Acousmodules SpatStruments Collection v2023.11 vst3 vsti3 au WiN Mac [FREE]

The SpatStruments mini series brings together through a few plugins the essentials of what is offered in all Acousmodules: advanced integration of space with sound processing, and total freedom in spatial configurations.
These ones are also optimized for the most common „immersive“ formats that can have up to 24 channels, which includes a good number of domes and acousmoniums, and covers all the multichannel formats associated with cinemas like 7.1.4 up to 22.2. If needed, like for other Acousmodules, conversions to ambisonic or binaural are easily achieved with high-performance, free plugins such as those from IEM and SPARTA, or even to Atmos objects with tools like Fiedler Audio Dolby Atmos Composer (not free…). Of course, they can also be used in stereo…

he SpatStruments are ideal for creators who do not whish to get lost in the quantity and diversity of Acousmodules, but who want to explore every aspect of spatial sound with maximum freedom. They are also well adapted to people who already have a good experience of spatialized mixing in standardized formats but who wish to go further in spatial sound design. And since each of them combine several tools inside a unified UI, with an important part dedicated to gestures, they can be particularly effective for live instrumental playing too.

P l u g i n s:

S p a t S t r u m e n t S M 2 4
Thanks to the recent expansion of MPE gesture controllers (my first one was the LinnStrument…), the SpatStrument SM24 should make it possible to approach audio-spatial sculpting in a playful and creative way, whether it is done inside standardized broadcast formats or in the freedom of original open spaces creations.
Fortunately, it can also work in stereo with an ordinary keyboard with still enough features to play with sounds in innovative ways 😉
It associates sampling and synthesis with an original Spatial Shaper section where nearly all parameters can respond to multi-dimensional touch, of course if you have such device. And if it can work theoretically with every MPE controller, only a few of them have the needed sensitivity on the 3 axis to be really efficient 🙁

See also: MPESpat, MPESynth and MPESampler, all with 64 channels.

S p a t S t r u m e n t P L 3 2
The SpatStrument PL32 (for PLayer) can be considered as a sample player or a clip launcher.
It allows to play at a time up to 25 mono samples and 9 up to 18 channels ones. It is mainly designed for NOT being based on tempo or beat synchronization, and to give preferential treatment to sensible gestures, fluctuating and even random controls.
It doesn’t have a spatialization section and effects, and it is intended to be used in tandem with the SpatStrument FX24/32.
Both sections, the Touch Player and the Mass Player, can be controlled by a regular MIDI keyboard, but they can benefit from more advanced control surfaces and 3D gesture controllers.

S p a t S t r u m e n t G R 2 4
The SpatStrument GR24 (for GRains and Gesture Recorder) is a versatile instrument dedicated to sample mangling and granular kind effects.
It can record or load a mono wav file and process it through two different but complementary tools: the Vaporizer and the Crumblizer.
The Crumblizer can produce extremely short shards to extremely dense textures through evolving rythmic cells, while the Vaporizer is more adapted to particle clouds and trajectories. All their multiple sounds are spatialized with the same powerfull 24 points Spatial Shaper and Animator as the other SpatStruments.
What distinguishes it more is its Gesturizer Pad and gesture Sampler which gives a new level of spatial sound design.
The Gesturizer is also available as a MIDI plugin in the MiniTools Collection.

S p a t S t r u m e n t A L 2 4
The SpatStrument AL24 (for Animations and Loop) is a kind of spatial sound machine, which uses samples and synthesis to create animated textures.
The Spatial Animation section is based on the same Spatial Shaper that other SpatStruments, but is more developped with the Path Animator. It can generate continuous 3D movements and combine them with a 16 nodes graphic path.
The Synthesizer section consists in 32 substractive synthesizers modules that can follow subtle variations or present totally different sounds thanks to its Deviation and Random parameters.
You can also use the Direct outputs mode to send the 32 Synthesis voices to be processed with the SpatStrument FX24/32 or dynamically mixed and binauralized in SpatStrument VB32.
The Sample section looks rather simple, but like the Synthesis, its main parameters can be modulated according to the 16 spatialized voices, which can make evolving or rythmic patterns.

S p a t S t r u m e n t F X 2 4 / 3 2
Multichannel are now rather common, and great series as MeldaProductions (64 channels) or highly specialized ones like SoundParticles or AudioBreewers can be very creative. But the majority of them simply process the sound in parallel, with the same settings for the whole space. They are also logically focused on standard spatial formats, like spherical or cinema kinds, and are generally incapable to process more open ones.
On the other hand, since twenty years, the purpose of Acousmodules is to integrate sound and space design as tightly as possible and to allow to explore speaker spaces totally freely.
SpatStrument FX24 is based on Acousmodules’s original Scatter series, which offers a simple way to handle hundreds of parameters values while modulating them intuitively and efficiently.
Its effects, connected in series, are rather classical – Pitch and Frequency Shifter, Delay, Multimode Filter, Reverberation – but their multichannels combinations brings new possibilities, even reduced in surround or stereo output 😉
It can be used in Direct Channels Mode to process sounds coming from other plugins like the

S p a t S t r u m e n t V B 3 2
The SpatStrument VB32 is by some aspect simpler to use than other SpatStruments since its input and output spaces are fixed: a one or two layers 32 channels grid for the inputs, and 8 points arranged in circle or cube for the outputs.
It is because its spatialization mode is quite „inverted“. Instead of moving sources between output points, it is the output group which is moved inside the inputs space, like we will do in a 6DOF VR game… or in real spaces.
It can work very well for an octophonic production, but it is mainly intended to be used in binaural, either with the internal convolution module or an external processor.
The Cube output brings support for 360° immersion, but to be honest binaural is generally not so good with elevation and the 2D/Circle mode seems to be better most of the time…
It can be simply played with the mouse for the horizontal plane, or better with a 3D gesture controller.
Exemples of use:
– binaural mix with movements (or octophonic spatialization) of 32 mono tracks
– replacements of the spatialization section of the SpatStrument FX24/32
– interactive sound design with SpatStrument AL32
See also SpaceXplorer plugins.

