Liminal Space 2 Now Available For Windows + Mac


Developer Keith Crosley has released Liminal Space 2 for macOS and Windows.

Liminal Space 2 is described as a “wildly programmable digital reverb”. It features a custom library of more than 4,000 reverb algorithms, and delivers everything from intimate 1980s-style rooms to infinite, pitch-warped soundscapes.

Features:

  • 4,636 Profiled Algorithms: Explore everything from short, practical rooms to unstable, pitch-warped spaces. RC3 includes 2,518 new and improved algorithms designed specifically for Liminal Space 2, across 17 banks. Every shipped algorithm has a measured Profile describing characteristics such as decay, brightness, width, onset, and smoothness. Easily filter by character and length to find the ideal reverb, and use the calibrated “Tail Guide” to dial in approximate decay times.
  • 22 Wavetables from KRC Mathwaves: Drive built-in LFO modulation for “bitcrushed” pitch bending, subtle chorus, or VHS-style wow and flutter. New wavetable modifiers allow for advanced modulation effects.
  • 40 Archetypes, 47 Factory Presets, and User Presets: Start with practical small, medium, and large rooms—or explore gated, modulated, pitch-shifted, lo-fi, atmospheric, and deliberately strange designs.
  • Deep Modulation: Derez LFO, per-tap delay length DLFO, a modulatable Diffusion Matrix, dedicated Shimmer LFO, and 3 freely assignable Modulation LFOs for evolving, layered motion and special effects.
  • Tone Shaping Sections: In addition to an overall FIR lowpass filter, the “LEXITONE” section offers Bass, Mid, Cross, Treble, and HF Spread controls inspired by the Lexicon 224’s characterful decay shaping. An Output EQ section provides hi/lo shelving and an adjustable mid EQ on the reverb tail.
  • Pitch-Sweep Path: Apply shimmery or chorus-like motion (or weird pitch bends) directly inside the feedback loop, with phase/depth spread and per-tap targeting. Or swap out the legacy pitch shift effect for new “tank motion” effects.
  • True Shimmer: Optional pitch-shift shimmer with +/- 24 semitones of shift, detuning, unison, tone control, and a dedicated LFO for unique effects such as vibrato, tremolo, and my unique “field motion” modulation.
  • Integrated Stereo Widener: Srsly3-style mid/side widening (or focusing!) for the wet signal.
  • Improved GPU-accelerated GUI: With animated modulation visualization, wavetable phase indicators, and (most importantly) an optional “phosphor glow” effect. New “Easy Panel” makes Regen, Scale, Filter, Mix and Bypass controls easily tweakable throughout the interface. Regen now shows an approximate live RT60 display, NAV jumps directly between major sections, and BYP crossfades to exact dry audio without destroying the running reverb tail.
  • Gated and Nonlinear Decays: Reshape tails using “Collapse” (Gated), Linear, or “Shadow” contours with adjustable curve behavior. The Collapse envelope can also modulate other parameters, allowing the decay itself to animate pitch, modulation, or wavetable position.

Liminal Space 2 is available now for $10.

Minimal Audio Launches Lucid ‘Next-Generation Granular Effect’ Combines Granular Engine & Sound Design Tool


Minimal Audio is a Minnesota-based developer behind a growing catalogue of plugins that includes popular tools like Rift, a versatile distortion effect, and Current, a powerhouse virtual instrument.

The latest release from Minimal Audio is Lucid, a granular multi-effects plugin and sound design tool that the company says can “turn any sound into musical textures, harmonies, and rhythmic effects that stay in key, in time, and under control”, combining a flexible granular engine with scale locking, tempo sync, deep modulation and a host of additional effects.

At the heart of Lucid is its granular engine. Like other granular effects, Lucid captures audio in real time and chops it up into tiny fragments called grains that can be manipulated and rearranged to create new sounds and textures.

Alongside the typical controls for grain size, rate and shape, Lucid features two playback modes that determine how Lucid moves through captured audio over time: Stretch Mode time-stretches, reverses or freezes audio in sync with your DAW and Scrub Mode allows you to set the playback position manually, or via modulation, automation or randomization.

On top of this, Lucid features three Grain Effects that run each grain through independent filter, delay and stereo imaging modules: the Grain Filter has 10 different filter modes and built-in saturation, the Grain Delay module is equipped with its own pitch-shifter, filter and diffusion reverb and the Grain Imager can be used to create complex spatial patterns through its six Spread Modes, which determine how grains are positioned in the stereo field.

