NEWS • NOVEMBER 22 , 2000
Native Instruments Offers Free Audio Synth
First release includes 64-voice polyphony

by David Nagel
Executive Producer
dnagel@digitalmedianet.com

Native Instruments has released its first free audio synthesizer. Called the NI/Soundforum Synthesizer, this software synth was generated with the modular sound and instrument design environment Reaktor and is based on the audio engine of Native Intruments' Dynamo. However, it is not a plugin.

Version 1.0 is available now. Features include:

• Two oscillators with four waveforms each;
• Pulse-width modulation;
• Infinitely variable waveform symmetry of first oscillator;
• Ring-Modulation, FM and Sync;
• Multimode-Filter with eight different characteristics;
• Resonance up to self-oscillation;
• ADSR-Envelope for amplitude;
• ADSR-Envelope for filter frequency;
• LFO with four waveforms, including random;
• Flexible modulation routing;
• Filter-Envelope: pitch, symmetry and amplitude of Osc 1 and Osc 2;
• LFO: pitch and symmetry of Osc 1 and Osc 2, filter frequency and amplitude;
• Unisono-mode;
• Polyphonic-mode with adjustable voice number per note;
• Oscilloscope;
• Up to 64 voices;
• 128 Snapshots (User-Presets);
• All panel elements controllable by MIDI controllers;
• Adjustable sample rate from 22 KHz to 132 KHz.

Audio output on the Mac includes Sound Manager and ASIO. (A Windows version is also available for Windows MME and DirectSound.)

Soundforum Synthesizer was developed by Stephan Schmitt, Technical Director of NI, in collaboration with Peter Gorges for the Soundforum-Workshop of the German magazine Keyboards. It requires Mac OS 8.5 or higher, a PowerPC 604e (250 MHz) or later and 32 MB RAM. A MIDI keyboard is recommended. To download it or for more information, visit http://www.nativeinstruments.com.

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