he new VOKATOR plug-in from German virtual synth developer Native Instruments is a vocoder that the company says will define a new standard for transparency, detail, and smoothness. It will be available in February 2003 for Mac OS9 and Windows PCs (support for DXi II, RTAS and OS X including Audio Units will follow later), at a suggested retail price of $299 (US).
It is not only an exceptional vocoder, but also a sophisticated synthesizer, a granular sampler, and a virtual sound-fusion laboratory. By offering multiple modes of operation, VOKATOR opens vast new worlds of sound-design possibilities.
VOKATOR’s high-resolution FFT spectral engine is a milestone in vocoder development. Previous vocoders used eight, sixteen, twenty, or thirty-two frequency bands at the most the more frequency bands, the smoother and creamier the effect. Unlike its predecessors, VOKATOR’s advanced engine uses 1024 bands. In addition to its stunningly transparent, full-resolution operation, VOKATOR’s bands can even be grouped together for a convincing vintage-vocoder emulation. To ensure optimal dynamic range across the frequency spectrum, an integrated frequency-domain compressor balances the levels of all bands.
A pair of vocoding channels can either be spectrally combined or played independently. Channel A can be switched between an integrated file player or external input A, while Channel B can be set to a full-featured synthesizer, a time-stretching granular sampler, or external input B. For a traditional vocoder effect, the frequency spectrum of the external input would be controlled by the synthesizer, but VOKATOR’s capabilities are much more advanced than simple vocoding.
VOKATOR is both an effect plug-in and a vocoder-based synthesizer. Its synthesizer features an advanced dual-oscillator design with dynamic preset morphing controlled by the modulation wheel. VOKATOR’s granular sampler can independently control a sample’s pitch and time. A full range of modulators step sequencers, envelope followers, LFOs, and more can be easily routed to any of the synthesizer’s or sampler’s parameters.
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.