Atoms is a new physical modeling synth from Baby Audio. It is the second virtual instrument since releasing BA-1, an analog-modeled synth last year. Before taking a look at it, a brief discussion of physical modeling seems warranted.
WHAT IS PHYSICAL MODELING SYNTHESIS?
There are several ways synthesizers can generate sound. Subtractive synthesis, Additive Synthesis, Phase Distortion Synthesis, and FM synthesis are some of the primary approaches. To emulate real-world sounds or acoustic instruments, samplers are often which use recordings of the actual sounds.
Physical Modeling, sometimes called Component Modeling Synthesis is different from all other methods. While it can be used to emulate real-world sounds, it does so using algorithms as opposed to samples. One of the advantages of this method is that the user can create sounds related to the real world in terms of the method of excitation, materials used, the environment, etc., but rather than being forced to rely on samples, there is complete freedom to design sounds from scratch, unhindered by the limitations of the sample.
These algorithms are typically CPU intensive, but contemporary processors have little trouble dealing with the computations where several instances might have bogged down a system a decade ago. Also, there has been some interest in using GPU for audio, which is faster and more robust, a perfect approach for physical modeling. But that might be a few years out and would require major overhauls in software and hardware.
PHYSICAL MODELING IN ATOMS
Atoms GUI
This new device from Baby Audio continues its general approach to polished aesthetics and clarity of design. The GUI resembles the molecular metaphor implied by the name. There is a central display, a sort of geometric oscilloscope that visualizes the interactions happening between six main components–Chaos, Force, Drive, Order, Overtones, and Filter.
At the top and bottom are more global controls affecting, polyphony, detuning, the modeled space, amplitude envelope params, modulation, vibrato, root, and profile. At the top left is a dice icon that randomizes the parameters and activating it can radically change the sound in unpredictable ways. Next to that is a recycle icon that allows more subtle variations and parameters can also be locked to exclude them from randomizing processes.
Randomization – locking parameters
If you happen upon a sound you like either by randomization or intentional programming and tweaking, be sure to save it as a user preset or you may never that sound find again. There are two preset packs that come preloaded (Factory and Radioactive) with more coming this Spring.
MAIN ELEMENTS
The developer states, “Atoms simulates a virtual structure of masses and springs that produces sound when bowed. Known as a mass-spring interaction network, this underlying physical model represents a new direction in synthesis.”
Below is a brief description of each main parameter:
Chaos – introduces nonlinearity and unpredictability to the system including detuning effects.
Order – is a sort of damping control where higher values create more damping of high frequency energy.
Force – refers to a kind of excitation used to start the virtual vibrations. Atoms uses the metaphor of a bow primarily. Higher values add more noise and harmonics.
Drive – uses waveshaping to create harmonic distortion
Overtones – affects the position of the virtual bow on the mass-spring network and emulates the changes that might occur when a bow is moved closer or farther from the bridge on a violin for example.
Filter – a basic lowpass filter with resonance.
Each of the main elements has a drop-down menu that includes types of motion to used in conjunction with the parameter including sine, saw, drift, and MPE. The latter refers to MIDI Polyphonic Expression, a new feature of the latest MIDI protocol that allows for independent CC, aftertouch, and bend control for each MIDI note event.
The Profile selector will drastically affect the sound by changing the Mass-Spring network. Choices include Standard, Alternative, Lo-fi, and Inharmonic.
EXAMPLES
To generate some examples, I chose several presets as starting points and used the recycling button to create variations along with some experimentation with the envelope, profile selector, and a few other parameters as needed. I used just three MIDI regions as sources–an arpeggiated line for the short transient sounds and a sustained chord or note for the pads and ambient settings. No other post-processing was applied.
SEQ – Underground – v1
SEQ – Underground – v2
SEQ – Underground – v3
SEQ – Underground – v4
SEQ – Underground – v5
SEQ – Primitive Dance – v1
SEQ – Primitive Dance – v2
SEQ – Primitive Dance – v3
SEQ – Didgeridoom – v1
PLUCK – Plucky Mallets – v1
PLUCK – Plucky Mallets – v2
PLUCK – Plucky Mallets – v3
PLUCK – Plucky Mallets – v4
KEYS – Turbine – v1
KEYS – Turbine – v2
KEYS – Turbine – v3
KEYS – Dramatic Pluck – v1
DRONE – Quantum Pluck – v1
DRONE – Quantum Pluck – v2
DRONE – Murmurations – v1
DRONE – Murmurations – v2
BASS – Subatomic – v1
BASS – Subatomic – v2
BASS – Hit and Miss – v1
BASS – Hit and Miss – v2
BASS – Hit and Miss – v3
AMBIENT Trailer – v1
AMBIENT Impact Braam – v1
AMBIENT Impact Braam – v2
CONCLUSIONS
One of the aims of Atoms is to create organic textures that evolve and seem to be alive. While some sounds thrive when sustained as the algorithms do their magic, transient sounds can be equally effective for moving lines and repeated patterns. Choosing MPE as a modulation source yields playable settings that can be used for improvising gestures on-the-fly. The Profile selector is great for radically changing the timbre of the sound, sometimes introducing unexpected microtonal shifts. The inclusion of randomization options makes this a great tool for discovery and can be a real rabbit hole for the sonically obsessed. Atoms is a perfect choice for sound designers or adventurous producers looking for something new.
EXTRAS
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