ONE-SHOTS
Apr 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Dave Hill Jr.
LinPlug CronoX 2
VST SYNTH/SAMPLER
Improving upon CronoX 1, LinPlug has released the upgrade and sequel: CronoX 2, a VSTi 2.0 sample-based synthesizer plug-in for PC and Mac OS X. Clad in a new retro-style yellow-orange skin, CronoX 2 features two supremely flexible sample (WAV) generators capable of four methods of sound generation: Analogue, TimeSamp (sampling), Schrader and Loop Samp (sampling). Each mode supplies independent sonic texturing and sound-shaping tools. Both sampling modes act in similar fashion to a hardware sampler, in which samples can be looped, reversed, filtered, trimmed and repitched. The Schrader setting generates a deep wavetable for any given sampled sound, whereas Analogue mode concocts a digitized waveform. CronoX's 200 house patches provide some decent, raw, analog-sounding leads, pads and stabs. But the power of CronoX becomes self-evident once you begin to integrate some of your own waves and loops into the VSTi. You can contort any AIFF or WAV (up to 24-bit, 96kHz) into a dark, complex and beautifully twisted-sounding texture. Looping samples is as simple as dragging the desired end points and then fine-tuning to eliminate pops. CronoX also features some healthy filtering options, and an exceptional built-in effects section (for a VSTi) includes reverb, chorus, phaser and tempo-synchable stereo delay and filter patterns, making CronoX 2 a clever remix tool and self-contained sound-sculpting machine.
Product Summary
LINPLUG
CRONOX 2 > $59
(DOWNLOAD ONLY)
At a glance: VST synth/sampler for PC and Mac OS X.
Contact: e-mail support@linplug.com; Web www.linplug.com
Dash Synthesis daHornet
VST INSTRUMENT
Dash Synthesis wants you to find out what the buzz is about — not that cheesy, overhyped marketing ephemera, but rather those insectlike sonic garbles dripping from the trails of saw and pulse waveforms. They can be found in a brand-new (PC only) VSTi synth called daHornet (available from Dashsynthesis.com). Picking up where it's late-'70s analog cousin (the Wasp) left off, daHornet delivers biting leads, plump bass tones, scathing effects flourishes and a host of warm-sounding pads. You can obtain daHornet with a credit-card (or PayPal) transaction and the quick download of a 855KB zip file. What you get is a tight yellow and black interface with keyboard animation, two wave oscillators, noise generation and some great LFO options. DaHornet delivers biting leads, plump bass tones, scathing effects flourishes and a host of warm-sounding pads. And its MIDI-learn function enables you to map controllers to virtual knobs. Saving presets can be tricky because of daHornet's Save Current Presets as Factory? warning message, but rest assured, all factory presets are safely stored in the Default folder. Unfortunately, you are required to use daHornet's patch names, though the synth'si random patch selector can produce some excellent results. Bottom line: daHornet benefits form some deft programming and will bode well for any project in search of a little sonic mulch.
Product Summary
DASH SYNTHESIS
DAHORNET > $29
(DOWNLOAD ONLY)
At a glance: Powerful VST Instrument for Windows platforms.
Contact: e-mail info@dashsynthesis.com; Web www.dashsynthesis.com
Zero-G Jungle Warfare
REASON REFILL
During the past several months, UK-based sample powerhouse Zero-G has been dishing out stylistic master classes for ambient, trance, big beat (called Chemical) and now jungle producers. The idea is simple: Zero-G compiles two or more full collections of loops and delivers them in a much smaller package. By using Reason's ReFill compression (about 2:1), you can grab roughly 1.6 GB of mad drum 'n' bass loops on only two CDs (totaling 840 MB of actual ReFill). The lion's share of the collection airs out several hundred highly varied REX-file drum, percussion and instrument loops. Meanwhile, approximately a third of Jungle Warfare comprises NN19 effects patches with some useful drum rolls, ambient effects and even a Fender Rhodes for good measure. All told, there is enough content here to produce several hundred tracks. For drums, you'll find the classic “Amen” breaks, as well as some old-school step grooves and programmed progressive styles. Representing the low end of the spectrum are a few upright bass samples, 808-kick-constructed bass lines and several rumbling noise loops. As if the angry-eyed gorilla on the cover isn't warning enough, Jungle Warfare is downright mean when it comes to 16-plus bpm beat explorations and sub-shaking bass patterns.
Product Summary
ZERO-G (DIST. BY SOUNDS ONLINE)
JUNGLE WARFARE > $116
At a glance: REX and Reason NN19 files.
Contact: tel. (800) 969-9449; e-mail info@soundsonline.com; Web www.soundsonline.com
| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
