CV Toolkit - Standalone Version 1.3 is now available!

The new 1.3 update for CV Toolkit - Standalone Version is now available!

This update includes five new modules, support for the Expert Sleepers ES-4, ES-40, ESX-4CV, and ESX-8CV modules, a new pitch detection algorithm, and various improvements and bug fixes.

Check out the overview video:

New modules available in 1.3:

- Shaper: a 4 in 1 module that works as a wavefolder, a rectifier (full and half), an attenuverter and as an offset generator.

- Delay: Delay module capable of delaying any incoming signals by up to 4ms. The delay time can be either set in ms or synced to the BPM.

- Shift Register - 8bit analog-style shift register. Great for creating random sequences that slowly change over time.
 
- PMW Clock - A clock module with pulse-width modulation.

- Euclidean Sequencer -  Sequencer that generates rhythmic trigger patterns using an euclidean algorithm. 

The new pitch detection algorithm included in the MIDI to CV module lets you calibrate your oscillators which much more precision. According to our tests, CV Toolkit should now be able to calibrate VCOs faster and with a precision of +/- 2 cents. This new algorithm also lets you calibrate your oscillators using any of the 4 basic waveforms (sine, square, triangle and sawtooth).

This new update includes support for the Expert Sleepers ES-4, ES-40, ESX-4CV and ESX-8CV modules. The setup process is extremely easy: you only need to select what kind of setup you're running (ES-4 only, ES-4 + ESX-4CV, ES-40 + 2xESX-4CV, or ES-40 + ESX-8CV).
Although we got success results from our tests, the support for these modules is still experimental and it might be subjected to bugs. Our plan is to improve the support for these modules in future updates.

Last but not least, we also added fixes related to MIDI Clock, MIDI Pitch Bend and the Smux encoder.

The new 1.3 update is free for all CV Toolkit - Standalone Version customers so, if you’ve already bought a copy, check your email inbox for a download link.

CV Toolkit - Standalone Version is available for U$19,99 at http://www.spektroaudio.com/cv-toolkit-standalone

If you'd like to keep up with our latest news, follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio) or sign up for our newsletter.

Until next time!

Our Highlights from 2014

2014 was a great year for Spektro Audio. We worked on some great projects and we received a lot of support from our costumers, audio / music related websites and professionals from all over the world.
In this blog post, we'd like to highlight some great releases and achievements from 2014:

CV Toolkit - Standalone Version

The first version of CV Toolkit - Standalone Version was released in Janurary and it was greatly received by the modular synth community. CV Toolkit - Standalone Version 1.0 was reviewed by Resident Advisor and it received a 4/5 score. 
Since the first release, our goal for CV Toolkit has been to offer an incedibly flexible, easy to use and affordable solution.
Throughout the year, we released the 1.1 update that added important features such as VCO Calibration and a CV Quantizer, and the 1.2 update that introduced the new Virtual Slot System and four new virtual modules. 

Interface changes from the first 1.0 release to the latest 1.2 update.

Many professionals in the audio / music community such as Richard Devine, Sonic Mayhem, Cyrus Rex, Celldweller, Brent Daniels and many others have shown their support for CV Toolkit.
Our plan for 2015 is to continue to improve and expand CV Toolkit and even add support to other products (more about that in the near future!).

 

GrainFlux & Komplex 1.1 – Max for Live Synthesizers

This year we also released an amazing new Max for Live synthesizers called GrainFlux and a new 1.1 update for Komplex.

GrainFlux is a monophonic virtual synthesizer that combines different synthesis techniques such as granular, wavetable, and subtractive synthesis to create unique and distinctive sounds. It uses audio samples to create different waveforms which can be morphed and modulated.
If you'd like to know more about GrainFlux, visit http://www.spektroaudio.com/grainflux and check out the audio demos and video overview.

We also released a new 1.1 update for Komplex, our FM-based Max for Live synth. The 1.1 update added polyphony, adjustable envelope curves and many other minor enhancements.

For more information about Komplex 1.1, visit http://spektroaudio.com/komplex.

