Chromoscope AAS

[TwoToneshuzz]

I'm pretty happy with my TASSMAN, String Studio and Ultra Analog. They sound great. But the feeling I've gotten is that these are somewhat dead ends, as they don't really get much development. That makes my surprise that much greater when I got the Chromophone notification in my in box.

For users of AAS professional series plugs there is a limited time offer of 90 $, a 80 $ reduction in price, I'm seriously tempted as I see it's 64 bit on the Mac and it has basically the same technology that I love from the other plugs.. This generous deal for existing users, sort of makes up for the slow development we've seen from the company. Although I've not paid full price for my three AAS instruments, the total amounts to around 260 $ with tax, it's always bugged me that they might one day become obsolete. This Chromosphone makes me have faith at least that the high quality type of modelling synthesis that's on offer here will still be available to me as I upgrade my hardware.. I'm happy and think that I'll probably just do the deal, it's on until the 5 of 'Dec. I'd still love to see a string studio 2 a Tassman 5 and Ultra Analog 2 in that order, but maybe they just aren't going to happen and Chromosphone is going to be the more lean and simpler offering for the virtual modelling synthesis into the forseeable future.

I dare say I recommend it!

Wade

[ignatius]

it sounds great. really is a slice of tassman. but i don't like the gui much. it is full of small numbers/letters.

also, it's basically, ableton's Collision which is something AAS developed for ableton.

i haven't gotten the email w/the coupon yet. lot's of people haven't. not sure i'd buy it anyways..

i'm glad they have gotten it finished. i hope tassman5 is on deck for a round of updates/make overs. it needs it badly... such a great sounding app.

i hear ya about how they don't further develop their apps. they just do bug fixes etc but never add more features that users want.

[TwoToneshuzz]

I'm playing with it now, I see what you mean about the GUI, but still it's quite an improvement from the other AAS GUI's, I've also just this year admitted that I need seriously good glasses to work with much software that I use these days, so this year instead of buying camera lenses and computers, I've bought super glasses, two pairs! So now I see all the fine print, no excuses.. But Ya the text size should be sizeable or the Gui should be sizeable. Actually I'd prefer having the Framework of a GUI expandable in small increments, and the text size to be independently scaled. Of course if you just work with a few plug ins all the time you eventually know what all the elements do without text. I do like the low key style of the GUI in general though..

The provided sound presets quite usable the usual high quality sound, thinner than the rich U-he plugs like ACE, or Filterscape. But soooo addictive, at first I thought there was only 10 presets per category but that number varies so there's a fair range of sounds to start, anyways I feel the Chromosphone is relatively easy to program so it will get filled with my own sounds pretty quickly..

Finally I'll miss having an arp like the ones in Ultra Analog and String Studio, they are really very useful and fun.

Editing and experimenting with the different resonator models is what this is all about, so the ease of use for for sound design newbies is very inviting...


Wade

[ignatius]

i like the low key appearance of it as well. and it does sound great.. as expected.

[stubbsonic]

I just installed the demo and was generally impressed. Thanks for letting us know about it. ("Chromoscope" ?-- it'd be nice if the subject could be corrected). I posted a short review over on synthtopia, just going to excerpt it here...

Chromaphone shares some qualities with Logic's Sculpture, but with far fewer features, and a simpler, arguably more intuitive interface. The ability to purchase it a la carte, to learn it quickly, and to run it in other DAW's make it an appealing alternative to Sculpture.

Unless I am missing a hidden page, the ability to modulate parameters is hard-wired (and limited) in the architecture to key and velocity on specific parameters. The hard-wired controls are adequate.

As others have commented, the interface requires clicking in small areas and is a bit tiny, inelegant, and not easily manipulated (esp. with a track pad). Though it is logical and easy to learn. Some settings can induce clipping and require me to manually reduce the output level, but I prefer this to some auto gain function.

