Caribbean Steel Drum – Effectology
Electro-Harmonix Effectology, Vol.20 “The Caribbean Steel Drum Effect.”
By Bill Ruppert
Welcome to Electro-Harmonix’s “Effectology” series, in which we create a remarkable collection of impossible sounds using just a regular guitar and EHX effect pedals!
No keyboards, samplers or midi pickups were used.
In this episode I show how to turn a regular guitar into a Caribbean Steel Drum.
For pedal settings for this video visit the user forum at :
http://www.ehx.com/forums/viewthread/…
LeCto – new amplifier effect plug-in
LePou Plugins has announced the release of an Audio Unit version of LeCto, a guitar amplifier effect plug-in.
LeCto is a guitar amp simulator inspired by an american modern high gain head. This simulator has 2 channels with 3 modes on each channel. It can go from crunch (raw mode) to modern high gain (modern mode).
LeCto features
- Up to 8x oversampling.
- Mono/stereo signal routing.
- Input signal magnitude.
- Gain drive control.
- Controls for low, mid, and high frequency.
- Presence control.
- Control for resonance resulting from the interaction with the speaker cabinet (only active on modern mode).
Note: LeCto is only an amp simulator, so you need to use a cabinet simulator.
LeCto is now available as a freeware effect plug-in for PC and Mac (VST/AU).
More information: LePou Plugins
Paulstretch has become even more stretchie
Developer Paul Nasca has released an updated version of Paul’s Extreme Sound Stretch, or Paulstretch, a program for stretching audio.
It is suitable for extreme sound stretching of audio and for applying special effects by “spectral smoothing” the sounds. It can transform any sound/music to a texture.
Version 2.1 is even more extreme and stretchier, and it can stretch your audio file up to one quintillion times ( 10^18 x ).
New in Paulstretch 2.1:
- Added loading/saving parameters.
- Added Linux Jack support.
- Added “Symmetric” mode of Binaural Beats.
- Support for longer stretches – for the really patient ones – up to one quintillion times ( 10^18 x ).
- Fixed a bug which produced infinite loop at the end of some mp3 files (at playing or render).
- Fixed a bug in the mp3 reader.
- Other minor additions.
Paulstretch is open source software released under a General Public License (GPL2).
A Windows binary is available to download at Nasca’s site. The Mac version is maintained separately, here.
Scapes – Experiments Using NI Maschine Controller
Scapes is an effects processor and sound generator for Native Instruments Reaktor
With Scapes you can create high quality and unique soundscapes, rhythms and sound effects perfectly suited for use in music, film and game audio.
Effects processor and sound generator for Reaktor
Twisted Tools has released Scapes, an effects processor and sound generator for Native Instruments Reaktor.
With Scapes you can create high quality and unique soundscapes, rhythms and sound effects perfectly suited for use in music, film and game audio. You can easily connect it to your favorite hardware controller or iPad and immediately have fun.
Scapes features
- 6 independent delays in one interface.
- Independent controls and granular controls per delay.
- Sources: External, Impulse, Noise, Saw, Self-Osc. Sine, Square, Tri).
- Playable via MIDI with familiar synth style controls.
- 35 scale settings for oscillators, delay time and grain pitch.
- Advanced modulation routing with four modulation sequencers.
- Independent modulation speed and length per mod sequencer.
- 6-voice gate sequencer.
- Over 190 presets.
- 220mb sample library.
- Kore and Maschine Templates.
- Connectivity with iPad Apps coming soon.
- Time-stretching sample playback system.
- Sample content by: Antonio Blanca, D’arcangelo, Glitchmachines, Josh Hinden, Richard Devine, Rishab Bhrajan, Tembu (Bay Dawgz), Timonkey .
- Extensive Documentation.
- Free Version Updates.
Scapes for Reaktor 5.15 or higher (compatible with Reaktor 5.5) is available to purchase for $49 USD.
More information: Twisted Tools / Scapes
GALLOLIZER MP19 Electronic Devices
The Gallolizer is a handmade multi-effects sound mangler, an array of dirty, delicious sound-destroying effects in a single handcrafted box. It’s the work of a Spanish engineering and art collective called MP19, an Arduino-loving, free software-using, open source group of artists who turn those platforms into the kind of grungy sounds that make them happy.
Gallolizer is an unique effects processing unit and totally handmade, inspired by Krautrock, New wave and Early Techno music. It combines analog and digital effects with an old-school management. Designed for the search of Industrial and Techno-Dub sounds,getting lo-fi real echoes, metallic sounds and new textures for drum machines, synthesizers or tradicional instruments. Perfect for live acts and more dark meetings in the studio.
