ShadowTune GammaWave is a new (donationware) hybrid Synthesizer plugin that combines virtual analog and granular synthesis for rich soundscapes.
A new synthesizer plugin seems to be released almost every week, whether free or commercial. This week is no exception.
ShadowTune, a new developer, has released GammaWave, a new Synthesizer plugin with a hybrid synthesis concept. Good: donate to the developer, and you get a full license.
ShadowTune GammaWave
GammaWave is a new hybrid Synthesizer plugin for macOS and Windows. Hybrid in the sense that two syntheses are combined.
At its core is a virtual-analog synth engine with two oscillators, featuring analog-style waveforms and classic controls such as pitch, fine-tune, PWM, drift, and spread. They can be balanced perfectly in a mixer section.
In the latter, you can also add a sub-oscillator with optional drive, a noise generator with tone-shaping options, as well as work with FM and ring mod on the main oscillators.
According to ShadowTune, the key feature of GammaWave is the ability to combine the analog-style waveforms with granular synthesis. In the grain section, you can adjust the engine with various controls: size, rate, pitch, jitter, and mixer.
Then, you can shape your sound with a multimode filter with cutoff, resonance, drive, and instantly routable modulations. There is also a built-in high-pass filter with a dedicated knob.
Just underneath is the Hearth engine, a multi-stage distortion unit with 7 distinct algorithms: Heat, Inertia, Gravity, Singularity, Photosphere, Flux, and Fold. A bit-crusher is also onboard. These can be used to add warmth and character to the sound.
On the modulation side, you have three ADSR envelopes with hold function and two multi-wave LFOs (filter and mod) with classic controls. A small modulation matrix handles the modulation relationships.
To refine your sounds, it also features a global multi-FX section with delay, reverb, and chorus. A global macro “vintage” control also introduces pitch drift, filter jitter, and signal degradation to add a bit of an aging-hardware feel to the sound.
ShadowTune ships GammaWave with over 200 factory presets tailored for techno, DnB, and cinematic scoring. You can find basses, leads, keys & pluck, pad & atmospheres, and more. Alternatively, you can use the mutate function to create instant new sounds.
First Impression
At first glance, it’s an intriguing Synthesizer with its own sound. Combining virtual analog with granular processing is less common; it’s more often done with samples. That’s perhaps what makes the synth so interesting.
ShadowTune GammaWave is available now as a free download. It’s fully functional, but it inserts a short silence every 60 seconds. You can unlock the full version with any donation of $1 or more.
It runs as a standalone application and VST3 plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows. A fully-functional demo is available on the website.
More information here: ShadowTune
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