For all its simplicity, it is a very versatile, musical and nice-sounding instrument.

The demo installation was quick and easy and gave me a good idea of the rig's capabilities.

As for the price, it is bit hard to judge. The quality and usability of sounds puts it on par with some comparable instruments, but there isn't an apples-to-apples alternative out there. I've been wanting an alternative to Sculpture (sans Logic), and this is as close as I have seen. Fortunately, I have a coupon from a recent Korg Microkey purchase that I will probably cash in.

[TwoToneshuzz]

I have the Demo installed, and I think I've already decided I'll get it before the Dec 5 deadline for 90 $ this instead of Diva which is what I have otherwise been considering.. It's the scottish trait here, I'd rahter save the 80 dollars on the Chromaphone, than the 60 on the more expensive, yet somehow more limited Diva.. I can't believe I have to choose between such fantastic tools at these prices...

Anyways I feel that Chromascope suits my way of working with Numerology like a glove. I like a lot of variety in the sounds but no sounds that are too powerful in themselves, I want to build up my sonic palette a piece at a time rather than taking a finished signature sound like the things DIVA would excel at. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I want to work more polyphonically where the sound experiences is created by the interaction between evenly weighted instruments tightly interwoven. Not to say that the occasion rauctious outbursts have their place. But this outburst are more of a percussive or accentual nature riding over a stream bed of sound.

AAS sounds are great for this way of working because they can be interesting even though they are quiet, it's all in the detail and quirkiness responsiveness of the sound..

Wade

[TwoToneshuzz]

I

Unless I am missing a hidden page, the ability to modulate parameters is hard-wired (and limited) in the architecture to key and velocity on specific parameters. The hard-wired controls are adequate.



I think if you setup up a paramod with the Chromaphone as destination you will see you can modulate all parameters. There is no Midi Learn as yet but it's in the works. With paramodules you can set up whatever modulation source you need Breath, Aftertouch, Modwheel, XY and so on.

I

As for the price, it is bit hard to judge. The quality and usability of sounds puts it on par with some comparable instruments, but there isn't an apples-to-apples alternative out there. I've been wanting an alternative to Sculpture (sans Logic), and this is as close as I have seen. Fortunately, I have a coupon from a recent Korg Microkey purchase that I will probably cash in.

I'm thinking for me a price of $160 is about right as it's a tried and tested technology that has been refined, with added elements and a usable set of preset sounds to start of with. This combined with the unique mode of sound generation makes it a very interesting offering.

For me at the 90$ intro price is almost a no brainer..

[TwoToneshuzz]

I have made a track using Chromaphone, but also;

Tassman and String Studio, layered strings

Ultra Analog lead whole tone figure.

Lounge Lizard ostinato vibraphone like figure.

effects:

Filterscape U-he

UHBIK F UHBIK G U-he

Valhalla Room by Valhalla DSP

Valhalla Shimmer by Valhall DSP

My own modular sequencer enviroment setup in Five12's Numerology.

"Set ChromaMona Phree"

© 2011 Wade Mattson

http://www.box.com/s/c4eoadh9i90xkkembzr2


Wade

[TwoToneshuzz]

I have made a new track with the following Applied Acoustic System plugs:

Chromaphone x6

Tassman x2

Ultra Analog x2

String Studio x1

Lounge Lizard x1


Theres a few stuck notes and a few loud notes, I let them live. Embarrased? Nope? Creativity is messy in this neck of the woods!

Why these stuck and Loud notes, well I wanted access to all these plugs, so I --->

My computer doesn't have the CPU to handle all of these plugs at once. So I use a Sounds stack, where I made a preset playlist where pairs of instruments would be dropped out/ turned off for one 6 bar period and then turned on again throughout the whole list instruments over 8 presets x 6 bars and looped 12 times..

This is an independant cycle of the sounds only and only possible if you set up a dedicated Sounds stack..

There is all kinds of stuff going on behind the scenes...

