pHATmatik Pro from Bitshift Audio

pHATmatik Pro is a new VST (soon to be Dxi) plug-in synthesizer/sample-player from Bitshift Audio. Their previous release, the freeware pHATmatik was one of those “why has no-one ever done this before” plug-ins; a device for playing back rex1 files in a VST environment. With pHATmatik Pro, they’ve taken this idea to the furthest reaches.

pHATmatik Pro is a sixteen channel, multitimbral loop player that allows you to load waves and ACIDized waves; slice them up, and export a MIDI file of the “groove” ala ReCycle. You can then rearrange the slices, and edit each one individually. Loops can be auditioned at the song’s tempo via the loop browser.

Much of the work is done in the “Slice Editor”. Here you will find the tools to allow you to mangle each slice beyond recognition. You can adjust the pitch of each slice, or apply a lowpass or highpass resonant filter, set the level and pan position, and determine whether the slice plays forward, reverse, or looped. The loop for each slice can play forward, reverse, or alternating between the two. It’s a snap to set up loop points for bizarre “stuttering” beats. The filter sounds excellent, and the slicing algorithm is top-notch. There are separate envelopes for level and filter. In the “Master” section, you’ll find a pair of syncable LFOs, more filtering options, and a very intuitive grid for routing modulation sources to their destinations. Sources include the LFOs, velocity, and MOD. The available destinations include pitch, filter, filter-envelope and amplitude.

pHATmatik Pro’s GUI is so well designed that you may never need to consult the manual. There are lots of thoughtful touches throughout, including the ability to select a slice via MIDI note-on, and a “play” button for triggering the loop from the front panel.

There are seemingly endless possibilities offered by pHATmatik Pro. It covers the spectrum from subtle rearranging of a drumbeat, to total annihilation of the source material. I had great fun applying the “groove” of a drum loop played by a live drummer to another VST plug-in. Using pHATmatik is somewhat addictive, and after a bit, I began to see any loop that had not yet been “pHATmaticized” as unfinished. If you are at all serious about re-mixing or loop-based music production, you need to give this thing a whirl. pHATmatik Pro is available for $99 from Bitshift Audio at www.bitshiftaudio.com.

RGC Audio ’s Triangle 1

If you’ve visited our “Synthesizer Programming” page, you already know that RGC Audio has graciously allowed us to provide a direct link to the download page for the Triangle 1. This is a free VST synth, and the smallest in RGC’s arsenal of synthesizers, which also includes the Square 1, and the Pentagon 1. The Triangle is a monophonic analog emulator, and though I normally shrug my shoulders at any addition to the glut of such devices, I feel special attention ought to be given to RGC’s fabulous entry. I rarely hear an analog emulator that causes my jaw to drop, so I wasn’t expecting too much when I downloaded the Triangle 1. I was in for a shock. The Triangle 1, with its two oscillator, three LFO structure, and its built-in digital delay not only sounds like the real deal, it sounds better than a lot of my wood and metal beasties. It gave me the same kind of feeling I had upon first hearing the Clavia Nord Lead when it came out. This may or may not be how analog really sounded, but it’s certainly how we remember it sounding!

The thing certainly looks good. It sports a faux wood enclosure, and is festooned with fifty-five knobs, all laid out quite logically. The two oscillators each provide seven alias-free waveforms, and all the usual suspects are included. There are detune, transpose, and random pitch controls. There is also a noise generator. The resonant filter which can be switched between low, high, and band pass modes, and sound warm, fat, and smooth. It’s quite capable of producing everything from earth-shaking low-end rumbles to crystalline high-passed washes. There are three LFOs, one each for pitch, filter, and amplitude. Its also got a wealth of “fingering” modes; fingered, high priority note legato, and full legato. It has knobs for both portamento and bend rate for those Emersonian solos. Special attention has been paid to the MIDI implementation, which is really quite extensive, especially for a free synth. There are a lot of routing possibilities, including velocity, pitch bend, aftertouch, breath controller, sustain switch and plenty more. The dedicated digital delay is a very welcome addition, as it gives an “instant gratification” element to even the most rudimentary knob twiddling. This can be heaven-sent for the novice, as it inspires confidence. It’s absolutely perfect for those Klaus Schulze-like percolating sequences, or spaced out pads. The sixty-four included presets are on a par with the best analog sounds I’ve heard, and are quite usable as is, though the dang thing just invites programming your own. The very few things I might wish for are all provided on the Triangle 1’s bigger siblings, the Square 1, which adds a ton of features such as selectable LFO waveshapes, FM and key sync, up to thirty-two voice polyphony, more effects, and the ridiculously low price tag of $35. The biggest in the line, the Pentagon 1, with even more features, is gaining a deserved reputation as one of the very best analog polysynth plug-ins available, and at $99, it too represents good value for money. RGC Audio rightly think that by giving away an awesome little beast like the Triangle 1, people will fall in love with the sound and interface and some users will want the added functions of the Square1 and Pentagon 1. I know that I, for one, am squirreling money away for the Pentagon 1 based on the performance of the Triangle 1. You’d better believe that when I get it, I’m still not going to give up the Triangle 1, as it’s quickly becoming a favorite solo synth around here. What are you waiting for? Go get it; it’s free!

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