Baby Audio have announced the launch of Atoms, a new virtual instrument that uses physical modelling to generate a wide range of otherworldly sounds.
The physical modelling behind the instrument simulates interconnected masses and springs and offers control over their material properties and dimensions. Sound is generated using a virtual bowing action that vibrates the modelled components, and a set of parameters make it possible to adjust the material properties and dimensions, with adjustment ranges that extend further than would be possible in the real world.
Much of the instrument’s sound design possibilities are facilitated by six key parameters: Chaos, Order, Force, Overtones, Drive and Filter. As well as being manually adjustable, the controls can also be automated thanks to a Motion feature, which allows users to assign a range of modulation wave shapes in order to create continually evolving sounds, and there’s also a randomisation engine that will instantly generate a new patch. The feature uses an algorithm that selectively adjusts each parameter based on its relationship to the others, with users able to limit the ranges or lock parameters in order to influence the results.
A set of additional controls along the bottom of the GUI provide a range of creative effects that can be used to process the instrument’s sound further, with four different sonic profiles offering a choice of different mass-spring network structure simulations. With the exception of the reverb (Space), all of the effects housed in the bottom section are created inside the physical model, something which Baby Audio say produces a more natural-sounding result than a separate effects chain would be able to provide.
Compatibility
Atoms is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or above, and Macs running macOS 10.11 and higher. It is available in VST, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in formats.
Pricing & Availability
Atoms is available now, and will be priced at $59 until 30 March 2024, after which it will cost $99.