Free Projects

In 2014, we decided to give back to the community by offering free projects such as the Wired Bass instrument pack for Ableton (which was featured on Create Digital Music and has had more than 5.000 downloads) and the Spektro PS-8, a free MaxforLive sequencer for the Ableton Push. 

We'd like to thank everybody for their continuous support and assure you that we'll continue to work hard to offer great new products and updates during 2015.

If you'd like to keep up with our latest announcements, follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio) and on Instagram (@SpektroAudio as well).

Until next time!

Free Push M4L Sequencer, GrainFlux 1.1 and Black Friday Sales

Today we've got three great news to share: the release of PS-8, our new Max for Live sequencer for the Ableton Push, a new update for our GrainFlux synthesizer and a special Black Friday sales.

PS-8 - Free Max for Live Sequencer for the Ableton Push

PS-8 is a 8-step analog-style Max for Live sequencer for the Ableton Push inspired by analog sequencers such as the Korg SQ-10 and Moog 960 Sequential Controller.
It's great for live performance and improvisation. 

The main difference between PS-8 and other Push sequencers is that it uses the Push encoders to change the pitch / velocity of the eight steps and rows of pads to control other parameters such as gate length, shuffle amount and direction.

More details about PS-8, as well as the free download link, are available at http://www.maxforlive.com/library/device/2675/spektro-ps-8

GrainFlux 1.1 Update

The new 1.1 update for GrainFlux is now available. It fixes bugs related to UI controls and it adds better integration with the Ableton Push.All the parameters are now displayed and organized in banks on the Push.

Here's a video demo of how you can use Push to control GrainFlux:

This a free update and existing GrainFlux customers will receive the download link via email.

If you'd like to know more about GrainFlux, check out http://spektroaudio.com/grainflux

 

Black Friday Sales

For the first time, we're offering a Black Friday sales. Get 20% off of any of our products by using the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY_14 at checkout. 
This offer is valid until 12/05/2014.

If you'd like to keep with our latest news and projects, follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio) and on Instagram (@SpektroAudio).

Until next time!

GrainFlux is now available!

Hello everybody!

We're proud to announce that GrainFlux, our latest MaxforLive synthesizer, is now available!

GrainFlux is a monophonic MaxforLive synthesizer that combines different synthesis techniques such as granular, wavetable, and subtractive to create unique and distinctive sounds. It works by using audio samples to create two different waveforms which can be morphed and modulated. 

While you can use any of your own samples, GrainFlux ships with 40 high-quality samples created using a Eurorack modular synthesizer to get you started. These samples were designed to give you a variety of different timbres and textures.

Check out the GrainFlux overview video below:

What sets GrainFlux apart from regular granular synthesizers is that it uses 2 separate and different grains which can be controlled independently. We developed some great and unique features such as the Tilt control, that lets you simultaneously change the grain size of the two waveforms in opposite directions. 

Since GrainFlux uses samples to create these waveforms, you can easily get completely different timbres and sounds by simply loading a different sample.

Our goal when designing this synth was to mix different synthesis ideas in a way that could provide powerful results while still being easy and fun to use. Everything in GrainFlux, from the default settings to the way modulation works, was carefully thought out so you can get very interesting timbres even from the most basic patches.

The interface was designed to make artists feel comfortable to experiment and play around without making them feel overwhelmed by too many controls and settings.

We also focused on providing a great and fast workflow. For example, when you drag an audio sample onto the Audio File drop-box, GrainFlux automatically updates the Folder drop-down menu to display all of the other audio files available in that same folder, so you can quickly try different samples.

GrainFlux is available for U$14.99 at http://spektroaudio.com/grainflux

If you'd like to keep up with our latest news, follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio) or sign up for our newsletter.

Until next time!

CV Toolkit - Standalone Version 1.2 is now available!

Hello everybody!

We’re extremely excited to announce that the 1.2 update for CV Toolkit - Standalone Version is out!
This update fixes most of the issues we had with previous versions, brings many new features and set’s the path for the future of CV Toolkit.

