Tag: experimental

  • Timerift Audio Releases Oh My Grain – Free Granular Texture Plugin (VST3)

    Timerift Audio Releases Oh My Grain – Free Granular Texture Plugin (VST3)

    Timerift Audio has released Oh My Grain, a free granular-style audio effect plugin designed to create smooth textures, evolving atmospheres, and glitchy sound design effects.

    The plugin focuses on simplicity while offering enough controls to reshape audio into new rhythmic or ambient layers.

    Built around a dual-playhead concept, Oh My Grain lets you manipulate grains of audio in real time. By adjusting parameters such as density, window size, pitch, and distance, users can transform simple material into shimmering textures, broken rhythms, or subtle spatial motion.

    Granular Processing With Dual Playheads

    The plugin features two independent playheads (A and B), each with its own controls for distance, grain window, length, density, pitch, and gain. This structure allows complex granular movement and layered textures while remaining easy to understand.

    Global controls such as Dry/Wet, Color, and Feedback make it possible to blend the effect naturally into a mix or push it into more experimental territory.

    Features

    • Dual playhead granular processing (Playhead A and B)
    • Grain parameters: distance, window, length, density, pitch, gain
    • Global controls for Dry, Wet, Color, and Feedback
    • Capable of smooth ambient textures or glitch-style effects
    • Real-time visual feedback of grain activity
    • Simple interface focused on creative experimentation
    • Formats: VST3
    • Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

    In The Mix

    Use Oh My Grain on pads or sustained instruments to create evolving textures. On drums or percussion, short grain windows and higher density settings can produce glitchy rhythmic fragments. Blending the effect subtly with the Dry/Wet control can also add motion to otherwise static sounds.

    Free Download

    Oh My Grain granular texture plugin is available as a free download on the Timerift Audio website. To receive the installer, join the developer’s mailing list, after which download links for Windows, macOS, and Linux (VST3) are provided.

  • Soft Loop Audio Releases Harmonic Echo Free Generative MIDI Delay Plugin (Beta)

    Soft Loop Audio Releases Harmonic Echo Free Generative MIDI Delay Plugin (Beta)

    Soft Loop Audio has released Harmonic Echo, a free generative MIDI delay plugin that doesn’t just repeat notes; it writes new ones. Set a key and mode, play a simple line, and the plugin climbs, falls, and harmonizes in real time. The aim is quick musical ideas without theory headaches.

    Scale‑Locked Sequences, Not Just Repeats

    Choose your Key and Mode (Major, Minor, Lydian, etc.) and every echo snaps to the scale, so you won’t hit out‑of‑key notes. The piano‑roll UI is playable: audition scales or trigger echoes directly. A polymetric Hold engine groups echoes into rhythmic clusters for off‑grid patterns, while the physics‑style display shows velocity and decay so you can see what you’re hearing.

    Features

    • Generative MIDI delay that harmonizes to a chosen key & mode
    • Playable piano‑roll interface for auditioning and manual echo triggering
    • Hold engine for polymetric phrasing and clustered rhythms
    • Real‑time visual feedback (velocity/decay)
    • Quick starting points for chords, textures, and rhythmic hooks
    • Version 0.3.4 (beta)
    • Formats: VST3 (Windows/macOS/Linux), AU (macOS)

    Free Download

    Harmonic Echo is available as a free beta from Soft Loop Audio Gumroad. Requirements: macOS 10.15+ (Intel/Apple Silicon), Windows 10+ 64‑bit, or 64‑bit Linux with X11. A README.txt is included with setup steps.

  • Joonas Ylänne Releases Animal Pads Free Decent Sampler Instrument

    Joonas Ylänne Releases Animal Pads Free Decent Sampler Instrument

    Joonas Ylänne has released Animal Pad, a free Decent Sampler instrument built entirely from animal recordings. The concept started as a sound‑design experiment: could EQ, long reverbs, and gentle harmonic boosts turn everyday animal sounds into playable pads?

    Background & Concept

    The library features four sources, Dog, Frog, Pig, and Sheep – each sculpted into sustained textures. The result leans ambient and cinematic: soft, evolving layers that can sit behind keys, guitars, or strings without stealing the spotlight.

    Interface & Sound

    At the center is an XY controller that blends the four voices in real time, making it easy to dial organic movement and evolving timbres. The long tails and tone shaping give you airy beds, subtle swells, and a hint of the original character if you push the mix.

