Blööps Dörothy is a new Casio CZ-style phase distortion Synthesizer plugin and Max for Live device with four distinct modes.
The Max for Live device market is very diverse. You can find dozens of free tools as well as very advanced commercial ones. Some designers stand out in particular, such as Dillon Bastan, Fors, or Blööps.
The latter was previously only known for Max for Live devices. To broaden their reach, the developers have been creating plugins for a while. Blööps latest release, Dörothy, is a new Synthesizer inspired by vintage phase distortion synths.
Blööps Dörothy
Dörothy is a new polyphonic phase-distortion Synthesizer inspired by vintage Casio CZ synthesizers, such as the CZ-101. Like the recent Blööps devices, Dörothy is also available as an M4L device and as a VST/AU plugin.
The developers have come up with a new UI for the device that looks very nice and is certainly much more eye-catching than the usual greyish M4L designs.
At the core of Dörothy is a custom engine with four distinct phase-distortion synthesis modes, which you can interpolate through, and with the swash out the waves with smooth control.
Then you have a bright red/orange section that offers three shaping controls for the morphing. Phz shifts the main phase, she bends it, and then you can rectify the trapezoid. In this main section, you also have an ADSR envelope.
Advanced Controls
Let’s take a look at the right side. The Sings section with timbre controls works like a chorus, adding motion to the sound. Just below, you can decide how often to control and the movement.
The repeats section features a built-in stereo delay/echo processor with control over each side and built-in modulation in the form of wobble for drifting results. Thanks to the wobble, you can achieve this from retro-style echoes as well.
You can run the delay/echo in either sync or freely. Alongside this, Blööps Dörothy also features a reverb processor (spaces) with classic controls for size, dampening (dull or fuller sound), feedback, and dry/wet mix.
Clicking the “modes” button takes you to the second UI page, where the full modulation engine is hidden.
Here, you get three syncable multi-wave LFOs with an inverse option, and two 6-stage envelopes, all manageable through an easy-to-use mod matrix. Furthermore, you have a randomization engine.
First Impression
At first glance, a beautiful phase distortion Synthesizer that loves to crackle and pop, just the way many like it. The sound demos even remind me somewhat of the Arturia MicroFreak.
Blööps Dörothy is available now for £25. It runs as a VST3 and AU plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows. On top of that, it comes as a Max for Live device.
More information here: Blööps
sounds great!
i owned a cz101 long time ago
can this be used in Move (and push 3)?
Push 3 Standalone only supports Max for Live not Move but devices must be compatible. I think Dörothy is not compatible right now
gorgeous ui