NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
The idea behind Mesh was to create a Virtual Analogue mono synth in the style of the Minimoog with the addition of 5 Tempo based LFOs for exploring rhythmic potential. In comparison to previous Homegrown Synths, Mesh is very simple using 3 Oscillators and a Sub Oscillator to shape the sound, a single oversampled Low Pass Moog style filter, and 3 Envelopes. The LFOs can modulate most parameters, and there are several quantized pitch destinations to enable complex one finger sequences to be constructed. Add to this a compact effects section comprising of a Modulator, a Delay and SoundScaper and Finally an Arpeggiator which all adds up to a simple lightweight sonic playground.
The Oscillators provide the usual suspect waveforms such as Sine, Saw, Ramp, Triangle and Square, but also add a large selection of Digital Waveforms to expand it’s sonic capabilities. The filter can be oversampled up to 8 times which improves the quality of the sound as well as providing a different character for each of the modes.
Although Mesh is designed as a non velocity based Mono Synth, it can be used as a Polyphonic instrument, and velocity can also be enabled. There are also a set of modulation parameters for assigning Velocity, Aftertouch, Mod Wheel and Pitch to a wide selection of destinations.
The demo Version is fully functional apart from audio dropouts when the host is in playback mode.
Modulator does what it says on the tin, it uses an LFO which can then be used to create many modulation style effects such as Flangers, Phasers, Ring Modulators etc… The LFO can also be swapped for an Envelope follower which will use the incoming sound level as the modulation source in various ways.
- Available effects include Flanger, Phasers, Low/Band/Hi Pass Filters, Frequency Modulation, Pitch Shift, Chorus, Ring Modulation, Gapper, Autopan, Low Shelf, Hi Shelf, Notch, Peak, Decimator, and Modulation Delays.
- Feedback Intensity
- LFO Depth
- LFO Offset
- Huge choice of Waveforms/Envelopes, also including 150 custom Waves with Smooth Control.
- BPM Synced or Freeform Tempo.
- LFO 2 – This can be used to further modulate either the Feedback, Offset, Depth or Rate.
- Randomizers.
- Use Midi Pitch Bend, Aftertouch, and Mod Wheel to affect parameters.
- Midi Note On Re-triggers the LFO.
- All effects have Autopan ability.
- It’s Free!
Phase Shifter VSTi
Free VST Plugin that emulates Steve Reich’s Phasing technique
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit onlyIn the late 60’s composer Steve Reich stumbled across a technique he called phasing, which was to have two identical tape loops that run at slightly different speeds, the result is that every possible combination of sound is cycled through until they arrive back in sync. The result with a melodic piece of music is that it moves through moments of chaos and moments of melody. Brian Eno also used this technique extensively on some of his Ambient albums. After becoming interested in this in 2008, I decided to build myself a simple plugin to emulate the process as it was surprisingly difficult to emulate with any software I had at that time. I have now expanded it to emulate four tape decks and many more features such as time stretching, filters & FX so that it has become a much more capable synthesizer.
Phase Shifter is designed more for playing live, though full VST automation is supported and having an external controller makes the process a much more rewarding experience. It also has a built in recorder so that the output can be recorded directly to disk. It works by loading up to 2 WAVs, and is triggered via a midi keyboard. Middle C will play the WAV at it’s original speed. It has a lot of potential for producing interesting sounds, I would be pleased to hear of the different ways people use it.
Here are some basic possible uses, and a quick guide to how it is achieved:
PHASING
Load up the default patch, Reich Piano Phase, which uses the base riff of one of Steve Reich’s more famous phasing pieces. Hold down the middle C key and keep it held. You will hear that the loops slowly go out of sync and eventually they come back together having shifted through all combinations of sound. This patch is only using the top 2 Phase Shifters, you can see that the pitch knob on number 2 is slightly speeded up, and so is the one shifting forwards. When I use it for basic phasing I find it easier to always leave PS1 set to normal speed. You will also notice that the P1 and P2 buttons are enabled on PS2, this means that the speeding up is timestretched instead of  the pitch altering. If P1 is switched off, then the pitch will alter with the speed (like a true tape deck). Try loading one of your own loops in this patch and playing with the speed.
