CYCLING '74 MODE
Sep 1, 2004 12:00 PM, BY LAURA PALLANCK
Few companies explore the sonic frontiers as consistently as Cycling '74, and many of its products — for example, Max/MSP, Pluggo and Radial — are staples for adventurous artists. Cycling '74 continues the trend with its latest offering, Mode, a suite of plug-ins that includes three synthesizers, a multi-effects processor and a delay. Subsections of each plug-in are available individually, bringing the total number of plug-ins in the bundle to 23. Besides being less CPU-intensive, the submodules allow you to use the synths and effects in a greater number of situations (see the sidebar “Plug-ins a la Mode”).
The Mode plug-ins were designed by CreativeSynth (www.creativesynth.com) using the Pluggo architecture, so if you've worked with Pluggo instruments, modulators and effects, you'll be in familiar territory. The biggest difference between Pluggo and Mode is in design aesthetic: The Mode plug-ins favor an intuitive, listening-based approach to sound rather than an analytical one. For example, Mode's GUIs lack data displays that let you type in numeric values. This forces you to use your ears when tweaking parameters, which is exactly what the designers at CreativeSynth intended.
In addition, each instrument and effect has its own peculiar interface design. However, the major functions are modularized, making them fairly easy to grasp. Once you understand how the components of the parent plug-in work, using the submodules on their own is easy. The Book of Mode, the PDF-based manual that comes with the bundle, is thorough and will help you through any rough patches. In this review, I'll describe the five parent plug-ins, followed by differences (if any) that occur in the smaller versions. Mode works within VST, RTAS and Audio Units hosts. I used the VST and Audio Units versions within a number of applications using a Mac PowerBook G4/1.33GHz with 2 GB of RAM.
IN WITH A BANG
Although the manual refers to it as a tuned-percussion synth, Bang is capable of much more. This instrument includes a sample-player, an FM synth, an analog-style synth, a stereo delay and a Master Output module with filtering and distortion effects. The synths and sample-player have a few features in common, such as five-stage DADSR (delay, attack, decay, sustain, release) envelopes; buttons that map velocity to pitch and amplitude modulation; and controls for output level, pan, send and tuning.
The sample-player comes with 128 single-shot samples, ranging from common drum hits to processed sounds. The sample-player offers a single DADSR amplitude envelope, a master tuning control, a fine-tune control with a range of ±10 percent of playback speed (which is about a half step), a bit-reduction control (24 bits to 1 bit for the factory samples) and separate level controls for controlling pitch and amplitude with velocity.
Besides having DADSR envelopes for both amplitude and modulation, the FM synth's carrier, or main oscillator, includes controls for pitch, FM amount and pitch-modulation amount. You can also choose among five waveforms: sine, triangle, ramp up, square and random. The modulator oscillator also includes a pitch control, a choice of five waveforms, level controls for amplitude and pitch modulation, and velocity control of pitch and amplitude. When the M-MTRK button is engaged, the modulation oscillator will track MIDI Note Number so that the speed of the frequency modulation changes with each note. This feature can be used to add complexity to a sound.
The analog-style synth has a similar pair of five-stage envelopes; five waveforms to choose from; and controls for pitch, EG modulation amount and velocity-based pitch-modulation amount. The module also includes a resonant lowpass filter with controls for cut-off frequency, Q and modulation level. When engaged, the M-INV button inverts the modulation envelope, which is useful for creating downward filter and pitch sweeps.
The Send knob on each synth controls the amount of signal routed to the Stereo Delay, which includes controls for input and output level, delay time (course and fine), modulation rate and depth, and feedback amount. On their own, the individual synth modules — Bang-Samp, Bang-FM and Bang-Ana — have four-stage (ADSR) envelopes and lack the Send control.
The Master Output module includes a multimode filter (highpass, lowpass and bandpass) with Q and frequency controls, as well as a distortion module with a Drive control. The filter and distortion sections can be switched in and out separately.
Together, Bang's three synth engines can be used to create complex layered sounds, especially when parameters are modulated using other Mode modules. I found it particularly interesting to offset the initial delay parameter of each envelope generator. Combined with the delay module, this is a great way to build repeating patterns. With a little tweak time, you can quickly take this little percussion module to a new level.
MONO A MANO
Mono, as the name suggests, is a monophonic synthesizer. However, this one was inspired by the Yamaha DX-100 and features classic FM synthesis with an emphasis toward aliasing in the waveforms. Mono features a pair of two-operator oscillators run parallel through a waveshaper, filter and stereo delay, with an arpeggiator thrown in for good measure. Each oscillator includes four-stage (ADSR) amplitude and modulation envelopes; a dedicated sine-wave LFO (0.01 to 10 Hz); and controls for LFO rate, pan and output. The carrier and modulator have individual knobs for pitch, level, LFO amount, modulation amount and FM amount. And you can select whether the carrier and modulator track MIDI notes.
