Dream Date Designs has released Dreamer, a FREE sample-based instrument for Kontakt Player.
According to the developer, Dreamer is a sample player that “extracts the sounds from your dreams and injects them into your music.” I know what you’re thinking: finally, software that wants my information even when I’m sleeping!
Luckily, there’s nothing quite so invasive, and we won’t end up in some weird Nightmare on Elm Street scenario where we are scared to fall asleep.
In reality, Dreamer might help you create your dream sound by turning any sample into a playable instrument.
There are many ways to turn samples into something playable, but the same can be said about most plugins, instruments, and players. In those cases, it’s about more than what the software does but how it does it regarding workflow and any additional features such as built-in effects.
Getting started with Dreamer is quick and easy; you can drag and drop samples from anywhere on your system into any of the eight available slots.
Alternatively, samples from the 30 included loops taken from the Dream Date Loops Library can be selected.
Once you have some samples loaded, working through the interface is pretty self-explanatory. The interface has three main sections: Sample Slots, Player Window, Effects, and Global Options.
As mentioned, there are eight available sample slots, with slot one assigned to MIDI note C1 by default (you can configure triggering notes to suit).
The Player Window displays the waveform and various parameters for the selected sample. You can adjust the sample’s Start point, Speed, Pitch, and Pan.
The Speed control ranges from granular-level slowness to 2X faster, and you can choose whether Speed and Pitch are coupled. When Speed/Pitch aren’t linked, the Pitch knob can adjust the pitch in semitones, independent of the playback speed.
The Player Window allows you to enter the Key of each sample. While it’s not compulsory, it’s highly beneficial if you’d like Dreamer to transpose various samples (with mixed key signatures) into the same key for performance.
Dreamer engages granular mode at the slowest speed with adjustable Grains settings that can produce that time-stretching feel. If you want a closer look at the selected sample, either of the top two triangles on the left will switch the Player Window to Waveform View.
There are three playback modes:
Latch: The sample plays and stops according to your pressing and releasing the correct key.
Envelope – A three-stage volume envelope is applied (Attack, Hold, Decay).
Sustain – An attack envelope is applied (Attack, Release), and the sample will fade according to the Release setting.
The Effects section might be where Dreamer gets more interesting because you get a decent selection to choose from.
There are eight FX slots; slots one and eight are set to Filter and Limiter, with the remaining slots freely assignable. Dreamer has six FX types (EQ, Compression, Distortion, Modulation, Delay, and Reverb) with multiple variations of each.
Each effect provides macro control over selected parameters.
Dreamer is easy to use; as always with samples, it can be a lot of fun. My question to you is how does it compare to what you already use?
If you’re short on samples, check out Genesis: Biomorphing Lifeforms with a BPB-exclusive 30% discount till the end of May 2024.
Download: Dreamer Instruments (FREE – Kontakt 7 Player required)
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Last Updated on May 9, 2024 by Tomislav Zlatic.