LOOP HARMONISING
Another great use of Phase Shifter is the ability to retune a loop using the P1 pitch shift, and having N (Note Based) pressed. This means that there is no speed change, and so the loops will play in sync. Load the next patch ‘Reich Piano Phase 2’ to hear/see this in action. Playing with the pitch knob on PS2 you will hear that it moves in semitones.
COUNTERPOINT/SYNCOPATION
Sticking with the Piano Phase 2 patch, now move the start slider a couple of notches along and retrigger the note (middle C). You will now hopefully hear that WAV in PS2 has begun playback 2 beats in and so there is a delay type effect. This slider will move between 16 equal positions in the WAV.
I hope that gives an idea of some of the basic possibilities, there are also all of these techniques working together, using 2 WAVs and all 4 Phase Shifters some wonderful collages can be created, especially making use of the filters and panning, I hope that the presets will give some ideas of the scope, although I don’t think it is really a preset machine, it is more exploratory. My personal favourite is patch 16 ‘Reverse Guitars’ if you play that lower than middle C and keep the key held down for a long time, it is reminiscent to me of some of the early ambient Eno tracks. Of course it can also be used as a synth and at times has a mellotron type feel. The added SoundScaper also adds another depth to explore.
ARP VSTi
Advanced Midi Arpeggiator and Note Sequencer VST Plugin for Windows, will drive anything with a midi in!
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
ARP is an advanced Polyphonic Arp and Note Sequencer with Scale Remapping for powerful sequencing possibilities. Sequences can be re-mapped based on the played note so for example a sequence can be forced to fit to the major scale. The idea behind this is to break away from the typical note sequencer where every key simply transposes the sequence, the ability to remap each note results in a much more creative sequence.
The Muter Section is a gate sequencer which decides which notes will play. ARP is also polyphonic and so can be used as a typical Gate Sequencer, or even more interesting as a polyphonic sequencer that syncopates. There is also the ability to offset the start note of each sequence so that when 2 notes are pressed together they automatically play syncopated. Finally there is OmniChorder which allows triggering up to another 2 notes when one note is pressed to create a chord, this becomes interesting when used with the Scale Remapper which can leave you with a selection of interesting one finger chords.
ARP 1.4 now also includes a tie row, for tieing notes together, a volume row and vol amount knob for alternative velocity sequencing, an Octave row which on a basic level will add an octave to current step but also includes more complex cycling modes, 3 CC Modulation Sequencing with independent tempo and step sizes for targeting any control change, a dedicated Velocity per step sequencer, and the ability to use channel 16 as a secondary midi source for re-pitching the entire ARP/Sequence output on the fly.
The demo version is fully featured, but times out after 30 minutes per session.
Pulse Control VSTi
If you ever wished your Waldorf pulse had many more features such as Modulation Sequencers, then this is the product for you.
NOTE: This plugin is for controlling a Hardware synthesizer called the Waldorf Pulse, the plugin is useless unless you actually own a Waldorf Pulse 🙂 It is also 32-bit only.
Pulse Control V1.2 takes the Waldorf Pulse into previously unknown territory adding three Modulation and three Gate Sequencers, an Advanced Arpeggiator/Sequencer with Scale Remapper, 2 Additional 32 Stage Envelopes, an Advanced programmable LFO, and local/Global Randomization. Using this plugin gives complete control over each of the Oscillators allowing independent Sequencing via the Mod
ulation Sequencers. This allows creating complex one finger style sequences which will make you doubt that the pulse is a mono synth. Pulse Control additionally adds a second software based Modulation Matrix with 7 slots with most of the Pulses parameters available as Destinations.
Pulse Control also can be used on a basic level as an interface to the Pulses on-board parameters, all of which are displayed on the main page. For those who have a midi controller set up to control the Pulse, it will also control the plugin and full VST automation is supported. The plugin does not use the Pulses internal patch system, instead patches are store within the plugin/project and restored when reloaded like all other VST Instruments.
The plugin is available for any Windows VST host which allows sending Midi Out from a VST Plugin to external Midi Ports such as Reaper and Cantabile.
There is a fully functional demo available which will time out after 10 minutes of use, but other than that it it is identical to the paid version.
Ammonite VSTi
Dual Synth with TerraNova FX engine, Subtractive, Additive, FM, Sample, RM and AM Synthesis.
