crusher-X 12 released - immersive 3D panner

[freq]

‍crusher-X 12 released!



With crusher-X 12, accSone once again redefines what’s possible in real-time granular synthesis. The new version transforms immersive sound design with a stunningly fluid, interactive 3D environment and an even deeper connection between grains, space, and motion.



At the heart of this evolution lies the brand-new Grain-controlled interactive 12-path 3D Panner, developed in close collaboration with Grammy-award-winning recording engineer and music producer Hans-Martin Buff, known for his groundbreaking spatial work with artists such as Prince, Scorpions, and Peter Gabriel. Together, accSone and Buff created an innovative 3D Panner concept that merges artistic precision with technical depth - allowing every grain to move through space as a living, breathing sonic entity. The intuitive 3D spline editor and the unique “stick-to-walls” speaker snap feature bring an entirely new dimension to sculpting immersive audio in virtual control rooms.

Grain-controlled interactive 3D Panner



Thank you to msm-studios in Munich for their support with their excellent immersive audio setup!‍



‍What's new in 12?

Buff factory presets



Hans-Martin Buff also provides some great immersive and interactive preset programs for crusher-X 12, showcasing the capabilities and new sound aesthetics that can be achieved with the new 3D Panner.

Full Stereo Grains and LFE Modes



Each Generator in crusher-X 12 now features full stereo processing, including Stereo GCOs, eliminating the need for manual channel or modulation assignments. Every grain can now follow its own individual 3D surround path - up to twelve in total - while a detachable smart 3D Surround-Panner editor provides unprecedented hands-on control and visualization. New LFE Modes are featuring X-Over Lowpass including a mode that sources the LFE channel from the AUX Grain Modulation.

Spatial diffusion and Big MONO



Spatial diffusion also gains a new expressive depth with the Grain Diffuse Mode and Diffuse Bleed parameters, adding airy or focused movement to granular clouds. The redesigned Mix Wet/Dry Fader offers smooth crossfading across all output channels for coherent surround mixing. Even the compressors now morph smoothly between settings, ensuring transparent transitions in dynamic control. The Stereo Width Panner expands input shaping possibilities, while the unique Big Mono Fader offers a powerful way to blend a mono mix of all Generators back into the full spatial output.

New Grain Modulation Modes



New Grain Modulation Modes open vast expressive frontiers, including Panner Distance to Speaker, Panner Distance to Walls, and Panner Doppler. Modulate DCO and Grain Playhead Positions, experiment with Grain-specific AUX routing, and enjoy fully morphed Host Beat Quantization Modes for rhythmic precision. The newly introduced ScanModes (Global 1 and Global 2) synchronize Grain Modulations to Global Modulators, ensuring perfect timing and creative interplay across your sonic architecture.

New Scan Modes



The newly introduced ScanModes (Global 1 and Global 2) synchronize Grain Modulations to Global Modulators, ensuring perfect timing and creative interplay across your sonic architecture. The MIDI Scan modes enable Grain Modulation Scans with direct MIDI control.

OSC Control



Free learn enabled OSC UDP Network Server (Open Sound Control)

X-Talk for Grain Feedback



crusher-X 12 refines workflow and responsiveness across the board. Smart Edit Tab selections speed up modulation editing, while the new Feedback Left/Right X-talk fader enhances stereo feedback character.

Kurt Schwitters URSONATE factory sounds



crusher-X 12 also celebrates sonic art and Dadaism with new Kurt Schwitters URSONATE factory sounds, a tribute to avant-garde sound as part of the crusher-X universe.

Why Upgrade to crusher-X 12?

Every aspect of crusher-X 12 has been designed to empower spatial imagination. From immersive multichannel granular motion to live 3D performance control, it invites you to step inside the sound itself - where every grain is a voice, and every voice can move in space.

Welcome to crusher-X 12 !
For those who seek beyond

How to get crusher-X 12?

Upgrade/Crossgrade from crusher-X 11 or all earlier versions:
149,- € (incl. VAT - For outside EU residents VAT will be removed from card)

Grace period: crusher-X 11 users who purchased an upgrade or a full version after October 1, 2025 will get crusher-X 12 free of charge! Please contact accSone in case you feel entitled.

Full version:
369,- € (incl. VAT - For outside EU residents VAT will be removed from card)

Upcoming sales ahead? Cheaper anywhere else? Or you wondering why an upgrade is not for free? Take a look at the accSone pricing guarantee.‍

[dayjob]

If you thought the upgrade price for Crusher-X 11 was too high.. just wait for Crusher-X 12!

Crusher-X 11, $89 or whatever it was.. as upgrade price was at the top of the curve for me… $125ish for Crusher-X 12 update is a laughable.. i don’t care what features you added. sorry.. that’s my first reaction to this after clicking on the “upgrade now” button in the email i got.

