Audio Damage AD059 Circa is a new multi-layer performance looper plugin, aka the sister of Enso, with advanced routing capabilities and MIDI control.
Audio looping is a musical composition technique that allows you to create very complex sound constructs quickly from different fragments. The more layers a looper has, the more exciting it becomes. On iOS, there are apps like Loopy Pro or Audio Damage Enso with which you can easy loop on the go.
The latter now has a sister. Audio Damage AD059 has released AD059 Circa, a new performance looper plugin for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Don’t worry; an iOS version is coming soon.
Audio Damage AD059 Circa
AD059 Circa is a new multi-layer performance optimized looper plugin that can do most of the things your popular floor pedal looper can. Plus, it pays homage to the world of ambient looping.
Audio Damage AD059 Circa has six fully customizable and flexible layers that operate independently or in sync with each other and/or the host. According to the developers, each loop can also be triggered in sync with an audio signal or freely.
The looper engine allows you to record from a stereo input. Alternatively, there is a self-record option via an internal bus, which opens the door to feedback experimentations.
Once you have captured a loop, AD059 Circa offers a great deal of hands-on tweakability. This starts with the Touch Strip, which is made for tactile manipulation. It has touch strips for speed and position, which also works with slicing.
Working with slices allows you to use loops like instruments and adjust them to the last detail. Then, Audio Damage added many tools in the AD059 Circa looper engine for instant edits. Each layer has an undo function for destructive edits like recording, overdubbing, and erasing.
Modulation
The AD059 Circa plugin also features modulation. But it’s not comparable to synthesizer modulation like LFOs. These are functions that allow you to manipulate the loops in real time.
As of version 1.0, MIDI messages are the only modulation source, but Audio Damage will expand Circa’s modulation capabilities in future releases. For example, you can control the start/stop position, the play fade in or fade out function, and more from MIDI.
Yes, what the modulation says. Circa offers a comprehensive list of MIDI controller destinations. You can control most of Circa’s looping features with any MIDI device, making it a powerful performance tool.
Advanced Audio Routing
Not only are the MIDI capabilities impressive in Audio Damage AD059 Circa but also the audio routing. Circa hosts a full internal mixer with seven stereo outputs, including a dedicated cue output for monitoring.
You can send any layer to any of the six stereo outputs while keeping the cue for soloing, recording, and editing, unheard by the audience.
Further, the mixer offers various tools to manipulate your looped recordings. Each layer has a filter option and studio-quality effects, including delay and reverb. You can also work with a parametric EQ and compressor.
AD059 Circa is a cross-platform plugin, and an iOS version is coming soon. To make the communication between the versions as smooth as possible, it uses cross-platform compatible presets. So you can work on your project on iOS and continue it on another platform.
Also neat is the ability to drag the loops straight from the Circa engine to the DAW or desktop.
First Impression
Overall, the new Audio Damage looper is very exciting. I like how hands-on and fully MIDI-controllable it is. Loopy Pro is currently the king of loopers on iOS. I’m curious to see how Circa compares to Loopy Pro.
I would have liked more experimental charm in the form of more creative effects or other ways to manipulate loops. Well, it’s just version 1, so maybe we will see more creative tools in future updates.
Audio Damage AD059 Circa is available now for 81,95€. It runs as a VST3, AU, CLAP, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel), Linux, and Windows. An iOS version with AUv3 support will be available soon.
More information here: Audio Damage
Looks interesting on paper only, because Circa official video demonstration – the only one available, must be the worst I have ever seen.
Is Audio Damage even trying to sell their product…