Tag: "reviews/Audio Damage"

Audio Damage PanStation

For the first couple of decades of stereo recording, fast panning and volume-shifting effects required Olympic stamina, super-human timing and some very durable faders, done, as it was, by hand on the console.

So, a number of machines sprung up to manage this effect automatically, and it's on two of these that PanStation is based. It's inspired by Audio & Design's PanScan and the Drawmer M500.

Why autopan? Well, it can create a very pleasing effect - a moving sound source can quickly catch the listener's interest. More practically, autopanning can help a part fit into the stereo field. By moving around, a part can avoid clashing with others in the mix.

PanStation is driven by two LFOs - one for left, one for right. There are 11 LFO shapes, including typical sine, triangle, square and ramp/saw shapes and some less common ones, like steps, duo sine and converge/diverge. These can give drastically different results.

LFOs can be freerunning or tempo-synced, and the results dialled smoothly from tremolo to autopan using the phase Offset knob. The initial phase can be set with the Phase control, while Bias lets you apply more of the effect to the left or right channel.

For rhythmically useful results, you have two options - and you can use them both at once, if you like. First, there's straight-up host sync of the LFOs.

The other option is to reset the phase of the LFO on the fly; this can be triggered by the incoming signal exceeding the specified Threshold or via a MIDI note. We suggest trying these modes with rhythmic audio/MIDI and the LFO host sync disabled, for 'controlled chaos'.

That isn't the end of the triggering, though. An envelope is also triggered, and this controls the intensity of the effect. There are controls for attack, hold and decay. You can disable it, but it would be foolish not to explore its possibilities.

If all of this seems like hard work, there are a range of presets to get you started.

I am the law

PanStation features a number of subtler refinements that we haven't mentioned yet. One is the sum-input, enabling you to combine the left and right inputs. This is handy if the source is already panned hard left/right, as otherwise it would drop out every time PanStation panned the opposite way.

Also notable is the panning law setting, which dictates the relative volume difference between central and panned sounds. This has a definite effect on the sound levels' behaviour. It's best to adjust it in a mix context, as it becomes quickly apparent which pan law works best.

We only really have one request for an update and that is a dedicated wet/dry slider. The Depth control is effectively the same thing, but because of the way the GUI works - with individually draggable digits - you can't easily drag it through its full range of values using the mouse.

Instead, you have to use a MIDI controller or your DAW's generic plug-in display for real-time automation.

Panning the competition

PanStation's biggest rival has to be SoundToys' PanMan - both are modern interpretations of the same type of hardware. Which should you pick?

There are a few features that only the larger PanMan includes, such as the rhythm designer and the ability to modulate the LFO rate with the incoming signal level.

But PanStation offers up a few of the same tricks, such as the trigger counter, which lets you specify how many of the trigger sources must be received before the panning is actually triggered.

While PanMan is unquestionably the more complex of the two, it's also more expensive. We ­find it quicker to get going with PanStation, thanks in part to the vastly superior and clear signal display window.

In an ideal world, we'd recommend both. However, if you aren't the biggest tinkerer then a lot of PanMan's features will go unused - so you might as well opt for PanStation.

PanStation is an excellent plug-in and produces plenty of pan for your buck. The manual explains the possibilities (including gating effects) in far more detail than we have room for here.

It's incredibly useful for creative processing, mix trouble-shooting (far more than our audio demos can show) and even for use as a glitch tool - so it has potential use for nigh-on every computer musician.

Now listen to our audio demos to hear PanStation in action:

Dry loop

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

Audio Damage Phosphor

Off-the-wall plug-ins are par for the course for Audio Damage, so it's hardly surprising that their very first 'proper' synth is based on a vintage model that was pretty peculiar in its day and only seems more so nowadays.

The alphaSyntauri was perhaps ahead of its time, requiring, as it did, a computer to run - specifically, an Apple II. Released in 1979, it could play up to 16 notes via a set of synthesis cards installed in the computer, with a software front end for editing patches and more.

"Whether Phosphor is being used for fake bass guitar plucks, FM bells or wonky leads, it's unmistakable."

Like the alphaSyntauri, Phosphor uses additive synthesis as its sound source. In a nutshell, we're talking two oscillators, each with 16 partials.