    Features

    • Free Decent Sampler instrument by Joonas Ylänne
    • Four sources: Dog, Frog, Pig, Sheep
    • XY controller for real‑time blending and movement
    • Pads built with long reverb tails and harmonic EQ boosts
    • Ambient, cinematic textures for beds, layers, and atmospheric cues
    • Credits: Source recordings from freesound.org

    Formats & Requirements

    Requires the free Decent Sampler plugin (macOS/Windows/Linux; also available on iOS). Load the Animal Pads library inside Decent Sampler and you’re set.

    Free Download

    Animal Pads Decent Sampler instrument can be downloaded for free/pay-what-you-want from Joonas Ylänne’s Gumroad.

  • Beto Beats Releases bGrain Free Experimental Granular Plugin (Alpha)

    Beto Beats Releases bGrain Free Experimental Granular Plugin (Alpha)

    Beto Beats has released bGrain, a free experimental granular audio plugin that lets you slice, scatter, and reshape sounds into fresh textures using simple, hand‑drawn style controls. It’s pay‑what‑you‑want, so you can download it for free or toss support to the developer.

    Granular Sound Design, Kept Simple

    bGrain focuses on quick results with six core parameters: Grain Size, Density, Randomization, Pan Spread, Morph, and Dry/Wet. The crayon‑drawn interface gives the plugin a warm, organic feel, making granular experimentation approachable and fun.

    Features

    • Six tweakable controls: Grain Size, Density, Randomization, Pan Spread, Morph, Dry/Wet
    • Playful, hand‑drawn UI for intuitive sound shaping
    • Cross‑platform VST3 for macOS and Windows
    • Free download with optional pay‑what‑you‑want support

    Installation

    • macOS: copy bGrain_v0.4-alpha_macOS.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
    • Windows: copy the bGrain_v0.4-alpha_Windows.vst3 folder to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
    • See the included installation.txt for full instructions

    Status

    This is an alpha release. Core functions work, but bugs are possible. Feedback is welcome as development continues.

    Free Download

    bGrain experimental granular plugin is now available as a free download (macOS and Windows in VST3 format) via Beto Beats Gumroad (pay what you want).

  • Triumph Audio Offers Four Kontakt Libraries for Free via Newsletter Signup

    Triumph Audio Offers Four Kontakt Libraries for Free via Newsletter Signup

    Triumph Audio is giving away four of its previously paid Kontakt libraries for free, available for a limited time through their website. Each library typically retails for $30, but users can now download them at no cost by signing up for the Triumph Audio newsletter.

    The offer includes:

    • Gorilla Toy Piano
    • Trumpet Terror
    • Alien Transmissions
    • Nightmares from Ghost Ukelin

    These libraries have previously been offered for free and are now available once again for a limited time. After subscribing, users will receive discount codes to download each instrument at no cost.

    A Unique Collection of Sound Design Tools

    Each library in this set brings its unconventional flair. From the eerie tonal textures of Nightmares from Ghost Ukelin to the raw, processed brass of Trumpet Terror, these are not your standard sample instruments. They’re well-suited for experimental music, horror scores, and sound design projects that need something distinct.

    The libraries require the full version of Kontakt and are compatible with macOS and Windows.

    Free Download

    The Gorilla Toy Piano, Trumpet Terror, Alien Transmissions, and Nightmares from Ghost Ukelin libraries are available as free downloads at Triumph Audio via newsletter subscription.

  • Soundtoys Releases SpaceBlender Reverb – Free for a Limited Time

    Soundtoys Releases SpaceBlender Reverb – Free for a Limited Time

    Soundtoys has introduced SpaceBlender, a creative experimental reverb plugin, available as a free download until May 22, 2025. Designed to sculpt unreal and evolving ambient spaces, SpaceBlender gives music producers, sound designers, and ambient creators a unique tool to transform ordinary sounds into lush, cinematic textures.

    A New Realm of Sonic Possibilities

    Inspired by ambient music pioneers and vintage tape-based effects, SpaceBlender lets you move beyond conventional reverb. Use it to produce dramatic swells, gated ambiance, lush tails, and nonlinear soundscapes with total control over time, color, and density.

    Key controls like Time, Color, Texture, Mod, and Freeze offer highly intuitive ways to bend the space around your sound. From short, snappy bursts to sprawling reverberations of up to 60 seconds, the plugin responds to every tweak in real time.

