Developer Taylor Holliday has announced an update to Audulus – a software modular synthesizer for the Macintosh.
With Audulus, you can build synthesizers, design new sounds, or process audio. All with low latency real-time processing suitable for live performance. Audulus’s user interface is designed to be easy to learn, allowing you to focus on sound.
Here’s what’s new in Audulus 1.5:
- Added support for Audio Unit Software Instruments!
- We’re phasing out support for the .amp file format. Added new .audulus file format. Please update your patches to the new format.
- Added 7 new examples!
- Inputs and outputs are now circular to show the their entire interaction region.
- New compact UI for the Osc node.
- Added Sample & Hold node.
- Added Reverb node.
- Improved Delay node: added mix and feedback knobs.
- Added Seq16 16-step sequencer node.
- Improved Filter node UI. Now shows cutoff frequency while dragging.
- Updated cutoff frequency response curve for better low-frequency accuracy. Hold shift while dragging to fine-tune the cutoff frequency.
- Now always show CPU load.
- Bug fixes and performance improvements.
Audulus Features:
- Audio Unit hosting – use your favorite plugins
- fluid interface – smooth animated interaction
- MIDI control – use your control surface or MIDI keyboard
- presets – quickly change between settings
- unlimited history – everything you do is stored
- polyphony – process multiple voices
- encapsulation – group nodes into sub-patches
- diverse nodes – from ADSR to ZeroCross
- audio unit version – run Audulus as an Audio Unit inside other apps (free download)
To give you a better idea of what you can do with Audulus, Holliday created this demo of how to create a subtractive synth from scratch with Audulus:
Audulus 1.5 is available now in the Mac App Store.
Modularity is IMO /the/ big hit in soft synths…
There are a lot of new developments and achievements when looking at the past years but in my opinion nothing beats modularity. Heck; environments such as Max and Reaktor didn’t get as popular as they are now for no reason. Or, small side-step, what to think of Reason (modular in a different way, but still…) ?
As such I think developments such as these are great; diversity is IMO the name of the game; allowing you to do new things, learn new workflows, etc.
Being on Windows myself this is obviously not for me but I’m quite impressed with what I see and hear on those videos. It sounds good, the workflow is pretty straightforward and for $15,- (limited offer right now it seems) what could go wrong ?
On the app page it says this is a modular environment not a synth. Eaither using AUs in a modular environment is badass. Especially for a cool 15. My mind is going haywire thinking about using it with diva or zebra. Can any users give us their impressions? Can I drop this in like a vst or do I mess with it outside my DAW? How about retina support? I wish there was a demo? Either way keep it up!
you can build stuff in our out of your DAW as the environment itself is a plugin – which can also host plugins so I guess theoretically you could host it inside itself and then host it again inside that one and form an infinite feedback loop that destroys the universe.
Or not.
But yep you can use your plugins within the modular environment like any other module so could have Zebra or Diva sat in the middle of a pile of virtual cables doing whatever your imagination can think up/your CPU can handle.
Audulus is pretty cool software. I recommend it to anyone. It’s especially cool that you can host other AU inside of it, which makes for some easy tweaking and custom functionality.
Thanks SynthFan!
Why does he end it by saying “Good luck”?
is this a reinvention of the wheel?
I think this is a great start. I bought this the 1st time I read about it on Synthtopia, and just figured for $15, or whatever it was, I couldn’t really lose. Lol, I actually forgot I owned it until seeing it again here! So I just looked into it, and it has the most elegant, clean and user friendly UI I’ve seen in this sort of modular program. It’s exactly what Plogue Bidule should have done to make their program more friendly, and the same goes for AudioMulch too. Those programs are $100 or more. I’ve looked at Plogue and like the numerous sequencers and modules that support multiple tempos at once and ReWire support. I also like the idea of AudioMulch’s Metasurface(?) thingy.
I think if Audulus can continue to gain complexity, and keep its clean user friendly UI, it will be a truly wonderful addition! I’d very much like to see more direct support and integration for Novation Launchpad and Midi controllers in general, much like what Numerology has done. The Numerology program Owner really seems to listen to what his customers want and he midi mapped Numerology’s functionality almost completely for midi controllers. I’d like to see that same ability in Audulus, particularly in control of the sequencers (both rhythmic and melodic) and effects parameters.
This to me would be very interesting in Audulus. I know the program director is working on an iOS Audulus app? I hope he’s thinking about remote control for Audulus VST and AU. Sunvox is already a pretty good example of a program that can achieve a lot on iOS.
So well see what happens! I don’t really think the users need luck, but I do want to wish Audulus good luck and wishes in its further developments!
Kind of like a less-confounding Max/MSP with a much more pleasing interface. (and inexpensive!)
I’ve been using this program since it was released and it has continued to evolve into a simple yet powerful modular synth/effect.
One of its strengths is in the math modules, you can calculate any range of numbers into anything else, making complex modulations a breeze.
The developer is always open to ideas.