Tela – Modal Synthesizer

video upload by Fors

Tela – Walkthrough

video upload by Fors

https://fors.fm/tela

"Tela orchestrates a vast array of resonant peaks, intertwined to form a critical mass of sound. It models nothing – it's a synthesizer for the here and now, to discover and create anew.

In a careful balance of depth and immediacy, Tela explores the inherent character and capabilities of modal synthesis. Like a practical joke, Tela bends a myriad of partials into perfect symmetrical waveforms only for them to dissolve into otherworldly timbres and textures mere seconds later. There are no rules.

Modal synthesis
Imagine hitting a thin piece of metal, a piece of glass or the membrane of a drum– the material vibrates and rings out with its inherent timbre, affected by the motion of the impact and the strength of the hit. This is the basis of what modal synthesis recreates.

Multiple bandpass filters are strung together while various input sources are fed through to cause a reaction. While it's often used to replicate acoustic sounds, it's a powerful method in its own right, with an idiosyncratic sound and capabilities that go well beyond mimicking physical materials.

Turn the page
The flow of Tela is based on parameter pages, each page corresponding to one fundamental part of the synthesis engine.

The Patch page controls the overall voice of Tela. Parameters that affect the sound at a whole, like pitch, glide, and velocity.

Impulse plucks and strikes the modal bank. By changing the shape and sound of the impulse it's possible to make the modal bank sound softer, sharper, or completely change its tone.

Grain scrapes, bows and blows into the modal bank. Unlike a normal noise generator, grain is made up of tiny particles with adjustable density to control its intensity and movement.

Tonality manipulates the frequency content of the sound, controlling each partial with precision to achieve anything from sharp symmetrical waves to inharmonic clusters.

Contour controls the amplitude of every single partial, reducing or adding overtones while exploring sonic patterns morphing and moving until a new shape takes form.

The Space reverb effect teleports the synthesizer voice into different realms, balancing carefully between small-ish and impossibly huge.

Modulate
Each page has a dedicated LFO modulator which can be used to invoke movement. This highly flexible modulator can be continuously moulded into a multitude of shapes and forms. Synced to your BPM or note– this modulator can also act as an envelope, sample and hold and jitter for unexptected results.

Surprise yourself
When inspiration comes to a lull, try a randomly generated sound. By the click of a button, Tela can generate an entirely new random sound which, with a little bit of luck, might spark an idea."