Free Music Software: Developer Xenakios has released a new module for VCV Rack, Atelier Palette, that’s basically the Mutable Instruments Plaits on steroids.
Some VCV Rack users may already be using the Audible Instruments Macro Oscillator 2, which is a straight port of Plaits.
Palette has the same Plaits open source code at its core, but adds labeling for usability and additional controls, giving you direct control over nearly all parameters of the oscillator.
Here are the full details:
Features:
- Polyphonic
- Dynamically changing panel that changes according to the chosen synthesis engine
- Exposes (nearly) all of the parameters of the Plaits engine directly on the module panel
- 3rd audio output that outputs a mix of the main and aux output signals, with a mix parameter
- Internal envelope control of all the 3 main synthesis parameters and the output mix parameter
- Attenuverters for all parameter CV inputs
- Unisono/Spread mode that generates detuned/spread pitch polyphony of up to 16 voices from a mono volt/oct input (1)
- Parameter CV and internal envelope modulations are visualized on the large knobs (can be turned off from the right-click module menu if distracting or uses too much CPU/GPU)
- Engine can be chosen by clicking on the engine LEDs
- Engine choice CV modulation shown on the engine choice LEDs
- Octave stepped coarse tuning knob (can be switched to free mode in the right-click module menu)
Palette is open source and is available now.
I have been using this VCO for a couple of days now. It is incredibly versatile – almost an entire multi-mode synthesis engine in a VCO. And the sound quality is excellent.
Put two together and it becomes difficult to describe the results. This is the best VCO I have ever seen in over 50 years of synthesis experience. It beats all hardware and software oscillators hands down. And …ITS FREE!! That means that it’s benefit-to-cost ratio is literally infinite.
I’m modifying the Plaits and Elements ports to Korg Prologue. 16 notes of polyphonic Plaits and Elements is so much fun to play, brilliant software!
Atelier, thank you for your contribution!
This a fascinating sound source to work from in polyphonic mode. Since I started Plaits with polyphony, going back to mono is proving interesting 🙂 String/Modal and Additive, are two of my favorites that I go back to again and again. Granular Formant is also especially evocative.