Aberrant DSP release Cataclysm

[foosnark]

I get that, and I think of Guitar Rig as that as well, I just don’t think it’s that… quirky. Every module is pretty standard, as far as I can tell. I was trying to see if there was a way to define the signal path, but I couldn’t find a manual.

The path is relatively fixed, except for a switch to move the resonator before the drive section.

Individually the various modules aren't super unique perhaps, but they have just enough of interest added to them -- like pitch and envelope following, sharing of modulation sources, etc. -- that you can do fun things with it. Definitely a "more than the sum of its parts" sort of plugin, and a few minutes of messing with it were enough to convince me to buy.

[Ah_Dziz]

The pitch follower is actually pretty okay. The drive is high quality. Pitch shifting is fine. Would be more fun with grain size control but whatever. It's very fun for how cheap it is and every bit is well done. Good for dirtying stuff up and also for more "mix oriented" distortion and tone shaping. Got it and the rest of their plugins. Haven't really played with the rest of it.

[foosnark]

I used this on a track last night, pitch following a frequency-shifted mallet sequence. The result was a super-creepy sound like an old drunk man haunted by the ghosts of his past, half-mumbling, half-singing while crying, recorded on a warbly old tape.

[Elsewheres]

Version 1.1 released

– Expanded Amplitude Modulation Rate in Frequency mode to allow for rates as slow as 0.1 Hz. Automation of this control may need to be redrawn
– Eliminated redundant UI repainting, greatly increasing UI performance in some DAWs such as Ableton Live
– Added global “UI Performance Mode” which locks UI refresh rate to 30Hz instead of 60Hz, further boosting performance especially when multiple instances are in use
– Fixed Looper State automation self-disabling in some DAWs such as Ableton Live
– Loop Length can now be changed on-the-fly, not just while loop is stopped
– Fixed some rare crashes with the looper
– Fixed Hum gating in Pitch mode so it is now silent when the input is silent
– Minor Help text and label changes
Hotfix released same day to address some controls not updating

[PieBerger]

an old drunk man haunted by the ghosts of his past, half-mumbling, half-singing while crying, recorded on a warbly old tape.

I'll take two!

[sqigls]

an old drunk man haunted by the ghosts of his past, half-mumbling, half-singing while crying, recorded on a warbly old tape.

I'll take two!

that's LITERALLY the name of my sex tape!

[writheuk]

So where's the reverb? The randomisation? The switches to turn modules on and off? How do you change the modules position? You'd think there'd be a reverse delay... Why is the 100% setting on the mix knob in actual fact only 50%? Is there no way to have a fully wet signal? I bought it anyway , but, you know...

[foosnark]

So where's the reverb?

It's in a separate plugin, called Lair, and it's quite cool.

The randomisation?

I'll give you that one.

The switches to turn modules on and off?

Every section can be disabled one way or another (Mix knob, Bypass, Depth knob, Volume knob...) Switches might have been a convenience feature but aren't absolutely necessary.

How do you change the modules position?

It's fixed, except for the pre/post drive switch for the resonator. The thing is, few of these would benefit from rearranging anyway. Since the resonator goes down into delay rates, you can still do delay -> drive.

You'd think there'd be a reverse delay...

Why would I think that?

Why is the 100% setting on the mix knob in actual fact only 50%? Is there no way to have a fully wet signal?

Just tested, every mix knob on the plugin goes to 100% and is fully wet.

[writheuk]

Yeah, but you'd think if you sent a signal through the default preset (which presumably has no FX on it), and turned the Mix knob top right fully clockwise to 100% wet, you wouldn't be able to hear anything, but you can - the source, loud and clear.

[Ah_Dziz]

Version 1.1 released

– Expanded Amplitude Modulation Rate in Frequency mode to allow for rates as slow as 0.1 Hz. Automation of this control may need to be redrawn
– Eliminated redundant UI repainting, greatly increasing UI performance in some DAWs such as Ableton Live
– Added global “UI Performance Mode” which locks UI refresh rate to 30Hz instead of 60Hz, further boosting performance especially when multiple instances are in use
– Fixed Looper State automation self-disabling in some DAWs such as Ableton Live
– Loop Length can now be changed on-the-fly, not just while loop is stopped
– Fixed some rare crashes with the looper
– Fixed Hum gating in Pitch mode so it is now silent when the input is silent
– Minor Help text and label changes
Hotfix released same day to address some controls not updating

The chorus could use a wider frequency range too. For my uses anyway.

Good work!

[Ah_Dziz]

Yeah, but you'd think if you sent a signal through the default preset (which presumably has no FX on it), and turned the Mix knob top right fully clockwise to 100% wet, you wouldn't be able to hear anything, but you can - the source, loud and clear.

Most effects will still pass a signal even when they aren't doing anything. This is the most common way for effects to work. If you put a waveshaper fully wet and leave the transfer function linear. You will hear the original signal.

[foosnark]

Yeah, but you'd think if you sent a signal through the default preset (which presumably has no FX on it), and turned the Mix knob top right fully clockwise to 100% wet, you wouldn't be able to hear anything, but you can - the source, loud and clear.

Every individual section has its own mix knob. The master mix knob routes around everything else.

So if you've got, say, Delay at 50% wet, and the master mix knob at 100%, you're going to hear the delay at 50% wet. That's exactly how I would expect it to work.

The default preset has Drive Mix turned up 100%, but none of the other drive settings are in use, so it sounds very much like the dry signal anyway. If you turn Drive Mix down to 0%, you're still getting the dry signal regardless of what the master Mix knob is doing.

[writheuk]

Yeah, but you'd think if you sent a signal through the default preset (which presumably has no FX on it), and turned the Mix knob top right fully clockwise to 100% wet, you wouldn't be able to hear anything, but you can - the source, loud and clear.

Every individual section has its own mix knob. The master mix knob routes around everything else.

So if you've got, say, Delay at 50% wet, and the master mix knob at 100%, you're going to hear the delay at 50% wet. That's exactly how I would expect it to work.

The default preset has Drive Mix turned up 100%, but none of the other drive settings are in use, so it sounds very much like the dry signal anyway. If you turn Drive Mix down to 0%, you're still getting the dry signal regardless of what the master Mix knob is doing.

Yes, I get your point and you're right. I just found it a bit odd being able to hear the dry signal despite no FX being applied and the Mix knob being turned up to 100% wet - I would have expected to hear only silence. Now I realise the dry signal I could hear was not coming from the "output" of the Mix knob at all, but the output from the Output knob! (If that makes sense!)

[Sinisterbr]

Does it have AGC, at least in the drive section? I can't find it.