Charlatan is a polyphonic, subtractive virtual analog (VA) synthesizer plugin with design focus on sound quality and easy usability. The design philosophy was to provide a feature set just flexible enough to cover a wide range of sounds while deliberately abstaining from countless parameters and modulation options cluttering the user interface and distracting from the creative process. That being said, Charlatan's architecture is flexible enough to create all kinds of sounds, from conventional classic leads, basses and pads to weird blips and noises.

While making no compromises about sound quality, the algorithms have been optimized for efficient CPU usage making Charlatan well suited as a ''bread and butter'' synth even in projects with a large number of plugin instances.

Best of all, it's FREEWARE! I'm happy to hear your opinions and suggestions! Enjoy!

Feature Summary

• 2 oscillators with triangle, sawtooth, pulse and noise waveforms
  
• oscillator pulse-width modulation (PWM) and slew rate modulation (morphing between triangle and sawtooth)
  
• oscillator hard synchronization and ring modulation
  
• 2 ADSR envelope generators
  
• LFO with host tempo synchronization
  
• 3 filter types modeled after classic analog hardware: 4-pole (24 db/oct) and 2-pole (12 db/oct) lowpass, bandpass
  
• filter code based on nonlinear zero-delay feedback technique for accurate emulation of analog counterparts
  
• 3 voice modes: Monophonic with retriggering, Monophonic Legato and 8-voice Polyphonic
  
• low CPU usage
  
• 100% coded in C++
  
• native 64-bit support

F.A.Q. (to be updated)
- I don't like the GUI color. Can I replace the GUI skin?
Yes, you may use a Resource Editor to replace the image in the DLL. I even allow you to share your hacked DLL as long as you distribute it along with the original readme/license files and a clear note that this is not the original version and point people to the place where they can find the original.
- Will you add official skinning support?
Not in the near future as it involves quite some work with IMO only limited value in return.
- Will you add a proper preset management system? Arpeggiator? Integrated effects?
See answer to previous question. I'm more into the UNIX philosophy of designing software tools which is to do one thing and do it well. There are already great free standalone arps/FX available.
- I really feel I need another osc/LFO/envelope/...
As you are aware, Charlatan's all about simplicity. I really feel that I have reached a feature set which gives you the best versatility/complexity ratio. If I wanted an even more flexible architecture, it'd probably better be in a new plugin.
- Will there be a Mac version?
I'd love to have one, but there's lot of work to done, as I'm using my custom development framework, which currently supports Windows only. Also, I need a Mac...

Latest Changes
1.4.1 (2013-06-04)

• BUGFIX: DCO mode with Osc2 square/pulse wave was broken

1.4 (2013-06-02)

• noise source now separate from Osc 1
  
• Osc 2: narrow pulse wave
  
• LFO: extended rate range
  
• GUI update
  
• BUGFIX: potential crasher
  
• some more presets

More info and download: www.blaukraut.info

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Last edited by karrikuh on Sun Jun 16, 2013 11:35 pm; edited 36 times in total

Hi,

i like such synths with a reduced feature set. The GUI looks good IMO.
I'll play with it as soon as i find some time. I have already downloaded the file.


Ingo

Well done and congrats on the release

Cool, can't complain about free quality synths. I'll even deal with pop-up ads from DL sites for that.

Thanks for the freebie!
The GUI is very nice and the sound seems to be great too (just tested it really quickly). I like these simple but good sounding synths

BTW: I could host the plugin on my webspace if you want to. Since many people don't want to download things from these filesharing sites.

Cheers
Dennis

Thanks dude! Will check it out and report back.

nice red color

Yep red synths sound better.

Very nice looking and sounding VSTi, but U can't load or save any
presets with it. You've forgot the preset-container?

ciao
armin

Thanks for the kind words!

Charlatan relies on the host application to manage presets. At least in REAPER, this works perfectly. Are you saying you can't load the FXP patches included in the zip file? Which host are you using?

Hi,

I am using Samplitude V9 or VST-Host from H. Seib. I can't load any fxp
from the zip unfortunately.

ciao
armin

Simple but nice -
Good work!

Greetings
D.

Just released a new version 0.9.1: at least in VSTHost it should work now.

hey i was just trying this synth out today and i have to say it is really exceptional. great oscillators, clever layout all round a well designed plug. a few things i would want personally (maybe for your 1.0 release) would be saws on both oscillators, maybe a sub osc and the envelopes might need to be tweaked a little. for example making kicks or percussion sounds it didnt feel like the envelopes were flexible enough, im not sure, perhaps it was just me. if i could get a snappy deep 808 kick from your wonderful synth i think it would be quite wonderful. it really is great already though!
ps. one other fun thing you could add would be a way to change the backround color like synth1 always a nice little extra.
Last edited by vegantendo on Mon Aug 08, 2011 11:25 am; edited 1 time in total