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ShaperBox 3 is “the ultimate plugin for modern mixes and infinite inspiration”

Cableguys has released ShaperBox 3, the latest version of its much-loved audio movement and mixing plugin.

ShaperBox 3 comprising nine multiband effects – Volume, Time, Drive, Filter, Crush, Noise, Pan, Width and the new Liquid processor – ShaperBox 3 is controlled on a visual interface that enables you to draw waveshapes, and promises easier LFO editing than ever before.

New for version 3 is Audio Triggering – switch this on and the LFO will restart with every transient. Additionally, there is a new external sidechain input in the VolumeShaper that comes with its own view.

The new effect, LiquidShaper, takes ShaperBox into flanging and phasing territory, and new editing features include a more powerful pointer tool that makes all key functions operable with a left click.

In addition, Preset browsing has been streamlined and speeded-up, and ShaperBox’s multiband compressor can now be inserted anywhere in the processing chain. The envelope followers, offer an improved adaptive release mode that’s said to produce an even sweeter analogue-style response, and various specific improvements have been made to a number of the individual effects.

ShaperBox 3 video demo:

What they say about it:

“Each of ShaperBox’s nine powerful multiband effects – Volume, Time, Drive, Filter, Crush, Noise, Pan, Width and the new Liquid – is a blank canvas for your creativity. Just add a Shaper and draw any wave shape you can imagine to control the effect, all with a simple visual interface that makes producing fast and fun.

With Cableguys’ easiest ever LFO editing, you can intuitively design fluid sweeps, angled lines, or stepped patterns. Unlock a world of rhythmic exploration and precision production in just a few clicks. Make your music move with effects patterns that sync to your song – or trigger them in any rhythm with MIDI and new Audio Triggering.

Use ShaperBox to turn bland melodies into unique variations. Cook up fresh ear candy from even the most basic samples. Warp the fabric of time with half-speed slooow-downs, glitches, stutters and scratches. Sidechain with total flexibility across three frequency bands. Warp, distort, bitcrush, filter, pan, flange, widen, add noise… And so much more. It’s the ultimate plugin for modern mixes and infinite inspiration.”

New in ShaperBox 3:

• Audio Triggering – Switch on the new Audio mode and the LFO restarts with each transient, so you can use ShaperBox as a powerful transient editor and rhythm-tracking creative effect. Redraw the envelope of any sound to shape dynamics, saturate attack, filter the sustain, and more.
• External Sidechain Input – Audio Triggering follows any kick rhythm – just turn on the External Sidechain Input. And it’s not only for kicks and sidechain ducking. How about triggering a bitcrushing pattern on your synth every time the snare hits? ShaperBox 3 makes it possible.
• Sidechain View – See your kick drum overlaid on the bassline with VolumeShaper’s new Show External Sidechain feature. This lets you draw the perfect ducking curve to match the contour of your kick.
• LiquidShaper – LiquidShaper gives you wild jet-plane flanging and deep, lush phasing in one Shaper. Custom LFO shapes take you far beyond the traditional. Modulate Centre and Feedback independently across 3 frequency bands.
• Easiest Ever Editing – Cableguys’ waveform drawing is now even easier, with a more powerful pointer tool that puts all key functions under simple left-click operation. Add angled breakpoints, bend any section into an endlessly flexible curve, make selections and manipulate them, and more.
• New Browser – ShaperBox 3’s slick new browser makes it easy to find the presets you need, with clear categorisation and fast filtering. Amazing variations for any sound are just clicks away – discover rhythmic chops, groovy fills, motion-packed sweeps, and more.
• Compressor Unchained – The multiband Compressor in ShaperBox is now a separate tool that you can insert anywhere in the Shaper chain. Bring even the most complex Shaper chains under dynamic control – or blow them apart with extreme pumping compression.
• Improved Mix / Bypass An improved Master Mix algorithm now gives powerful FX blends that morph
• smoothly from dry to wet, with no multiband phasing artefacts. And a new master Bypass button gives click-free switching to the original dry signal.
• Analogue-like Envelopes – Envelope Followers feature improved Adaptive Release mode, for an even juicier analogue-like response. Get filtering, distortion, noise and more that tightly hug the dynamic contours of beats, basslines – anything – for kinetic, magnetic FX.
• Other changes:
  • VolumeShaper: Lookahead pre-smoothing for click-free MIDI/Audio sidechaining
  • LiquidShaper: Positive/negative feedback mode for rich and hollow timbres
  • LiquidShaper: 4, 8, 12 or 16 stages of phasing for lush resonance
  • CrushShaper: Dynamic Treble control for compensating harshness
  • TimeShaper: Time offset display for easier visualization
  • Redesigned interface with larger editing areas

ShaperBox 3 is available now for PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats. Good News! CableGuys has kicked off its Black Friday sale early, so you can currently purchase it for the reduced price of $89/€89. Prices for the individual Shapers start at $29/€29. A demo version is also available.

