Sonic Charge PhenoType is a new free JavaScript extension for the Synplant 2 Synthesizer, with which you can prompt sounds that remain fully tweakable.
Last week, Ableton announced, with Live 12.4.5, the ability to build natively running JavaScript-based extensions. Swedish developer Sonic Charge has offered this option in its plugins for some time now.
With PhenoType, Sonic Charge has just released a free extension that allows you to generate sounds from text.
Sonic Charge PhenoType
AI-powered prompting is a hot topic right now. There are plenty of website that offers you the option to generate images, entire texts, or even videos from simple text.
Sonic Charge’s new PhenoType extension taps into this trend. According to the developers, the idea came from working on a new technology for Synplant: an algorithm that describes patches using words and tags.
During development, the question arose whether it’s possible to go the other way and create patches from text, leading to the creation of the PhenoType extension.
Many will be pleased to know that PhenoType doesn’t require internet, AI, or cloud services. It runs natively as a JavaScript engine within your Synplant 2 plugin.
Prompt Your Sounds
PhenoType is very easy to use. Install the free extension from the official website and restart Synplant 2. In the Sonic Charge plugin, go to Extensions at the top and click on PhenoType. A small text box will then appear that you can move freely.
In this box, you write a description of a patch in simple language. Sonic Charge states that this extension is not based on a full-blown language model and therefore cannot understand complex texts and relationships. The descriptions are intended to be very simple.
For example, I tried descriptions like a dark, horrifying patch, a deep bass, a shimmering lead, or an atmospheric, rich sound. Funnier prompts, like “Cats in Space or Dogs in Space,” also work well. Press Execute, and the engine will return results in 2-3 seconds.
I also tried more complex sentences, and that’s when the text-to-speech engine started to stutter. So yes, stick to simple sentences.
If you’re not satisfied with the first result, you can press execute again and get a new patch. You can do this as many times as you like. It’s free and doesn’t require any tokens or anything else.
For the really lazy among you. There is also a randomizer button that gives you randomized prompts. However, these don’t seem to be 100% randomized, because the resulting descriptions all make sense. There’s nothing nonsensical in them.
AI Generated But Fully Tweakable
At the heart of Sonic Charge’s new extension, PhenoType, is an AI algorithm. What’s really great is that each generated patch isn’t just a picture of a sound, but a fully tweakable patch that still lets you access the sound’s root.
You can take this patch and customize it in detail using the macro-style controllers on the main UI page or in the genes editor.
This bendability and flexibility allow for diverse use of the new extension. For many, this saves time and enables the quick generation of new sounds. There is also a creative side to this.
PhenoType is also a great tool for generating new starting points for sound design. Instead of always using the same boring init patch, it generates the patch’s basic structure for you; you complete it yourself with detailed fine-tuning.
Sonic Charge PhenoType First Look Review
Phenotype is fun. It’s a playful and useful tool that can save time when building sounds, serve as a creative fire starter, or simply be an inspiration tool. However, it doesn’t replace the know-how of professional sound designers.
Will I now create all my sounds with this? No, building sounds is still too much fun for that, but certainly as a smart idea generator. So after sample to synth, you can now also do text to synth, and it works very well. I can say, “Try it yourself.”
Sonic Charge PhenoType is available now as a free download for existing Synplant 2 users. Synplant 2 is out now for 149€.
More information here: Sonic Charge
Great stuff, love it.
This extension resurrected my interest in Synplant and started using it again.