12x 16 step mono note sequencers that are actually each a grand central station for multiple control inputs...If I watch the sequencers notes often the output seems extremely different from what the sequencers a showing, like there is ghosts in the machine..

Extended Harmony stack that is 3 voice frame work, global transposer sequence (32 step) a key sequence and a scale mode sequence.

A main mute gate sequence for each mono note

a trigger gate control for each sequence

a few super trigger gates..


Lfo's controlling volume for each instrument

Main Time stack for controlling timings from a central spot. This is not dynamic/dosn't change over the course of the track but I'm quite sure I would never have reached the same results as to the timing relationships between the 12 mono notes, without the Main Time control stack.

No animal were harmed in the making of this track. not even the little grey ones in my head.. The ones that couldn't take the Numerology way of thinking have long since packed up and left..


here is the track:

A Bull In A Chromalean Shop !

© 2011 Wade Mattson

http://www.box.com/s/zb9399x5790yppr6c5mg


Wade

[stubbsonic]

Fascinating track.

With the release of a la carte MainStage2 (that includes Sculpture) one might compare the pros & cons of Chromaphone vs. Sculpture.

Sculpture is feature-packed, far more powerful, more versatile, and more modulate-able, much wider palette of possibilities. The interface follows the "space ship console" aesthetic, which is not very intuitive, so it has a steeper learning curve. That said, the interface does show you most everything without multiple pages. Sculpture is only available within the MainStage2 program. It is part of a very nice collection of VI's with MainStage, and it is dirt cheap.

Chromaphone makes musical sounding and playable sounds pretty easily. Chromaphone is a plug-in and is available as an AU. The interface is logical and the feature-set is simpler and is very easy to learn and master. It is not as capable of creating blown & bowed sounds, also, it does not have the same range of timbres and tones as Sculpture. It is "less-stupidly" priced.

[TwoToneshuzz]

Fascinating track.

With the release of a la carte MainStage2 (that includes Sculpture) one might compare the pros & cons of Chromaphone vs. Sculpture.

Sculpture is feature-packed, far more powerful, more versatile, and more modulate-able, much wider palette of possibilities. The interface follows the "space ship console" aesthetic, which is not very intuitive, so it has a steeper learning curve. That said, the interface does show you most everything without multiple pages. Sculpture is only available within the MainStage2 program. It is part of a very nice collection of VI's with MainStage, and it is dirt cheap.

Chromaphone makes musical sounding and playable sounds pretty easily. Chromaphone is a plug-in and is available as an AU. The interface is logical and the feature-set is simpler and is very easy to learn and master. It is not as capable of creating blown & bowed sounds, also, it does not have the same range of timbres and tones as Sculpture. It is "less-stupidly" priced.


All that is true except:

the "less-stupidly" priced.

All Chromaphones parameters in the Numerology parmod, parameter drop down list are available.

I think it also remains to be seen what the Chromaphone is capable of in regards to range of tones and timbre's Sampleconstruct at patchpool, is getting amazing results, his coming Bank; ChromaZone for Chromaphone priced at around 12 euro's is going to reveal alot of unique ways of using the instrument.

My shopping for plugs has been somewhat expensive but I'm really quite happy with the price performance ratio...

My future buys:

ElectraX by Tone2 199 $

Diva by U-he 199 $ introductory until Jan 1 110 $

Zebra by U-he 199 $

Sound Toys 300 $

Studio Monitors 1200 $

Yacht with playboy bunnies. 12,000,000

A trip to the moon...You get the idea..



Btw. They are still offering Chromaphone for registered users of AAS plugs for 89 $ until the end of the Year.

As I'm not in the market for more stuff right now I'll be sticking with Chromaphone..

Most All my plugs are going to be AU's or Vst's as I don't want to deal with inter application timing issues. The Maschine can host Vst's and Numerology can host AU's. I Want the super mini modular setup which will get me alot of power and solve issues with Numerologies less efficient use of
of CPU resources.

