Cosmosƒ vSaturn Now Available, Designed For Real-time Dynamic Stochastic Synthesis

Sonic Lab has released Cosmosƒ vSaturn, a real-time dynamic stochastic synthesis engine, which generates sonic textures with a complex event distribution process.

According to the developer, Cosmosƒ vSaturn is a tool for computer music and sound design, that uses the computer for sonic calculation and digital audio rendering – “the kind of which is impossible to do by hand.”

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Here’s what Sonic Lab has to say about it:

Discrete sonic events of certain density are distributed in a time space with their onset time and duration parameter calculated with stochastic /deterministic functions. Each macro event defines the duration of a meso space, and the sub events are distributed inside it. The overall goal of these functions is to achieve control on each event space and perform the process of change on the appropriate operation level. The user intervenes with the system in real-time by inputting a sound source or accessing different type of synthesis/modulation generators and by controlling the parameters for the sonic event distribution on different time scales.

By introducing a hierarchy of multiple time scales on the event distribution process + recursive audio feedback + complex modulation scheme constructed with stochastic/ deterministic functions, it is possible to form sonic creations that cannot be handled by traditional synthesis methods.The temporality of a sound is truly the fundamental aspect of its identity as sound. The coupling of continuous onset time/duration/density transformations with frequency, amplitude, micro-timbre and spatialization transformations permits the composer to continuously vary the sound vector in the timbre space. The combination of these multi dimensional transformations in Cosmosf promise certain phenomena in the overall resultant sound, what is called the “macro-timbre”.

Features:

  • Stochastic synthesis engine delivering the distribution of micro and meso events inside a universe macro event
    • 9 meso events and 9 micro events inside each meso event.
    • many distribution functions deciding the onset and duration of each event (uniform, gaussian, chauchy,lognormal, weibull, exponential, triangular)
    • powerful functions to control time over the distribution process (clock loop speed, phase shift, rate divisions)
    • independent quantisation assignable to onset timing of meso and micro events
  • Powerful synthesis functions assignable for each meso and micro event independently.
    • Each micro event can become a monster oscillator with optional sample waveform, analog waveforms, noise and 12 part additive synthesis.
    • Additive synthesis engine capable of using sine waveform or sample (wav/aif) waveforms, each partial has controllable freq and amp parameter.
    • independent resonant filters (HP,LP, Notch, Peak) for each meso and micro event
    • Unique Granular Delay with many windowing functions assignable to each micro event independently
    • independent Ring Modulation assignable for meso and micro events.
    • various windowing functions available for amplitude and filter cutoff envelope modulation on micro & meso events
    • unique visualisation tools for expressing the immense data flow; also known as Cosmosƒ Art
  • Unique and powerful modulation scheme
    • modulation sources assignable on multiple time scales (meso and micro)
    • audio rate 5 LFO’s / 6 LineGen modulators for each micro event and 4 LFO’s / 5 LineGen modulators for each meso event.
    • event independently
    • rich amount of mathematical functions assignable as LFO waveforms, LFO speed and amplitude can be modulated stochastically.
    • unique LineGen modulators introducing stochastic ramp functions featuring glissandi.
  • Unique “Sieves” engine
    • which makes it possible to calculate the known musical scales and custom designed ones for mapping to multiple synthesis engine parameters at once.
    • Micro & meso event synthesis parameters including “pitch”, “amplitude”, “filter cutoff“, “grain playback rate” and “ring mod frequency” can be sieved pre or post modulation generators of Cosmosƒ in realtime with audio rate precision.
    • Controllable transition between raw Cosmosƒ output and sieved output serving as a continuos morph between two states.
  • vSaturn offers a clever MIDI response to perform on Cosmosƒ micro events engine
    • Single notes or chords can be performed on MIDI to control the micro event pitch relationship inside the relevant meso events.
    • including an audio precision arpeggiator with stochastic features with great sonic potential.
    • Tempo sync switch to capture the host tempo and apply to macro cell length.

Cosmosƒ vSaturn is available now for US $230. See the Sonic Lab site for more info.

26 thoughts on “Cosmosƒ vSaturn Now Available, Designed For Real-time Dynamic Stochastic Synthesis”

  1. I’m sorry but this just sounds disgusting, souless, mechinical, dull, whiney, tinny, vile and unmusical, Digital sound at its absolute worst….

    the hate is strong with this one…

    1. You might be missing the point, since the purpose of an app like this is explicitly to do things that are not possible with traditional synths and sequencers.

      The demo video, though, doesn’t do a good job of explaining the possibilities that this app opens up or demonstrating a variety of interesting results.

  2. It’s funny – I find what you said to be souless [sic.], whiney, etc. too.

    If you don’t like it then don’t buy it. Each to their own however.

    1. They should just put the word ANALOG in the title, and then people would be tripping over themselves to buy it.

  6. This will be a big hit with mathematician musicians! Regular creative types will have a steep hill to climb. Interface needs to be a lot simpler. Way too pricey for something I am not sure I even really need.

        1. Jarflooby, I did not mean to “forget” anyone. Dude I only posted a few that came to mind. Way better
          Than the one little name you felt the urge to add to my small list.
          Hahaha, it’s always some bored 13 year old that seems to always want to correct everyone’s spelling
          on these blogs. So funny. I will make sure I self flog for the error. 🙂

  8. Asking for an email to get a demo.. contact link doesn’t work.
    The whole website is kinda funny/broken.

    seems expensive and interesting.

  9. This is really interesting. I’ve been wanting a whole new kind of way to create sounds, and I think those possibilities are best accomplished via digital synthesis. So sick to death of standard analog subtractive synthesis.

    I’ll definitely be checking this out.

    1. Both versions of Neuron are hardware and software. The keyboard has a computer inside with a custom audio card. The VS uses your computer and its sound card and has only one joystick. Less effective but essentially the same thing. VS has some advantage in that it is probably being used on a more modern hardware framework and faster OS than the old mobo and Linux of the Neuron keyboard, but is somewhat retarded by exclusively relying on USB <2.0 connectivity. Having had the keyboard and having a VS I can attest to this from experience.

      1. Gridsleep , thanks for the PhD dissertation on the Hartmann… I guess…. Was not really that necessary. 🙂
        What I should have said and meant,
        Was that this new app gives me the impression of sounding like audio run thru the Hartmann. My humble opinion of course.

  14. play a groovy bassline on the left hand, transpose, modify …..and PLAY whatever makes you happy on the right hand….the learning curve is quite short compared to the result ( 4/5 years )

  15. I think saying “I don’t like it” is a valid statement. The reply to this “not liking it means to miss the entire point which is to create sounds that are otherwise impossible” is funny because to create sounds that are otherwise impossible to me is no motivation whatsoever to spend the large amount of money and create sounds that I don’t want to hear.

  16. ok so…”stochastic” means irritating hi frequencies noises……My bad …I always thought “stochastic” was related to ancient Greek civilisation (Plato, Socrates and sodomy )

  18. The price point may be just right.
    In practice, very few will buy whatever the price, so $230 x 20 is more than $20 x 50.

    Better still of course is free, so more people have an opportunity to play with art tools, but you can’t do everything for free. And those who want art still have CSound, SuperCollider and Pd etc.

    The video however doesn’t show that the UI gives the kind of fine level control that should be expected from a pro tool (which is what the price says it is).

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