On Monday, Nakst released the free ExtraBold synth plugin (CLAP and AU formats) for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The developer said the synth “uses traditional subtractive synthesis, with three powerful oscillators and a multi-mode filter.”
Looking at the user interface, there seems to be a lot going on. However, the developer says the synth is perfect for beginners.
“It sports a simple one-page UI layout and a fixed modulation pipeline, so its capabilities may seem limited,” Nakst said.
“But beneath this simplicity is a very characterful, aggressive sound engine with a bunch of tricks up its sleeve, including filter FM, ring modulation, hard sync, comb filters, global unison, and more.”
ExtraBold is designed as the sibling to the developer’s free FM synth Fluctus, which has a similar interface and design philosophy.
At the center of ExtraBold, there’s a row of four LFOs, which Nakst said can be “used together to create complex sounds that evolve the pitch and timbre of the oscillators and filter.”
The synth also features three effects slots, each of which can host one of the following effects: delay, reverb, tone, chorus, and distortion.
The mix of these effects can be mapped to the mod wheel for dynamic live performances.
ExtraBold is available through a ‘name your price’ model. If you wish you can download the plugin for free, and there is no copy protection or personal information required to access the downloads.
The plugin automatically detects your CPU features and is designed to run in a highly optimized manner for the best performance.
The synth requires 100 MB of space and 1 GB of RAM and offers the following formats: CLAP, Audio Unit (macOS), and FL Studio native.
Although multiple formats are available, the plugin was built from the ground up in CLAP, which the developer called the “future of audio plugins.”
CLAP is an open-source format released in 2022 designed to avoid the technical and legal limitations of the VST format.
Nakst explained that this enables advanced features, saying, “ExtraBold already supports many extensions, such as polyphonic modulation, preset discovery, parameter indication, remote controls, and more.”
Nakst’s website hosts six synth plugins. Out of all these, Apricot, Regency, Fluctus, and ExtraBold are free, while Altitude and Integrate are paid releases.
However, there are feature-limited free demo versions available for the latter two synths.
Download: ExtraBold (FREE / Name-your-price)
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Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by Tomislav Zlatic.
