Camel Audio, makers of the popular CamelPhat VST effect plugins, will soon release a "revolutionary new virtual synthesiser", featuring unique resynthesis and sound morphing technologies, and offering "unparalleled ease of programming".

"The CA5000 blurs the boundaries between sampling and synthesis in unprecedented ways."

Want a bass sound with the tone of an acoustic, but the punch of an electric? Simply import samples of both, and click in the "morphing square" to create your own hybrids. Imagine a patch with the harmonics of a human voice, and the percussive attack of an acoustic piano. Imagine real-time morphing between a vibraphone and a choir, or a flute and a guitar. With the CA5000, anything is possible.

Camel Audio's new Sonic Blueprint analysis algorithms and Hybrid Synthesis sound warping technology (patents applied for) are the results of several years' painstaking research in the field of digital signal processing. Theory is put into practice with the CA5000: a unique musical instrument, notable both for its exceptional sound quality and intuitive user interface.

At its heart lies a powerful additive synthesiser, with freely detunable partials and a flexible 128 band noise generator. Any WAV format sampled sound can be imported and "blueprinted", its key characteristics instantly captured and made available for use in the CA5000's synthesis engine.

Advanced data reduction techniques allow the complex description of real acoustic sounds to be reduced to a relatively small number of parameters, for easier real-time manipulation. The synthesiser offers both velocity and keyboard scaling, allowing you to add heightened expressive "realism" to even your most outlandish creations.

The CA5000 comes with a comprehensive library of both acoustic and electronic sounds, organised into categories including bass, pads and strings, among others. These sounds can be browsed, by sound or by category, from the CA5000's easy-to-use interface.

The CA5000 will be available from October in PC VST, Mac OSX VST and AU formats. The price is expected to be around £199. You'll be able to download a demo version or buy online at www.camelaudio.com.

Selected features:

• Import and morph any WAV file.
• 128 band noise generator.
• 64 detunable partials.
• Amplitude envelope for each harmonic.
• Sophisticated graphic displays (time/amplitude, harmonic/amplitude, harmonic/pitch and more).
• Attack and release bar graphs for all partials.
• 128 band formant filter.
• Intuitive "morphing square", to warp between four sounds at a time.
• Extensive real-time parameter modulation by velocity, LFO and envelope.
• High-quality portamento allows for realistic note bending.
• Resonant filter and tube distortion (based on popular CamelPhat design).
• Built-in chorus, delay and reverb effects.