I guess it’s now one of those plug ins i do not update regularly and skip a few releases. good luck w/the release. i’m sure it’s great but at that price i’ll be waiting a few rounds until i update.

edit: also, i’m sure this reaction is not a surprise to you. so, at least the upgrade pricing whining is out of the way now.

[daizok]

Nice, did not see this one coming Although i don't use surround there's some other nice things in the update

One thing i noticed after fiddling around a bit is that my presets from previous versions play at low volume in Stereo+ (i guess this should be the default for me). If i crank up the noise it barely hits -10 in my Ableton mixer, i have to add around 14db to level match 11 and 12.

[wintoid]

I'd probably want to keep up to date on Crusher but 150 euros every year is too much. It's getting into "subscription" territory for me.

[freq]

Hi,

in case you have one of the following crusher-X 12 issues

- AU plug-ins (macOS) on opening GUI on higher screen resolutions
- Some of the new presets being louder than 0dB (may lead to distortion depending on your DAW)

Please download again a new build that fixes this (like described in your delivery mail)

Best
accSone

[freq]

One thing i noticed after fiddling around a bit is that my presets from previous versions play at low volume in Stereo+ (i guess this should be the default for me). If i crank up the noise it barely hits -10 in my Ableton mixer, i have to add around 14db to level match 11 and 12.

Please send us the program you expecting to be louder (Use Program Export in Program Menu) so that we can analyze. Thanks in advance!

To check if the nominal level is right, try the following:

Init Program - Reset
Double-click on DCO in Mixer to make it 0db
Open Output Compressor in Edit Tabs
Click X to disable the output compressor
Double-Click on one output Mixer peak-meter to ensure that they are also set to 0dB

Then you should have exactly 0dB at the plug-in outputs. Verify with a Level plug-in after the crusher-X slot. This should work also for the stand-alone version.

Best
accSone

[VariKusBrainZ]

Must be the oldest software i have thats still supported. Lost the original purchase email but have an update purchase from March 2004.

My last update was 7.5 and 12 is alot quieter

[daizok]

I've measured the plugin output on the DCO, it gives me 0 in cx11 and -2.5 in cx12 (i did set the DCO mixers to zero as the reset patch has a small offset).

The screenshot i shared earlier was a comparison of the same preset running the same audio in 11 and 12. It also occurs with the stock ones. For example, i can run the Ambient preset side by side with the cx12 consistently being much quieter. Also dynamics and stereo image sounds not quite the same, not sure what is going on there..

You should be able to test it with the stock presets, below an example of the outputs running the Ambient preset on a default sine in DCO1 (all meters at zero).

[Wanterkeelt]

150€ for an update ? That's insane. This is the first update I'm definitely going to skip. Nice software, but unfortunately this is "Wucher" territory...

[morphex]

The upgrade price may be a little steep, but frankly, we’re also spoiled with so many free and low cost effects that have flooded the market. Many of them are absolute junk too.

Crusher-X is not the average granular plug-in. It’s the single most sophisticated and feature dense granular VST that I have, and I have a lot of granulators. I think it’s in a class of its own.

For me, the updates have made it easier to use, which is a big deal when I have to work quickly. And I was hoping that accSone would eventually create an instrument version, which they have. We also have much better handling of presets.

I’ve been using it for a few years now, and sometimes I still feel like I’m only scratching the surface of what’s possible. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I absolutely love this software. I’ve also received excellent customer support with really fast response times. That’s important to me.

Thanks accSone for the continued development and refinements. When the crusher-X GUI is on my screen, it looks like I’m studying particle physics lol! But it sure sounds amazing, and that’s why I decided to invest my money into it. And it’s been worth it ever since.

[freq]

Thanks accSone for the continued development and refinements. When the crusher-X GUI is on my screen, it looks like I’m studying particle physics lol! But it sure sounds amazing, and that’s why I decided to invest my money into it. And it’s been worth it ever since.

Thanks so much, your post really motivates!

Best
accSone

[freq]

Find here a simple "preset session" where we routed a crusher-X 7.1.4 output to a binaural processor (Illusonic ILBinaural plug-in https://www.illusonic.com/en/plugins/t ... n-plugins/). We set the session up in Cubase and compared the ILBinaural plug-in with the Cubase native Ambisonics binaural panners. Actually the ILBinaural gave us the best room impression.



Best
accSone

[freq]

You should be able to test it with the stock presets, below an example of the outputs running the Ambient preset on a default sine in DCO1 (all meters at zero).