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
News: Updated to v1.2 with many new major additions such as Additive Synthesis and Sample Based Synthesis, ARP, Sequencer, Scale Remapper and Ominichorder plus much more, this is by far the most powerful HGS synth to date!
Ammonite VSTi is a feature packed dual synthesizer, extremely powerful, yet intuitive to use. It comes from a long line of Astralis Synths and benefits from the proven formula that ensures a user friendly experience. Whether you want a synth capable of undulating atmospheres, or Kraftwerk/Orbital style sequencing or cutting leads, Ammonite is capable of this and much more. A strong point of Ammonite is that it can be used to good effect on a superficial level by people less experienced with synths, and the deeper elements can become apparent through usage.
Dual Synth – 2 Oscillators per Synth
Each synth section combines 2 Oscillators and has various Modes which decide how they interact with each other; such as Add, Subtract, Dual Pitch and FM. Each Oscillator is capable of over 3,500 waveforms ranging from the usual suspects, such as Sine and Saw, to FM bell like sounds, through to cutting digital Waves. There is also a healthy assortment of filters from Low Pass, Hi Pass, Band Pass, Shelving and Comb, which are cascadable up to 8 times. There are two 32 stage Envelopes per synth, one dedicated to the Volume, and the Second to the Filter, both capable of repeating a range. Each synth is completely independent and has it’s own FX send level, Noise, Tuning and Drive.
TerraNova FX Section
The effects section, is comprised of the newly developed TerraNova FX system which has 5 main effects including SoundScaper, Delay, and 3 multi-purpose Modulators which can be used to do a large assortment of Modulating effects such as Flanger, Phasers, Ring Modulators, FM, Pitch Shifters, Filters, Mod Delays, Decimator and synth tones. These can be routed in any order using drag and drop routing, or randomized using a dedicated randomizer. Other effects include, Harmonic Exciters, a Compressor, an 8 band graphic EQ, Low and Hi Cut, plus Drive with 4 different modes.
Sequencing – Gates and ARP
As for sequencing, Ammonite has an assortment of options which include a Polyphonic Gate Sequencer capable of triggering any of the 5 envelopes, plus a unique way of using a polarity setting to trigger Synth 2 on the off positions, as well as either of the filter envelopes. There is a second monophonic gate sequencer which is dedicated to driving a Gapper and/or re-triggering the LFOs in the FX Modulators. Finally there is a full featured Arpeggiator/Sequencer, which can do all the classic ARP stuff, plus can be programmed as a one note sequencer, with an additional Muter mode for deciding which steps will sound. The Muters can be used with the standard ARP Mode, and along with independent step size can create unique ARP patterns.
Modulation – Sequencers, LFOs and Modulation Matrix
On the Modulation front, there are many options including 2 multi purpose Modulation Sequencers, 2 LFOs, 5 x 32 stage repeating Envelopes, Vibrato, Randomizer, as well as the usual assortment of Velocity, Aftertouch and Mod Wheel. All of these can be routed through a Modulation Matrix with up to 8 sources mapped to 7 destinations. There is a large selection of destinations, making it a very configurable synth for those that like to delve into the depths of synthesis. There are also two XY controllers on the front page which can be assigned to a multitude of parameters.
Recorder
There is a useful built in Recorder which is capable of recording at 16, 24, 32, or 32F bit-rate directly to disk. It can be set to record to a custom location, and it will automatically name the file using tempo and date/time. Furthermore, it can either be used to record manually by clicking the record button, or can be set to record a sample accurate ‘x’ number of bars, which makes making loops very easy – ready to load into any application which uses WAV loops.
Other Features
Other notable features are the Microtuner which uses standard Scala files, an Analog mode with 4 different levels to fatten/warm up the sound, 48 note polyphony (2 x 24) with the ability to choose a custom polyphony below that, individual glide and pitch Bend per synth, and Spread for randomizing stereo placement of voices on each note on. There is also an extensive randomization system built in, there are small blue buttons throughout the synth which will randomize nearby controls, as well as a Global Randomize button which can be configured to randomize targeted sections only.
Testimonials
“I had great time playing with Ammonite, it so easy to learn, has plenty of options and virtualy does not need manual for a quick start (which I eventually read to better understand Ammo gem) … I will say randomize function did come in handy on couple of times, but for the most part I simply built patches from scratch, it was more fun to do so and the more I get under the hood of this beast, the more I enjoyed it.” – Darko
Ammonite is compatible with any Windows Application which supports VST Instruments.