My philosphy or my preference is I want to avoid is having to tweak and second guess timing issues, and have fewer programs to use..Upgrades system fixes, bugs, troubleshooting all this takes time away from the enjoyable process of making sounds and listening to the results.. Jue recommends Vienna Pro, that has sample accurate sync for audio and midi across a network of 4 computers.. That functionallity is worth the entry price alone..

The Main Stage is still a cracker of a deal, but it making everthing else overpriced is a business strategy by apple to undercut the competition, I like the competition, why should the Discount Giants be allowed to crush small innovative companies?

Wade

[stubbsonic]

My comment, "less stupidly priced" was intending to make the same point you have made much more elegantly. I.e., that Chromaphone is priced more in the normal (read: reasonable) range.

I'm kind of obsessed with modeling synthesis these days, so I won't mind further exploring both of these synths.

[TwoToneshuzz]

My comment, "less stupidly priced" was intending to make the same point you have made much more elegantly. I.e., that Chromaphone is priced more in the normal (read: reasonable) range.

I'm kind of obsessed with modeling synthesis these days, so I won't mind further exploring both of these synths.

I find I can work longer with less audio fatigue with physical modelling synthesis sounds than any other sound source.. Even ACE which sounds great as an Analog modlular emulation can be tiring on the ears, there's no space for rest, the air is pressed out the sonic space is loaded.. No real sounds are that heavy and dense..

Real sounds can be too loud, but at normal listening levels they still have a fine detail a liveliness that makes the impression of room spaciel cues, depth, tone, colour, transparency. All things that give the ear a place to find rest...

Space, silence is golden. Forget that and you have forgotten one of the basic elements of the art.

Wade

[stubbsonic]

Nicely put. A good reminder.

[TwoToneshuzz]

A Track with

6X Chromaphone various percussion.

2x Blofeld melody.


2x Wavestation melody.

Very deviously set up project, hmm

I'm shift modulating the Master Groove clock and Lfo modulating the Master clock.

I'm shift modulating the length velocity and divide parameters on many sequences

I'm group muting all the percussion to create a global rest. Among other things..

These modulations makes it seem as if there is whole army of ghosts in the machine..

© 2011 Wade Mattson

http://www.box.com/s/6hl7ty7fgysozre4zz01

[stubbsonic]

That track is beautiful. Deep. Wide. Partly non human.

[TwoToneshuzz]

That track is beautiful. Deep. Wide. Partly non human.

Thanks.. I'm really triying to get to grips with the percussion on my own terms. So I'm spending time setting all kinds of devices up. Experimenting with the Chromaphone I finally took to the time to really read the manual in depth. A great study for just understanding the physics of sound generation in general..

What I like is how you get pretty radical changes in the sound charatieristic with just a few changes..

Wade

[Two Soldiers]

Very nice work Wade. Ghosts is exactly what they sound like - sometimes drifting away, sometimes vanishing suddenly to another dimension. Eerie and beautiful.

[TwoToneshuzz]

Very nice work Wade. Ghosts is exactly what they sound like - sometimes drifting away, sometimes vanishing suddenly to another dimension. Eerie and beautiful.

I do most of my work with Numerology on my back listening back to tracks and trying to figure out how to make some synergy out of something that seems as if it was created by some outside force, shaving an refining. End up with something I don't understand but enjoy, sort of.

Wade

New Track

Chromolonian Battle Drums

http://www.box.com/s/plog4sxlp8ec0qal66ri

Wade

[TwoToneshuzz]

ChromAfrica

Track with 3 drumseqencers and 3 monosequencers playing percussion sounds Chromaphone only.

I got all kinds of crazy Numerology stuff going, that I'll detail in a Tips and Tricks posts soon.

http://www.box.com/s/fqjvcrjy3t6pstv7q9ts

Wade