Thanks for reporting, we gave it another analyze: All good here and cx is behaving as intended. There are a lot of processor changes in crusher-X 12 like Stereo Grains, improved Compressors, new Pan-Law (-3db), Stereo+ sum up algorithm and a changed Generator output assignments that may impact the overall output level. Notice for example that in cx11 only 8 outputs (for 8 Generators are generated but in cx12 the remaining 4 outputs are also connected. In Stereo+ Mode all outputs are summed up to the first 2 Stereo outputs. For old Programs we balanced it out and a moderate level decrease depending on the Program is intended. cx11 had also the tendency to overdrive a bit more due to the old compressor behavior.

Best
accSone

[daizok]

Thanks for the clarification, i will spend some more time on the new version.
I really like the character of 11 when pushing the shaper and x-crush.

[andreTSV]

I completely agree with what morphex wrote.
When evaluating prices, I also think that the entire “product” should be taken into consideration. Accsone's customer support is truly remarkable because when you suggest a useful improvement, you only have to wait a few days for it to be implemented in the plugin. This is a far cry from giants such as Ableton and Native Instruments, whose users request necessary improvements that never see the light of day for years!
Accsone is a dynamic company (just look at the number of contributors to the latest versions), always on the lookout for new features and never short of ideas for improving its software. In general, each new version brings significant innovations or workflow improvements.
Absynth 6, apart from a spectacular overhaul of the GUI and the addition of AI, which in my opinion is less useful here than in Ableton Live 12's browser, has seen virtually no evolution, for example, no new effects. Accsone, on the other hand, keeps adding effects, so much so that, born from granular synthesis, it has become a true multi-FX. It is for all these reasons, I think, that we should give every new version a chance by testing it thoroughly.
My first reaction when Version 12 was announced was that I wouldn't need it because, as alone composer of electroacoustic music working in my small home studio with two monitors and no home theater system, I've never had to deal with surround sound. But yesterday, I immersed myself in Version 12, opened the “Buff: Pitchcoaster” and “Buff: Buff Goes Deep” presets, and replaced the DCO sample with a French horn sample, a single note. I was very surprised by the result because the changes were not only spatial, as I had expected, but also sonic. The sample was drastically modified several times in terms of pitch when I started to adjust the Panner sliders! Why? (I guess it's because Speed and Panner have the same Modmode, G-Life). In any case, this encourages me to study version 12 further, and I may even buy it one day, even though I initially rejected it on reflex, especially since I upgraded to version 11 a year ago.

Version 6 of Absynth has just been released, and there's already a video on YouTube with a link to a full 7-hour course (in German!).
However, when I look at the videos that have already been made for crusher-X, what strikes me is that the image quality is often mediocre for recent versions.
The video by adrenakrohm (“Checking out the pinnacle of granular effects, crusher-X”) is truly worthy of crusher-X, if only for the quality of the image. It's a remarkable presentation of the software, intelligently done, and after 38 minutes, you can't help but be amazed by the plugin's wealth of features. This software really is a sound universe in itself!

Crusher-X has become very rich and complex, especially with all the interactions between the parameters. Unlike the MGranularMB manual, in which everything is explained at length, the crusher-X manual is extremely concise. In these circumstances, I think videos for complex areas (Glitcher-X, Panner) would be welcome. To take just one example, everyone understands what Rot3 means, but it remains abstract. If you have the misfortune of testing Rot3 with inappropriate samples, nothing will happen from a sound perspective, or very little, and you won't want to come back to it, which means you'll never exploit the full richness of the plugin.
Without necessarily reaching the depth and scientific precision of a Rolf Kasten, the ideal would be videos detailing all the parameters with appropriate sound material so that we can really understand what is happening and judge whether the sound result is interesting or not.
In addition to the suboptimal image quality, a video such as “crusher-X 9 tutorial - How to create Grain Hops,” which has important content, is much too short and moves too quickly. I believe accsone should put much more effort into its videos. There is too much discrepancy between the quality of its videos and the quality of the software.
On reflection, I get the impression that this version 12, in particular, is intended for professionals (sound design, cinema) who already have in-depth knowledge, which could explain why accsone doesn't bother to explain its software in depth.
I publish my electroacoustic works on YouTube, so in stereo, and have therefore never felt the need to use surround sound. I don't know anything about it. I started doing some research with Perplexity. For binaural sound, I installed Anaglyph and Panagement, but what is the point of Panner since they do the same thing? So I need some advice.
1/ I compose with my two monitors, very rarely with headphones. Will version 12 be of interest to me (I think so, for the spatial richness)?
2/ If so, is it worth it since I only publish in stereo on YouTube?
3/ If so, what plugins are needed (free or not) and how do I route Crusher-X in Live 12 to get the most out of Crusher-X?
Thank you in advance.