One of the nice touches in this section is the waveform display, giving a visual representation of the result of what is naturally a dizzying number of permutations.

There are a number of clever features that aren't standard soft synth fixtures. One is the ability to adjust the curve of the attack, decay and release segments of the envelope.

Another is the Vintage button, which switches the sound quality of the oscillators between a lo-fi mode (complete with harsh aliasing to mimic the sound of the original device) and a cleaner one, which makes a huge difference to the sound.

A similar vintage option is available to the noise generator, giving plain old white noise. If you don't dig that, flip the switch and you'll hear gritty digital noise that responds to note pitch, akin to old video game systems.

Getting cross

Audio Damage's recent Axon instrument featured frequency modulation, and this appears in Phosphor too. Oscillator 1 can modulate the frequency of oscillator 2, and vice-versa. In fact, you can make them both modulate each other at the same time, known as cross-modulation.

Cranking this up and enabling the Vintage mode gives you waveforms you're unlikely to get any other way, lifting Phosphor above and beyond a vanilla additive sound.

LFOs come next, with two on offer that can modulate pitch, pan, level or noise amount for each oscillator, as well as the delay line lengths. LFO waveforms are pulse, sine, saw and random, and they can be further warped with the Waveshape slider.

The simplicity of the LFO section belies some nice touches, while the malleable waveform system is best explained by the manual.

The remaining section is the stereo-filtered delay. This will be recognisable from a number of other Audio Damage plug-ins, enabling tempo-synced or manually-set delays for left and right channels, each of which has its own filter section that's applied to the delayed signal.

The filters are a combination of high and lowpass, which can act as either, or be combined to create band-pass filtering. The presets ably demonstrate how well delays work with the types of sounds Phosphor offers.

However, the plug-in falls foul of one of our pet peeves: the lack of a master effects off control. You have to turn off the delays each time you change preset to hear the dry sound.

Control-wise, that just leaves some global options, two of which are a portamento control, and the ability to set the destination for the modulation wheel (LFO 1, LFO2, both or neither). If you find inspiration lacking, there are buttons to randomise the oscillator partial sliders or even the entire synth, and both can turn up some terrific results.

Spirit of 79

In use, Phosphor sounds simply stunning. While going through the presets we found ourselves playing a succession of very familiar riffs from a variety of genres, with the signature motifs from I'm In Miami Bitch, Knight Rider and Scarface all inadvertently falling under our fingers.

It's not that the presets are exact recreations, though - they just capture their spirit, be that a tonal quality or simply the way that the envelopes and portamento respond. Phosphor conjures a surprisingly wide range of sonic textures, covering dusty pads, glimmering bells, disgusting bass noises, '80s digital keyboard preset-alikes, and, at extreme settings, downright disturbing, freaked-out FX.

Classic old samplers had a way of making things sound beautifully and organically digital, no matter what kind of sound you'd sampled, and that's the vibe that permeates Phosphor - it takes the typically crisp and clean sounds of additive synthesis, puts a sneaky FM twist on it and encrusts it all in a shell of antique digital dirt.

Experienced synthesists may find themselves craving a more flexible architecture with features like modulation envelopes, LFO phase controls, dedicated filters, and even things we usually take for granted, like oscillator tuning controls (you can offset them by up to 10Hz for cross-modulation antics, but that's all).

Phosphor won't be everybody's cup of tea, then, but we absolutely love it. It isn't the most complex or versatile soft synth by a long chalk, but it has one thing going for it that many modern synths don't: unmistakable character.

It boasts bags of personality, and whether it's being used for fake bass guitar plucks, FM bells, gnarly bass noises, sci-fi pads, 'poorly computer' FX or wonky leads, it's unmistakable - and we love it for that. Its distinctive tone makes it a dream for cutting through busy mixes.

Anyone looking for a truly original-sounding synth will struggle to find anything more character-packed than this. Take it for what it is and you'll be amazed at how much mileage you can get out of something so simple.

Now listen to our audio demos to hear Phosphor in action:

Bone Stock

DTM Solo

Echofon

Pin Funk Piano

Righteous Dub

SP12 Bass

Audio Damage Phosphor

Off-the-wall plug-ins are par for the course for Audio Damage, so it's hardly surprising that their very first 'proper' synth is based on a vintage model that was pretty peculiar in its day and only seems more so nowadays.

