KVR Audio is the Internet's number one news and information resource for open standard audio plugins. We report new releases, product announcements and product updates (major and minor) for all VST Plugins, DirectX Plugins and Audio Units Plugins. We manage a fully searchable audio plugin database (updated daily), and offer many free member services including user reviews, product update notifications and a very active discussion forum. We also host official support forums for many plugin developers plus the official Receptor support forum.
Plug-in Database: Virtual
Instruments, Effects & Hosts Banks & Patches
Download & Upload Plug-in Ratings
by KVR Members Wiki: Tutorials,
Audio Lexicon, ... Listen to Music
by KVR Members Search
KVR Quick
Links

Google Powered Search:

in new window

KVR Powered Plug-in Search:

ShapeShifter
by Progress Audio
7 members are watching ShapeShifter for news
Product ShapeShifter
Developer Progress Audio
Primary Type Multi FX
Price (MSRP) £35 / €52 / $60
Plug-in Formats
Effect(s)VST
Operating System Availability
Operating
System		 Latest
Version		 Download Is it
Available?
Windows 1.2 Demo / TrialReleased
Miscellaneous Information
Copy Protection Serial Number
Average User Rating Average rating - 8.250
Known to work
advertisement
ShapeShifter

ShapeShifter is a multi-effect plug-in which gives you a number of tools for changing your audio, from subtle effects to extreme mangling.

The following effects modules are included:

  • Waveshaper linked to a step sequencer, each step being set up to give a different sound. This allows you to create changes in tone that normal waveshapers can't achieve.
  • Resonant Filter including an LFO and step sequencer to control the cut-off frequency.
  • Stereo Delay including step sequencers to vary the delay settings over time.
  • Gate to create rhythmic changes in volume.
  • Chorus & Reverb to fill out sounds and add some polish.
  • Compressor for controlling the dynamics of the audio.

The signal path is configurable so that the effects can be ordered any way you like for maximum flexibility.

User Reviews by KVR Members for ShapeShifter.

CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR REVIEW


By liars&ashes
On 9th January 2007
Version: 1.2

Read all reviews by
liars&ashes

2 of 2 people found
this review helpful.

Was this review
helpful to you?
Yes | No
  GUI
Sound
Features
Docs
Presets
Support
VFM
Stability
User Interface - It's colorful, and it's layed out well, your graphic arts tastes/opinions may very, but you can't hardly argue that it's good/usable overall. I gave it a 7, rounded down from 7.5, it's not really my favorite look, but it's very functional, and pretty easy on the eyes.

Sound - This one has the filter, it's musical in a way that I can only imagine is people talk about when they say "liquid". I have little experience with analog synths, very little really, an old Juno 106 and something else a few years back, but their filters didn't hold a light to this one. You simply have to hear it yourself. What didn't I like ? The waveshaper can get really harsh really fast. And the reverb while good, has a bit much of it's own "character" to be used all that much. Other than that, it sounds as good or better than you'd expect, and the chorus is actually pretty usable/good. It gets a 9 here, the reverb is a little less than generically useful, but it's good the chrous is usable, which is rare of ya ask me, and the filter pwnz.

Features - It's feature packed, this one is a programmers dream come true. With the version 1.2 update, you can re-order all the effects, yes, all of them, any order, drag-n-drop easy. The features are pretty much what you'd expect in a multifx, other than the re-ordering capability I don't see much to comment on, expect to say it is full featured. I'm rounding up to a 9 here, because you can re-order the effects chain, beat that if you can.

Documentation - Ugh, the manual question, lemme look. A 5 page .pdf is included, with some pictures and directions. It's a bit skimpy, but if you know what the effects do individually, then getting them all going together is just something you learn kind of intuitively anyways. The manual could be better, but it's acceptable for anyone but a newbie. I'll round up to a 7 here, since I already know what a waveshaper does, and even if someone doesn't, it ain't rocket science.

Presets - Quite a few presets, probably close to a hundred all total. I didn't find al that many of them useful personally, but do I ever ? You get a variety, and if nothing else, they'll get you halfway to the sound you want, and help you learn to use the plug-in along the way. I'll round up again and go 8 here, while they weren't all my cup of tea, they had quite a variety and were interesting sounding at least.

Customer Support - Haven't used/needed it myself since I tried to run the demo on a Pc with Win98. Alex is around on K-v-R though, so I doubt he's hard he's hard to find or get ahold of. We'll go with 8, cause I've seen Alex on K-v-R at least once every 2 weeks all through 2006, he's available.

