PLASMONIC - A new synth from Brian Clevinger

[Niowiad]

My bad I didn't explain it fully.
My idea is always to have my left hand on the keyboard and the right hand on the GUI, and play notes/chords at the same time as I program the patch, somehow similar to how it's done on hardware synths.
I'm currently able to do this because I have CTRL/SHIFT/ALT mapped to my mouse (a cheap but very functional Logitech G300), but I don't know how that's going to work out with a touchscreen.

Unless I map the mouse modifiers to foot switches

 

The Slate Raven has on screen modifier keys so it would be possible with one of them if your DAW is supported. I would bet you could get some sort of app for Windows surfaces that would do a similar task. Worst case scenario you could modify a keyboard to hold that key down or make it a toggle switch.

 

Sure worth checking out. Thanks.

[AnX]

So, the marketing videos just make this look like a physical modeling synth like you might find in reaktor, plus some filters.

I am a huge huge fan of absynth but I'm honestly failing to understand the hype about this. Absynth seems a lot more powerful. What am I missing?

And yes the GUI is terrible and yes that makes a huge difference in its ability to sell. It's ok. Breathe.

It seems like over the last few months there have been features added that aren't in the marketing videos...

Can someone summarize what makes this so special? How is this different than using a physical modeling synth in reaktor and hooking up a filter to it?

brian clevinger ...

who?

[gunnar]

brian clevinger is the programmer of absynth. absynth is an amazing synth.
this gives hope that plasmonic has the chance to be awesome,too.
in fact in the sea of synth copies of hardware pieces this thing could be very awesome.
i hope for even more expressive/organic sounds than absynth

[AnX]

oh... have to wait for a demo then

[Cepheus]

There aren't that many physical modelling synths around with MPE implementations. I would buy a license for Chromophone 2 in an instant if it would have some MPE capabilities. Madrono labs comes in the picture but I don't know them.
High hopes here for Plasmonic

From a personal communication with Brian :
“Yes, MPE control sources will be assignable to almost all parameters.

I’m looking forward to hearing what MPE players will do with Plasmonic!”

[zerocrossing]

There aren't that many physical modelling synths around with MPE implementations. I would buy a license for Chromophone 2 in an instant if it would have some MPE capabilities. Madrono labs comes in the picture but I don't know them.
High hopes here for Plasmonic

From a personal communication with Brian :
“Yes, MPE control sources will be assignable to almost all parameters.

I’m looking forward to hearing what MPE players will do with Plasmonic!”

https://madronalabs.com/

It’s Madrona Labs, and they are excellent in every way. Aside from their hardware MPE instrument, Soundplane, they’re probably best known for Aalto, which is an MPE enabled “west coast” style (synthesis made famous by Buchla that uses complex oscillators and control instead of basic subtractive synthesis) semi-modular polyphonic synth that’s one of the best of it’s kind. I’m less familiar with their Physical Modeling/Granular synth, Kaivo. I passed on it... for some reason. I can’t quite remember why. I know I didn’t have a Roli Rise at the time, so maybe I just felt like it wasn’t something I’d use a lot. I have no idea how Plasmonic will compare to Kaivo, but I imagine it’ll be easily as good, but different. I’ll probably end up with both at some point, as MPE has become really important to me and I’m always on the hunt for good instruments.

[experimental.crow]

There aren't that many physical modelling synths around with MPE implementations. I would buy a license for Chromophone 2 in an instant if it would have some MPE capabilities. Madrono labs comes in the picture but I don't know them.
High hopes here for Plasmonic

From a personal communication with Brian :
“Yes, MPE control sources will be assignable to almost all parameters.

I’m looking forward to hearing what MPE players will do with Plasmonic!”

https://madronalabs.com/

It’s Madrona Labs, and they are excellent in every way. Aside from their hardware MPE instrument, Soundplane, they’re probably best known for Aalto, which is an MPE enabled “west coast” style (synthesis made famous by Buchla that uses complex oscillators and control instead of basic subtractive synthesis) semi-modular polyphonic synth that’s one of the best of it’s kind. I’m less familiar with their Physical Modeling/Granular synth, Kaivo. I passed on it... for some reason. I can’t quite remember why. I know I didn’t have a Roli Rise at the time, so maybe I just felt like it wasn’t something I’d use a lot. I have no idea how Plasmonic will compare to Kaivo, but I imagine it’ll be easily as good, but different. I’ll probably end up with both at some point, as MPE has become really important to me and I’m always on the hunt for good instruments.

i'll echo those sentiments re: Madrona Labs ...
first class product , from basically a one man show ...
quite fond of aalto , on the fence about kaivo , looking forward to sumu ...

