Free Music Software: Konkreet Labs has released Oblique – a Max for Live synthesizer which is completely mapped to Konkreet Performer.

As a regular synthesizer, it receives MIDI notes from any MIDI device. Unlike regular synthesizers, though, the timbre of the sound is controlled by OSC messages coming from the abstract interface of Performer.

The main idea behind the synthesizer was to avoid the use of sliders and knobs, and remove technical descriptions of the synthesis process. Being completely controlled by the main geometrical object of Performer, Oblique allows you to shape your sound without thinking about what is inside the box.

“I wanted to build something sonically coherent, that’s why the sound palette is quite reduced in a way,” says designer Clément Destephen. “I tried to match the sound to Performer ‘s visuals as much as I could.”

“The challenge was to build a malleable instrument to have a pleasant playing experience which would get the user closer to an audiovisual synaesthesia,” adds Destephen.

Oblique is a free download from Konkreet Labs’ site.