TONE2 Audio releases Gladiator3

TONE2 Audio has announced the release of Gladiator3, a new version of the synthesizer that offers an innovative approach to sound generation via its exclusive HCM-synthesis.

The update to v3.0 is a major update, which is available for free for all Gladiator2 users. It includes a larger and resizable GUI, a patch browser, enhanced sound quality, a bigger sonic range, a more user-friendly interface and many new features. Gladiator3 is downward compatible. Existing song-projects and patches can be loaded without any further steps necessary. They will benefit from the enhanced sound quality.

New features:

• Created a new interface, which is nearly twice as large.
• By clicking on 'EDITOR SIZE' you can select from four different interface sizes.
• Added a comfortable, new patch browser.
• New sound-quality mode 'high-end'.
• 18 additional unison modes with a diverse selection of chords.
• Added context sensitive tooltips with detailed descriptions for all controls.
• The patches can be ranked by clicking on the stars in the patch browser.
• The patch rankings are stored within the file "Ranking.rnk".
• 6 additional LFO waveforms: "Stair 4 up", "Stair 8 up", "Stair 4 down", "Stair 8 down", "Stair 4 up/down", "Stair 8 up/down".
• Added manuals in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian to the new help menu.
• New loop mode "Noise", which jumps to a random section.
• New loop mode "\/50%", which ping-pong-loops 50% of the spectrum.
• New loop mode "\/25%", which ping-pong-loops 25% of the spectrum.
• 3 additional phase-modifiers "Zzzap", which sound like a laser.
• 3 additional phase-modifiers "Boing", which sound like a reverse laser.
• 2 additional phase-modifiers "Odd noise" and "Even noise", which noisify the spectrum.
• 2 additional phase-modifiers "Odd 90" and "Even 90", which sound like a sub-oscillator.
• Information tags about the patches are shown in the patch browser.
• Extended halftone-range for the arpeggiator from -23 to +23.
• Added cross-product-compatibility: Save->'Export...' exports the sound of osc1 as an Icarus compatible wavetable in WAV format.
• Video tutorials can be shown from the help menu.
• Updates and additional sounds can be accessed directly from the help menu.
• 176 additional patches.

Enhancements in sound:

• More linear frequency response for oscillators playing below 100Hz.
• More precise timing for all sample-rates.
• Replaced all micro-tuning algorithms with a better ones. The new ones are more subtle and sounds less 'detuned'.
• The late-reverb-tail of 'Reverb small' sounds less detuned.
• The late-reverb-tail of 'Reverb large' sounds less detuned.
• The late-reverb-tail of 'Reverb ultra' sounds less detuned.
• All effects do come with default settings now and are more usable.
• Reworked factory patches.

Enhancements for the interface:

• Re-rendered the old GUI with sharper texts.
• The envelope's attack, decay, and release time is displayed in seconds.
• Registration screen is now also available in German.
• Renaming a preset is more straightforward.
• The version number now can be also shown from within help menu.
• The updated credits can be shown by clicking on help menu.
• The parameter info display is able to show longer texts now.
• Mousewheel support for knobs and list selectors.
• Double-clicking a knob or slider resets it to the default value.
• More detailed spectrum display.
• Manuals on the Mac now can be opened from within the plugin.
• Better init patch.
• Enhanced graphics.
• After loading patch names are derived from the fxp file name.
• Program name and file name are synced after saving a patch.
• Added messages boxes with info for some possible errors.
• Step speed is set to 1/1 BPM after initializing a patch.
• English manual has been updated.
• Many smaller enhancements.
• Patches are now in alphabetical order.

Changes:

• Loading and saving banks can now be accessed with a new menu called 'load' and 'save'.
• Renamed some parameters to be more consistent with the industry standards.
• The envelope's fade parameter now works as expected with long attack times.
• Manuals in PDF format and Gladiatorskin.txt have been moved to Gladiator3_data.
• On the Mac support files are now stored in /Library/Application Support/Tone2/Gladiator3_data/.
• Updated some texts.
• Enhanced hardware compatibility for MIDI program changes.
• Some sound categories have been renamed.

Fixes:

• The timing in 44kHz and 48kHz could have been out-of-sync if large block-sizes were used.
• Fixed some typos.
• Fixed a couple of wrong pixels.
• Fixed a possible bug with 'static' loop mode.
• Compatibility fix for the 'm' key.
• Fixed a possible crash when the splash-screen was opened during closing.

Price: €169 / $149 at www.tone2.com/gladiator3

PC demo: www.tone2.com/Tone2_Gladiator_demo_setup.zip

Mac demo: www.tone2.com/Tone2_Gladiator_demo.pkg

MP3 demo: www.tone2.com/mp3download/Tone2_Gladiator3.mp3