Here are this weekend’s price drops from 4Pockets. The offers end March 4th.
- Copperhead Synth – $14.99 to $9.99
- NuRack FX Processor – $12.99 to $8.99
- Euclidean Sequencer – $12.99 to $8.99
- Chameleon Sampler – $9.99 to $6.99
Copperhead
Copperhead is an AUv3 digital subtractive synthesizer plugin which draws its influence from the vintage synthesizers of the early 80’s. Only now we have multi-note polyphony, a build in arpeggiator, and a host of integrated audio effects. Copperhead features a custom String Machine, the ability to design your own custom waveforms, as well as supporting oscillator sync and various cross modulation effects. Cross modulation is a type of FM synthesis which can be used to morph simplistic waveforms into something far more aggressive and interesting.
At the heart of Copperhead are its two oscillators, which support all your traditional waveforms (SINE,SQR,SAW,TRI), as well as SuperSaw, Trapezium, and other user definable types. The app features pulse width modulation and supersaw, as well as a customisable string engine and the ability to create your own oscillator types.
The Voltage Controller Filter supports the usual LP, HP, BP and Notch filters in series or parallel configuration, as well as a couple of unusual ones like Formant which allows you to sweep your cutoff to create interesting vowel sounds.
Copperhead also features twin LFO’s with random and one shot functionality. It also supports Cross, Ring and FM modulators, in addition to low and high shelf filters.
One of the great features is the integrated audio gate, which allows you to generate stuttering audio right out of the box. Combined with effects such as Chorus, Overdrive, Delay, Reverb and Auto Pan / Tremelo, and the ability to specify effect order, you have a lot of control over your sound.
If that wasn’t enough, we also include a 32 step sequencer, with various mono and poly modes with direct control control of various synth elements.
We have a built in Preset Manager which groups presets into banks and groups, which supports drag and drop for easy import/export of presets. You can also access your favourites from a special popup menu, or via the built in quick search facility. Copperhead now ships with over 550 presets which cover just about every instrument category you would ever need.
NuRack
NuRack is an AUv3 based multi-channel audio and MIDI effects processor with a difference, it actually allows you to design your own custom effects using the 80+ building blocks provided. You have full control over routing which allows you to create complex audio paths in series or parallel. You can choose whether to use the stock interface or create your own custom interface using the built in Interface Builder which allows you to concentrate your audio components into a single customized effect.
NuRack can run in one of two modes. The first providing 3 customizable effects racks which can be switched (manually or via MIDI), providing seemless switching (i.e. delay trails linger whilst another set of effects are faded in). The second mode allows you to route audio through 3 independent audio racks.
A generaous number of over 80 audio and midi building blocks are provided covering 12 different categories of effects.
You also provide the ability to split and combine audio signal using splitters and mixer modules as well as a number of visual elements such as VU Meters, LED Meters, Scopes, Graphs etc.
Some effects such as phaser and flanger are usually controlled by an LFO, but this can be detached and automated remotely. There are a number of modules that allow auomation based on direct touch (X/Y Pads), Visual LFO, Pattern Automation, MIDI input (CC data), or peak/rms level detection. These automation modules can remotely control knobs and sliders throughout your rack.
Simply create a new rack and start adding modules to it. These modules are generally wired up automatically but these connections can be manually routed. Once you have your sound as you wish you can use it ‘as is’, or switch to Interface Builder mode where you can combine all your modules into a single interface. Elements can be dragged, dropped, resized and coloured as required. Add your own labels, image logos and custom backgrounds before saving your custom component.
Use the X/Y Pad to control your modulation effects by detaching their LFO’s. Use MIDI CC data to automate knobs. Use the velocity of an incoming signal to control the cutoff/resonance of a filter (wah) or volume level of a gain control (swell), as NuRack expands, so do the possibilities.
