Free open-source CosmoDepot Reaper jsfx plugin

[JCJR]

Manuial and plugin download:
http://errnum.com/html/jcjr_cosmodepot.html

Description
CosmoDepot is a Reaper jsfx Multi-Tap Chorus/Delay/Reverb plugin. Possible uses include: Simple or Multi-Tap Stereo Chorus, Simple or Multi-Tap Stereo EchoChorus, Simple or Multi-Tap Stereo EchoChorus with Reverb.

CosmoDepot is a 24 Tap delay line with two different feedback paths and 32 independent random-rate modulation LFOs. Delay Loop time is adjustable between 125 and 1000 ms with additional Pre-Delay time adjustable up to 200 ms.

Eight delay line output taps are configured as four stereo output pairs. Any combination of one, two, three or four stereo output pairs can be selected for the wet output. The Output Tap mix can optionally feedback to the delay line input for repeat-echo effects. Each of the 8 delay line Output Taps has its own independent sine wave random-rate frequency modulation LFO. Output Tap frequency modulation amount adjusts from zero up to +/-20 Cents. When Output Taps are modulated, you get up to 8 different delay times, each independently pitch-modulated at different, constantly-changing random LFO rates.

An additional 16 delay line Reverb Taps are not directly heard on plugin output. However with non-zero Reverb Tap feedback, the 8 Output Taps get smoothed out with reverb added to the delay line by numerous recirculating feedback images from the 16 Reverb Taps. Each of the 16 Reverb Taps has its own independent sine wave random-rate frequency modulation LFO. Reverb Tap frequency modulation amount is adjustable from +/-5 up to +/-20 Cents. So the reverb recirculating "mini-echo" images are multiplied on every loop by 16 different delay times, each independently pitch-modulated at a different, constantly-changing random LFO rate.

A final eight random-rate LFOs can independently randomly AutoPan each of the eight Output Taps, should such depth of depravity ever become desirable.

Salute the Space Station
Lately waxed nostalgic about old Ursa Major Space Station. Been decades since I used one. About 1980 I worked a studio whose "highest quality reverb" was an Ursa Major Space Station. Loved it on vocals, horns and guitars. Did not like Space Station for drums or percussive instruments such as grand piano. Space Station sounded too clattery to me on drums and some other percussive sources. Even with the smoothest densest setting I could find, Space Station on drums didn't sound like reverb-- Rather, those sparse clattery reverb tails sounded like a drumkit getting kicked down the stairs.

However, that low-density multi-tap delay overlaid with low-density reverb sounded great on vocals, horns, guitars, etc. Could make a track sound saturated in verb though the actual Space Station decay time remained quite short. This allowed lively reverb enhancement without muddying the mix with unnecessarily long reverb tails.

My memory was somewhat rosy. Viewing Youtube Space Station videos, was reminded that Space Station had more "terrible" settings than great settings, at least to my taste. Had forgotten about all those crappy-sounding control combinations because I did not use the "bad" settings. Always used the Space Station adjusted as fat/lush as this early primitive box could deliver.

This elderly opinion ain't guaranteed gospel. Youtube vids generally describe Space Station as a great glitch machine. Many Youtube demos proudly process crappy drum loops with the Space Station to make em sound even crappier! News Flash: Geezer Seen Yelling At Sky!

So anyway CosmoDepot is not intended to be a Space Station clone. CosmoDepot has vague similarity to Space Station's signal flow block diagram. CosmoDepot time constants and features differ from Space Station but I wanted similar fat low-density short-decay multi-tap verb for vocal, horns and guitar.

Maybe CosmoDepot could be a glitch machine but I did not intentionally coddle glitch machine features. Glitch fans might test and let me know.

To my ear, among other things CosmoDepot can be good for the targeted purpose of fat short multi-tap echo-reverb on vocal, horn and guitar. To my ear CosmoDepot drums sound like kicking the drumkit down the stairs, which is similar to Space Station drum results. So MAYBE CosmoDepot is a candidate glitch machine or maybe not.

[Crowzilla]

I tried it on some VST choir and it worked like a charm, really lush and big spaces opened up - I dare not try it on the drum channel though, the whole thing might fall down the stairs.

This one is really, really good. Thanks!

[GaryG]

I like this, sounds great out of the box on the sources you suggest but couldn't resist trying some more percussive sounds. Definitely lots of potential to be abused if glitchy stuff is your intention. Turning the feedback controls up got some nice drones going too.

Thanks a lot.

[JCJR]

I tried it on some VST choir and it worked like a charm, really lush and big spaces opened up - I dare not try it on the drum channel though, the whole thing might fall down the stairs.

This one is really, really good. Thanks!

Thanks Crowzilla for trying the plugin. Glad it seems useful.

CosmoDepot ought to be safe enough on drums. Just be cautious about getting virtual scratches and dings on the virtual drums when they tumble down the stairs.

I used to imagine that a truly accurate wurlie piano model ought to bend a virtual reed if you hit the note too hard. Then that note keeps making the sick out-of-tune cowbell tone until later the virtual reed finally snaps, goes Ping and then the note is dead.

That is, unless by random chance the virtual reed falls across the capacitative pickup plate causing loud thunderstorm static sounds which only stop if you take the mouse, pick up the virtual wurlie, turn it upside down and vigorously shake it until the virtual reed finally falls to the virtual bottom of the virtual piano.

At which point you can get back to playing the virtual piano, albeit with that dead note until you click the mouse on the virtual repair window. Drag a new reed to the slot, then mouse-drag a virtual metal file over the lead until the new reed is in tune. While occasionally blowing virtual lead filings out of the virtual pickup gap when it causes static thunderstorms. Of course the new virtual reed will be brighter and really won't match the tone of the old reeds for several months afterward.

Now that would be an accurate emulation!

[JCJR]

I like this, sounds great out of the box on the sources you suggest but couldn't resist trying some more percussive sounds. Definitely lots of potential to be abused if glitchy stuff is your intention. Turning the feedback controls up got some nice drones going too.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks GaryG for trying the plugin. Am curious if it is useful for glitch. I'm just unqualified to judge. Would be kinda like a polka band trying to do authentic rap. Only Weird Al should apply.

It would be a more flexible feedback drone machine if it could smoothly change delay loop duration. It is setup so that delay time change audible clicks are (to my ear) relatively minor and non-annoying even during playback, but it has to recalc 24 new tap offsets every time delay length changes. Ideally all 24 taps would clicklessly ramp to new positions on a delay time change but that wasn't really in the target specs.

Am just sayin, ferinstance with a good regeneration flying saucer sound happening on a tape echoplex, the best stuff starts happening when you grab the playback head and start torquing it back and forth to change the pitch.

One thing-- I suspect you probably don't want to use a bunch of CosmoDepot instances in a song unless maybe you can freeze some of the tracks. Or maybe you have a fast computer. That loop is a little busy for a jsfx code. OTOH I read some tests where jsfx were converted to C and compiled to VST and ran no faster-- It was claimed that the jsfx text files are just-in-time compiled by Reaper. Dunno much about it. If I still had the brain cells and patience to program C++, then that loop is busy enough that I'd probably do the main loop in ASM.