Programming Mono's oscillators is fairly straightforward because the interface is clear and you can hear the results immediately — a far cry from programming an original Yamaha FM synth. The center of each knob offers visual feedback by changing from gray to light blue as you turn it clockwise. The arpeggiator lets you select whether the notes you hold down on the keyboard are fired off in the order played or sequentially. You can also set the direction — up, down, up/down, random and rotate — and select the range of octave shift (one to four octaves). In Rotate mode, the top and bottom notes repeat with each arpeggiated cycle.
The arpeggiator can be synched to the host application or run freely. If host-synchronized, the Speed control ranges from whole notes to 32nd notes, without a visual indication to the exact note division. (The arppegiator doesn't support dotted or triplet values.) If running free, the tempo range is 40 to 220 bpm. The Duration control can be used to shorten or lengthen the sequenced notes. If Duration is set high and notes begin to overlap, Mono begins voice stealing, which can be used as an effect to add rhythmic variety.
The first effect that the oscillators go through is an 8-bit waveshaper, which includes a window for drawing in the type of distortion. Even if you don't alter the shape of the wave, turning on the effect reduces your output to 8 bits. The filter can be set to highpass, lowpass or bandpass, and controls are given for cutoff frequency and resonance amount. The cutoff frequency can be also be controlled by velocity.
The final effect in the Mono signal path is a stereo delay. The delay offers pairs of controls for coarse time (5 to 2000 ms), fine time (±5 ms) and feedback amount. The delay includes a single-pole (6dB-per-octave) lowpass filter for imitating an analog-style delay. The Mix control adjusts the wet/dry balance. Mono comes with 128 presets, which is enough to show you the full potential of this instrument.
ANOTHER POLYPHONIC SPREE
Mode also includes Poly, a polyphonic synth with two wavetable-style oscillators, a polyphonic arpeggiator, two four-stage envelopes, two six-stage LFOs, a resonant lowpass filter, a delay and a chorus. The oscillators offer 24 single-cycle waveforms (confusingly numbered 0 to 23 in the manual's appendix), with coarse- and fine-tuning ranges of ±24 half steps and ±100 cents (in ±24 steps), respectively. The filter's cutoff frequency range — 60 Hz to 12 kHz — is also divided into 24 steps, as is the resonance parameter and control for the filter modulation amount.
The pitch and filter LFOs are actually six-step sequencers with rate (0.5 to 10 Hz) and depth controls, in addition to a slew control for smoothing the contour. Buttons are provided for mapping your modulation wheel to the depth control of each LFO. On its own, Poly-LFO is definitely one of my favorite modules in the Mode bundle because it allows you to put a six-step modulator on nearly any parameter of any other Mode or Pluggo plug-in. And with the Slew knob, you can dial just the right amount of weirdness.
You can set Poly's voice allocation from four to 12 voices, and as you may suspect, lower voice counts will be less CPU-intensive. You can also set the level that velocity affects amplitude and frequency modulation. Poly's coolest feature is the polyphonic arpeggiator. It divides any chord into three voices — highest, lowest and middle — and allows you to determine which voices are played, using the High, Mid and Low buttons on the 16-step sequencer. Each step can play any combination of the voices, and you can set whether a step plays the notes at pitch or transposed up or down an octave. The sequencer can synchronize with the host or run free, and like with the Mono arpeggiator, you can set the length of each note and overall tempo (60 to 200 bpm in Free mode). Between the arpeggiator, the LFOs, the velocity mappings and the effects, you can build some exciting patches, particularly ones that lend themselves to live performance.
Poly-Mini is a smaller version of the synth that is stripped of all effects and the arpeggiator so that its lighter on your CPU. Also available as a separate effect is the Poly-Chorus.
A NEW SPIN
Speaking of effects, the Mode bundle includes Spin, a multi-effects plug-in that offers filtering, distortion, bit reduction, delay, 16-step gate sequencing and panning, all of which can be synchronized to the host tempo. Not surprisingly, five of the most interesting effects — Spin-Delay, Spin-Dist, Spin-Filter, Spin-Pan and Spin-Seq — have been spun out on their own.
Spin offers a good-sounding resonant multimode filter with lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch settings. The cutoff frequency ranges from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and you have sliders for resonance and frequency-modulation amount. Unlike the Mono synth, Spin puts the distortion effects — Overdrive and Bitcrunch — after the filter. Overdrive sounds particularly good on drum loops whereas Bitcrunch worked best for me on melodic material. The delay parameters include feedback, feedback filtering (for analog-style delay effects) and wet/dry balance. The panner works as expected.