Here’s what’s new in CV Toolkit - Standalone Version 1.2:

- Introducing the new Virtual Slot System: We wanted to add more virtual modules to CV Toolkit without having to make the interface bigger. The solution we came up with is the new Virtual Slot System (V.S.S). 
The idea behind VSS is to make the user interface work like a real modular synth case: although the size of the case is fixed, you can swap the modules inside the slots at any time and configure it to best suite your need. Now you can, for example, swap the Envelope module for a Clock Generator. 
In order to change the modules inside the slots, press the M key or click on the Modules button. If the slot contains multiple modules, a drop-down menu will be displayed for you to select which module you’d like to load inside that specific slot. If you want to, you can also use the preset manager to save custom configuration for future use.
V.S.S. will not only let us add new modules in the future but will also let you customize and adapt CV Toolkit to your own needs.

In the 1.2 update, we’re introducing 4 new modules:

• CV Recorder (Slot #8) - Record the output of any other virtual module and play it back using Vari-Speed (-10x to 10x).
• Comparator (Slot #8) -  Performs a bipolar 1-bit quantization to an incoming signal.
• Morphing VCO (Slot #10) - A digital oscillator that can be used as sub oscillator, a modulator for FM  / ring-mod patches or as an audio-rate modulation.
• Clock Generator (Slot #11) - Generate clock signals (gate or trigger) at different rates.

- Significant CPU usage optimization.
- CV Quantizer is now more reliable and contains 13 scales: Chromatic, Major, Minor, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Blues, Dorian, Lydian, Locrian, Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, Arabic and Augmented.  
- MIDI Notes Out - You can now send the output of the CV Quantizer module as MIDI notes to the selected MIDI output port. (Useful for layering sounds using other analog synths or virtual instruments). 
- Added a width control for the Step Sequencer Gate / Clock output (Available in the Options window)
- Added curve adjustment for AD1 and AD2 (Logarithmic →  Linear → Exponential)
- Added Pitch Bend support (with adjustable range to up to +/- 12 semitones)
- Improved voice handling
- Improved sync for the S&H module
- The Routing Matrix guidelines now have different colors for virtual modules (green) and analog outputs (blue).
- Lemur template updated to include new virtual modules.
- Minor design changes 

If you'd like to see these new features in action, check out the 1.2 Update Overview video:

The new 1.2 update is free for all CV Toolkit - Standalone Version costumers so, if you’ve already bought a copy, check your email inbox for a download link.

CV Toolkit - Standalone Version is available for U$19,99 at http://www.spektroaudio.com/cv-toolkit-standalone

If you'd like to keep up with our latest news, follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio) or sign up for our newsletter.

Until next time!

Komplex 1.1 is out!

Hello everybody!

We’re excited to announce that Komplex 1.1 is out!

The 1.1 update fixes a couple of issues that we had with the 1.0 version and brings many new features such as polyphony, envelope curves and new waveforms for the Mod LFO.

In case you don’t know, Komplex is a MaxforLive synthesizer inspired by the Buchla 261e module and it uses two oscillators to produce some complex and unique sounds FM sounds.

Here’s a list of what’s new in Komplex 1.1:

- Major sound engine improvement - We re-designed the sound engine to make Komplex sound a lot better!

- Polyphony – Komplex can now play up to 8 voices! You can now use Komplex to create some beautiful FM keys.

- Improvements to the Wave Morph section – morphing between the 3 waveforms sounds a lot smoother.

- Improvements to the 3 ADSR E.G.s – adjustable curves (Log - Lin - Expo) and equivalent ranges to all 3 E.G.s.

- New “Vel” buttons let’s you enable or disable velocity control for the FM and Morph / Shape envelopes independently.

- Improved FM section  - we've fixed some issued related to the FM section and the modulating wave's phase.

- You can now choose from 6 different waveforms for modulation: Sine, Triangle, Saw, Ramp, Square and S&H.

- Minor design improvements to improve usability.

- Fixed Shaper control range.

- New preset bank.

The 1.1 update sounds great and is super flexible due to the new controls and the increased polyphony.

Komplex 1.1 is available for U$8,00 at http://spektroaudio.com/komplex.
If you’ve already bought Komplex, check out your email for the new download link.

