Rick Christy has announced the launch of Soundgasm Design, a new company which aims to create quality, affordable products that can help make composing music on a computer a more enjoyable, inspirational, and rewarding experience.
Rick Christy also known as grymmjack, the man behind DesignerMonkey which has been offering free and commercial graphic design services to plug-in developers for the passed few years, has founded Soundgasm Design, currently selling sound banks and presets for VST instruments. SGD will later extend it’s product line to include Live Packs for Ableton Live, ReFills for Propellerhead Reason/Record, product agnostic waveform sample packs, and Native Instruments Reaktor ensembles, as well as commercial skin, graphic, and identity design services for the computer music scene.
Rick is joined by his extremely multi-talented friend Leslie Sanford, owner and founder of Sanford virtual instruments and effects including the hybrid synthesizer Cobalt, ComputerMusic magazine PhaserCM, and an array of other high quality affordable Sanford brand audio effects. Leslie has created an incredibly diverse bank for G-Force ImpOSCar called Cicada and will be creating future soundbanks and Reaktor ensembles available exclusively through Soundgasm Design.
New Soundgasm Design products
- Leslie Sanford’s Cicada for G-Force ImpOSCar, a sound bank release containing 3 banks with 36 patches each for a total of 108 patches. All of the basics are covered from useable basses to lush pads. But it doesn’t stop there. The Cicada banks dive deep into impOSCar’s possibilities taking you on a sonic journey we think you’ll find unique and rewarding.
- Azure for Leslie Sanford’s Cobalt synthesizer which features 32 patches, 8 from each of the most usable categories, and covers a little of everything. The main focus of this bank is to push Cobalt a little farther than it has been pushed before.
- FunkUnit for Sonic Projects OPX-Pro, a 32 sound bank which attempts to capture the essence of the 1980′s and enhance that essence into a modern usable set of sounds with a contemporary funk influence. Inspired by the films and pop culture of that decade, FunkUnit attempts to provide a little bit of that 80′s funk magic for your compositions.
Cicada is available to purchase for $15 USD, Azure and FunkUnit are $5 USD each.
More information: Soundgasm Design
Leslie Sanford has released version 1.5 of Cobalt, a VSTi software synthesizer inspired by many of the digital synthesizers from the 1980s.
Cobalt can sound at times warm and rich while at other times cold and stark. From gentle pads to screaming leads, Cobalt’s gotcha covered.
Changes in Cobalt v1.5
- Added extensive MIDI Learn capabilities. You can map any CC message to any parameter either manually by choosing the CC message from a list or by putting Cobalt into Learn mode and sending it any MIDI CC message.
- Added some smoothing to several parameters to minimize zippering when manipulating them via MIDI CC.
- GUI code rewritten from scratch (though the UI doesn’t look any different).
Cobalt for Windows PC (VST) is available to purchase for $35 USD.
More information: Leslie Sanford / Cobalt
Leslie Sanford has released version 1.0.5 of Cobalt, a VSTi software synthesizer inspired by many of the digital synthesizers from the 1980s.
Changes in Cobalt v1.0.5
- Fixed a bug in Cobalt’s release algorithm. When Envelope 1 completes its release stage the oscillators’ phase are randomized to simulate the free-running characteristics of analog oscillators. A flaw in the algorithm caused the oscillators to be randomized too soon before the sound had completely faded out. This caused a popping sound on released notes, especially when the release time is short.
NOTE: You can still get a popping sound with Cobalt on the attack of a note, but this is by design. To avoid it, simply change the attack time from an instant attack to something really short like 2-3 milliseconds.
Cobalt is available as a VST instrument for Windows PC for $25 USD.
More information: Leslie Sanford
Leslie Sanford has released the Sanford Vector Pad, a powerful VSTi MIDI controller plug-in for Windows.
The Sanford Vector Pad is a powerful MIDI plugin that lets you control four MIDI sources at once using only your mouse.
Included with the Sanford Vector is the Sanford Mixer. The Sanford Mixer was especially designed to work with the Sanford Vector Pad. Using them together will let you dynamically control the mix of four audio sources. You can even create vector synthesis by running four instances of your favorite synth through the Sanford Mixer and controlling the volume of each instance with the Sanford Vector Pad.
Sanford Vector Pad features
- Control four MIDI sources at once.
- Intuitive grid UI.
- Powerful configuration options for MIDI controllers.
- MIDI Learn for every parameter.
- All parameters can be automated.
Sanford Vector Pad is available as a VST instrument for Windows PC for $15 USD.
More information: Leslie Sanford
Leslie Sanford has announced the release of Sanford LFO, a MIDI based VSTi plugin representing a low frequency oscillator.
It has all of the features you would expect from an LFO such as support for synchronization and providing a variety of waveform choices.
Sanford LFO features
- Generates MIDI Control Change messages. Messages follow the amplitude of the LFO.
- Extensive synchronization options. Supports regular, triplet, and dotted note types.
- Many waveforms to choose from. From sine to noise.
- MIDI Learn for every parameter.
- All parameters can be automated.
Sanford LFO is available as a VST instrument plug-in for Windows PC for $15 USD.
More information: Leslie Sanford
Leslie Sanford has released Sanford ADSR Envelope, a faithful implementation of the classic ADSR envelope.
Connect it to a plugin capable of receiving MIDI controller change messages, and it’s as if you’ve given it an extra ADSR envelope.
Leslie Sanford ADSR EnvelopeSanford ADSR Envelope features
- Generates MIDI Control Change messages. Messages follow the amplitude of the envelope.
- Key tracking. You can adjust higher notes to decay more rapidly.
- Velocity sensitivity. Reponds to how hard you play.
- Legato mode. Legato and Retrigger modes supported.
- MIDI Learn for every parameter.
- All parameters can be automated.
Sanford ADSR Envelope is available as a VST instrument for Windows PC for $15 USD. A demo is available for download.
More information: Leslie Sanford