What makes Lucid different from many other granular processors is its ability to detect the pitch of each grain and retune it independently, making it possible to produce creative tonal and harmonic effects while ensuring that Lucid’s output always remains in tune with your project.

Enter the key of your track on the right-hand side of Lucid’s interface and the plugin will analyse and retune each grain in real time. There’s plenty of potential for pitch-based experimentation here, with multiple Retune Modes, a Chord Mode that creates layered harmonies from each grain, and an arpeggiator that cycles through retuned grains.

In addition, Lucid features a sophisticated modulation engine, equipped with six swappable modulators that can function as LFOs, envelope followers and “curve sequencers” (freely drawable envelopes) that can be assigned to any parameter via the modulation matrix to introduce movement and depth. Each preset also has two macro knobs that can also be controlled via Lucid’s Animator Pad, an XY pad that also has multiple modulation controls.

As if that wasn’t already enough to keep all but the most adventurous sound designers busy, Minimal Audio have added an Effects Rack to Lucid with eight effects that can be chained together in 12 slots. The rack includes delay, reverb, chorus, compression, distortion, EQ, filter, ring mod and frequency shifting, and each effect has a surprising amount of tweakability on board.

As is the case with every Minimal Audio plugin, Lucid is stocked with a diverse array of presets (more than 350) with searchable tags, each of which has two preassigned macros, so you can quickly introduce variation with the Animator Pad without having to dig into any of the deeper controls.

Lucid can transform your audio into everything from pointillist ambient soundscapes and chaotic time-stretched textures to complex harmonic patterns and glitchy rhythmic fragments, and the deep modulation system and bolt-on effects give it an edge over the growing number of similar plugins in this space.

Main Features:

  • Real-time granular engine: Lucid works as an insert on any channel or source, rebuilding the incoming audio grain by grain into deeply musical sounds you couldn’t make any other way.
  • Grain scale-lock: Every grain’s pitch is detected and retuned in real time, so you can transpose and modulate freely, always locked to your key.
  • Granular timeline sync: Sync time-stretching to your grid, snap to transients, or scrub manually through a captured loop while everything stays locked to your timeline.
  • Preset library: Over 350 track-ready presets across 13 purpose-built packs, searchable by tag, each with two macros for instant control.
  • Harmonic grain delay: A multi-tap delay with scale-locked pitch shifting for always in-key shimmer effects and arpeggiated spaces.
  • Multi-mode grain filter: Every grain gets its own filter with independent modulation and drive for shifting tone and texture no single filter could produce.
  • Dynamic grain imager: Spread grains across the stereo field with unique panning patterns for a wide and controlled stereo image generated by the grains themselves.
  • Grain chord and arp modes: Stack grains into rich harmonies from any source, or step each grain through your scale for evolving sequences.
  • Timeline display: A timeline-locked waveform shows your captured input and where every grain plays, so you always see exactly what Lucid is doing.
  • Animator pad: One animated XY pad controls many parameters at once, for organic, evolving movement across your whole patch.
  • Grain blur: Blurs each grain to smooth away the digital artifacts of time-stretching and freezing, so even extreme processing stays organic and natural.
  • Full effects rack: Eight freely loadable studio-grade effects that extend the granular output, from mix-ready polish to deep creative sound design.
  • Deep modulation system: Assign macros, LFOs, curve sequencers, and envelope followers to any parameter by drag-and-drop or the modulation matrix.

Check out the preset demo and walkthrough below to get a sense of what it can do.


Available now in VST/VST3/AU/AAX formats for macOS and Windows, Lucid is currently priced at an introductory discount of $79.

Find out more on Minimal Audio website.

Synthesizers.com Q109 Envelope Generator DIY Kit Now Available


Moog format modular maker Synthesizers.com has introduced their first DIY kit, the Q109 Envelope Generator Kit.

The Q109 Envelope Generator is a straightforward EG. It generates a voltage envelope in response triggered by a gate signal from a keyboard, oscillator or other source.

The envelope voltage is used to control amplifiers, filters, oscillators and other modules.

It gives you manual control over Attack time, Decay time, Sustain level, and Release time.

A manual gate button can be used to trigger the Envelope Generator at any time, and an LED gives a visual indication of the output level.

The Q109 Envelope Generator Kit is available now for $99. A detailed build guide is available as a downloadable PDF.