Remaincalm has released three new plugins: Paranoia, a modulation distortion; Gossamer, a multi-FX modulation; and Gloss, a free modulation freebie.
Every year, many new plugin developers enter the market, while others disappear from the scene, as seen with Inear Display‘s recent exit. But some companies are also making a comeback.
One of these companies is remaincalm, which was particularly active in the field of tools for the Cockos Reaper (DAW) and Mod Audio platforms.
remaincalm Paranoia, Gossamer & Gloss
remaincalm is now back with three new plugins for macOS and Windows: Paranoia, Gossamer, and Gloss. Good news: the third release is a free plugin.
Unlike their previous releases, they now offer plugins that work in every DAW, so they are no longer Reaper-exclusive.
remaincalm Paranoia
Paranoia is a new extreme modulated distortion effect inspired by the sounds of industrial music and vintage chiptune gear. The plugin is not entirely new as it’s the successor to the Paranoia plugin for Reaper only, released in 2010.
According to the developers, it’s a ground-up rewrite with many additions and improvements. The original version for Reaper is available as a free download.
remaincalm Paranoia consists of various modules. From left to right, it has a hybrid wave-mangler, which is a warm multi-band “preamp” distortion feeding into a powerful waveshaper.
From here, it goes into a unique amp-style overdrive that adds a wide range of overdriven/distorted characters to your sounds. Then, you have a set of unusual filters to sculpt wild tones like an algorithmic speaker simulation.
The parameters of each “module” can be modulated with a wavetable LFO, an envelope follower, and a gate to add motion and movement. Of course, the plugin also ships with various presets.
remaincalm Gossamer
Alongside the new Paranoia plugin, remaincalm also released Gossamer, a new circuit-modeled multi-FX plugin with heavy focus on modulation inspired by the music of the 1970s.
According to the developers, it works great for retro synth sounds but can also add sparkle, movement, and vibe to almost any source.
Gossamer features four distinct effects that form the multi-FX processor. It starts with a playful and warm phaser inspired by a rare opto hardware.
Then, you have a lush chorus/ensemble effect, modeled on classic string synths of the 1970s. Interestingly, one dial lets smoothly crossfade through nine different chorus models.
In the same section, it also hosts a unique formant filter with three controls: voice, vowel, and tone.
In the last stop in the signal path, you can find an experimental, odd reverb processor, including a granular shimmer effect called sparkle. Of course, like Paranoia, remaincalm also ships Gossamer with a wide range of presets to start your exploration.
remaincalm GLOSS
As already announced, the third release is a free plugin. remaincalm Gloss is a free, stripped-down version of the GLOSSAMER multi-FX plugin with chorus and a reverb processor designed for retro synth sounds.
It includes a warm ensemble chorus that can be crossfaded through two classic ’70s-inspired models. One is a quirky take on a widely cloned icon, the other derived from a rare flagship synth, says the developers.
Further, you have a one-knob reverb to give additional space and vibe to your sounds. Grit adds spice to your sounds.
Like Paranoia and Gossamer, remaincalm also added many presets to the free Gloss plugin.
First Impression
Three exciting new multi-FX processors. The distortion, in particular, looks very intriguing. It’s nice that there’s a free plugin as an appetizer. I wish remaincalm a good comeback in the music tech industry.
remaincalm Paranoia and Gossamer are available now for $49 each. If you subscribe to their newsletter, you get an additional 20% OFF discount. Gloss is a free download.
They run as a VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows. Demo versions are out now.
More information here: remaincalm
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