Fors Dyad is a new Max For Live device bundle with a hardware-inspired 2-voice drum synth and sequencer, a VA mono synth, and more.
Happy Birthday Fors (Fors.FM). After leaving Elektron, Ess Mattisson, co-developer of the original Digitone FM Synthesizer, founded Fors and has made super exciting Max For Live devices. This has been very successful for four years now.
His mighty Opal M4L device, which was strongly based on concepts and workflows found in Elektron devices, attracted much attention. In addition to a 20% birthday sale, Ess is also releasing an exciting new release called Dyad, a bundle of new devices.
Fors Dyad
I want to say one thing in advance, without going into detail about the devices yet: The designs of the Fors Dyad devices look fabulous again. The graphics alone make you want to use these devices. But now to the sound facts.
Dyad is not just a new Max For Live instrument but an entire bundle of new devices to explore. The highlight, however, is Dyad, a two-voice percussion Synthesizer and sequencer. According to Fors, it’s inspired by the grid and immediacy of analog hardware.
The core of Dyad is virtual analog. It offers two lovely “imperfect” oscillators with bi-direction thru-zero linear FM inspired by the crunchy character of vintage gear. You can also mix a colorful noise generator into the signal and give it a punch with a pitch envelope.
Then, you can process them with a 4-pole non-linear lowpass filter and craft their structure with a simple exponential decay envelope. Spice it up with the flexible built-in distortion effect and refine it with a DJ-style hi/lo-cut filter.
The sounds are controlled by one sequencer per voice, so two. Like the other Fors releases, Dyad also has a super playful polymeter-ready sequencer. It offers independent track lengths and clock dividers, global shuffle, parameter automation, randomization, and more.
You can even change patterns instantaneously, and automate the process with an LFO. A sequencer that you can have fun with for a long time. Happy accidents are guaranteed here.
Extra Devices
Dyad is the main device of the bundle and it ships with four extra devices that are decoupled from it and expanded: Para monosynth, Ditto drum synth, a step modulator, and a distortion effect.
Para, for example, is the sister Synthesizer to Dyad that uses the same virtual analog core. However, it expands the engine’s functionality, making more a classic synth. It comes with ring mod, different filter topology, full ADSR envelope, and tweaked distortion type.
Fors promises that Dyad Para can make all sorts of chaotic noises alongside beautiful classic subtractive sounds.
Further, Dito is another device and it breaks out the drum engine of Dyad and puts it in an independent Max For Live device. Same applies to the Modul and Jolt that puts the Dyad modulator and distortion into individual devices.
Another highlight of the bundle is its cross-Push compatibility. You can tweak all the parameters of Fors Dyad on your Push 2 and Push 3 MIDI controller. On top, you can also go standalone with the bundle as Dyad fully supports Push 3 Standalone.
First Impression
Another excellent new device set from Ess Mattisson aka Fors. Not only do they look eye-catching and awesome, they also sound the same. The main Dyad device alone looks like a must-have. Congrats Fors!
Fors Dyad is available now for an introductory price of 31.2€ instead of 39€. Dyad is a Max for Live device that requires Ableton Live Suite (or standard with a Max for Live device). It’s also fully compatible with Push 2, 3 and Push 3 standalone.
Fors launched a 20% OFF sale on all its products to celebrate its fourth company birthday until November 24, 2024.
More information here: Fors
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