S p a t S t r u m e n t C 2 4
The SpatStrument C24 can be used in two ways: to convert or adapt one spatial format to another, or to spatialize/transform the spatial mass of a sound of up to 24 points. In the first case it must be generally inserted at the end of the production or diffusion chain, in the other one it can be on a track like a panner or directly on an object (Reaper).
In both cases Input and Output can have up to 24 channels, represented on a plane for 2D and most Periphonic spaces, or in 3D for Volumetric sounds and formats.
The precise arrangement of the points is done directly on the two views (top and front) allowing adjustment by ear during processing, which is particularly useful for format adaptations. These configurations can also be imported and exported for easy exchange with other SpatStruments.
The transformation of spatial masses is carried out globally with a few simple controls: their position in three dimensions, their orientation (Yaw, Pitch, Roll, Fold) and their 3D Scale ratio, allowing them to be reduced to a line or even a point. If automated, these shapes movements can follow non linear organic animations thaks to the Delay and Glue parameters.
For difficult cases or to obtain more free spatial effects, the Fader Mode provides up to 64 outputs to connect to each 24 inputs, and adjust up to 4 output levels for each one.

S p a t S t r u m e n t T 2 4
Whatever the space is, however abstract it can be like with ambisonics coding and OBA, there is always one moment where arises the question „what channel goes to what speaker?“, or simply when having a visual confirmation of what you hear can help to make good choices. There is also the need for calibration and all these little level adjustments, and also, particularly important, the Bass Management, which can not only produce a good sound but also can help unify the entire space of a speaker system. Last but not least, some hosts actually cannot record the multichannel sound that you produce…
The SpatStrument T24 is an All-In-One tool to put at the end of the production path, generaly on the Master track, eventually after the decoding or rendering stage, just before the soundcard and the speakers.
At the difference of the other SpatStruments, it does not create sounds and spaces, but it can be used in a wide range of production and show situations. You will also find a downscaled version of the Peaks, Test and Router section as separated MiniTools.
If 24 channels is not enough and if you prefer modularity, see also the 64 channels SpacedTest, SpacedView, SpacedRoute-S, MultiLevel, SimpleBass and SimpleAnalyzer.

Requirements:
– Windows: all versions, but prefer 10 or 11
– macOS: minimum 10.15 (see the note below), Intel CPU (must work with Rosetta), some VST3 versions are or will be native for ARM CPU. Be aware that graphics and performances can be VERY variable according to the OS, the plugin format and the host. Mostly: the UI can be (very) jerky, and/or some graphic elements can be missing or frozen…
– Linux is not supported but AV Linux MX Edition has Wine and Yabridge pre-installed (see this page)
– screen resolution minimum 1080p
– VST3 (Win and Mac): hosts with multichannel busses or that support multichannel routing (Ardour, Reaper, Bidule, Cantabile, Carla, DaVinci Resolve*, Element, Gig Performer, Max/Msp, MuLab, Nuendo*, Pyramix, Studio One*, Usine Hollyhock, VSTHost, Tracktion Waveform), or also for SM24, PL32, GR24 and A24, that can distribute the plugin’s outputs on several stereo busses (Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, Cakewalk, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Samplitude, may need a special VSTI version).
– VST2 (Win): for hosts which have problems with Acousmodules‘ multichannel VST3 implementation (Sequoia…) or don’t support VST3 at all (Podium…). Sometimes performances can also be slightly better.
– Audio Unit (Mac): depending on hosts and OS version these plugins may show a slightly different behaviour than VST3, choose what suits you the best. Note that Logic Pro does not support the SpatStruments channels number.
– may possibly work in Protools Studio/Ultimate inside a AAX host wrapper like Element or Metaplugin (14/16 channels max, not tested)
– for SpatStrument SM24 a MPE controller that supports wide and sensitive three dimensional gestures 😉
– SpatStruments SM24, GR24 and AL24 are available as standalone applications thanks to SAVIHost (Windows only)
* due to channels or formats limitations, truncated or limited versions are provided for these hosts.

Installation:
There is no installer for the plugins and, if they are any, the presets, so you will have to put the files by hand in the correct destinations. The plugins are viewed as folders, either with only the plugin’s name or with a vst3 or component „extension“.
In both cases never change or extract their content, just put them as they are in the destination folder.
– Windows plugins: /Programs/Common Files/VST3/AcousModules/SpatStrumentXX.vst3
– VST2 plugins can be in your usual prefered folder
– Presets: User/Documents/VST3 Presets/AcousModules
– MacOS plugins: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/SpatStrumentXX.vst3 or /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/SpatStrumentXX.component
– Presets: /Library/Audio/Presets/AcousModules (or /User/Library/Audio/Presets/AcousModules)

Important note for MacOS users: the plugins are not and will not be notarized, so you may encounter installation restriction mechanisms for downloaded apps in the latest versions of the OS. Known methods should work up to MacOS 12, like https://www.wikihow.com/Install-Software-from-Unsigned-Developers-on-a-Mac, but if this is impossible, and if you don’t want to turn SIP off for more recent OS, a simple solution is to download the plugin on Windows or Linux and then transfer the file to a USB key. Sorry…

http://acousmodules.free.fr/spatstrument.htm#download