Cymatic Form, the creator of Kinetic Metal and Kinetic Toys, has announced the release of Acousmatic Engine for the free Kontakt Player.
Probing the uncharted realms of Sci-Fi Noir, Lovecraftian Horror and Steampunk sound worlds with 500 surreal and thematic Kontakt Instruments, Acousmatic Engine is a distinct library of unconventional sample instruments with unique sonic lusters, articulations and advanced sound design that form each conceptual, playable instrument. The instruments range from the unique yet familiar to the otherworldly "that will enliven music, game and film sound projects".
Within the 3 stylistic themes (Sci-Fi Noir, Lovecraftian Horror and Steampunk), Acousmatic Engine offers 5 instrument types that include all manner of sonified gadgetry, gaslamp dissonance and thematic soundscapes.
Instruments Types:
- Aerophones: Wind instruments and anything that vibrates with air pressure.
- Friction: Acting as resistance of one object/instrument moving over another to produce sound. Bowing, scraping, pad-like sounds, etc.
- Struck: Percussive sounds such as bells, pianos or anything that is struck to produce sound or noise.
- Soundscapes: Sounds that may or may not be tonal and give a sense of environment or mood.
- Machines/Movements: Arpeggiator and sequenced driven patterns or other movements.
User Interface
Expert mode enables the user to explore deeper into the interface to manipulate sounds and create their own imaginative presets. Each instrument offers 8 channels of unconventionally sourced, dynamically layered samples plus 8 channels of multi-dimensional sampled synthesis. Within those 16 channels you can set the sampler mode or grain mode as well as pitch. For the sample sources you can enrich the musicality by attaching resonance harmonics and set the fundamental 1st and 2nd harmonics respectively. There are 3 pages of effects including Shape, Color and Ambience. Quickly and easily sweep through combined effects such as Spectral Filters, Distortion, Modulation and Spatial parameters using the visual XY Effector display. The Arpeggiator and Settings pages offer even more dynamic control over the instruments.
In the Performance mode, 6 Macros allow you to assign any parameter for individual preference to finely tune performance control. The Warp Wheel (the heart of Acousmatic Engine), allows you to store 3 variations of each instrument and warp between variations by moving the Warp Wheel or recording automation of movements to transition effortlessly into new sonic dimensions. This greatly expands the sonic depths of the instruments by allowing them to breathe and come alive.
Price: $99.
Acousmatic Engine - Preset Playthrough (Lovecraftian Horror): YouTube/Ig9EQ0yyLs8
Acousmatic Engine Trailer: YouTube/HC-bgGmdh1o
Acousmatic Engine Overview: YouTube/Ob3HesvHtHU