The alphaSyntauri was perhaps ahead of its time, requiring, as it did, a computer to run - specifically, an Apple II. Released in 1979, it could play up to 16 notes via a set of synthesis cards installed in the computer, with a software front end for editing patches and more.

"Whether Phosphor is being used for fake bass guitar plucks, FM bells or wonky leads, it's unmistakable."

Like the alphaSyntauri, Phosphor uses additive synthesis as its sound source. In a nutshell, we're talking two oscillators, each with 16 partials.

One of the nice touches in this section is the waveform display, giving a visual representation of the result of what is naturally a dizzying number of permutations.

There are a number of clever features that aren't standard soft synth fixtures. One is the ability to adjust the curve of the attack, decay and release segments of the envelope.

Another is the Vintage button, which switches the sound quality of the oscillators between a lo-fi mode (complete with harsh aliasing to mimic the sound of the original device) and a cleaner one, which makes a huge difference to the sound.

A similar vintage option is available to the noise generator, giving plain old white noise. If you don't dig that, flip the switch and you'll hear gritty digital noise that responds to note pitch, akin to old video game systems.

Getting cross

Audio Damage's recent Axon instrument featured frequency modulation, and this appears in Phosphor too. Oscillator 1 can modulate the frequency of oscillator 2, and vice-versa. In fact, you can make them both modulate each other at the same time, known as cross-modulation.

Cranking this up and enabling the Vintage mode gives you waveforms you're unlikely to get any other way, lifting Phosphor above and beyond a vanilla additive sound.

LFOs come next, with two on offer that can modulate pitch, pan, level or noise amount for each oscillator, as well as the delay line lengths. LFO waveforms are pulse, sine, saw and random, and they can be further warped with the Waveshape slider.

The simplicity of the LFO section belies some nice touches, while the malleable waveform system is best explained by the manual.

The remaining section is the stereo-filtered delay. This will be recognisable from a number of other Audio Damage plug-ins, enabling tempo-synced or manually-set delays for left and right channels, each of which has its own filter section that's applied to the delayed signal.

The filters are a combination of high and lowpass, which can act as either, or be combined to create band-pass filtering. The presets ably demonstrate how well delays work with the types of sounds Phosphor offers.

However, the plug-in falls foul of one of our pet peeves: the lack of a master effects off control. You have to turn off the delays each time you change preset to hear the dry sound.

Control-wise, that just leaves some global options, two of which are a portamento control, and the ability to set the destination for the modulation wheel (LFO 1, LFO2, both or neither). If you find inspiration lacking, there are buttons to randomise the oscillator partial sliders or even the entire synth, and both can turn up some terrific results.

Spirit of 79

In use, Phosphor sounds simply stunning. While going through the presets we found ourselves playing a succession of very familiar riffs from a variety of genres, with the signature motifs from I'm In Miami Bitch, Knight Rider and Scarface all inadvertently falling under our fingers.

It's not that the presets are exact recreations, though - they just capture their spirit, be that a tonal quality or simply the way that the envelopes and portamento respond. Phosphor conjures a surprisingly wide range of sonic textures, covering dusty pads, glimmering bells, disgusting bass noises, '80s digital keyboard preset-alikes, and, at extreme settings, downright disturbing, freaked-out FX.

Classic old samplers had a way of making things sound beautifully and organically digital, no matter what kind of sound you'd sampled, and that's the vibe that permeates Phosphor - it takes the typically crisp and clean sounds of additive synthesis, puts a sneaky FM twist on it and encrusts it all in a shell of antique digital dirt.

Experienced synthesists may find themselves craving a more flexible architecture with features like modulation envelopes, LFO phase controls, dedicated filters, and even things we usually take for granted, like oscillator tuning controls (you can offset them by up to 10Hz for cross-modulation antics, but that's all).

Phosphor won't be everybody's cup of tea, then, but we absolutely love it. It isn't the most complex or versatile soft synth by a long chalk, but it has one thing going for it that many modern synths don't: unmistakable character.

