Unusable Engineering has released Currents & Nostalgia, a software synthesizer built around a pair of circuit-modeled oscillators and an unusual system for sequencing oscillator and filter settings independently.
The developer describes the instrument as an original design inspired by classic synthesizer architecture rather than an emulation of a particular vintage instrument.
Currents & Nostalgia uses two main oscillators based on a saw-core circuit design developed for an earlier hardware project. Component tolerances introduce small differences between the oscillators, and users can control the amount of variation.
The instrument’s central feature is its two independent slot systems. One stores oscillator and waveform-mixer configurations, while the other stores filter settings. Each system can hold up to eight configurations, which can be stepped or swept through using different patterns.
The two systems can operate at different speeds, follow the host clock or respond to keyboard activity. Their operating rates can also extend into audio frequencies, creating possibilities beyond conventional stepped modulation.
Features:
- Two circuit-modelled saw-core oscillators
- Adjustable oscillator variation based on component tolerances
- Independent oscillator and waveform-mixer slot system
- Separate filter slot system
- Up to eight stored configurations in each slot system
- Independent sequencing speeds and patterns for oscillator and filter settings
- Clock synchronization and keyboard-responsive operation
- Modulation rates extending into audio frequencies
- Parameter locks for retaining individual settings during transitions
- 350 included presets
The independent slot systems provide an alternative to conventional modulation-matrix programming. Rather than simply assigning an LFO or envelope to individual parameters, users can move between complete oscillator and filter configurations, creating sequences that evolve through different stages of a sound.
For example, an oscillator configuration can change several times while the filter remains in one state, before the filter begins moving through its own sequence. This approach can produce repeating or evolving timbral changes without requiring a conventional step sequencer.
Pricing & Availability:
Currents & Nostalgia is available now for macOS 12 or later in AU and VST3 formats, and for Windows 10 and 11 in VST3 format. The price is €89, including Danish VAT.
