Tool Much Fun 6
Have I got a treasure box for you! Here's what's on my radar this week. It's getting harder to categories these as they could be in several. I really need a word cloud interface for tagged items where you can click on different category names which would take you to the different sections.
Kontakt
In case this is your first visit to this blog, I own the full version of Native Instrument’s Kontakt so I have not checked if any of these work in the free Kontakt Player.
SI continues to expand its huge range of libraries. This one is a “hand-crafted bamboo idiophone from Southeast Asia”. No country specified?
Westwood Instruments Rotor Cello
High-end library “with human rhythm”. Features 150 different rhythms.
“Classic analog synths on real tape and VHS”
They use the CUBE and BEAM interfaces as they’re addons
Music
Lunacy Audio Botanica, Patterns
Two add on packs for CUBE and BEAM.
Seems to be a compressor tuned to enhance drums.
They also make the Pitchmonk Pitch shifter, Fat Cat Saturation, Fire Boy Bass Enhancer and Time Turtle Delay (mentioned in Tool Much Fun 2)
They also sell the non-free Stutter Master Beat Repeater, Snape Tape Saturator and Lion Punch Transient Designer, plus sample packs and presets for FabFIlter, Valhalla and Soundtoys suites.
Makers of IR packs, and presets for IK ToneX, plus hardware such as Boss and Line6. Sadly nothing for my ageing GT-10B.
Here’s one that isn’t new per se but I’d missed it and you might have as well.
Free realtime delay-line granulator. Link goes directly to Pluginboutique but is not an affilate link, I’m currently just a customer like you.
Going after the retro 90s gaming enthusiast, this reverb is modelled from the SNES, PlayStation and N64. They’re asking US$49 which I think is a little steep for an impulse buy. If you make chiptunes with a tracker and/or 8-bit plugins this might make it sound a little more authentic.
Aly James Lab SY-4X Syncussion
A detailed emulation of the Pearl Syncussion SY-1 drum synthesizer. I assume this is the Pearl that makes the real drum kits? I’ll leave that to you to look up.
Stem separation. Compare with Lalal.ai. May the best algorithm win!
AI based vocal changer. You upload your dry vocal file a la Lalal, and you can morph it into one of at least 8 different vocalists.
Compare with Musicfy and Voicedub.
I’m not sure about that .lol domain name. Not to be confused with Musicy which appears to have been a way to save internet radio streams up to 2011. Mac users can probably use Audio Hijack Pro for this now.
System for morphing one sound into another, not specially tuned to voice data. Like style transfer for popular for photos, but this is for sound.
AI based - “describe the sound you're after, and watch as Deep Sampler 2 cooks up unique samples and mind-bending effects”
Resonate it all up
Some freebies and low cost effects that run in puredata.
Another spatial audio plugin which isn’t new but is another I thought you might not have heard of yet.
Fully featured — “8-voice synth with 7 oscillators, 6 onboard effects and 10 filter shapes” by a group new to me. If money were no object I’d get it but I haven’t scratched the surface of several of my flagship synths yet, so it will have to wait for another day.
Get a MIDI clock signal live out of any music that has a rhythm I suppose. They also make two more sophisticated apps which appear to be marketed at well-paid Video DJs or other AV creators, as they seem quite expensive to me.
Beta version of a phone app to control Abelton Live.
Samples
Also loops!
Subscription based music resource site, includes DAW templates and plugins.
Small range of samples including dubplate (TIL) and bass.
AJP (Adam Partington)
Link goes directly to his shared folder on Google Drive.
“Royalty free beats and sounds” marketplace.
Subscription based assets library including royalty-free music for videos, sound effects, AI voice generator, stock footage, video templates, plugins, and apps.
3D
I know my 3D game isn't strong, but I will add stuff when I find it nonetheless.
“The public 3D Asset library’
Blender focused asset shop. Royalty-free. And apparently over 28000 of their over 55000 items are free.
“The world's largest 3D scan library”
Bold to use a generic name for their product, but I was able to find it by searching for “Splinetool”. Free-tiered 3D real-time collaboration.
Once upon a time, we had VRML. Now there’s this.
iOS
This one might surprise you. App store link. Rather than pressing keys to send midi notes and releasing them when you want them to stop, this one sends notes based on CC values. Apparently there is a way to get them to start and stop, and to play within a scale. The demo I saw had multiple notes playing in a drone, which sounded cool.
Multiband compressor. A useful tool if you don’t have one already
Sometimes I wander how I keep from goin’ yonder
Modern looking map app which lets you filter map data and download it for offline use. Their name autocorrects to “napkin”
Free but ad-supported local music player. Inlcudes an onboard EQ and AirPlay support.
Collaborative widget maker. Post pictures and messages to your friend's home screen. Be nice! Not to be confused with Magnet, a popular window manager for macOS.
AI
Claude his way to the top, they said.
Not as famous as ChatGPT yet. Full version is $20.
Take screenshots and instant discuss them with - possibly ChatGPT, it's not specified.
Create songs by typing prompts. I haven't listened to any of their demos.
Threads add ons
I wasn't even aware Threads supported add-ons. From what I read, these might be Sherlocked by Threads themselves in a future update.
Social media assistant for Threads.
Thread post management and scheduling.
Listening/Content consumption
Music platform that claims to be more musician focused, so I guess that means they pay better than the alternatives?
Worldwide internet radio.
Find and track TV and Movies
The "nicest music player" for playing your own music files without using Apple Music.
Publishing
I ain’t afraid of no ghost
Compare with Substack
Language Learning
Online language learning. Compare with Babbel, Duolingo and the OG Rosetta Stone.
Webtools
File sharing
“Build, host, and share documentation”. Supports Sphinx, MkDocs and Jupyiter Book, the former two I hadn't heard of yet as I'm not a developer.
Notes, Lists and Journals
Subscription based todo list.
Designed to help “neurospicy” people manage their tasks, this includes features like a time estimator, and a Compiler which in this case takes a brain dump that you wrote hastily and splits it into todo items.
Free customisable journalling. The user interface looks kind of minimalist to me. Might be good if you like clean distraction-free interfaces.
Simple journalling app.
”Capture and share notes". AI based voice-to-text, then send into your other apps. Anyone remember reQall which came out many years ago, when voice-to-text was still in its infancy? For macOS and iOS.
Free but ad-supported shareable shopping list app. I use AnyList which I’m happy with for now.
Android owners can compare with ColorNote.
Markdown based notes app. It appears to support images, so if Squarespace ever gets its act together with Markdown that maight make my blogging life easier.
Braindump/capture everything for later type app.
These two aren't new — and maybe several of these items aren't, but I haven't posted about it yet so I thought it was fair to add Bear in with these other notes apps in case you are comparing.
Dutch-made capture everything app. Access voice, photos and text. Appears to include a Watch app as well. I want to try these but I already use Todoist, so it may take a while for me to check it out.
Digital Art Shops & Galleries
These are in a world I don't have any contact with, as I have avoided both NFTs and crypto, but this blog is all about finding new stuff.
(another one that autocorrects. This one goes to “Variable”.)
If you’ve read this far, thanks for chowing down on this smorgasbord of items with me. Don’t forget to have a shower sometimes.