Rating: **** 4/5 Stars
Timedrops is a Kontakt (full version required) instrument that uses granular processing to take sections of a sampled waveform and then turn it into a new sound that can be played from a keyboard. Its library samples offer up anything from a rattling bell or piano note to a long section of classical music, and by changing where in the sample the granular extracts are taken from, and by adjusting the granular parameters, the same sample can yield a wide range of usable sounds. Timedrops comes with a library of preset instruments, though users can also import their own samples.
The controls are fairly straightforward with a waveform view at the top of the window. This is equipped with A and B sliders where the A slider adjusts the point at which grains are generated. The pointer position may be adjusted manually or varied via an LFO, or it can be assigned to a custom CC. The B slider comes into play a little later when we get onto Modes. The grains are shown as moving vertical lines imposed over the waveform display.
Granular synthesis can get quite complex so our Fluffy friends have provided a set of Modes to simplify things. These dictate where the grain generation starts, at or between the A and B markers with some useful morphing and fading options. In Key Span mode, the pitch is fixed to the chosen root key, though every key in the range has a different starting point allowing different sounds to be generated from the same sample. Velo Span uses velocity to set the start point, while Key Slide forces the starting point to slide when playing legato. Pitchscan mode is useful for interesting atonal results.
The Modulation tab is where you set up parameter control using the LFO (sine, saw, triangle or pulse with designation in a drop‑down menu) and/or MIDI CC. Where a parameter is being modulated, a moving yellow line shows the rate and range of modulation. Key range can also be adjusted in this bar along with the maximum voice number and an auto CPU limit.
If you need something to help you cook up dynamic drones, creepy cues or surreal synths, Timedrops has a lot to offer.
Presets are organised into categories: Atmos, Music, Noise, Phrases, Shorts, Sustains, Synth and User. Many of the sounds have an obviously granular signature, often lending them a diffuse, evolving character with a slightly unearthly timbre. However it is also possible to coax very synth‑like sounds out of Timedrops, some with a very Blade Runner kind of vibe. The ability to load in a long sample, such as a slice of classical music, and then to dive in and manipulate small sections is also impressive and is a good way to create shifting backgrounds and drones. I was a little disappointed that the designers haven’t explored Kontakt’s drag‑and‑drop for adding your own samples, but because of the different ways in which you can process the factory library, there should be enough there to keep you busy for a long time. If you need something to help you cook up dynamic drones, creepy cues or surreal synths, Timedrops has a lot to offer.
€69
€69