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Soundtoys let us know that PhaseMistress, a full-featured and powerful plug-in effect designed for rich phase sweeps, analog vibes, and programmable rhythmic modulation, is available through Nov 15th, 2024 as a free download for Mac + Windows.

“When we designed PhaseMistress, we were inspired by the sound of classic analog phase-shifters of the 1970s and 80s, but I think we ended up re-inventing the effect,” said Ken Bogdanowicz, CEO and lead designer at Soundtoys. “By combining a super flexible phase-shifting engine with a powerful modulation system we transformed a stock effect into something totally new and wonderful. We’re still discovering new sounds and new ways to use PhaseMistress.”

PhaseMistress Video Demo:

PhaseMistress puts you in control of all aspects of the phaser sound. You can set the number of stages from 2 up to 24, then fine-tune and offset the resonance, color, and intensity to craft unique phase-shifting styles.

PhaseMistress contains a customizable LFO with preset shapes, or you can draw your own and store it. Plus, you can draw your custom curves in the Tweak panel. Rhythm mode lets you program and store simple or complex patterns, while in Envelope mode, PhaseMistress responds to the dynamics of the incoming audio for funky triggered effects.

Open PhaseMistress’s Style menu to browse an extensive set of styles that give you the sonic flavor of legendary hardware like the Bi-Phase, Super Phaser, Phase 90, Instant Phaser, Small Stone, and more. These retro analog sounds combined with modern controls and customizable LFO make PhaseMistress one of the most powerful phase effects available.

Users who download the free PhaseMistress plug-in will also get a discounted upgrade offer in their Soundtoys account to trade up their PhaseMistress license to the Soundtoys 5 bundle. They say that, with the Soundtoys Black Friday sale starting soon, that deal will get even sweeter.

The Hidden Depths of PhaseMistress:

PhaseMistress is available thru Nov 15, 2024 as a free download.

Developer Alex Radzishevsky let us know that they’ve released a new freeware tool that’s designed for “acoustic audio de-duplication”.

AFT SonicDeCloner is built to recognize acoustically similar audio files, or “clones”, across various formats by using advanced acoustic fingerprinting technology. The tool “listens “to audio files, and can identify duplicates originating from the same performance or recording, regardless of file compression, format or sound quality.

Alex Radzishevsky says that the tool is designed for audiophiles, DJs, sound engineers, and music enthusiasts, helping you manage audio collections, removing unnecessary duplicates for a more organized, streamlined library.

Features:

• Acoustic-level detection: utilizes sophisticated acoustic fingerprinting algorithm (AFT) to analyze actual sound content, not just file metadata or binary data
• Format and compression agnostic: works with all major audio formats and codecs
• Robust: works with distorted, pitch-shifted and speed-altered audio
• Freeware – free for non-commercial use
• Cross-platform software: Windows, Mac OS, Linux
• Portable, does not require installation
• Works offline and is fully stand-alone
• Supports for batch processing via the command line
• Old-school text interface

AFT SonicDeCloner is available as a free download for Windows. Mac OS and Linux builds are also available.

The SSL X-Orcism II- Voices from the Crypt plug-in is a FREE Halloween. This spooky vocal processor and multi-effects plugin incorporates a delay, reverb, pitch-shifter and noise generator.

Solid State Logic is getting in the Halloween spirit this year with the release of a new free plugin. The sequel to a plugin released 11 years ago, SSL X-Orcism II: Voices from the Crypt is a vocal processor and multi-effects plugin aimed at conjuring spooky timbres and haunting soundscapes.

Packing a delay, pitch-shifter, reverb and noise generator into a single processor, X-Orcism II can not only be used to transform your voice into “eerie and supernatural tones”, but also to lend an unearthly touch to synths, drums, guitars, or frankly any audio source that needs spooking out.

X-Orcism’s simple, easy-to-use interface is equipped with eight encoders; at the top-left we have Echoes and Crypt Size, for dialling in diabolical delays, and beneath that the aptly-named Ghoul and Wail controls can be used to control the pitch-shifter.

Cranking up the Howl control will “evoke the haunting beauty of desolate landscapes” by activating the plugin’s noise generator, which SSL suggests that you automate to create tension-building risers, while the Tombverb dial floods the signal in an atmospheric reverb fit for Tutankhamun. You can adjust the wet/dry balance to taste with the adjacent mix control, or reign in the levels using the output control.

X-Orcism II is equipped with a variety of presets to help you get started right away, and custom-built presets can be transferred across DAWs with SSL’s cross-platform preset management system.

All in all, X-Orcism II is a neat little free plugin, and what it lacks in fine-grained control, it makes up for in character. Though it’ll certainly come in useful for making your voice sound like Frankenstein or summoning dark, eerie soundscapes from your synths, the plugin has the potential to become a useful sound design tool all year round.

X-Orcism II is compatible with macOS and Windows and available in VST/VST3/AU/AAX formats. The plugin is available for free from SSL website, but you’ll be asked to sign up to the company’s newsletter before you can download it.