DCAM Synth Squad is right around the corner. It’s been in development for something like 8 years, not in the form it is now of course, but the underlying technology (DCAM – Discrete Component Analog Modeling) has, and it’s culmination is about to be unleashed on the software world. I’m excited. Really.

The reason I’m excited is because it’s a kick arse product. I’ve always felt that software synthesizers lacked a certain character, a wildness that real analog synths have in spades. They did the job of course, but using a virtual synthesizer always felt a bit like drinking instant coffee. It does the job, but it’s no Jamaican Blue Mountain. (EDIT: Damn, that sounded pretentious!)

Synth Squad is different. Really.

I’m hugely proud to have been involved in the Synth Squad story. You can get a good impression of it by watching the tutorial videos and checking out the demos on synthsquad.com.

If you’re into synths, I think you’re going to love Synth Squad. I know I work for FXpansion, but I’m speaking as Rozzer. And I wouldn’t write anything on this blog that I didn’t mean. Just check em out.

Head on over to Klanglabs to download the plugin.

EDIT: I use NicFit’s free MungRack plugin to translate the Kaoss midi controllers to ones compatable with Sxratch2. Here is the Mungrack preset I use to do it. Just insert Mungrack between the Kaoss Pad and Sxratch2 in your host.

Its a robotastic-trippy-lazer-glitch-carnival !!.

Metal Mickey is a sequenced, synced delay unit.

An 8 step sequencer drives the delay time. This is the matrix of red LEDs at the top. The delays are synced to host tempo. Changing the matrix values changes delay time for the given sequencer step.

A second sequencer, running at the same speed, controls the delay feedback. This is the row of 8 sliders underneath the Delay time matrix.

The sequencer has a number of features… random stepping, mulitplication and division of speed, adjustable slide (from one value to the next) and an adjustable loop point.

The higher delay times can be tuned using the Tuning slider.

The wet signal then passes through a multimode filter, a low pass filter and a high pass filter (this allows you to really ‘shape’ the delay line).

Finally the dry and wet signal can be mixed as required.

There are also 2 dedicated LFOs.

Download Metal Mickey

View Midi CC Numbers

Step Machine is midi loop sequencer, in the style of a classic analog step sequencer.

To use it your host must support midi output from vst plugins.

As the host plays, you will see the sequencer run through its loop. Pitch, octave, gate, slide and velocity can all be controlled for each step. Along with this there are two assignable midi CC sequencers.

You will also find a complex randomise function and a force-to-scale function (which can be transposed via incoming midi).

Step Sequencer is still in beta, and will probably remain that way, due to instabilities in certain hosts. It has been tested in Cubase SX1 & SX2 and works well in these host.

Download StepMachine

Download StepMachine synthedit project

The plugs are:

DJ Crossfader: A simple DJ style crossfader, with 2 stereo inputs and a stereo output [download] [pic]

MidiMon: Displays incoming midi messages. The audio output must be connected in EnergyXT for the monitor to work [download] [pic]

NoteSwitch: Takes a stereo input and passes it though to one of six stereo outputs. The output is selected using the midi notes C3-A3 (TIP: try arpeggiating the output!) [download] [pic]

Switch 6×6: Allows you to route one of six stereo inputs, to one of 6 stereo outputs [download] [pic]

Vector Mixer: Mix up to 4 stereo signals using an X/Y pad (very cool if you have a hardware X/Y controller) [download] [pic]