Following their formation and debut releases in December 2025, Smokestack Sounds — the brainchild of composer and producer Oliver Patrice Weder — have announced the release of their third instrument, Spaces.
Described as an “ethereal sci-fi synth built for explorers of mystique, atmosphere and unexpected metamorphoses”, the new addition to the company’s line-up is said to have been inspired by vast, otherworldly landscapes. It delivers everything from pads and textures to punchy plucked sounds, all of which are aimed squarely at sci-fi, fantasy and adventure genres.
Much like the releases it follows, Spaces features an artistic GUI that encourages users to experiment rather than getting lost in complex parameters and programming interfaces. Everything the instrument has to offer can be obtained by interacting with its graphical elements — a pair of colourful suns and nebulas! — with all of the necessary processing and effects being taken care of behind the scenes. It’s possible to blend between different states using the mod wheel of a controller keyboard, and the filter value is set by clicking and dragging a mist over the GUI.
The instrument has been developed in collaboration with Dimitris Kordis, a sound and product designer who has been involved with releases by the likes of Arturia, Native Instruments and Spitfire Audio.
Key Features
- 10 Short Plucks divided between the pink and yellow sun.
- Travel through seven evolving pads with the mod-wheel function.
- Change the shape of each of those sounds (or a combination) with the Red Nebula.
- Change the dimensions and effects processing with the Green Nebula.
- Summon the mist to apply a cool filter by clicking and dragging the mouse anywhere on the GUI.
Compatibility
Spaces runs in the full version of Native Instruments Kontakt version 7.1 or higher — it will not work with the free Kontakt Player — which is supported on PCs running Windows 10 and above, and Macs running macOS 11 or later. VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available, along with a standalone application.
Pricing & Availability
Spaces is available now, and is being offered at an introductory price of €15 until 16 April 2026, when it will increase to its full price of €24.