Contains two different analog distortions, the clone of Ampeg Scrambler with the original transistors, and a FuzzFace germanium transistors.
A Bit Crusher of Arduino with a low-pass filter, a digital delay circuit with a lo fi sound that simulates a real analog echoes and a digital reverb.
Heard of Scapes, well here’s a teaser
Twisted Tools – Scapes | Sneak Preview
Scapes is a feedback based effects processor and sound generator by Twisted Tools. Pre-sale order now at twistedtools.com | Available. 2/8/11
Details and more video/audio to follow…stay tuned!
MultiFreek 2.4 by UFO Scientific
MultiFreek 2.4 is a VST multichannel spectrum analyzer.
MultiFreek is a multitrack frequency analyzer for VST platform (Cubase, Sonar, or any other VST host can work with it), focused on the task of simultaneous monitoring of frequency distributions of several tracks. Its visual feedback lets you (in addition to hearing) clearly see and analyze your frequency problems and how your processing affects the mix, doing this track by track in your VST host, in a single-windowed graphical interface equipped with specialized features to save your effort and boost your inspiration. Multifreek is equipped with two frequency analysis engines: precise and efficient.
Features
MultiFreek is a VST plug-in providing you with handy way to monitor spectral picture of up to 7 different audio tracks simultaneously in a single window. Being a multichannel spectral analyzer, it not only shows smooth graphs for each track separately, but also allows you to:
- assign different colors to them;
- put arbitrary text captions;
- rearrange graphs as you want;
- Freeze graphs at any moment to get an instant snaphot of your frequency picture;
- Enable graph smoothing for easier visual analysis when necessary;
- See the spectrum on controllable level of detalization (overall picture or specific frequency range);
- Enlarge or reduce spectrums in order to fit them into size comfortable for monitoring. Doing this either “globally” – for all sources at one mouse move, or “locally” – for each source individually.
- choose between two different analysis modes:
- efficient mode which allows to maintain high bass precision while being very CPU friendly.
- precise mode which uses traditional Fourier transform and gives exact frequency picture of signal in expense of higher CPU load.
Kutter – a nice frequencies cutter effect
Kutter is a frequencies cutter effect. Cuts frequencies on the 12 bands easily and synchronizes the effect on the beat with the 16 steps modulation sequencer. It’s key features are that it cuts frequencies easily, on 12 bands from bass to mid range, high mid and treble ranges. There is an on board “Sharp” and “Boost” effect. The effect can be modulated with the 16 step sequencer synced with the BPM of your digital audio workstation. Control the speed of the steps and change the play direction of the sequence. All parameters can easily be assigned to MIDI controllers. You can use the learn parameter by moving the control on your MIDI controller to assign MIDI controllers to the buttons. Users can also randomly generate an effect with a single click and cancel changes on all buttons just as easily.
Feature highlights
* 12 bands frequencies cutter
* 16 steps modulation sequencer
* Sequencer play forward or reverse
* Full MIDI automation
* Easy MIDI learn on all parameters
* Use 7-bit MIDI Continuous Controller or High resolution 14-bit MIDI NRPN and RPN
* Phase inverter, Effect bypass, Gain boost
* Works in mono or strereo
* Patch manager, rename, copy, save, load…
* Undo your changes to initial patch value
* Randomize parameters position
* 32 Factory presets
* Up to 128 user presets per bank
* Easy installer
System requirements
* 1.2GHz CPU or higher with SSE
* 512MB RAM or higher
* Microsoft® Windows® 7, XP (SP2 or later), or Vista™
* VST™ 2 compatible host
Check out Kutter at http://audio.tekit-studio.eu…
The new VSTRON FX unit
VSTron is a free VST-Plugin that is well suited to create special FX sounds. VSTron is an effective and fun VST unit that is capable of producing different kinds of effects such as laser sounds, fast LFO’s, ascending/descending Sweeps, filtered madness, bubbling bleeps, or attacking ramps. Initially inspired by the Korg Monotron, the VSTron includes 1 Osc (Saw,Sine,Triangle,Ramp,Pulse,White Noise, Pink Noise) and 1 VCF Osc with 4 modes ( Low Pass,High Pass,Band Pass,Band Reject ) as well as 1 main envelope. To further modulate things you have 2 envelopes and 2 LFO’s that can be individually assigned to different parameters and some built-in effects such as drive , delay and chorus. Get VStron for free at http://www.vetrixmusic.com/d…
DATAMASKIN
