sonicLab Thermo v2 , the Thermodynamic Systems inspired Synthesizer plugin gets a major update

sonicLab Thermo, a Synthesizer plugin that brings the charm & industrial, bizarre noise of self-regulating thermodynamic systems to your DAW. 

There are classic synthesizers but also experimental ones. Thermo from sonicLAB is definitely one of the last. It’s bizarre, unique, and original in its design. If you’re looking for a synth that generates the industrial timbres of self-regulating thermodynamic systems or factories, you’ve to the right place.

Thermo v2 is out now; it’s a free update for existing customers who purchased Thermo v1 with the current price of 99 Euros after July 2022. Otherwise, the update costs you 22€.

New Features

• Oscillator cloning: Each oscillator on Thermo2 has a clone. When active, it receives the same parameters, however it has its own GEN modulations running apart. Therefore any modulation (pitch, waveform, spat etc.) with different stochastic results will render its distinctive sound apart from the primary oscillator.
• New injection / perturbation model: A zero signal padder can be applied to each oscillator cycle in reaction to the automated gain control system.
• Hence when the system wants to attenuate the gain, a relevant amount of zero signal will be added to the waveform cycle of each oscillator. This feature also creates alternate pitch effects like in pulsar synthesis.
• TapDelay processor on each oscillators feedback signal input: Variable tap delay processor delays the signal input of each oscillator. The feedback amount of the oscillator feed controls the delay feedback as well.
• 2 more GEN mod generators: The OSC Clone modulation depth and the delay tap position for each oscillator can be modulated continuously with a unique GEN instance. Now in total there are 9 GEN modulators for each oscillator.
• Automated random states of the 4x4feedback matrix: When active, according to the BPM value, a new random configuration of the 4×4 feedback matrix will be set with each bar.
• A new bank “v2Studies”: including presets in order to introduce the new features of the Thermo2. The video below demonstrates some of these sounds.

Other improvements are

• Preset bank rename field and bank duplication: The current work preset bank can be directly duplicated with a new name as a backup.
• DSP improvements while keeping the original character of Thermo.
• 15 new tuning scales.
• Improvements and slight changes to the UI design

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Article From May 16th, 2021

I could be wrong, but every reader has one or more synthesizer plugins on their macOS, Linux, or Windows computer, regardless of whether it is free or paid. From virtual analog, wavetable, FM, to granular or physical modeling, in 2021, we are very spoiled with synthesis in digital form.

If all of this is too boring and monotonous for you, read on now. SonicLab, known for its collaboration with Hainbach at Fundamental, has released a new Synthesizer plugin. And anyone who knows SonicLab’s past, it’s not a classic synth. I go further and I can say: it has absolutely nothing to do with a traditional synth like a Minimoog emulation or a wavetable synth.

sonicLab Thermo

Thermo is probably one of the craziest, unique Synthesizer plugins this year. It uses a self-regulating 4-oscillator hyper oscillator engine inspired by thermodynamic systems. Unlike in a classic Synthesizer, the four available oscillators are in continuous interaction and sending each other their signals.

More precisely, each oscillator engine checks its environment conditions through analysis and takes decisions. Depending on the result of this analysis, the oscillators regulate themselves to this. Just like it is in a real machine room, these conditions are either defined by the 7 stochastic modulators or by the user through three different injection models into the system. These affect the temporal and spectral aspects of the signal.

Then, you three so-called audio transfer functions with which you can introduce harmonic distortion. Also onboard are independent and random attack/release envelopes, pitch quantizer with Scala tuning table support, and more. Thermo supports MPE. Thus if you want it very expressive, connect your favorite MPE controller (ROLI, Sensel Morph…) and dive into the depths of the engine. It also includes a custom Sensel Morph Map template.

The plugin ships with preset banks from Sinan Bokesoy and Laurent Mialon.

Availability

Thermo is bizarre, crazy, and very experimental. It is not really a Synthesizer for your next EDM or dance track. More for the next underground noise, drone event. In the first sound demos, you notice that synth has its own organic touch. It sounds like you are in a machine room and exposed to these machines’ massive sounds. More of the same? Definitely not.

Thermo2 update is free to the users who purchased Thermo v1 with the current price of 99 Euros after July 2022. Otherwise, the update costs 22 Euros and it gives a new licence of Thermo2. It runs as a VST3, AU, and in standalone formats for OS X and Windows 64-bit systems. It is also native Apple Silicon compatible.

More information here: sonicLab 

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