Audible Planets is an expressive, quasi-Ptolemaic semi-modular synthesizer for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
I’ve previously mentioned my love of VCV Rack and other modular software environments. For example, I’m a big fan of miRack and Audulus on the iPad.
So naturally, when I hear about a new environment that allows for decidedly eccentric takes on synthesis, my interest is piqued.
Audible Planet is a quasi-Ptolemaic synthesizer. Don’t feel bad if you had to look it up, I got confused as to what synths have to do with the Greek dynasties that ruled over Egypt during the final days of the Roman Republic.
You’ve essentially got 4 oscillators, 4 envelopes, and a lot of modulation sources. This is all summed up in a single filter, which is fine, I suppose.
The oscillators are a bit different than what I was expecting at first blush. Rather than a distinct waveform, you’ve got the option of turning a saw wave on or off. The phase of the oscillators are given a visual representation of the moon.
Sound design potential is certainly a given with such an environment, especially when you see how exhaustive the mod matrix is. You’ve got a pair of FX chains with some fairly standard inclusions.
They sound good and certainly work with the sound generators. The filter is also perfectly serviceable. It might lack the rawer character of more expensive modeling synths, but that’s alright.
Audible Planets is something wholly unique, with a plethora of macros, MSEGs, LFOs, and so much more.
Given the potential to add MPE to your modulation sources, you’ve got something tailor-made for expressive and esoteric synthesis. It might not be your first choice for bread-and-butter sounds, but you’ve likely got something to handle that as it stands.
This is a synth with some interstellar inspiration, and it truly does go out of the norm when looking at some of the free options you’ll find.
I could potentially rig up a similar set of elements in something like Reaktor or VCV Rack, but thankfully, the dev has already handled all of that for us. Audible Planets is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
Download: Audible Planets (FREE)
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