- Updated to v1.1 – Includes many new features and now over 400 presets many using the 1.1 features.
- Now includes a bank of 52 sounds by Darko, many thanks for that
Scala Creator VSTi
VST Instrument for creating Microtonal patches in the Scala format which can be used in any synth that loads them, such as Orgone and Bion.
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit onlyScala Creator is a VST plugin for Windows, designed to make creating Microtonal patches in Scala format an easy process. Although it is primarily designed as part of the Astralis pack to make patches for the Astralis synths, the produced .scl files can be used with any application that can load them. Scales can be up to 48 notes which should suit most purposes, and Scales can be created using cents via knobs or text entry boxes, which can also accept ratios.
The VSTi is also equipped with a basic synth for playing the scales as you create them. The playback options are the same as those used in the other Homegrown synths, so that Scales can be laid out either back to back, or in Octave format, so that each cycle of the scale will always begin on a C key (Note that this is not saved as part of the scale, other synths may lay the Scales out differently). Also included is an Arpeggiator with many modes, as well as a virtual keyboard which can use sticky notes, together this means that free hands Scale design is possible. You can select a series of notes and they will play continuously whilst you concentrate on creating the scale.
Scala Creator also comes with 300 Microtonal patches which come as standard with all other HG synths. This provides the file framework where the files are saved. It consists of a main folder which can be installed anywhere, and then sub folders within this location, appear as banks inside the HG VST instruments. This provides a simple way of organising patches. Inside the synth, this appears as two popup menus, the first selects the bank, and then from the second menu any patch within the bank can be selected. The currently selected scale can be imported to populate the working scale, and the compare button allows switching between these and the previous values.
Whilst Scala is free, excellent and an extremely versatile application, it is a complex program to learn. The aim of Scala Creator was to make it a straight forward and intuitive process. It does not aim to compete with Scala, but provides an easier way for people to quickly make and export scales, and will be especially useful for those people new to Microtonal Tuning. Scala Creator is free for existing owners of the Astralis Pack.
Black Magic VSTi
Powerful unique Rhythm VST Plugin for creating diverse WAVs easily and quickly, records straight to usable Loops as well as multiple live and sequencer possibilities.
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
“Amazing plugin! Love it! I’m using it in my live PA this weekend 🙂 ” – Pheek
Black Magic is a unique loop workstation with the ability to generate diverse loops with a single mouse click. Furthermore a loop can instantly be recorded out to WAV, automatically named by BPM and timestamp. The idea developed to make sample based loops an easy and fun process, as loop creation is generally a time consuming process. Black Magic can also be used as a standard midi drum machine and also has the ability to jam with the individual sequences in real time. It has 10 Samplers each with its own sequencer and many adjustable parameters. It uses standard WAV files and ships with a large library of samples, but users can easily add their own. There is also a solid FX section which includes a Compressor/Limiter, Delay, SoundScaper, Flanger/Filter and Drive as well as many Modulation options including randomizers, a Modulation sequencer and an LFO.
Black Magic looks deceptively simple on the surface and can be used easily without delving into the details too much, but underneath there is a vast amount of tweakable parameters. Each sampler has its own settings for 14 parameters such as Cutoff, Resonance, Volume, Pan, Pitch, Release etc, but there are also a set of Master controls for these settings which are additive/subtractive. These knobs provide instant gratification and can change the sound dramatically as well as being automated (like most controls in BM). There is also an overview Mixer screen which allows seeing all levels for 12 of the Sampler parameters and allows a great way to randomize just the pitches or cutoff values for instance.
Each Sampler has its own 32 step sequencer which can be triggered via midi and has adjustable step size, which allows for complex overlapping rhythms to be constructed. There is also a useful alternative to randomizing the sequence which uses a pre-defined set of presets which is randomly selected. This allows much more usable rhythms to be created as opposed to the standard randomizers (which are also available). Another useful feature is that Octave 4 and 5 of the midi controller affects a selectable parameter such as Master Pitch or Master Cutoff in real time which adds a whole new world of creative possibilities, for example playing a tune with the current loop.
