AraldFX has announced the public pre-release of StormGate3 for Windows and Mac OS X Universal Binary in VST and AU formats. The public evaluation version of StormGate3 RC2 is available for download, free to try without any limitation until September 2007.

StormGate3 is a gating effect which lets you create rhythmic parts from virtually any kind of audio material.

StormGate3 can split the audio in up to three bands, and let you shape them with amplitude patterns. Patterns can be drawn freely by hand, or with the aid of powerful drawing tools. Within seconds you can transform almost every audio source in to an almost complete rhythmic track.

StormGate3 also works in trigger mode, so it can also be used as a pure enveloper effect. If your host allows it, you can use the envelopes to control external software/hardware synthesizers or effects by sending the envelope levels via MIDI control change messages.

Main features:

• Four Operating Modes:
  1. 3 bands gating mode (default).
  2. LPF->Overdrive->single band gate.
  3. Overdrive->LPF->single band gate.
  4. 2 bands gating mode with overdrive on the lower band.
• Mute (or Bypass) for each gate or effect.
• 3 graphical envelopes editor.
• Variable horizontal and vertical quantization grid.

Envelope editors:

• 5 drawing tools: Free, Spike, Step, Exponential and Line.
• Variable tool size from 1 to 7 steps (or free without grid).
• Copy, paste and undo functions (up to 128 levels).
• You can export or import patterns in form of mono wave files.

Built-in Sequencer:

• 16 patterns with chaining function.
• Variable pattern length.
• Variable quantization of pattern change.
• Synchronization: Internal (from 20 to 220 BPM) or Host.
• Pure MIDI triggering mode (effect bypass).
• Can translate the curves in MIDI Control Change sequences to control eternal synthesizers or effects.
• Can record the envelopes according to the crossover settings.
• 11 editing functions.
• Variable swing (can also be used to simulate the pulse width of the gates).

StormGate3 can still be ordered at the discounted price of $39, until the official release.