Madrona Labs has announced the release of Aalto, a software synthesizer with a patchable UI, distinctive sounds, and "a charming personality".

Aalto's sound engine lets you create sounds that have been difficult or impossible to make with softsynths before now. At its heart is a complex oscillator, with FM, timbre and waveshape controls that enable a wide range of expressive sounds. Each voice also includes a lowpass gate, patchable waveguide / delay and a multimode filter.

Aalto is designed as much for sequencing patterns as for playing individual notes. Each voice has a separate, built-in sequencer with a patchable, independently controllable rate and offset that make it easy to achieve evolving, chaotic textures.

Aalto has a streamlined UI that lets you make complex patches quickly and easily. The two-dimensional, nostalgia-free interface has intuitive signal dials that let you view the parameters you are adjusting. Every control in Aalto is always right on the screen, one click away.

Pricing and Availability

The full version of Aalto is available now in Audio Units format for Mac OS X. The purchase price of $99 includes a license for all future formats and platforms as they are released. Mac and Windows VST versions are planned for fall 2010.

Every buyer of Aalto will receive a $99 discount on the forthcoming Soundplane instrument from Madrona Labs. For more information on Madrona Labs and the Soundplane, click here.