Miltone has announced that the 4Exp – a four-voice expansion module designed as a companion to the legendary Oberheim FVS-1 synthesizer – is now available.
Used as a standalone, it operates as four independent monophonic dual-VCO voices. Paired with an original FVS-1 (upgrades and extra wiring required to connect the two units together), it extends the system to eight voices of polyphony.
Each voice routes through the Output module, which provides per-voice volume and pan, stereo Left/Right outputs, and two headphone outputs.
Per voice:
Two discrete VCOs
Hard sync
Two-pole state-variable filter
Triangle LFO
Two ADS envelopes
External input
CV/Gate and MIDI control
Miltone describes the 4Exp as a “no-compromise” design. It is built using discrete circuitry, assembled by hand in their workshop in Paris.
For the first batch, several customization option are available:
Anukari Music has released Anukari, a physical modeling synthesizer and effects processor for macOS and Windows that’s based on visually modeling a network of small masses, connected by springs.
The masses can be vibrated by striking them via MIDI input, or they can be vibrated directly via audio input, so it can act as an effect processor or reverb plugin.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
“Anukari is built entirely on real-time physics simulation. You can build structures that ring, vibrate, interact, and feed back into one another. Excite them with mallets, bows, your own audio, and more. And explore sonic palettes that are wildly out of this world.
What does it sound like? Whatever you want. Sometimes it’s subtle, and sometimes not so subtle. Does it create time paradoxes? Will you tear the fabric of space-time? Hard to tell… but Anukari invites you to find out.”
Features:
Create a 3D instrument made from masses and springs, and then use your MIDI keyboard to trigger mallets, plectrums, bows, and traditional oscillators.
Hook up virtual microphones to pick up the sound the 3D instrument makes. You can keep it simple, or build sprawling systems of hundreds of masses.
Powerful Effects Processor – Anukari can accept audio input signals, either as a sidechain input alongside MIDI or as the primary input. Create 3D audio signal inputs and connect them to the parts of the physics system you want to vibrate, and then pick up the resulting sounds with virtual microphones.
Full MPE Support – Works with both “legacy” MIDI and Midi Polyphonic Expression (MPE), so you can use a regular MIDI keyboard or your Linnstrument, Roli Seaboard, Haken Continuum, or other favorite MPE controller with Anukari.
In addition to the basic physics objects, there are lots of options for modulation. Powerful sample-accurate LFOs which can operate all the way up to audio frequency for FM. MIDI-triggered envelopes. Envelope followers. The modulation matrix is simple to understand: it’s displayed via physical connections in the 3D world. Nearly every parameter can be modulated.
Plugin and Standalone Mode – You can run Anukari in your favorite DAW on Windows or MacOS as a VST3, AU, or AAX plugin, or run it in standalone mode to play it as a MIDI instrument without the complexity of a DAW.
Tactile Real-Time 3D Interface – You create the instrument’s physics layout in an intuitive 3D editor, and then see how it vibrates, flexes, spins, and moves in real-time as you play it.
Anukari is available now for $99 USD (normally $149).
AudioKit Pro has released Viral Synth 2, a major free update for the virtual analog synth for iPhone, iPad, and AUv3 hosts.
New in Viral Synth 2:
2x Oversampled Oscillators – Saw, Sine, Triangle, Square, and PWM oscillators are now 2x oversampled for bigger lows, cleaner highs, and a more polished sound.
Two Modern VA Filters T-12 and T-24: two new modern virtual analog filters with smooth self-resonance.
Snappier Filter Envelopes & Improved Filter Key-tracking – The new T-12 and T-24 filters respond with tighter, punchier envelopes.
Microtonal support – 150+ curated microtonal scales, including North Indian scales, Hexanies, and scales by Irv Wilson, Marcus Hobbs, and more.
World scales – Explore 60+ international scales with selectable root keys. Choose from Arabic, Egyptian, Eastern, and other world scales, then pick the base key that fits your song.
Western Key & Scale Support – Choose a key like C minor, Bb, F minor, and more. Select from Major, Minor, Blues, Pentatonic, and other familiar scales. This lets you keep your arps, sequences, and external MIDI locked to a Western or World scale, or go fully microtonal.
Viral Synth 2 is available now for $4.99 USD. It’s a free upgrade for existing users.