[pdxindy]

There aren't that many physical modelling synths around with MPE implementations. I would buy a license for Chromophone 2 in an instant if it would have some MPE capabilities. Madrono labs comes in the picture but I don't know them.
High hopes here for Plasmonic

From a personal communication with Brian :
“Yes, MPE control sources will be assignable to almost all parameters.

I’m looking forward to hearing what MPE players will do with Plasmonic!”

https://madronalabs.com/

It’s Madrona Labs, and they are excellent in every way. Aside from their hardware MPE instrument, Soundplane, they’re probably best known for Aalto, which is an MPE enabled “west coast” style (synthesis made famous by Buchla that uses complex oscillators and control instead of basic subtractive synthesis) semi-modular polyphonic synth that’s one of the best of it’s kind. I’m less familiar with their Physical Modeling/Granular synth, Kaivo. I passed on it... for some reason. I can’t quite remember why. I know I didn’t have a Roli Rise at the time, so maybe I just felt like it wasn’t something I’d use a lot. I have no idea how Plasmonic will compare to Kaivo, but I imagine it’ll be easily as good, but different. I’ll probably end up with both at some point, as MPE has become really important to me and I’m always on the hunt for good instruments.

Kaivo is sonically very impressive. The modeling quality is better than most modeling synths... especially with MPE and doing pitch slides, there is a very natural quality to the result. Modeling percussion and string instruments is its strength... just the granular part for pads and such is not particularly noteworthy.

I don't use it as much as I might as the CPU use is fairly high and it uses the same CPU whether you are playing notes or it is idle.

[David]

Hmmm…as a total PM addict, I spend a LOT more time with Kaivo than I ever manage to do with Aalto…
Falcon's Pluck osc is similar in that it uses any sample as an impulse, but of course, not anything like as wild:) Love 'em both; can't wait to see Plasmonic.

[deastman]

Kaivo is also excellent. The key innovation there is the use of a granular sample based oscillator as the exciter for the physical modeling resonator, along with the same modular architecture as Aalto.

I wish AAS would get their act together regarding MPE support, but I guess it isn’t a priority for them.

Right now I mostly turn to my Continuum (and soon Osmose) for physical modeling. Also the resonator oscillators in the Quantum. I’m hoping that Plasmonic will offer a really excellent software-only alternative with full MPE support.

[Cinebient]

I‘m interested in Plasmonic, especially since he wants to add something like sympathetic resonance.
(Otherwise Sculpture is still my favorite, nothing morphs so nice between timbres).

[David]

In the Kaivo/Falcon-Pluck vein, I'm loving the Modal Filter with any sort of osc available as an exciter, but esp. The Sampler, in Melda's MSF. Sweet stuff, and also MPE capable. Check out this video for an interesting demo using a drum synth trigger, but making full use of the Modal filter's unique features:

[deastman]

In the Kaivo/Falcon-Pluck vein, I'm loving the Modal Filter with any sort of osc available as an exciter, but esp. The Sampler, in Melda's MSF. Sweet stuff, and also MPE capable. Check out this video for an interesting demo using a drum synth trigger, but making full use of the Modal filter's unique features:

Ah right, good call on the Melda MSF. I haven’t spent enough time with it to feel comfortable moving around the interface yet. It seems like every tiny button tucked away in the corner of the interface opens up an entirely different complex editor full of its own tiny buttons tucked away in the corners of the interface, and so on. Chandler’s videos are a big help in wrapping your head around it. There is a lot of potential there to make physical models of anything you want, in a very open-ended sandbox sort of way.

[David]

…
Right now I mostly turn to my Continuum (and soon Osmose) for physical modeling. Also the resonator oscillators in the Quantum. I’m hoping that Plasmonic will offer a really excellent software-only alternative with full MPE support.

I'm kinda relieved to hear that having access to the synth engine in the Continuum hasn't wiped out any further interest in other more obtainium-based PM devices:) What's the Quantum?

[David]

It seems like every tiny button tucked away in the corner of the interface opens up an entirely different complex editor full of its own tiny buttons tucked away in the corners of the interface, and so on.

You got THAT right! Which drives many bonkers, but I love. Many mansions!