If you'd like to keep our latest news, follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio) or sign up to our newsletter.

Until next time!

Wired Bass - Free Ableton Live Instrument Pack

Hello everybody!

While beta testing some of the new features of the upcoming 1.2 update for CV Toolkit – Standalone Version, we thought it'd be a great idea to work on a little gift for all you modular ehnthusiastics out there: a free Ableton Live instruments pack.

This instrument pack contains 10 multi-sampled bass patches for Ableton Live's Sampler instrument. These patches were created using a Eurorack modular synthesizer and CV Toolkit – Standalone Version.

We tried to come up with analog bass sounds that can work great in many different music genres by using variety of different oscillators, filters and synthesis techniques. 

Click here to download! 

CLICK HERE FOR MINIMAL VERSION
(FOR ELEKTRON DIGITAKT AND OTHER SAMPLERS)

Wired Bass by Spektro Audio is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

All samples were recorded through an Universal Audio Apollo interface at 24 bits, 48 kHz.

If you'd like to get updates about our upcoming projects,  follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio) or subscribe to our newsletter (don't worry, we hate Spam as much as you do). 

Until next time!

Introducing Spektro DRG - Dual Rhythm Generator

Hi everybody!

We're thrilled to announce that Spektro DRG, our new product, is now available!

DRG or Dual Rhythm Generator is a Max for Live device capable of generating clocks and rhythms that can be used with analog synthesizers and drum machines via control voltage. It's a great solution for syncing your analog / modular synthesizers to Ableton Live.
Like all our cv-related products, DRG also requires an audio interface with DC-coupled outputs or an Expert Sleepers module.

Here's the promo video:

While testing the beta versions, we realized that DRG could be used in many different ways such as for clocking analog sequencers, sequencing drum modules, triggering envelope generators and clocking time-based function generators (such as the 4ms Pingable Envelope Generator and the Mutable Instruments Tides). 

We worked hard to make DRG flexible enough to be used in different situations. The workflow was thought out to work great both in the studio and in live concerts. Everything on the front panel, from the simple layout to the LEDs colors, was design to give you instant feedback of whats going on. Features such as the MIDI Controlled Presets let's you add variation to your track and change the settings using either MIDI clips or any MIDI controller.

Here's an overview / tutorial video that demonstrates the most important features:

The Spektro DRG device is available for U$9.99

If you'd like to know more about DRG, visit http://spektroaudio.com/drg.

Until next time!

What's coming in the Komplex 1.1 update!

Hey everybody!

After releasing the CV Toolkit 1.1 update, we decided to work on an update to one of our most popular MaxforLive devices, Komplex.

Komplex was released back in October of 2013 as a monophonic synthesizer based on the Buchla 261e module. After receiving a lot of feedback from our customers, we decided that, for this 1.1 update, we wanted to work on improvements rather than on new features.

Here's what's coming:

• Polyphony – Komplex can now play up to 6 voices! You can now use Komplex to create some FM keys ;)

• Improvements to the Wave Morph section – morphing between the 3 waveforms sounds a lot smoother.

• Improvements to the 3 ADSR E.G.s – adjustable curves (Log - Lin - Expo) and equivalent ranges to all 3 E.G.s.

• Improved FM section  - we've fixed some issued related to the FM section and the modulating wave's phase.

• Minor design improvements to improve usability.

• New preset bank.

Although we didn't add many new features to this update, we re-designed the core of this device in order to greatly improve the overall sound of the synth.

The Komplex 1.1 update will be a free update and we're planning on releasing it very soon. 

If you'd like to know more about this update, follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio).

Until next time!

CV Toolkit – Standalone Version 1.1 update is out!

Hey everybody!

We're super excited to announce that the 1.1 update for CV Toolkit – Standalone Version has been released!

View fullsize

The update includes two new virtual modules (MIDI to CV and CV Quantizer), native Smux support (Mac only), and many different improvements to the "Scangraph", "Envelope" and "Step Sequencer" virtual modules. If you'd like to know more about the many new features and improvements, read our previous blog post or check out the full changelog.

