Ferment

Ferment is an expressive sound exploration engine built for musicians who perform live and want deep, real-time control over their sound. It's not a chain of stock effects — it's a unified instrument that adapts to your playing style, your instrument, and your creative direction.

92 parameters. One coherent signal path. Zero menu-diving.

Four ways to work

Machine — the full signal chain, all hands on deck. Input filter, wavefolder/clipper/bitcrush shaping, multi-voice chorus, octaver, tempo-synced delay, spatial processing, character section, dual LFOs, envelope follower, and post EQ. Every parameter is visible, mappable, and automatable.

Magic — describe a sound in plain language ("warm, spacious, with gentle movement") and AI generates a matching preset across all 92 parameters. A radar chart shows the sonic profile across 8 perceptual dimensions. You hear three suggestions, pick one, and refine from there. Every generated value is fully editable — no black boxes.

Material — acoustic instrument profiling. Record a few notes on your instrument and Ferment analyzes spectral content, dynamic range, attack, sustain, and harmonic structure. The profile optimizes the processing chain for your specific sound source. Built-in profiles for violin, cello, double bass, guitar, piano, organ, vocals, percussion, and more.

Library — browse, preview, and manage presets. Built-in presets, community contributions, and downloadable preset packs. One-click audio preview before loading.

Designed for live performance

• Full MIDI CC mapping and expression pedal support for hands-free control.
• Low-latency processing — built for real-time use, not offline rendering.
• Works with any instrument: acoustic strings, guitar, synth, voice, field recordings.
• Runs in any DAW (Ableton, Logic, Reaper, Bitwig...) or standalone host.

Transparent about AI

Ferment uses AI (Gemini Flash) to translate creative intent into parameter values. But every single value AI generates is visible and editable in Machine view. There are no hidden layers, no locked parameters. If you don't want to use AI at all, Machine and Material work completely offline.

Specs

• Formats: VST3, AU, CLAP.
• Platforms: macOS 10.15+ / Windows 10+.
• Parameters: 92.
• Trial: Full features, 3 preset saves.
• License: $29 one-time purchase, no subscription.
• Beta: Currently in public beta — join the beta and help shape the final release. Feedback welcome at labs@ciderka.com

Made with care by a solo developer from the Czech Republic. Questions or feedback: labs@ciderka.com