    Interactive and Visual Workflow

    The built-in X/Y visualizer allows direct manipulation of the reverb envelope, offering hands-on control over shape and timing. As you adjust the cursor, you can morph between gated, reverse, blooming, and decaying reverb responses, all while watching the sound evolve on screen.

    This real-time interaction makes SpaceBlender as much an instrument as it is an effect, especially when using longer time settings and freeze functions for ambient looping and sound design.

    Experimental Yet Practical

    While SpaceBlender excels at experimental audio, it’s equally at home in traditional mixes. Add depth and texture to vocals, guitars, synths, and more. Its evolving spectral tools and modulation options provide sonic character not possible with most standard reverb plugins.

    Behind the algorithm is decades of experience: Soundtoys’ founder Ken Bogdanowicz and sound designer Andrew Schlesinger contributed to classic DSP designs such as the Eventide Black Hole, bringing pedigree and creative depth to this new release.

    Plugin Highlights

    • Algorithmic reverb with shape morphing
    • Interactive visual X/Y control for real-time shaping
    • Built-in modulation and freeze loop functions
    • Texture control from lush to sparse
    • Color shaping for evolving spectral brightness or darkness
    • Up to 60 seconds of decay time

    System Requirements

    • Formats: VST2, VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit only)
    • Platforms: macOS 10.12+ (Apple Silicon compatible), Windows 7+
    • DAW Compatibility: Pro Tools, Live, Logic, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig, and more
    • Sample Rates: 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz

    Free Download

    SpaceBlender is available as a free download until May 22, 2025, at the Soundtoys website.

  • Venus Theory & Benn Jordan Release forms:piano for Free

    Venus Theory & Benn Jordan Release forms:piano for Free

    Venus Theory and Benn Jordan have teamed up to release forms:piano, available now on a ‘Name Your Price’ basis, even completely free!

    A Unique Piano Recording Experiment

    forms:piano is the result of a fun and spontaneous experiment between Venus Theory and Benn Jordan. Together, they recorded Benn’s very unique Yamaha upright piano directly in his home studio. The recording process was as relaxed as it was innovative: the two artists set up microphones, created a sampler template, adjusted the piano to Benn’s favorite setup, and enjoyed some bourbon as the piano did its magic.

    Rather than waiting for a “proper” full library release, they decided to share this test session because it turned out beautifully. forms:piano captures the intimate and organic essence of Benn’s piano, offering a rich and inspiring sound for all kinds of compositions.

    Built for Decent Sampler

    forms:piano runs inside the free Decent Sampler plugin, a lightweight, highly accessible sampler available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS. Decent Sampler comes in VST, VST3, AU, AAX, and AUv3 formats, ensuring compatibility with nearly any major DAW or standalone setup.

    Decent Sampler provides an intuitive interface and allows for quick sound loading and flexible manipulation, making forms:piano an easy and powerful addition to any producer’s toolkit.

    Free Download

    forms:piano can be downloaded for free or with a donation at the Venus Theory Gumroad.

  • Song Athletics and BORO Release Gems – Free Instrument Collection

    Song Athletics and BORO Release Gems – Free Instrument Collection

    Song Athletics and BORO have introduced Gems, a collection of five free exploratory instruments designed for creative sound exploration. Available in Decent Sampler format, this collection offers a unique palette of textures and timbres for musicians and sound designers.

    Unique Sound Design Tools

    Gems is part of BORO’s ongoing research in digital lutherie, providing accessible and intuitive sound tools. These instruments were crafted using analog and digital processing techniques, delivering an eclectic blend of textures from warm electro-mechanical tones to ethereal vocal layers.

    Included Instruments

    • Lamplit – Soft guitar cloud creator, inspired by Skúli Sverrisson and Leo Abrahams, processed through modular effects.
    • Hala – Tape-based pad from a Juno 106 recorded through a tube preamp onto cassette for a warm, wide sound.
    • Ferro – Electro-mechanical piano blending Rhodes MK2 softness with upright piano resonance and mechanical hammer sounds.
    • Vaila – Vocal textures from 王睿琪 Ruiqi Wang, recorded to cassette tape loops for layered, evolving sounds.
    • Hecate – Bandoneon drones processed with polyphonic wavefolding, inspired by Pauline Oliveros.

    System Requirements

    • Requires Decent Sampler 1.10.0 or later (freeware)

    Free Download

    Gems is available as a free download, visit Song Athletics’ website.