with more than 40 effect types, so you can quickly change the sound of a part. A separate master effects section lets you select reverb, delay, and chorus effects to enhance — or warp — any of the sounds at the patch level. Easily adjust effect parameters and sync effects to a chosen tempo.

Hynrid 3 Features:

• Six-oscillator subtractive and wavetable virtual synthesizer with 1200+ inspiring presets
• Includes 200+ all-new sounds and 1000+ refreshed patches from Hybrid 2.0
• Comprised of two simultaneous parts, each loaded with 3 oscillators and a sub-oscillator, filters, LFOs, envelopes, and effects for creating complex patches
• All-new Doubling controls for quickly thickening and widening patches
• Revamped step sequencers allow you to link steps together for rhythmic variation, syncopation, and advanced modulation patterns
• All-new Oscillator Restart for punchy bass sounds, runs, and sequences
• Dual series or parallel filters with vintage Voltage
• Controlled Filter modes for retro synth sounds
• Flexible modulation options with 8 LFOs including Pump for the pumping-and-breathing effect
• Comprehensive editing parameters for the ultimate in sound tweakability
• Sample-accurate synthesis for super-fast envelopes and high-definition sound
• Performance-driven features, including modulation matrices and multiple step sequencers for maximum playability
• Available in VST and AAX plugin formats for both 32- and 64-bit operating systems.

System Requirements

PC: Windows 10, 8 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1; Minimum Dual Core 2GHz (Intel Core i5 or i7 Recommended)

Links

Demo Preview:

Madrona Labs Virta v1.9.3 VST [WIN]

Virta is a patchable toolbox for turning your voice or other instrument into wild new synth sounds.

Virta turns voices and instruments into all kinds of wild synth sounds. By combining low-latency sound analysis with high-quality synthesis modules in a patchable package, Virta brings something truly new to the world of software synthesizers.

Virta can also be a very useful toolbox for more simple effects. Its processing modules, including an input compressor and a pitch shifter with feedback delay, are very open and transparent at low volumes, coloring the sound more when pushed. Because it’s so easily programmable, drawing on the patcher UI that we’ve obsessively refined over the years, Virta is a quick and gratifying way to dial in that channel effect you want.

Though the audio analyzer is designed to capture the nuances of the human voice, other monophonic instruments will work just fine, producing very musical results. And go ahead and feed a drum loop into it if you like! What comes out will definitely be surprising, and might be just your thing.

System requirements

Windows versions require Windows 7 or higher. Windows XP and Vista are likely to work but are not officially supported. If you have any concerns about compatibility, please try the demo.

Links

Demo Preview:

Madrona Labs Kaivo 1.9.4 VST [WIN]

Kaivo is a semi-modular software synthesizer that combines two powerful ways of making sound: granular synthesis and physical modeling. Click to download the plugin, patches, and samples:

Sonics

Kaivo brings some of the latest academic research in physical modeling to a patchable package for the first time. Mathematically speaking, its finite difference time domain (FDTD) models let the player reach inside the instrument and affect the internal vibrations at any point. This allows for a fine degree of realistic detail, like the bridge rattles on a “gut string” model, for example. And while Kaivo is capable of making very realistic sounds, it is also designed to apply this subtlety to abstract creations.

Like a picture is sometimes worth 1000 words, a physical model is worth 1000 samples. Every time a model is triggered, it makes a slightly different sound due to the initial conditions when the sound starts. This subtle variety can quickly give a very lifelike quality to sounds that would be tedious to recreate with sampling. Kaivo has eight different types of tuned resonators, including strings, chimes and springs, each with its own complex response to sound. As for instrument bodies, there are four, including two wooden body models, a metal plate, and a frame drum—all true 2D models.

Expansive spatial sounds are possible in Kaivo, with independent panning available on grains, resonator, and body. Kaivo’s granulator feeds the models from a 2D map of sound with up to four channels. The body is a true 2D vibrating model of a physical object with left and right pickups that create a spatialized mix of all the frequencies flowing through it. Great for deep environments and filmic spaces.

System Requirements

Windows versions require Windows 7 or higher. Windows XP and Vista are likely to work but are not officially supported. All versions require a 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo processor or better.

Kaivo is fairly heavy on the CPU. On a mid-range notebook from 2010, a dual core 2.4 GHz Core i5, four voices of a complex patch use around 30 percent of the CPU time. Results vary between hosts and operating systems.

Links

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Madrona Labs Aalto v1.9.4 VST [WIN]

Aalto is a semi-modular software synthesizer with an innovative, patchable UI, distinctive sounds, and a charming personality.

Aalto’s sound engine lets you create sounds that have been difficult or impossible to make with softsynths before now. The heart of Aalto is a Buchla-inspired complex oscillator, with FM, timbre and waveshape controls that enable a wide range of expressive sounds. These sounds are uniquely malleable and alive, in part because they are made with dynamic calculation, not static wavetables.

Aalto is designed as much for sequencing patterns as for playing individual notes. Each voice has a separate, built-in sequencer with a patchable, independently controllable rate and offset. This topology makes it easy to build complex, evolving textures.

Each voice also includes a lowpass gate module with a vactrol emulation in the control path. The vactrol equation slows down the response to incoming control signals through a complex nonlinear filter. You can turn the vactrol response down to instantaneous, or up to a pronounced ring.

Following the lowpass gate is a patchable waveguide / delay module with a waveshaper and a peaking EQ built into the feedback loop. Because it has such short and controllable delay times, unlike a typical analog delay, it can be used as an additional oscillator.

Aalto’s filter is a state-variable topology with mixable simultaneous outputs, a more resonant take on the Oberheim SEM filter.

Subjectively speaking, Aalto can make a wide range of sounds, from lush to edgy, including some very complicated ones, without sounding too thick in a mix. Aalto’s sounds are not hyped or compressed, they are wide-range, open and natural. We hope our approach will appeal to experienced sound designers who have their own favorite EQs and limiters. And for those just getting into synthesis, Aalto is an accurate and honest tool for learning. We have tried to make Aalto a deep instrument that will reward lasting engagement.

System Requirements

Windows versions require Windows 7 or higher. Windows XP and Vista may work but are not officially supported. All versions require a 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo processor or better.

Results vary between hosts and operating systems—if CPU use is a concern.

Links

Demo Preview:

QuikQuak Pitchwheel v5.1.0 VST VST3 aax [WIN]

Pitchwheel

Real-time pitch and timbre

* Accurately changes the pitch of a sound.
* Change the timbre of a sound.
* Pitch spin, and twist samples about while keeping tempo steady.
* Superior pitch shifting – great frequency stability and transient accuracy, with low latency and CPU usage.
* 46ms (at 44k) latency – amazing response time for a high quality wideband pitch shifter.
* Envelope/Formant fixing to remove the ‘chipmunk’ effect from vocals.
* MIDI controllable with multi-octave adjustments, and fine wheel detuning.
* 8 note chords for creating easy vocal harmonies and effects.
* Unique inertia settings for springy vibrato effects, and wild pitch swings.
* Easy to use – ideal for experimental and live performances.
* 48+ semitone pitch range.
* Resizable GUI.

What is it?

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