It boasts bags of personality, and whether it's being used for fake bass guitar plucks, FM bells, gnarly bass noises, sci-fi pads, 'poorly computer' FX or wonky leads, it's unmistakable - and we love it for that. Its distinctive tone makes it a dream for cutting through busy mixes.

Anyone looking for a truly original-sounding synth will struggle to find anything more character-packed than this. Take it for what it is and you'll be amazed at how much mileage you can get out of something so simple.

Now listen to our audio demos to hear Phosphor in action:

Bone Stock

DTM Solo

Echofon

Pin Funk Piano

Righteous Dub

SP12 Bass

Audio Damage Axon

Audio Damage's extensive range of effects are among the most distinctive and affordable around. Up until now they've released just one instrument, the fairly conventional (but great) Tattoo drum machine.

"Axon's unique style of sequencing produces genuinely original parts."

Central to its concept is the Neuron Sequencer, a collection of so-called neurons, each of which can be connected to all the others and is able to send and receive pulses. These pulses are the key to the sequencer's operation.

With the exception of neuron 0 (found in the centre), each neuron has a selectable Threshold value between 0 and 6. When the neuron receives the number of pulses defined by the threshold, it's triggered.

Each neuron drives its own FM synthesis-based sound generator, and when it receives the specified number of pulses, it triggers the synth sound and fires out a pulse. The resulting rhythmic pattern is therefore defined by the interaction of the neurons.

Neuron 0 can take it's pulse rate from the host sequencer or use an internal tempo setting, and it fires at a rate of either 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32.

Testing the threshold

What happens next entirely depends on the threshold of each neuron, and their connections. Of course, results are what count, and Axon doesn't disappoint - it's a loop-producing treasure trove. Its unique style of sequencing produces genuinely original parts, and the nature of it means that as different neurons interact, the riffs and patterns can evolve over the course of many bars.

And what about those synths? Well, they're all identical, offering up simple FM synthesis with a carrier and modulator, and a selectable note for each. The envelopes are for amplitude and frequency, and each offers simple parameters designed for generating popping, percussive tones.

Below the envelopes are two X/Y pads. The first controls the modulation and ratio of the frequencies of the two oscillators, while the second - Timbre - lets you adjust the waveform.

And it doesn't stop there: all of the synths can send their signals to both an FM bus and a Ring bus. In turn, the level of these central busses can be applied to any of the synths independently.

As you can imagine, the results can be rather intense, and it's not uncommon to find some neurons pumping out far more audio action than others. To this end, Axon includes a mixer (with stereo delay on an FX bus), where you can set the pan, delay send and level for each neuron's synth. There are even mute and solo neurons to help edit the sounds for each and choose your parts.

Our best tip is to switch off the delays while analysing Axon's presets - it makes it much easier to figure out which Neurons are doing what!

While you can use Axon as a real-time instrument, we found that the resulting loops are the sort of thing that's perfect for rendering to audio. That way, you can sift through them later and pick out the best bits.

Bells and whistles

It's not necessary to completely understand FM synthesis to make use of Axon, but to make the most of it, you should at least have a basic grasp of the concept. With this under your belt you'll have a much more thorough practical understanding of the plug-in.

In FM synthesis one oscillator, called the modulator, modulates another, called the carrier. Adjusting the modulator will change the sound of the carrier. The sheer range of sounds this can produce is rather astounding.

The key is learning the effects the modulator can have, and how to manipulate it to achieve them. While analogue FM synthesis is possible, it's very much a rarity due to various technical issues. FM only really came of age with digital boxes (Yamaha's DX7 synth being the classic example), so the resulting sounds are associated as being 'digital'.

It's not uncommon for more powerful FM synths to have multiple oscillators/modulators and numerous ways in which to interconnect them, leading to further sonic flexibility.

So how does it sound? Electronic bells, clangs, bongs, thudding basses - all of these are FM's forte. While Axon's FM implementation is simple, there's still a world of squelchy pings, bleeps and bangs to explore.

Experiment to win

Being essentially an innovative sequencer driving a bunch of fairly simple synths, you might be wondering what it would be like to use Axon to trigger other instruments. Happily, Axon can run in MIDI mode, sending out MIDI triggers that can be routed to other instruments - it's fascinating to use with synths or drum banks.

