video upload by PolyFreq
Press release follows:
PolyFreq pitches availability of Phonon plug-in debut as precision granular laboratory for sonic alchemy
BRISTOL, UK: boutique musical tools-maker PolyFreq is proud to announce availability of Phonon as its debut plug-in — pitched as a precision laboratory for sonic alchemy, built around a high-quality sample granulation engine with root note detection, four keyboard follow modes, and legato giving it real versatility as a playable instrument — as of May 5…
Acting as a musical synthesiser first and foremost, Phonon is designed for very intentional, controllable reconstruction of one source, leaning into synchronous granular or ‘graintable’ synthesis. Sub-sample grain scheduling and separate grain rate and density controls open new vistas of repeatable, controllable timbre and tempo across macro and micro parameter ranges. Reality dictates that where other granular synths default to randomisation or multiple sources, Phonon provides users with complete control over every grain — from classic textural clouds to malleable ‘grainwave’ synthesis. Indeed, it is equal parts laboratory and playground.
“Phonon’s development was inspired by the great creativity of early granular work from composers such as Wishart and Roads, and the deep listening of Oliveros, with a desire to make this wild, creative territory more accessible to electronic music production and sound design, without stripping away what makes it strange and inspirational.” So says PolyFreq founder Nick Mariette by way of an illuminating introduction. It aims for ease of use, with a simple drag-and-drop workflow for modulation, and most features are immediately visible, with minimal menus or hidden options. And a flexible array of audio-rate modulation sources provide huge scope for patches that respond and evolve, including LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators), envelopes, sample metadata, sequencers, MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) control data, and various noise flavours.
Features additionally worthy of the edited highlights treatment here include Phonon’s granular engine — eight voices of polyphony with up to 256 grains per voice and sub-sample precision that bridges the gap between classic textures and sharp ‘graintable’ synthesis; effects — shape sounds with a character-driven signal chain, from saturating drive to resonant filtering, as well as a utility reverb for glue or depth; presets — easily capture, export, evolve, and share sonic creations with sample embedding and eight-way snapshots; and drag-and-drop workflow in a resizeable interface for easy enjoyment as a standalone instrument or for plug-in-based DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) production.
Phonon’s uses are almost endless — think time stretching; pitch shifting; sample mangling; sound design; classic textural, granular clouds; synchronous, tuned granular tone creation; creating a synth from any sample; rhythmic grain generation, synced to host; beat retiming and timbre distortion; and more besides. Back to Nick Mariette: “Phonon is intended for reshaping beats and designing synth leads as much as for losing time in ethereal granular atmospheres; I hope it will connect people to listening differently, discovering the sounds within sounds.”
Anyone attending SUPERBOOTH26, May 7-9, FEZ-Berlin, Germany is hereby encouraged to swing by Booth H116 there, where PolyFreq will be showcasing Phonon to the musical masses assembled and Nick Mariette himself will be on hand to personally provide a warm welcome with an open invitation to discover those sounds within sounds. Spanning chaotic clouds to precise synthesis, controllable sonic alchemy is there for the taking so why not take this hands-on opportunity to discover and delight in vibrating matter differently with Phonon!
Phonon is available to buy as a standalone or VST3 plug-in for macOS (10.13 or later) and Windows (10 or later) at a 33% launch discount — duly rising thereafter to its full price of $89.00 USD (excluding tax)/€76.00 EUR (including tax)/£68.00 GBP (including tax) — directly from PolyFreq here: https://www.polyfreq.com/products
For more in-depth information, please visit the PolyFreq products webpage here: https://www.polyfreq.com/products
