CreativeSynth/Cycling '74: MODE Plug-Ins (review)

MODE is a collection of plug-ins for use with VST, Audio Units, and RTAS hosts running on Mac OS X platforms. The core of MODE consists of five main plug-ins, components of which are available as 18 smaller mini-plug-ins, bringing the total number in the set to 23. Three of the plug-ins are virtual instruments that receive MIDI and generate audio. The remaining two are effects plug-ins. MODE was created by CreativeSynth and is distributed by Cycling '74; it is based on Pluggo technology. Pluggo is a collection of more than 100 plug-ins available from the same company for use with the same host applications, and users of Pluggo will find some familiar features in MODE.

The 18 mini-modules in MODE form substantial plug-ins, ranging from various types of delay, filter, and distortion effects, to an arpeggiator, a step sequencer, and synthesizer instruments. The five main plug-ins are made up of various combinations of these modules and are therefore quite complex. In one plug-in alone I counted 72 parameters that could be set by the user. Each has a particular main synthesizer or effect feature as its core but then may include a combination of filter, delay, low frequency oscillator (LFO), pan controls, distortion effects, etc. The designers set out to create a set of plug-ins that would guide the user toward experimentation, with the nature of the sound influencing choices.

The user mainly deals with knobs and sliders that control parameter settings but do not indicate the parameter value, or allow the user to enter precise data values. Some of the main plug-ins have as many as 128 presets and most of the smaller modules have their own individual presets, again some with as many as 128, giving the beginner an easy way to start playing with the various synthesizers and effects. The time-based plug-ins in the package provide the option to synchronize with a host application, and many key parameters can be controlled using MIDI controllers.

BANG is described as a "tuned percussion synth." It is made up of four main modules: a sample playback module, an FM synthesizer, an analog-type synthesizer, and a stereo delay with a master output with filter and distortion, all of which are available as separate plug-ins. The sample playback section provides a set of percussion samples, with a four-stage envelope with time stage values of 0 to 1500 msec (see Figure 1). Controls for coarse and fine tuning of the base frequency and a bit reduction control with range of 1- to 24-bits are provided, along with controls that allow velocity to control the sampling playback speed and output level. A send (to the Stereo Delay), level, and pan complete this and the other two modules.

The FM synthesizer section of this plug-in includes carrier and modulator envelope controls as above and controls for pitch and waveform of each (sine, triangular, sawtooth, square, or noise). Detailed control is allowed over the amplitude and pitch of the modulation and a MIDI tracking feature causes the modulating oscillator to follow the MIDI notes played.

The analog synthesizer module also has two four-stage envelope controls, controls for pitch, waveform, modulation amount, velocity controls for pitch and output level, and an invert envelope choice. A low-pass filter with a range of 20–12,000 Hz is also included, with cut-off frequency, resonance control, and a parameter that modulates the frequency cut-off based on the modulation envelope.

The delay module has coarse and fine time controls of 5–300 msec and +/–10 msec, respectively. The delay time can be modulated by 1–20 Hz values to create chorus and quivering sounds and the...