There is a Kit feature which allows grouping installed samples together and saving as a kit, this then allows quick selection of those samples in the future. The Kit screen provides a useful overview of all current samples where they can also be selected and randomized. Samples are stored in folders, and those folders appear as banks within Black Magic and there is the ability to lock the bank. So for example selecting Snare drums and locking the bank will mean that when randomizing only Snare Drums will be selected for this sampler slot.
The FX Section has Soundscaper which is a diverse delay/reverb style effect, a Stereo BPM Delay, and a Flanger which can be switched to Filter instead, the LFO has a large amount of wave shapes available. Each sampler has its own set of sends for these effects. There is also a Compressor, Limiter and Noise Gate which happen just before the Master Volume Level, the compressor is great for a heavy compression sound that is popular these days.
Many thanks to the beta testers for testing plus contributing Samples, Banks, Demos and Presets:
Az’re-ul, Josiah Christensen, SampleScience, GJK, JDT, Elxicano, Alex Falcao, Musical Gym, Chester Desmond.
Baby Bion v2
Synth that specializes in atmospheric sound due to the built in Soundscaper, uses Bion’s oscillator.
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
Baby Bion is lightweight Synth using the Oscillator from the forthcoming Astralis Bion. It was designed primarily with SoundScaper in mind, the free FX plugin from hgsounds which can create Complex Undulating Collages. Baby Bion adds a Synth to create the Sound Source, as well as Flanger/Filter, a complex LFO and a couple of 32 stage Envelopes. Although it specializes in Soundscapes and Atmospheres, it can also be used as a general Lightweight Synth, the uniquely developed Dual Oscillator provides over 3500 different waveforms which can be mixed in many flexible ways including FM.
Harmonic Enhancer VST
A simple plugin to add treble and bass Harmonic Distortion to help with Dull Audio/create presence.
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
A Simple plugin that I built for myself and thought I’d tidy it up and make it available to anyone else who may find it useful. It allows adding harmonic distortion at about 10k and 100hz, which is useful for creating presence in dull audio, especially useful for brightening up the top end.
Bass: This adds the distorted Bass to the mix.
Treble: Adds the top end sparkle
Bass Delay: Allows delaying the bass which can help with phase correction
Master: The master volume output.
FX Enable: Switches the Enhancements ON/OFF for comparison purposes.
Dry Enable: Enables switching off the dry signal to hear what the plugin is adding.
There are only a couple of presets, as presets are a bit pointless in a plugin like this
SoundScaper II – VST Plugin for Windows and OS X
Free Plugin great for creating endless landscapes, Reverbs and tunable comb effects.
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
Introducing the first Homegrown Sounds non-Synthedit plugin for Windows and additionally the first for Intel Mac. It is currently a beta version, but seems fine in tests so far. Please report any bugs/suggestions if you give it a try.
SoundScaper is versatile and great for comb effects, reverbs and endless delays. It is has been included in most of my synths over the last couple of years.
There are only a few presets at the moment, please feel free to send me some if you come up with any good ones. There are lots of randomizers as usual to make using SoundScaper a fun and creative experience! It is not advisable to use the plug in any active projects yet as it may change before official release, but I’d love to hear some feedback especially from Mac users.
The lists don’t have popup menus yet on the Mac, but holding down and dragging up/down will scroll through the list entries. The right mouse button on the windows version will also do this, but the left brings up a popup.
The sliders and Knobs can be fine tuned by holding down ctrl/Command key whilst dragging.
D will reset to the default settings.
HGS WAV Recorder VST
Free Recorder will record it’s input to stereo 16/24/32 bit WAV, with auto naming.
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
HGS WAV Recorder is a simple plugin that performs a single role, recording the incoming signal directly to a WAV. It can be used either in an Insert or as a Send Effect. The Sound output can either be direct through, Muted or the Recorded Signal to ensure maximum flexibility. It is a useful plugin for recording spontaneous improvisations, or providing real time record functionality in Hosts which do not support this directly.
Each WAV is named by the date/time the recording was started so there is no danger of recording over any existing wavs and all are sorted by date. The Recording Folder is configurable via a text file which can be directly opened via the plugin at any time in notepad. After changing the path, clicking on update will create the new directory (if needed) and the next wav will be recorded in that location.
