Dillon Bastan Entanglement puts the Schrödinger equation into a new versatile two-oscillator M4L Synthesizer.
Max for Live is a modular sound programming environment integrated into Ableton Live. Depending on the version, it’s even included in the package. The highlight is the countless M4L devices being developed and distributed by third parties.
Dillon Bastan’s devices are particularly striking for their playful yet complex nature. They are often innovative and spark curiosity and creativity like no other M4L device, in my opinion. Dillon Bastan’s new Entanglement Synthesizer device matches these parameters as well.
Dillon Bastan Entanglement
Entanglement is no classic Max for Live wavetable Synthesizer, even if it looks like one in many places.
Dillon Bastan delved deep into mathematics for the new Entanglement device, transforming the famous Schrödinger equation into a musical dual polyphonic 8-voice Synthesizer device. The result is a special oscillator core, or rather two, based on this equation.
Entanglement has two oscillators, each powered by a 1D Quantum wavefunction simulation that produces a waveform oscillator. Each oscillator has its own independent wavefunction, energies, potentials, and settings.
There are three distinct modes in which you can derive a waveform from the wavefunction: Probabilities (square of the magnitude of real and imaginary values), real values, and the absolute value of the real values.
As a user, you can delve deeply into the oscillator engine and tweak a host of parameters that are pretty unusual for a synth.
By using wave packets, quantum particles, or free drawing waveforms, you can add energy to the simulation. It also supports custom waveform files as an energy source for the equation with width and imaginary phase offset options.
Then, those waveforms will evolve and transform based on the equation and your settings. You can also add environmental factors (potentials) to transform the energy/waveforms in different ways.
If that’s not enough complexity, you can also manipulate the resulting waveform in various other ways, including stretching, warping, quantizing, smoothing, FM, etc. There are also smoothing and dampening options for the waveforms, as well as additional features.
I’ve presented many synthesizers before, but here I found myself saying “WTF” now and then. It’s a crazy oscillator engine that I think you have to explore for yourself. Understanding it is more of a secondary or tertiary concern. If you have a year off, you can delve into.
Classic Synth Features
If you say goodbye to Mr. Schrödiger and his equation, you can reach classic Synthesizer parameters that we all know. Dillon Bastan Entanglement features two filters in parallel, offering basic shapes with ladder options and classic controls like cutoff, resonance, and drive.
The synth device also has an advanced modulation system per voice. First, you can work with two LFOs with basic shapes, complex shapes, perlin noise, and the ability to use User LFO shapes (drag and drop).
Further, you have two ADSR envelopes with repeat options (LFO modes), and two spray generators (random values created on new voices). Additionally, you can use an amp ADSR envelope, classic MIDI, and MPE sources as modulation as well.
A neat mod matrix with two destination options per modulation source managed all these modulation engines. Also onboard is a monophonic mode, global overdrive, and pitch glide portamento.
First Impression
Entaglement looks like an exciting, very unusual Synthesizer device. The oscillators are crazy, and I’m sure very few people understand all the technical aspects behind them. The most important thing is what you get out of it sonically.
From what I hear in the demos, it definitely does not sound like a traditional wavetable Synthesizer. It has a very unique character with, let’s say, a very technical and cold experimental sound. If you want new sounds in Ableton Live, you might find something here.
Dillon Bastan Entanglement is available now for $30. It requires Ableton Live 10 Suite or Live 10 Standard or higher with a Max for Live license.
More information here: Dillon Bastan
Dillon Bastan’s devices are completely next level. This is an instant purchase for me
Entanglement is beyond fantastic. Conceptual, creative and very useable. Dylan Bastan is a superstar genius.