Rhythmic Robot has released Shortwave, a synthesizer sample library for Native Instruments Kontakt, based on the sound of shortwave radio transmissions.
It features a crude four-operator sine-wave based additive synth engine harnessed to twin Interference Generators, each of which can access 111 samples of shortwave static, voices, tuning squeals, modulation noises, cyclic tonalities and so on. A rich combination of LFOs and randomisation features makes for complex, evolving soundscapes which hark back to the age of ham radio operators, Cold War numbers stations, attic antennae and “going out on the airwaves”.
Shortwave features a Glitch control which instantly randomises the settings, for spontaneous patch creation. The Glitch control is designed to be “intelligently musical” in its randomisation, tending to produce musically useful results more often than a pure randomiser would. Shortwave also boasts a series of custom Impulse Responses convolved from genuine radio speakers, plus an old-style graphite microphone, to give patches a compressed, narrow-bandwidth, vintage tonality.
Shortwave is intended for pads, textures, evolving soundscapes, cinematic washes and sound design.
Shortwave features
- Primitive four-operator additive synth.
- Analogue sine waves, with varying levels of distortion and contamination.
- Two Interference Generators, each with 111 waveforms.
- Randomised sample start points for complex variability.
- Rich LFO modulation possibilities, with multiple random factors.
- Glitch control for instant random patch creation.
- 49 factory presets on-board.
- Effects include delay / echo and vintage plate reverb.
- Convolved impulse responses for genuine radio speaker sound.
The sample library is available to purchase for the introductory price of £24.95 GBP (regular £29.95 GBP). Kontakt version 4.2.3 or later full version required.
More information: Rhythmic Robot / Shortwave