The major new feature in this update is the new "MIDI to CV" virtual module that lets you calibrate your VCOs and play them in tune using MIDI or the new "CV Quantizer" in conjunction with any of the other virtual modules. This was one of the most requested features that we received when we first released CV Toolkit and it's now available!
Please keep in mind that this is a new feature so we'll be improving it during future updates.

Check out these 3 new videos that demonstrate the new features available in the 1.1 update:

We worked hard to add as many new features as we could while maintaining the overall workflow simplicity.

If you've already bought CV Toolkit – Standalone Version, you'll receive the download link for the 1.1 update via email.

We hope you have fun with this new update and, as always, feel free to get in touch with us if you need help or have any new ideas for future updates!

Until next time!

What's coming in the CV Toolkit 1.1 update!

Hi there!

Because we've been receiving some great feedback in regards to the recently released CV Toolkit Standalone Version, we thought it'd be a great idea to share what's coming up in the next 1.1 update.

The major new features in 1.1 are the new MIDI to CV and Quantizer modules: 

MIDI to CV - Auto Calibration |  Keep in mind that the final layout might look different.

• The MIDI to CV module will let you calibrate your synth so you can play it using a MIDI keyboard. So far, we've managed to calibrate a VCO up to 4 octaves with great precision. 
• The Quantize will take any incoming signal (via the Routing Matrix), quantize it to a specific MIDI scale and automatically send it to the MIDI to CV module to be converted back to CV. You'll be able, for example, to use the Step Sequencer together with the Quantizer to create a melody in F minor or A major.

We've also worked on improvements for to the Scangraph, Envelope and Step Sequencer modules:

• Scangraph will now have an option to quantize breakpoint to the grid by holding the down the 'S' key and a "Rand" button to create random graphs. You'll also be able to combine these 2 features to create random graphs already on-grid.
•  The Envelope module will also have a "Rand" button.
•  The Step Sequencer received some great improvements to make it even more flexible. In 1.1, you'll be able to  select the number of steps (4 to 16), change the output signal from bi-polar to positive-only and use the new velocity layer to turn off specific steps or change the velocity / gain of the AD EGs. 

The Options window now contains many new settings that will let you better customize the behavior of the modules to fit your own needs. ES-3 owners will be happy to know that we've added native SMUX support.

These are just some of the new features that we've been working on for this next update! Our goal is to release it sometime around mid-February. 

Oh, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter (@SpektroAudio) for updates, previews and etc.

Until next time!

CV Toolkit – Biased Switcher Explained

Today we are going to take a look at one of the virtual modules that comes with CV Toolkit, the Biased Switcher.

According to the CV Toolkit manual:

“Biased Switcher works similarly to the Mutable Instruments Branches eurorack module. When triggered, the device flips a virtual coin to decide if the incoming stereo signal (BS 1 / BS 2) will be outputted normally (BS1 to BIAS. SW. 1, BS2 to BIAS. SW. 2) or inverted (BS1 to BIAS. SW. 2, BS2 to BIAS. SW. 1). You can also bias the coin, increasing the chances of outputting the signal normally or inverted.

Biased Switcher can be automatically triggered using an internal clock synced to the main transport or manually triggered (Int Trigger) using the Enter key, any MIDI note, or the Step Sequencer.”

Although the basic idea is very simple (take an input and randomly decide to which output it should go to), this module is great for adding variation to your patch. 

Here's an example of how you could use Biased Switcher together with the two AD generators to add some variation to a VCA:

 - Set AD1 and AD2 to approximate values
 - Send AD1 to BS1 and AD2 to BS2
 - Set the Biased Switcher ‘Trigger Source’ to Int Trigger
 - Route the first output of the Biased Switcher module (Bias. Sw. 1) to an analog outputs and then patch it to a VCA
  
Whenever a note is trigger, the Biased Switcher will randomly select one of the two AD generators to send to the analog output. 

Here are some other cool ideias that you could try:

- Route both LFOs to seperate inputs of the Biased Switcher, route the Bias. Sw. 1 output to an analog output and then patch it to your VCF. You can use this to make CV Toolkit randomly output one of the two LFOs to the filter. 

