Author Archive

iZotope Intros FXEQ Creative FX ‘5 Powerful Creative Effects’


New from iZotope comes an innovative multi-effects plugin that marks the next addition to its Catalyst series, a collection of easy-to-use plugins designed to help you quickly solve mix problems and remain in the creative flow.

Intriguingly, FXEQ allows users to “paint” reverb, delay, lo-fi and other effects directly onto sounds using an intuitive EQ-style interface, unlocking creative flexibility and sidestepping the “complex plugin routing and endless plugin stacks” required to achieve a similar effect.

In total, there are five creative effects on board, each with multiple modes and two central controls. Each effect module runs through its own six-band parametric EQ with four shapes and adjustable Q, giving you targeted control over its application across the frequency spectrum.

Those five effects are: Saturate, Reverb, Delay, Modulate, and Lo-Fi, with all of them accessible and tweakable through Catalyst’s familiar EQ-style interface.

FXEQ’s Saturation module offers eight saturation modes designed to give your sounds “weight, bite and fizz”, while the Reverb module features three distinct reverb algorithms, covering Hall, Plate and Chamber modes.

The plugin’s Modulate module brings chorus, flanger, phaser and doubler modes to the table, while Delay delivers four delay types spanning Classic, Reverse, Crunch and Modulation, complemented by Time and Feedback controls. Finally, a Lo-Fi effect recreates the nostalgic tones of vinyl, cassette, tape and radio.

All five of FXEQ’s modules has its own parallel signal path, processing the input signal independently before the results are combined and passed through a global zero-latency limiter at the output stage.

Compatible with macOS and Windows and available in AAX/AU/VST3 formats, iZotope’s FXEQ is priced at $49/£49. Find out more at iZotope site.

 

KOMA Elektronik Sensei Connects Your Modular Synth To The Physical World


KOMA Elektronik has released Sensei, a new Eurorack module that’s designed to let you connect your modular system to the physical world.

With dual inputs for both triggers and continuous signals, it’s designed to let you use sensors – for light, temperature, motion, or touch – with your synth.

Sensei translates environmental changes into control voltages, letting you control and modulate your sound in new ways.

KOMA offers a range of sensors that you can connect to the module, ranging from buttons to microphones to temperature sensors.

Visit the KOMA site for examples of Sensei in action.

Sensei is available now, priced at €169.

 

Telepathic Instruments Orchid Review – Hands-On With Tame Impala’s Idea Machine


Host Ziv Eliraz – in his latest loopop video – shares a hands-on review of the new Orchid, an advanced chord-generating hardware synthesizer that they say was “developed for songwriters, producers and musicians to expand the possibilities of songwriting and musical exploration”.

The synth combines a variety of tools most readers will be familiar with – including synthesizers, sequencers, arpeggiators, chord organ and loopers – into a single device, designed specifically for developing musical ideas.

In his review, Eliraz discusses the Orchid’s capabilities, digs into its sound and performance features, and offers his take on its pros and cons.

Topics covered:

0:00 Intro

2:20 Overview

7:20 Build

8:50 I/O

9:55 Sounds

11:05 Bass

12:10 Effects

12:30 FX lock

14:30 Perform

15:30 Arp

16:50 Pattern

18:15 Perf lock

18:40 Key mode

21:50 Looper

23:40 Settings

24:45 Pros & cons

29:35 Some ideas

Check out the review and share your thoughts on the Telepathic Instruments Orchid in the comments!