Unfortunately, this isn't available with the Audio Units version, which Audio Damage put down to limitations with the AU format. You can also trigger the Axon synthesis section via MIDI, but that's a bonus, not a headline feature.

It's hard to knock something so simple and ingenious, but we do have two tiny grumbles. Currently, the only way to set which neuron's synth is displayed in the Editor section is to click on the cell itself, but it would be great if you could see it when you're working in the mixer section and setting the levels too.

Thankfully, Audio Damage have already scheduled this for a forthcoming update. And while there is an argument for only showing one synth at a time, this can make it difficult to quickly tweak various synths to create riffs. An optional GUI showing all synths at once would be a nice addition.

So is Axon for you? As our audio demos demonstrate, it is primarily a percussive FM riff and percussion tool. But that's no bad thing. Anybody involved in electronic music, especially dance and ambient, will find much inspiration here.

If you like playing with esoteric, fun and inspirational sonic toys, Axon is definitely for you. But if you struggle with unconventional approaches, you may want to steer clear of it.

This plug-in isn't complicated, but it warrants a little concentration and experimentation to get the best out of. As for us, we're off to tax our neurons to the limit.

Now listen to our audio demos to hear a few examples of what the Axon can do:

A Train To Gay Paris

Hollow Worlds

Intercontinental Beat Missile

Judder Step

Maximal

Tera Formed

Thanks Brian

Audio Damage Discord 3

Like most plug-ins from the Audio Damage lab, Discord is designed for creative experimentation and is well capable of mangling a sound way beyond recognition.

Version three updates the original concept with new pitch-shifting modes, a variable band-pass filter and a brand new animated GUI. The GUI update is not just a cosmetic improvement, it's made programming easier and more accurate than previous versions by implementing a 'grab the number and scroll' technique.

This is especially helpful for making accurate adjustments to the amount of pitch shift or when setting the delay time in ms.

Shifty geezer

At the heart of the machine is a true stereo pitch-shifter with three distinct algorithms; kind of like the past, present and future of pitch-shifters. The P1 'Vintage' is modelled on the Eventide H910 and H949, while P2 'Clean' represents the modern sound and the third is Granular - which opens the way to another world of textures entirely.

Spiral galaxy

Next in line is a pair of delays, one each for the left and right channels. Each side has its own independent set of controls for delay time, feedback and cross feedback. The delay time ranges from zero to two seconds and can also be programmed in sync mode offering speeds between 1/1 and 1/32 with triplets and dotted notes.

The clever bit happens when the delay line feeds back into the pitch shifter. This makes each repeat shift up or down by the same amount again, sending the pitch spiralling up or down. This can spin right out of control with high shift and feedback settings, and create some awesome splattering and grainy tones.

The third effect block in the chain is a band-pass filter with controls for cutoff and resonance/width. This helps shape the sound to fit in the mix and the cutoff can be modulated via the dedicated LFO.

The sum of the parts

As multi-effect units go, Discord has a unique sound largely owing to its characterful pitch algorithms that alter the basic tone in interesting ways.

The delay and filter sections are really useable and work really well when feeding back into the pitch section. This makes it great for simple things like subtle double tracking for vocals through to wide wobbly chorusing.

With longer delay times it's easy to dial up cool underwater Dub-tek echoes, and weird granular twists that can be animated and take on a life of their own through the LFO.

The pitch shifting is not scale based, chances are after the initial delay repeat harmonic material will start to take on a more discordant nature - think along the lines of cinematic eeriness and Stockhausen clangs and you'll be in the ballpark.

One thing we would like to see is more panning options, besides the straight stereo spread. It would be nice to be able to pan the channels using the LFO, though we're told there will be some improvements to this in the next update.

If you already own Discord 1 or 2, this is a must have update which expands the palate and makes programming slicker and quicker all for $10. At the regular $60 asking price, it's still good value, and is highly recommended for everyone looking for a unique sound mangling tool for their creative arsenal.

Listen to some samples of what the Discord 3 can do with our audio demos:

Bass Doubling

Discord Delays

Dubtek chords

Granular Wobble

Granulated Delays

Jungle Grains

Minimal Beats

Shifty Drums