Stringer 3.1 update - native M1 support, divide-down engine | Solina VST

video upload by SonicProjects

"https://www.sonicprojects.ch/stringer...

SonicProjects Stringer version 3.1 update release trailer. Stringer is a hybrid vintage String Machine and Solina, ARP Omni and Logan String Melody emulator VST and AU plugin.

Stringer 3.1 offers extended compatibility and new features:

- Mac: Native M1 support and added VST3 (now AU and VST3)
- 5 added authentic monophonic envelopes (now 8 envelope types)
- Added monophonic bass section
- 3 new ensemble effect types based on the Solina circuit
- A switchable fully polyphonic phase-locked divide-down engine
- 30 new pressets (now total 128) showcasing the new features

The new features enhance the originally (until version 2.0) only purely sample-based engine with even more features for emulating vintage String machines from ground up without samples, which already started in version 3.0 with the added "Pure" sawtooth mode.

The switchable fully-polyphonic divide-down engine (upper engine only - the lower engine still can use samples at the same time) emulates the wave generator engine of most vintage String machines which used a high pitched master oscillator which drove a chip that generated the 12 semitones of the highest octave which then were divided down using simple dividor-chips for the lower octaves which resultet in phase-locked octaves - which is an important part of the typical sound character of these old machines.

Since many of the vintage String machines including the Solina (but not all: e.g. the Logan had separate envelopes for each key) had just one single envelope generator for all keys in common which led to retriggering after release of all keys and hitting again Stringer now adds this feature with 5 types of monophonic envelopes (M1 - M5).

Why 5 types? Because various vintage String machines handled this differently (even different makes within the Solina series) and in the one or other way tried to compensate this shortcoming by various different tricks which are represented in the 5 differend modes. In todays sight the monophonic envelopes with their typcal retriggering behaviour are a crucial part of the typical sound of these old machines.

Finally Stringer now implents 3 additional global ensemble effect types (so fixed and no parameters) which are based on the original circuit of the ARP / Eiminent Solina.

So these new added features now allow Stringer 3.1 to emulate a Solina in all its crucial parts from ground up without using samples.

But still, since this all can be done within the upper engine alone you still can combine this with the sample engine of the lower engine. This makes Stringer incredibly versatile, probably like no other String machine emulator on the market at this moment.

The original sample-based engine of Stringer offers very high quality (every key sapled using high-end Apogee converters, loop leghts up to 4 seconds, matching the original beats) offers selected presets from these 3 vintage String machines:

- Logan String Melody II
- ARP Omni 2
- Welson Syphony

The 3 string machines each have an own distict sound character (Omni: clear and shiny, Logan: fat and big, Welson warm and balanced) which complement each other extremely well for layering and splits.

Together with the generative part of Stringer (so using no samples) Stringer is unbelievably versatile and apart from the classic sounds can generate new unheard String machine sounds.

Features:
- 2 engines (upper, lower) each offering 6 high-quality multisamples
- The two engines can be layered, split, panned and detuned
- 8 different envelope types (3 poly and 5 mono)
- A switchable mono-bass in the lower engine (exclusive or mixed)
- A switchable fully-polyphonic phase-locked divide-down engine
- 4 global enseble effect types, 3 of them based on the Solina circuit
- An additional effect engine offering reverb and modulation effects
- These include chorus, flanger, phaser and independent parameterized ensemble
- 128 awesome presets including classics like "Shine On"

Since Sringer uses no disk streaming for the sample engine (purely RAM-based, only about 140mb) and the divide-dow engine is very CPU efficient Stringer only has a low system load compared to other solutions.

A restricted (just one octave, so cut down sample set, but same quality and same features) demo version can be downloaded here: https://www.sonicprojects.ch/stringer...

A demo (version 3.0) of the built-in presets can be watched here: [posted here]

Back in 2006 Stringer was the world's first dual engine vintage String machine emulator (later other manufacturers used similar concepts) and so has a history of 16 years already."