Sonatura Audio Superhet is a free experimental Synthesizer plugin for macOS and Windows that uses heterodyning to generate sounds.
I’m sure you have tons of synth plugins, either free or commercial. Many of them offer the same concepts, packaged differently under different names.
Good news: I have something that you probably don’t have in countless versions here yet. Sonatura Audio has released Superhet, a new free Synthesizer with a very unusual sound engine.
Sonatura Audio Superhet
Superheat is a new free experimental Synthesizer plugin that is based on the heterodyning concept. Please what? One thing is sure: it is not another virtual analog, not FM, not wavetable… The exact description is a bit too associated with natural sciences.
Here is what Sonatura Audio says about Superheat and its heterodyning engine:
Originally invented by Reginald Fessenden in 1901 as a means to assist in hearing certain radio transmissions, Heterodyning involves creating two new frequencies from two input frequencies. One of the new frequencies is the sum of the two inputs, and the other is the difference.
So, for example, if you have one input tone of 440 Hertz, and another of 643 Hertz, the resulting heterodyned frequencies will be 1,083 Hz (the sum), and 203 Hertz (the difference). The original signals are no longer present
Superhet allows you to generate heterodyned frequencies with only a MIDI keyboard, offering a rich spectrum of new intervals and chords. The synth also has more classic controls, like an amp ADSR envelope that can be switched to a pitch envelope.
It ships with a variety of waveforms and samples to choose from. Neat —you can also upload your own JSON samples into the synth, making it even more versatile.
Alongside this, there are volume knobs for the heterodyned sum and difference frequencies, respectively, as well as a pan knob. There is also a color-coded visualizer that maps the different frequencies in real time: notes are white, while blue and orange bars are the resulting frequencies.
Further, it includes a formant shifter, a ring modulator, and a chorus to shape timbre and movement further.
First Impression
The engine isn’t necessarily the most appealing on paper; it’s too theoretical for that. However, such concepts are very welcome, as they breathe fresh air into the world of synthesizers.
Superheat is one of those synthesizers that you install and start experimenting with right away. This is the best way to get to know the concept and the instrument. Whether you use the results in your tracks remains to be seen.
Sonatura Audio Superhet is available for free download. It runs as a VST3 and AU plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows.
More information here: Sonatura Audio
To be frank, Sonatura have made a pitch/interval/chord remapper, more than a synth. Sorry, I just want to say “frank sonatura”
Seriously, though, what a cool and original idea. And that explainer vid is best-in-class, IMHO.
I played around with this and really liked it. you have to input at least two notes for anything to happen, and the resulting sound is the frequency in hz between them, or added together , each as their own oscillator basically.
made some great sounding hard style kicks
So, uh, ring modulation?
lol you mean a ring modulatator with a ring modulator
Kind of macro and micro ring modulation. It’s a fractal? Sorta?