We’re not sure if it’s a ‘trend’ – we’ll help make it so, if not – but plugins do seem to be moving away from complexity in favour of easy controls and just sounding great. Companies like Baby Audio are eschewing some often deeper routing and programming options to just let you get on with the job of music making. Some are even renaming traditional (and more obscure) functions to make them more obvious and ‘real world’.
We think this is ‘a good thing’ in the main – especially to those of us too busy (or lazy) to dig deep. But have relative newcomers Karanyi Sounds taken it too far with Poly Space? This ‘out of space reverb’ takes ease of use to another world but does its sound go with it on the journey?
Two easy?
Yes, Poly Space is, on the face of it, ridiculously simple in operation. It has a couple of main controls, a Random switch, in and out level controls and a mix option. That’s it. And while the processing going on behind the scenes is actually a lot more than you might think – there are reverb algorithms, delays, convolution processing and more than 50 impulse responses based on classic studio hardware – Poly Space is designed with ease of use and elegance in mind. Like some kind of ambient swan, then, with all the paddling taking place out of sight.
Big. Then bigger
Denne historien er fra Autumn 2022-utgaven av Computer Music.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Autumn 2022-utgaven av Computer Music.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Explore Black Salt Audio's cm bundle
In a new series, we're highlighting the best plugins from the CM Plugin Suite V3.0 and showing you how to make the most of them
DH Plugins LFO-EQ-1
Modulating your EQ parameters opens up a multitude of exciting effects. Can this affordable plugin really hit the mark? Jon Musgrave finds out
SSL Module8
Multi-effects are getting more powerful at the expense of ease of use, but Module8 manages both and is therefore pretty gr8, says Andy Jones
Dawesome/Tracktion Myth
Peter V is fast becoming the most ground-breaking plugin developer around. His latest is a synth of mythical proportions, says Andy Jones
Tailored reverbs
Reverb is a great tool, but cleverly thinking about its application can really take your mix to the next level. Here’s how to get tailoring…
Make a spicy lead with GForce Axxess
It's time to turn up the heat and Axxess a searing lead, with a little help from an ultra-cool addition to the plugin suite
Cherry Audio Chroma
If you're after a colourful new synth, Cherry Audio has something that covers the whole spectrum. Roland Schmidt looks through the prism
GForce Software VSM IV
This updated VSM continues to prove that strings are very much the thing! Roland Schmidt swots up on his virtual string theory
KATIE TAVINI
A ubiquitous name in the world of mastering, Katie Tavini’s intuitive senses and aptitude for bringing out the best in a huge array of music has been rightly praised. We were keen to catch up with Katie – fresh from moving her studio into a new setup in Liverpool – to find out more about her acclaimed approach
Make a loop into a track
It's simple to make a killer loop, but how does that become a dancefloor-filling hit? It only takes a few steps to get the process started...