The most exciting aspect of Spin is the 32nds control, which allows you to set the size of each clock step in durations of 32nd notes — from 1 to 128 — against the master tempo. For example, you can use it to determine how long each step of the 16-step gate sequencer lasts. Imagine gating a 16th-note drum pattern in which each sequencer step lasts slightly less or more than a 16th note: instant polyrhythms that seemingly never repeat. A numerical display on the sequencer gives you visual feedback by counting through the steps so that you can see how the rhythms overlap. If you want to smooth the steps, a Slew control is included.
Besides the gate sequencer, the 32nds feature controls filter frequency modulation; panner speed; and, most notable, delay time, with which it can be used to further spice up a groove. Unfortunately, the Poly-LFO can't be used to modulate the 32nds control. Nevertheless, Spin is so much fun that you will want to use it on everything. It's polyrhythmic capabilities alone make it one of my all-time favorite processing plug-ins.
GETTING LOOPED
The bundle's fifth and final plug-in, Wash, provides six delay lines, each with its own resonant multimode filter and controls for delay, feedback, pan, solo, mute and level. The easy-to-use 8×8 matrix routes stereo signals through each of the delay lines, allowing you to set up elaborate cross-delays. You can choose from six preset delay times — 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 5 and 10 seconds — which can then be reduced using a rotary control. As with other Mode effects, there are no indications for exact settings, but a flashing indicator shows you the tempo visually. Click on the indicator to enter a delay time tap-tempo-style.
Each delay has a Record button to engage the effect and a Lock button to set a loop. Once you have locked in a loop, you can modify it using the filter and the delay-time dial for tape-style effects. The four filters — highpass, lowpass, bandpass and notch — can be used simultaneously, in any combination, and rotary controls are included for filter cutoff frequency and resonance.
Wash is a deceptively simple plug-in that you'll want to get to know slowly: Once you get six delays going, it's easy to build a whirlpool of sound that spirals out of control. The Mode bundle includes a single-channel version, Wash-1Chan, which is easier on both the beginner and your computer's CPU. In addition, the Book of Mode includes a useful tutorial that demonstrates a safe-and-sane approach to using Wash.
MAKING CHANGE
The Mode plug-ins also include the nifty Pluggo-style Parameter Change menu. Simply Command-click anywhere on the plug-in window to call up the menu and select one of the following: Randomize All, to reset the plug-in's parameters to randomly chosen values; Evolve All, to keep the parameter randomization within 5 percent of the current value; Undo Last Change, for one level of undo/redo; Touch Parameters, to update your sequencer automation with any changes you've made; and Copy All From Program, to load parameter settings of another preset. Randomize is particularly useful when you need a little inspiration, but be careful about output levels — things can sometimes get out of control. A shortcut to randomization is also available in some of the plug-ins: Choose Pluggo Info in the View pull-down menu, and click on the Pluggo logo. I found this method more suitable for use with effects than with the synths.
Overall, the Mode plug-ins complement each other very well and together form an exceptional composer's toolkit. The various elements are highly concentrated, well-thought-out and inspiring to use. And at this price, every desktop should have them.
Product Summary
CYCLING '74
MODE > $199
Pros: Easy to use. Good-sounding synths. Polyphonic arpeggiator. Gate sequencer. Detailed manual.
Cons: Large versions of synths are CPU-intensive. Displays lack data-entry capabilities.
Contact: tel. (415) 974-1818; e-mail info@cycling74.com; Web www.cycling74.com
System Requirements
Mac G4/800; Mac OS 10.2.8; VST, Audio Units or RTAS host
PLUG-INS A LA MODE
Although such a large number of plug-ins may seem intimidating at first glance, Mode's 23 modules are easy to figure out and fill a wide range of audio and control niches. To help you keep them straight, the suffix of each module indicates the plug-in's main function.
Bang: monophonic three-voice percussion synth with effects
Bang-Samp: sample-player
Bang-FM: FM synth
Bang-Ana: analog-style synth
Bang-Delay: delay
Bang-FiltDist: multimode resonant filter and distortion
Mono: monophonic two-operator FM synth with effects
Mono-Mini: FM synth without effects
Mono-Arp: arpeggiator
Mono-Delay: delay
Mono-DistFilt: 8-bit waveshaper and resonant multimode filter
Poly: polyphonic synth with effects
Poly-Mini: polyphonic synth without effects
Poly-Chorus: chorus
Poly-LFO: six-stage sequencer/LFO
Spin: multi-effects processor
Spin-Delay: delay
Spin-Filter: resonant multimode filter
Spin-Dist: distortion and bit reduction
Spin-Pan: stereo panner
Spin-Seq: gate sequencer
Wash: 6-channel delay
Wash-1Chan: single-channel delay
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