Physical Audio’s range of plug-ins are based purely on the numerical modelling of acoustic systems such as bars, plates, strings and connecting elements. Their latest offering, Modus, is a soft synth that uses combinations of modelled strings and plates connected by springs or rattles as its sound source.
Three different models are available: Strings, Strings + Plate and Plates. The first allows each voice to utilise up to four strings, whilst the second offers a combination of two strings and a plate, and the third provides a choice of one or two plates.
For the Strings model, one string is always plucked, with any additional ones added functioning as resonators, and the Plate + Strings model consists of two plucked strings connected to a resonating plate. The Plates model then allows the use of one or two plates, the first of which can be played with a tuned sine or saw wave, or set to an untuned strike, whilst the optional second plate will always act as a resonator.
A set of physical parameters are provided, offering control over the decay, tone and harmonic content of the generated sounds, along with individual semitone and fine-tuning controls, and three different connecting material options with their own dedicated physical parameters offer a varying range of timbres.
In addition to manipulating the physical properties of the models used to generate the sound, Modus is also equipped with a range of controls more common to a soft synth. A ladder-style resonant low-pass filter is followed by dedicated Drive, Delay and Reverb effects sections, whilst a pair of LFOs with sine, saw or random shapes can be assigned to parameters in the instrument’s Connections, Filter and Drive sections.
The instrument is also boasts full MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) compatibility, allowing for in-depth expressive performance capabilities when paired with a compatible MPE controller.
Compatibility
Modus is supported on Windows and macOS (no minimum OS versions are specified) and is available in VST3, AU and AAX plug-in formats.
Pricing & Availability
Modus is available now, and is being offered for an introductory price of $69£59 including VAT / €60. On 22 August 2023, the price will increase to $119£99 including VAT / €100.
