SonicBytes EST announced

SonicBytes have announced EST, a Sampling-Groovebox VSTi initially for Windows. EST should be released next week and the pre-order price is EUR 49, after which the introductory price will be increased to EUR 59. DXi and AU versions are also planned.

The heart of EST is a 12*Multi-timbral sampler. Each sampler can be controlled either by your host, MIDI-in or the internal step-sequencer. The step-sequencer contains 128 recallable patterns, which are clearly organized in banks, programs and variations. Each pattern contains complete sequences with triggers, notes and automation-data for the 12 samplers.

Sampler

• Imports WAV and AIF with all known sub formats.
• Uses its own 32-bit-float format for setting up slots (a sample with extensions) and kits.
• Quick access via tree-menus and customizable sample-directory's.
• One shot, forward, backward, ping pong.
• Scalable root-key.
• Multi-sample support by using multiple rows and key zones (from/to).
• Keytrack-option.
• Sample-offset controllable.
• Up to 128 voices polyphony.
• Modes: Poly, Legato and Mono.
• Scalable Unison, Voice-Limit and Detune.
• Chord-mode (combinable with unison).
• Morph mode (channels are used as oscillators).
• Volume, pan and morph with inertia.
• Pitchbend (global and single) with scalable range.
• Fine-tune.
• Glide-mode (works even in poly mode) with adjustable glide-time.
• Amplitude envelope ADSR with velocity sense.
• Modulation envelope ADSR with velocity sense (can be modulated by LFO2).
• Two syncable LFOs with sin, tri, pulse, saw, saw up/down and scalable phase.
• Filter (lp, hp, bp, notch) with overdrive.
• Modulation of pitch, filter, morph and mod-adsr itself.
• Almost all parameters can be automated by the step-sequencer.
• Loop-recorder for reuse of sequences as samples or usage in other applications.
• Basic functions for mono/stereo-conversion, channel swap, normalize, gain and reverse.
• Menu option to edit and reload sample in your preferred sample-editor.

GUI

• Customizable color-schemes.
• Visualization of used patterns.
• Step-LED's for visual feedback.
• Integrated Help system.
• Support for right mouse button, wheel.
• Almost all functions are available without control/shift keys.
• Screenshots

Global settings and functions

• Preset browser.
• Scope and level display (with clip and sync indicator).
• Gain slider.
• Songinfo (opens linked web site or document).
• Sync mode (internal, host, manual).
• Key-select (auto-activation of rows regarding key-zone).
• Grid-size (piano-roll and drum-grid).
• Record velocity, delay-time and auto-step.
• Audition (editing and sample-import, velocity and gate-time).

Synchronization

• Host synchronization for tempo, transport.
• Inter process synchronization (mute, solo, play, record).
• Relative tempo from 1/32. to 32/1t.
• Sample accurate timing.
• 3 different Sync-modes (internal, host, manual).

Row Parameters

• Output-port (EST can use up to 12 outputs).
• Trigger channel (active, all and 1-16).
• Route-row (trigger other rows, make custom chords, trigger multi-samples).
• Relative transpose, velocity, gate-time and delay.
• Swing affecting delay and velocity (scalable first step and interval).
• Humanization for velocity, delay and gate-time.
• Step-divide, which allows to play a row in a different tempo (adjustable divide and length).

Live situation (MIDI-in targets)

• Bank, program and variation recall via MIDI-note.
• Start/Stop, Start, Mute/Solo, Sync.
• Row-mute.
• Navigation and editing via controllers (every single step can be controlled).
• MIDI-Learn function.
• MIDI-Thru.
• Panic.
• Transpose via MIDI-note (global and single-row).
• Free and Hold mode.

Recording

• Step and Live recording.
• Adjustable auto-step, velocity and delay.
• Built-in Loop-Recorder, Wave-export.
• Record loop to sample.

Pattern editing

• Piano-roll and drum-grid.
• Colors can assigned to rows.
• All-rows-visible mode.
• Easy pattern editing with left/right mouse buttons.
• Cut, Copy and Paste for patterns, variations, rows and step-values.
• Undo and snapshot.
• Row rotate, reverse and random step shuffle.
• Auto-trigger, inverse and trigger-random.
• Note transpose, set to root/last note, note-random.
• Chord-progressions.
• Value increment, decrement, two value-random functions (absolute, relative).
• All functions can optionally affect all or selected steps.
• Pattern lock (run one pattern and edit another).
• Mouse sweeping for quick value drawing.
• Different random functions for notes, triggers and values.
• Rotate, reverse, transpose etc.
• Data-has-changed indicator.
• Import/Export functions for banks and single patterns.
• Tree-menus (quick access) for saved banks and patterns.
• Quick step mute/unmute.
• Magic function which produced sequences based on chords-progressions and random.

Pattern structure

• 16 variations.
• 12 trigger rows.
• Default variation (optionally), which is automatically selected on pattern change.
• Target-parameters of the 5 automation-rows.

Variation structure

• Tempo (relative to host).
• Mode (free/hold).
• LFO and row-subdivide restart option (never, always, on variation or pattern change).
• First/Last step (pattern length).
• Step-row (every single step can be muted).
• Order-row (defines the actual play-order).
• Break-row (enables triggering other-patterns).
• Mute/Solo states of the trigger rows.

Trigger-row structure

• 16 triggers (on/off) and a note-value and chord-descriptor.
• Velocity-row.
• Gate-row (note duration).
• Fill-row (re triggers notes automatically, different modes).
• Hits-row (used to create sub-patterns and chord-progressions).
• Delay-row.
• 5 Automation rows.

Automation parameters

• Offset, morph, morph-time, detune, pitch, fine-tune.
• Gain, gain-time, pan, pan-time, hit-pan.
• Cutoff, resonance, drive.
• ADSR-settings of both envelopes.
• Phase of both LFOs.
• Almost all track-parameters.