- Route 'Trigger' to B. S. 1, route each of the 2 outputs of the Biased Switcher (Bias. Sw. 1 / Bias. Sw. 2) to two different analog outputs and then patch those two outputs to the Trigger input of 2 different drum modules. Now, whenever the B.S. module gets triggered, it'll randomly trigger one of the two drum modules.

- You can make your sequence randomly glide by sending the output of the Step Sequencer to both Slew and BS1 inputs, the output of the Slew module to BS2 and then routing the Bias. Sw. 1 output to an analog output (which you should patch to your VCO’s 1 V/oct input). Finally, set ‘Trigger Source’ to Clock, Rate to 1/4 and then set both dials inside the Slew module to ~90ms.

This is a very flexible module and it can help you add variation and randomness to your patch. If you haven't already, take some time to experiment with it!

Until next time!

ChucK repo on GitHub

Hi everybody!

I've been playing around with ChucK a lot lately. ChucK is a great and simple programming language and it's very easy to learn.

Since reverse engineering existing / demo code is my favorite way of learning, I've decided to share a couple of my ChucK projects / programs on GitHub so other people can use and learn from them.

The Spektro Audio ChucK repo is available at: http://github.com/SpektroAudio/ChucK

The first project I've uploaded to the Spektro Audio ChucK repo is a program called GlitchLoop and it's very self-explanatory: it plays a glitch-esque loop using pre-defined patterns for the kick, snare and percussion and a random function that generates glitchy patterns for the hihat.

It sounds like this: 

This is our first open-source experiment and I'd like to encourage everybody to go ahead and use, modify, adapt and re-share everything in any of our GitHub repos (under a GPL V2 license).

Enjoy!

Spektro Nucleation 2.0 is out!

Great news everybody: Spektro Nucleation 2.0 is out!

This major (and free!) update brings some exciting new features to our beloved waveshaping device:

• gen~ processing:  During versions 1.0x, Nucleation, like most MaxforLive devices, processed sound in blocks of samples. Now, in version 2.0, it upsamples the signal by 2x and then uses the gen~ technology to process sample-by-sample! This new processing method results in less digital artifacts, less aliasing and a more pleasing timbre for your sound.

• New controls for you to shape your sound even further: offset and shift! Even tho the Offset control already existed in the previous versions, it now works differently due to the new gen~ processing method. The new Shift control allows you to shift the waveform forward in time, completely changing the sound. 

If you've already bought Nucleation in the past, check your email for a download link.

Everything related to this new update (new video and audio demos, change log and etc) can be found at http://spektroaudio.com/nucleation/

We're really excited about this new version and we hope you guys have fun with it!

Spektro Nucleation 2.0 - Video Demo / Preview

Hey everybody!

Here's a video demo / preview of the Spektro Nucleation upcoming 2.0 update that we'll be releasing very soon.

The 2.0 update uses the gen~ technology to process sound sample-by-sample. This new processing method results in less digital artifacts, less aliasing and a more pleasing timbre for your sound. 
There are 2 new controls for you to shape your sound even further: offset and shift! Even tho the Offset control already existed in the previous versions, it now works differently due to the new gen~ processing method. The new Shift control allows you to shift the waveform forward in time, completely changing the sound.

For further information, check out http://spektroaudio.com/nucleation.

Introducing the Spektro Audio Blog!

Hello!

This is Icaro Ferre and I'm excited to announce the Spektro Audio Blog!

The idea for this blog is to share what we're currently working on, our audio experiments, tutorials and our opinions about the latest audio news and trends.

Since we're located in Brazil, we'll also be posting in portuguese from time to time. If you are not interested in reading the posts in portuguese, you can click on the English category in order to only see posts in english.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to put live our new website design. I believe it now looks more modern.

In order to celebrate the blog launch, we're offering a 30% discount on any of our products! Just add the product to your cart and use the coupon code spektroblog (coupon code valid until 11/26/2013).

If you'd like to keep up with this blog, you can either subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter @SpektroAudio.