Value For Money - This one is very reasonably priced. You could pretty much pay this much ($60) or more, for just the filter on this unit. I'd have to give this extremely high marks for value, much like almost any good multifx, they are usually a bargain if they have good components. I'd say 8.75, but K-v-R hates decimals, so let's just make it 9, and consider it earned with the addition of the compressor in v1.2

Stability - very stable for me on a Pc with WinXP. The cpu usage varies a little bit, with longer delay times, you can get it up pretty high, but how often do you use a really long delay, and doesn't every long delay do that too ? I'm gonna give it another 9 here, for Pc's with WinXP, I can't comment on Mac stability, sorry.

Final Notes - O.k., so it's a multi-fx, it's got bright colors, it maybe isn't thrilling you all that much right. Here's 2 reasons why it should. 1) The filter. You won't get it til you hear it, then, assuming you have ears, you will. 2) It doesn't have numerical readouts. Why is this a standout feature ? Because it causes you to use it differently, more musically if I dare say so. You have no choice, you have to just turn the knobs and move the sliders etc., until it sounds good. For the asking price, and the feature set, you will have to search high and low to beat it, I can firmly recommend this one to anyone looking for a musical multi-fx.
 
   Report
Latest 1 review from a total of 1

Reviews, articles, interviews, etc. for ShapeShifter.

None listed yet.

Products by Progress Audio

Kinisis
Product: Kinisis
Developer: Progress Audio
Type: Synth (Unclassified)
Price: TBA
OS&Formats: WindowsMac OS XUniversal BinaryVSTAudio Unit
What is Kinisis? The interface uses a Timeline, along the lines of using keyframes in animation software. Sounds are designed by moving to a point in the Timeline and then moving any of the knobs/controls to create a keyframe at that point. When you play a note, Kinisis 'animates' the controls. This is much more powerful than traditional ADSR envelopes, and also makes it easy to do relatively complex things. ... [more]

 
PhasePhix
Product: PhasePhix
Developer: Progress Audio
Type: Utility
Price: £20 / €30 / $37
OS&Formats: WindowsVST
PhasePhix allows you to control the phase difference of two signals, allowing you to correct phase problems that can arise from recording instruments using 2 microphones, or recording a guitar using a DI feed and a mic, for example. If the two signals are out of phase, some frequencies cancel out and others add up, causing changes to the tone of the recorded instrument. PhasePhix allows you to get a fuller, more accurate sound. Features: Independent phase-shift control for left and right audio channels.Shifts all frequencies by the same amount, therefore preserving the phase relations within ... [more]

 
ProgOsc
Product: ProgOsc
Developer: Progress Audio
Type: Analyser / Monitor
Price: Free
OS&Formats: WindowsVST
Features: X & Y scale knobs adjust the zoom on the screen.Update control allows you to set how quickly the screen redraws.Slide switch lets you monitor just the left channel, just the right, or both at the same time (each channel is drawn using a different colour on the graph).... [more]

 
ProgressComp
Product: ProgressComp
Developer: Progress Audio
Type: Dynamics (Compressor / Limiter)
Price: Free
OS&Formats: WindowsVST
ProgressComp is the same compressor as found on Progress Audio's commercial ShapeShifter multi-effect plug-in. It features quick-and-easy-to-use controls for fast setup, but is still capable of a wide range of sounds.... [more]

 
ShapeShifter
Product: ShapeShifter
Developer: Progress Audio
Type: Multi FX
Price: £35 / €52 / $60
OS&Formats: WindowsVST
ShapeShifter is a multi-effect plug-in which gives you a number of tools for changing your audio, from subtle effects to extreme mangling. The following effects modules are included: Waveshaper linked to a step sequencer, each step being set up to give a different sound. This allows you to create changes in tone that normal waveshapers can't achieve. Resonant Filter including an LFO and step sequencer to control the cut-off frequency. Stereo Delay including step sequencers to vary the delay settings over time. Gate to create rhythmic changes in volume. Chorus & Reverb to fill out sounds... [more]

 
Soup
Product: Soup
Developer: Progress Audio
Type: Synth (Additive)
Price: £45 / €65 / $85
OS&Formats: WindowsVST
Features: The unique Elements Editor makes additive synthesis accessible. Create and edit sounds by adjusting 5 elements of the sound (Overall tone, change in tone over time, pan, detuning of harmonics, and envelope).Load up as many sounds as you like, then morph between them in real-time and with complete freedom.Control morphs manually using the mouse in real-time, or automatically by drawing envelopes for X and Y movement.Powerful editing features give you access to each of Soup's 64 partials. Design how amplitude, detune and pan for each partial changes over time using the graphical editor... [more]

 
None found
Coming Soon...

Receptor Videos