Find out more on the CableGuys website.

Akai Professional has released Force 3.2, a free update that adds a variety of features, including MPC instruments, Air Effects, probability and ratcheting, Ableton Link v3 and more.

MPC Plugin instruments/Effects – You can now purchase a range of new AIR instruments/Effects for FORCE. The new collection of plugins brings together the AIR team’s expertise in sampling, synthesis, and DSP. Each instrument comes in both Standalone and MPC Software desktop versions. Akai Force Standalone Sampler/Sequencer

The instruments include:

Fabric XL

Air Stage Piano EP

Mini D

Flavor Pro

Air Organ

Air Piano

Air OPx4

Studio Strings

New Air Effects:

• AIR FLAVOR – Get that vinyl record feel from any sample or sound source using the new AIR Flavor insert effect. Select from over 30 different timbres including Radio Transistors, Tubes, Boom Boxes and Amplifiers to manipulate your source sound. You can then add and simulate analog record Distortion, Flutter, and Noise while also impacting the stereo field to create more mono sounding audio effects.
• AIR AMP SIM – FORCE 3.2 brings a new Amp and Cabinet Simulator to the FORCE platform for adding harmonic distortion to samples, vocals, drums, synths, bass, and guitars.
• AIR GRANULATOR – Granulator has also been updated making it easier to mangle your audio and create new timbres and tones using its granulation engine. The new update for FORCE 3.2 also gives users control over three new parameters: Reverse, Shape and Skew.

Probability and Ratcheting:

In FORCE 3.2 you can now add Ratchet effects to your MIDI and add groove to rhythmic elements or melodic lines. The Probability MIDI setting lets you choose the probability that a note from your MIDI track will play based on 0% to 100% probability.

Track Re-Order:

In FORCE 3.2 you can now re-order your tracks by simply changing the tracks position directly from the Matrix, Mixer, or Arrange windows. New track position will take effect when you leave the editing popup.

Automation Snapshots:

In FORCE 3.2, you can now capture a snapshot of all of the automation parameters in your project within a launch row. Once a snapshot has been captured to a row, automation settings can be launched with event data on that row.

Tuner:

FORCE 3.2 adds an integrated high-fidelity instrument Tuner to its arsenal of tools. Now you can tune your external MIDI CV synth, guitar, bass or any other musical instrument using the FORCE Tuner completely standalone.

Find out more on the Akai website to download. Akai Force Standalone Sampler/Sequencer

The instruments include:

FORCE 3.2 also includes other enhancements, improvements, and new functionalities

• FORCE now contains support for Ableton Link v3
• DrumSynth Multi now has mute groups
• FX Racks now include racks that use the Flavor and Amp Sim effects
• References to Master have now been renamed ‘Global’ or ‘Main’
• The TUI Project popup gets an Audition F-key
• Arpeggiator settings are now saved and recalled with the FORCE project
• XYFX location is now saved and recalled with the FORCE project

K-Devices has released Magma, a granular texture generator for ‘the most adventurous sound designers’. The ‘memory warper and propagator’ is capable of experimental effects processing.

K-Devices last released TATAT, a MIDI note generator capable of spontaneously producing evolving melodies and chord sequences through probabilistic processes.

It was quite a bit of fun meddling around with TATAT, so we are expecting their latest release, Magma, to be every bit as creatively stimulating. An audio effect that is difficult to categorise, as they have described Magma as a cross between “a micro-looper, a granular engine, a sustainer, and a sound warmer,” giving users the ability to produce a variety of ethereal and atmospheric sonic textures from any source audio.

Magma works by continuously recording incoming signal into a short buffer, then creating textures by piecing together, looping and processing short snippets of this input, much like a granular synthesizer. The plugin’s capable of producing a broad range of sounds, including reverb-like effects, spectral shadows, infinite drones and strange, distorted timbres.

Users can sculpt the granular textures produced by Magma through a variety of parameters. The Memory knob selects which grain of sound is to be used from the source audio, while Size and Rate determine its length and rate of playback. The temperature knob adds a custom-designed distortion through noise-based amplitude modulation, while the EQ section provides the opportunity to brighten or darken Magma’s sound.

Magma is available in VST3/AU formats, and is priced at €19.00 until Nov 1st, thereafter it will be €39.00.

Find out more on the K-Devices website.