Euclidean
Euclidean Sequencer is an alternative incarnation of the classic step sequencer that has become very popular in the modular realm. It is based on Euclidean rhythms developed by computer scientist Godfried Toussaint in 2004. Euclidean rhythms have their roots in Greek mathematician Euclid’s algorithm, which involves using the greatest common divisor of two numbers to place hits in a sequence as evenly as possible across a set timing divisions.
In practice this is actually simpler than you might think, and Euclidean Sequencer is a great way to auto generate complex musical sequences with no prior knowledge of how it actually works.
Euclidean Sequencer is an AUv3 plugin that can be loaded inside any popular host application that has flexible MIDI routing.
You can define up to 4 Euclidean rhythm parts, each part is referred to as a band. The bands are labelled A-D and colour coded RED, ORANGE, GREEN and CYAN. Together these 4 bands create a pattern, and you can create up to 16 seperate patterns per song patch.
Since each band can specify its own note sequence and output MIDI channel, you can create some quite sophisticated rythms patterns, driving 4 seperate instruments at once. Even better you can seamlessly switch patterns to create even longer evolving sequences. Patterns follow a specified key, scale, or defined chord.
You can even use MIDI input to automatically make note sequences conform to the currently playing chords.
Chameleon
Chameleon is an AUv3 compatible sampler instrument plugin for your favourite DAW.
The program can run as a standalone app in order to record audio samples from the internal microphone or professional audio interface. It also supports incoming Inter-App Audio connections for sampling directly from other iOS applications, however it is primarily intended to be used as an AUv3 Instrument plugin for applications such as Cubasis, AUM, Auria, Meteor, Gargeband etc. The plugin can additionally be loaded as an AUv3 effect in order to record audio passing through it from other AUv3 Instrument sources, which makes it a very versatile and useful tool.
So what is a sampler? A sampler is a device that allows you to imitate other instruments with just a few short audio snippits. Although it comes with a library of presets it also allows you to create your own. You do this by recording multiple audio clips and mapping them to the notes on a MIDI keyboard and Chameleon does the rest using a sophisticated pitch shifting algorithm to fill in the blanks. Recorded samples can either be layered or mapped freely over a 7 octave range and saved as individual presets. Presets are then organised into custom categorised banks which can be exported and shared with others.
Just think, you can sample all your favourite synth sounds and carry them around on your iPhone/iPad without the inconvenience of lugging heavy gear around with you. Sample anything from musical instruments to vocal snippits, drum machines or ambient noises. The possibilities are endless.
Recording is incredible easy. Just create a New Patch and press record. Chameleon will wait for you to play a note before recording begins. Once recorded press the LEARN button and tap the note range on the virtual or MIDI keyboard to map the sample. Repeat this as many times as required, tweak the settings and save your patch. Additionally you can setup loop points with the ability to apply crossfade. If all that sounds too complicated, just press auto sample and let Chameleon do all the sampling for you.
Chameleon also has a quite sophisticated arpeggiator which allows you to create complex mixtures of notes and chords with glide, hold and re-triggering options.
On board reverb, digital delay and chorus effects are available to give your samples a more polished touch. We also include 4 touch pads for quickly dialing in on a sound or for easy effect automation. Configurable touch ADSR and modulation options are available too.
Chameleon can also import audio samples using iOS Files integration or you can make use of Copy / Paste to quickly drop one of more samples into a patch. You can also freely edit samples using the built in tools such as normalise, fade in, fade out, crop, clear options etc.
You can run Cameleon as a standalone app and map external MIDI keyboards (Bluetooth MIDI support also included) and perform audio sampling outside of your DAW. This is provided for convenience since you can’t record input when hosted as an AUv3 Instrument plugin.
Yes some DAW’s have built in samplers which only have the ability to playback libraries provided with the software. Chameleon allows you to built your own libraries of sounds and share them with others. There’s a budding rapper in you dying to get out and we have just the tool!
For more information on these and other 4Pockets apps, click here:
NOTE: Some of the links you click on may be affiliated. Clicking and purchasing using these links helps support and fund The Beat Community. Thanks for your support.
