Unfiltered Audio Sinusoidal Run Rhythm adds movement to your sounds through rhythmic patterns created through mathematical wave interference
In recent years, many rhythmic multi-FX plugins have come onto the market that shape in sync with the sound. A pioneer of this type of plugin, and now legendary, is the Glitch plugin, whose developer, Kieran Foster, sadly passed away far too soon.
Rhythm FX plugins have become increasingly comprehensive, but many are based on ideas we’ve seen before. Unfiltered Audio has created something entirely new and original with their new Sinusoidal Run Rhythm plugin.
Unfiltered Audio Sinusoidal Run Rhythm
It’s a new, original, and innovative rhythmic modulation FX plugin for macOS and Windows.
Sinusoidal Run Rhythm, or short SRRhythm, was created in collaboration between Unfiltered Audio and Steffen Krebber, a composer and researcher in computer music.
Rhythmic plugins usually have a motor that acts as a modulation source, like an LFO or a sequencer. In SRRhythm, there is an original algorithm based on an implementation of a new theory of rhythm (Sinusoidal Run Rhythm) that Steffen Krebber created.
The Sinusoidal Run Rhythm creates rhythmic patterns through mathematical wave interference. More precisely, you get microtemporal rhythmic grids that are not only strikingly groovy but also offer a distinct interpretation of metric structures.
Steffan Krebber’s algorithm/formula is designed mainly to animate the amplitude. Unfiltered Audio’s take on it extends this, so you can also animate other parameters in the plugin, including over MIDI.
Create Rhythms
There is no sequencer here. Instead, on the left side you will find six sine-based partials. Individual partials can be switched on and off. Then, you can change the integer ratio of each partial. The higher the number (max 64), the more complex the sine becomes.
The visualization of Unfiltered Audio Sinusoidal Run Rhythm reminds me somewhat of an additive Synthesizer but less of an animation FX. Additionally, you can multiply each sine partial up to five times and modify the phase.
And if you add more and more sine partials, you get extremely complex rhythms. Sines are everywhere, but you can also turn them into squares or hybrid forms with the built-in adjustable and morphing sample & hold processor.
The entire animation you created is also synceable. A dedicated section is in the middle with control over the rate, base, multiplier, and phase.
One of the special features is that these patterns can be smoothly morphed into others without loading another pattern. You simply modify the partials or the sample & hold, making an interesting performance tool.
On the right side, you have the modulation heart where you can route the rhythmic pattern to various built-in FX: the amp (like in the original theory) with soft clipping, binaural offset, multimode filter, and panning.
The built-in filter comes with various modes, including scream and dark in lowpass, highpass, and bandpass, as well as different comb filters.
Further, Unfiltered Audio gave it cross-plugin instance synchronization, so you can keep rhythms and other parameter groups consistent between multiple copies of SRR in your track.
The effects that can be conjured up here range from traditional tremolo to fascinating, weird, glitchy, and experimental results. It’s fun because it’s a completely different approach to working with rhythmics.
There is no official or third-party demo of the plugin available at this time, but there is an interview with Steffen and the developers and a 10-minute drum performance where Formula is in use.
First Impression
While writing this news article, I downloaded the demo version to get a better first impression. This definitely helped me understand the concept better than the text on the website.
The idea of creating rhythmic patterns from wave interference that then modulate effects or parameters is definitely unique. Especially the ability to morph patterns. I haven’t seen that in this form before.
Whether this is a kind of tremolo FX on steroids, or something wilder, I’d need to take a closer look at the plugin. After the first two-hour test run, I can say that the results are not bread-and-butter but more experimental and fun.
Unfiltered Audio Sinusoidal Run Rhythm is available now for 39,95€, and a MIDI-only version is also available for 12,95€. It runs as a VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows. A demo version is also on the website.
More information here: Unfiltered Audio
Yeah but how tf do you actually use it? I can’t seem to find out anywhere, including in the manual, HOW its actually set up?
Non midi version uses the modulation generated by the plugin internally to change the values of the stuff on the right side (amplitude, pan, etc.)
In midi version you can use it as a midi gate, send out cc’s etc. You’ll need to do a bit of routing in your DAW for that, I can’t tell you how to do that specifically, but it will be the same as routing any other midi fx. You can then use that midi to modulate parameters of other plugins, even set SRR midi to send out a fixed note value to trigger a drum vst for example.
In both plugin the daw transport needs to be active!