Bion VSTi
Powerful predecessor to Ammonite
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
Astralis Bion has a custom built Oscillator with 3500+ possible Waveforms, and many Filters types including Low Passes, Hi Passes, Band Shelf and Comb. The Astralis range of synths are primarily designed for easily creating atmospheric and Ambient landscapes, though Bion is useful for any style of music due to the huge array of features.
It consists of two identical synths each with it’s own Envelopes and Filter etc… There are many features including an extensive effects section, Microtuner, Programmable Arpeggiator, Gapper, two Modulation Sequencers, Gate Sequencer, LFO and a flexible Modulation Matrix. Like all other Homegrown products, whilst the possibilities of Bion are deep, a sophisticated randomization system has been designed so that creating new sounds on the fly is easy. There are also local randomizers on every section so that you can just randomize a synth section of just an oscillator for example.
Each synth has a dual oscillator so that 2 waveforms can be selected and then one of 21 different modes can be used to decide how they interact. The are numerous modes including Add, Subtract, Split and FM. As for the waveshapes, there are a number of presets such as Sine, Triangle, Saw, Square etc… as well as the Wavesets, which are a collection of pre-defined shapes selectable from the Waveset slider. The random button can be used to quickly pass through sounds until a suitable one is found.
The FX Section includes Stereo Delay, Flanger/Filter, Ring Modulator, SoundScaper and Organic, as well as a compressor. There are 127 possible routing combinations which brings a huge world of possibilities for atmospheric sounds. SoundScaper is a delay based effect which is capable of effects such as combs, Reverbs, Echos and complex undulating delay beds.
There is also a Recorder built in which automatically captures the Synth output to WAV at either 16, 24 or 32 bit. The Microtuner can load Scala files and the synth comes with 300 Patches included, which are shared across all of the Astralis Synths.
Bion can also be purchased as part of the Astralis Collection which includes Orgone, Astralis A, Astralis B, Bionic and Astralis FX. A Scala file creator is also under development and will be available soon as part of the pack.
Vortex VSTi – Multitimbral Groove Machine
Multitimbral Groove Machine with 12 sequencers, internal sound module and FX.
NOTE: This VST Plugin is 32-bit only
Vortex is a VSTi Multitimbral Sequencer, equally adept as performance player or studio composer. It contains dedicated synths for each of its 12 sequencers … or, if you prefer, you can output any sequencer’s generated midi to your software or hardware instrument of choice … all internal synths, all midi output to your synth or any combination of the two on a sequencer by sequencer basis … it’s up to you!
It is a performance instrument with an emphasis on quick and easy music creation and is ideal for creating a dance/RnB/electronic foundation, although it can be used to make almost any style of music. One of it’s most fun and useful features is the series of real-time triggers which allow manipulating the sequences with effects such as Stutter (and programmable stutter), Restart, Half tempo, double step, note ties and mute amongst others. An octave of your keyboard is reserved for the triggers allowing easy sequence transformations. When sync mode is enabled, once all triggers are released the sequence will revert to it’s former playing state.
A great feature is a series of global knobs for subtracting or adding to the internal synth parameters, amongst them Filter Cutoff, Resonance, Filter Decay, VCA (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release), Filter (Attack, Decay, Sustain), Noise Level, FM, Oscillator Mix, and LFO (Speed, Amount, Sustain). These knobs affect all synths simultaneously and so the entire output of Vortex becomes a single morphing and dynamic instrument capable of epic journeys into the unknown. All of these knobs have CCs and it’s strongly advised to set them up on your controller to get the most out of Vortex.
There is yet another octave of pitch triggers which can transpose the pitch and apply scales to the entire output on the fly, you can enable which sequences will respond to this in the same way as all other triggers. The pitch triggers are completely independent and can transpose to any value, the C4 octave on your keyboard controller is used to trigger them, although they can also be moved to C5 or C6. If you are using the Scale Re-mappers, there is also a great feature called Scale Shift which will shift notes up the selected scale. If a knob is assigned to Scale Shift it becomes a fantastic live performance tool.
Vortex began as a midi application and so the internal sound module is designed to behave as an external midi device. The idea is that you simply dial up presets rather than being faced with actual sound editing, although up to 10 CCs can be overridden in a session to give some sound editing possibilities.
Other features include a Multi-Sequencer which allows assigning multiple sequences to a single key, internal FX using the the TerraNova FX engine, a 16 channel midi mixer and 8 rows of assignable CC Knobs.
