Sometimes, a track sounds flat, dry, and boring, and there is an urgent need for movement. Developer brand0 has just released a tool to ameliorate that problem with a new modulation effect, aptly named Gooper.
The plugin utilizes 5 comb filters that interact with each other to create anything from goopy and gooey to robotic voices and spiraling barber-pole phasing with stereo offset.
Gooper has a funny UI that looks like it could be part of some sort of ’90s video game, but the layout is clear and easy to operate.
What the different controls do is harder to describe. To be completely honest, it goes way over my head.
Feel free to check out some of the demos at the developer’s Gumroad page to get a proper idea of what it can do.
The controls are as follows:
“Goops” controls the amount and interaction between the comb filters, and “Feed” controls feedback and a shepherd’s tone type of effect. Leaving the knob in at a positive value creates a rising sound, and descending at a negative value.
The parameters labeled “Rate” and “Var” control the speed and depth of the effect and can be rhythmically synced with the “Sync” button.
Gooper also has a filter control to target the processing and to change the range of where the fundamental frequencies sweep, which opens up a lot of possibilities for automation. You can also choose to apply the processing in stereo or mono.
Throw this on some field recordings or a breakbeat to twist and contort the sounds to your delight.
Gooper is the type of plugin I’ll start to tweak while listening for something completely bizarre and experimental. Understanding what the plugin does under the hood comes second for less tech-savvy people like myself.
You can feed it pretty much anything, and it will flange, phase, and otherwise transform the input signal into a unique sonic texture. That’s a guarantee.
This is golden if you need more stereo information or movement. While the plugin might treat the sound in pretty brutal ways, there is a much-needed dry/wet control to reign in the craziness, making it usable in a more subtle manner as well.
For sound design, this thing might become your best friend. Especially if paired up with distortion, reverbs, and punishing compression. You can get some genuinely wild sounds and textures going in a short amount of time.
Gooper is donationware and works on macOS and Windows in AU and VST3 format.
To download the plugin, enter any email address at checkout. To get it for free, simply enter «0» before clicking «add to cart».
If you like stuff like this, donating a few bucks to the developer is always nice.
Get it here: Gooper (FREE – email required)
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Last Updated on March 26, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
