Rob Papen has announced Predator, a new synthesizer that combines "inspiring presets" and "first-class features" with a user interface designed so that almost all controls are visible on screen, making it "fun and easy-to-use".
Predator includes powerful features such as Preset Morphing, Intelligent Preset Variation, MIDI and Synth Controllable FX, Unison Detune, Chord Memory and a versatile Arpeggiator. Preset banks include: Hip Hop (NY, Club, DirtySouth and Gfunk), Jump, hardcore, breakbeat, various trance styles, DnB banks and more...
Predator also includes PredatorFX, allowing you to use the filters, modulations, effects and vocoder as an FX plug-in within your music host.
Predator is expected to be released in February 2007 when it will be available for Windows and Mac OS X Universal Binary in VST (2.4), AU and RTAS plug-in formats with an MSRP of €/$149.
Features:
- Oscillators section:
- 3 Oscillators with 128 waves included Analogue, Additive and Spectral type of waveforms plus pink & white noise generators.
- Oscillator waveform Symmetry control for each oscillator.
- Free running option for each oscillator and Oscillator Syncing of oscillator 2 or 3 to oscillator 1.
- Extended semitone range going from -48 semitones up to +48 semitones.
- Separate octave control and fine-tuning.
- Keyboard tracking on/off for each oscillator.
- Each Oscillator offers Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) using an independent LFO for each oscillator with individual speed and amount controls.
- FM and Ring modulation modes for Oscillator 2 and 3.
- Each oscillator has a PWM square wave Sub-oscillator.
- Spread function for detuned multiple oscillator sound within one Oscillator.
- Volume control for each oscillator and output on/off for Oscillator 1 and 2.
- Overall Pitch modulation section:
- Tempo sync-able global Pitch LFO. You can set the amount and also which wave is used for this LFO.
- Pitch bend with separate settings for up and down pitch-bends.
- Filter section:
- Main filter is an analogue modelled stereo Multimode Filter, offering 6dB LowPass and HighPass, 12dB, 18dB and 24dB LowPass and HighPass, 12dB and 24dB BandPass, 12dB and 24dB Notch and Comb Filter.
- Pre-filtering distortion with smooth or edgy mode option.
- Easy Filter control by pre-defined Cutoff Frequency modulation controllers: Envelope, Velocity, Key-tracking, LFO and Modulation Wheel.
- Build in Filter Envelope with Attack, Decay, Sustain, Fade and Release.
- Build in Filter LFO with various waveforms, modulation amount control and tempo sync option with speed settings between 16/1 and 1/32t.
- LFO Poly, free or mono mode options.
- Filter2 section
- Additional Filter with cutoff control offering 6dB, 12dB and 24dB LowPass or HighPass setting.
- Amp section:
- Build in Amp/Volume Envelope with Attack, Decay, Sustain, Fade and Release.
- Volume control.
- Velocity> Volume amount.
- Panning control.
- Free modulation section:
Free Envelopes- 2 Envelopes with Attack, Decay Sustain, Fade and Release.
- Option to control the Envelopes times using "velocity" or "key played".
- Modulation Amount Envelope 1&2 and amount control for Envelope 1.
- 44 modulation destinations.
- 2 LFO's with various waveforms.
- Tempo sync option with speed settings between 16/1 and 1/32t.
- Poly, free or mono mode options.
- Modulation Amount LFO 1&2 and amount control for LFO 1.
- 44 modulation destinations.
- 4 free modulation routings.
- 28 modulation sources.
- 44 modulation destinations.
- Secondary modulation source & control.
- Play modes section:
- Poly / Mono / Mono2 / Legato / Arp / Unison2 / Unison4 / Unsion6 synthesizer play modes.
- Portamento featuring constant rate/constant time or held(legato) constant rate/constant time.
- Unison detune amount, if Predator is in Unison2, Unison4 or Unsion6 mode.
- 8 note Chord memory, saved within the preset.
- Demo C3 button to preview sounds.
- Arpeggiator section:
- 16 step arpeggiator, which can be used as a step sequencer or as modulation source.
- Arpeggiator patterns can be 1-16 steps long.
- Speed setting of 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1, 3/2, 2, 3 and 4x BPM.
- Up, down, up/down, down/up, random, ordered, reverse ordered, ordered up/down, ordered down/up, chord and modulation mode.
- 1-4 octaves settings.
- Overall step length.
- Swing amount.
- Slide amount for sliding steps.
- Velocity control knob which mixes between keyboard (MIDI) velocity input and the steps velocity settings.
- Each step has on/off, Tie, Slide, Tune, Velocity and Free row.
- Tie modes normal or special which allows Slide, Tune, Velocity and Free settings inside a step if that step is set to Tie.
- Arpeggiator Latch which can be controlled by the MIDI sustain pedal.
- You can load, save, copy, paste and reset arpeggiator patterns, so you can reuse them in different presets.
- Advance section:
- Adjustable Analogness setting to simulate the instability of vintage analogue synthesizers.
- Global Tuning.
- Attack Shape. This changes the curvature of Predator's envelopes attack stage. From exponential to linear to logarithmic.
- Decay/Release Shape. This Changes the curvature of Predator's envelopes decay and release stages. From exponential to linear to logarithmic.
- Velocity Shape. Changes Predator's velocity curvature. From exponential to linear to logarithmic.
- Over-sampling mode: Sets the over-sampling from 1x / 2x / 4x / 8x / 16x.
- Over-sampling filter on/off: optional post-over-sampling lowpass filter.
- Audio input selector >FX or >Filter (PredatorFX only).
- Audio input gain control (PredatorFX only).
- Synth Amp Hold on/off. Turn off the PredatorFX's Amp envelope and so the sound plays without changing volume. (PredatorFX only).
- All advance settings are saved within each individual preset.
- External controller hardware (fader-box or synth) settings can be saved and restored.
- Overall:
- 16-voice polyphony.
- Parameter read-out field at lower right corner.
- Help function for most controls.
- FX section:
- HQ effects blocks in serial mode.
- Available effects: Mono Delay, Stereo Delay, Comb, Reverb, Chorus, Chorus/Delay, Flanger, Phaser, Wah/Delay, Distortion, Low Fi, Amp Simulator with 5 models, Waveshaper, Stereo Widener, Autopan, Gator, Vocoder, FX multi-filter, 5 Band Equalizer, Compressor and Ensemble.
- Midi tempo based settings in most effects.
- 2 FX modulation sources for connecting MIDI or synth controls to FX parameters.
- Preset section:
- Uses sound banks composed of 128 presets.
- Preset handling with copy, paste, clear and compare function.
- All settings included the Advance panel settings are stored inside each preset.
- Presets are stored in clear categories.
- Four 'Preset variation' buttons with amount control of the variation.
- Preset morphing with amount control to morph between two presets within the selected bank.
