Xenos Synthesizer Plugin using novel Dynamic Stochastic Synthesis
You might not fully understand this free stochastic synth plugin, but it might not matter.
A composer by the name of Iannis Xenakis began his research in the late 1960s, into the concept of stochastic synthesis, a tone generation technique that uses probability distributions to manipulate digital samples.
If you are struggling to understand exactly what that means, you are not alone, but the good news is that Xenakis’s Dynamic Stochastic Synthesis (DSS) algorithm has now been implemented into a free synth plugin, Xenos, that seems easy to control.
There are three main sections – Pitch, Amplitube and Global – with the first two of these offering a choice of ten stochastic distributions with up to two parameters each. There are also “first- and second-order random walks”, a variable number of segments per wave cycle and variable amplitude envelope.
Xenos offers 64 voices of polyphony and supports parameter automation. Despite its complex engine, the interface is rather streamlined, so we’re hopeful that it could reward experimentation. Watch a quick start video below.
Xenos by Raphael Radna is available now as a free download from the developer’s GitHub repository. It runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU formats and, because it is open-source, you can also download and tinker with the source code.
