Hi,

I just released WOPR, a subtractive synth for iPad which eschews the usual LFOs in favour of a grid of evolving creatures called cellular automata. In practice that means you get complicated, tempo-synced rhythmic modulation of any synth parameter including signal flow & architecture.

WOPR is a powerful VA synth in its own right: stereo, 6 note polyphony, two oscillators with 4 wave types each, 32' to 1' range, +/- 500 cent detune, noise generator, twin assignable resonant LPF filters, twin delays (free and beat synced), three assignable envelopes, per-note pitch bending and a full-width keyboard. The modulation makes it into something else altogether.

Version 1.0.0 costs 99 cents. Subsequent releases, adding MIDI and AudioCopy, will cost more. 1.1.0, with MIDI support, is in App Store review at the moment.

More info here: www.omnivoresoft.com

And the link to the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wopr/id570489741?mt=8

Thanks for reading! (I lurked here a lot during development.)
Last edited by scrumper on Mon Nov 12, 2012 2:36 pm; edited 2 times in total

---I Know it's very inexpensive but have you thought about providing us with a video so we can see how it sounds and how it works?

Scott, I'd love to write a detailed reply to you but everything I write is deemed 'spammy' by the forum software

I agree with your point, but it'll take some time to do a good job. MIDI and recording for now, once that's in I can think about videos. Thanks for your comment!

This app is a bit unusual but interesting nonetheless. I'm only somewhat familiar with Mr. Conway's GOL and hope to learn how to implement the theory as a modulation source. It is just trial and error for me at the moment.

The synth features are nice and per note pitch bending is quite cool. Looking forward to MIDI and ACP support.

Good luck with future development.

---I appreciate the reply...

Thanks Keebo. The whole thing is pretty experimental, designed to breed new patches. That's why everything can be modulated, why the oscillators have such a ridiculous range and detune, why filters, envelopes etc. are all assignable. Just muck about with it and see what comes out.

Knowledge of Game of Life theory isn't really important (though you will get some inspiration from looking up common patterns.) I got some fun results by drawing rude pictures, for example. Definitely try the "Lock cells" button - that's key to creating long-running patterns on the tiny (by Life standards) grid.

I'm curious as to what the synth-heads here on KVR would like to see in the engine. I've had suggestions for bitcrushers and lo-fi distortion, for ring modulators, oscillator cross-mod, all that sort of stuff. I don't have a lot of CPU to play with (it's pretty close to the limit on the iPad 2, and barely works with 3 notes polyphony on the iPad 1) but I'm open to ideas and experimentation.

Thanks again for your interest.