Camel Audio went all out with Cameleon 5000 in creating their vision of additive synthesis. In this case additive should analyze one shot or multisampled instruments and be able to create an additive version of the sample. The good news is Cameleon 5000 succeeds in marrying analyzed sample data to morphing. In this case we aren't talking of morphing from one distinct sound to another, the morphing that takes place is calculated in the additive domain creating new instruments in the literal sense.
That might take a second to get your head around. What's the big deal? Here's the big deal. Rather than making the sum of two or more samples Cameleon 5000 is computing the structure of the waveforms as they change and creating a literal instrument from these calculations. There is a substantial library of sampled and analyzed samples including around 200 patches with sections available for making your own creations. The quality of the analysis is good though not perfect, nor is that the point to Cameleon 5000. You get impressions of "real" timbres combining and mutating. As a result it's easy to get a singing horn much like one would expect from a modeled synth.
You are able to use up to four instruments although it is often unnecessary to sample more than one. You also are able to program the Harmonics and Noise with the familiar bars used for representing frequency and multi point envelopes for time/pitch relational data. Also included is a flexible modulation matrix with values that can be edited in ranges helping to further refine your work. Two LFOs are included along with two morph envelopes that are multi point as well. By adding points a line can be changed, in the morph's case creating some drastic shifts to subtle crossover effects. In the morphing area is a morph square that enables you to arrange the complete patch in x/y coordinates or refine it further by using morph points for amplitude, harmonics and noise. More complexity but easily accomplished thanks to CA5000's highly functional interface.
Included is an easy mode for timbre, LFO, amplitude envelope and output. It should be mentioned that there is also a nicely functional randomizer on several pages including the Morph, Easy, and Effects pages, speaking of which you will find, distortion, multi- filter, chorus, stereo delay and reverb. The quality of the effects are excellent across the board, and of course, there is a multi-point formant filter to be found as well.
The Cameleon works well with pads, evolving soundscapes, swirling leads and deep basses. Use of your own samples is a pleasure. I tend to take short phrases or soundscapes (drum beats don't analyze well) and work on the subtle shades and overtones that make additive synthesis and Cameleon CA5000 so powerful. At times the sound is like recycled samples yet there is so much more that is available and in a friendly interface. Don't be fooled though, you will need to read the manual.
