AAS Chromaphone

[jer_mcclain]

The basis for some future Live device perhaps?

http://www.applied-acoustics.com/chromaphone/overview/

[jer_mcclain]

Tried the demo, seems like its an evolution of collision of sorts. Does make some interesting percussion and drum sounds and has a quality sound. But thats only a few minutes playing with the presets.

[headquest]

Is this just Collision in VST format or something More?

[Angstrom]

Eh?
That's just Collision.
Compare the controls, parallel or serial resonator routings, etc.
They packaged it up with a chorus and a delay.
Simple as that.

[poonti]

Maybe it's like Ultra-Analog versus Analog? Ie, the bigger version of Collision?

[Mister36]

Although this is probably common knowledge...


AAS String Studio is more or less Tension

AAS Ultra Analog is more or less Analog

AAS Lounge LIzard is more or less Electric

AAS Chromaphone is more or less Collision


Though in my opinion, you get a bit more out of the AAS versions (even if it's only the ability to use in other hosts).

I always liked Collision and the Chromaphone sample tracks sound pretty good to me. In fact, some of them, to say that they are 100% Chromaphone, are pretty impressive.

[Angstrom]

I think the Ableton versions suffer because the interfaces are all cramped up, and can be more confusing to use.

I know Ableton follow a "less is more" approach to interface design, but sometimes less is just ... less.
Less space, less differentiation and less ineligibility.

I think that if Ableton's Collision interface was as large as Chromophone is, they'd have more space to provide a more intuitive, attractive and playable interface for it. As it is - it seems most users remain unaware of what Collision can do! I wonder if it's because it looks so uninvitingly daunting.

The Chromaphone interface has some issues of its own, but I find it much more pleasant to look at the the Collision interface. Compare the Key & velocity modulation amount controls on both. Collision's fragmented box-stack solution is baffling.

[headquest]

That's some interesting points. I must admit that with the Ableton AAS instruments I rarely venture beyond the presets... (although with Impulse/Sampler/Operator I feel fine experimenting with my own sounds...).

I think that PM synthesis is slightly baffling to the uninitiated, and combined with the small Ableton interfaces perhaps that's just not the best fit.

But I regularly use the stock preset sounds on Electric and Analog... I love both those and am glad I invested in the Suite.

[jer_mcclain]

Reading the manual now, it appears to have the same resonators with maybe a couple of exceptions and the voice structure seems the same or similar(?). There is a good section on the technical qualities of this type of sound generation which collision users might find relevant. Overall, it does appear to be collision with a couple of additional features, an effects section and a somewhat different controls section.

[ambientidm]

it's closer to reaktors prism ensemble
i must say this thing is amazing when you start to program it

[Ryanmf]

Sounds interesting, which I guess means I need to delve a lot deeper into Collision.

Different sound palate, but few software drum synths appeal to me quite like µtonic does.

[crystalmsc]

I now somehow see the collision from a different perspective, more interesting.

[poonti]

I emailed AAS asking about the difference in the sound engine between Collision and Chromaphone:

You are right that the two
instruments are similar. The big difference is that with Chromaphone
we are introducing coupling algorithms that allow us to take into
account the interaction between resonators. In Collision they are
passive meaning that the signal from one is fed directly to the other.
This does not change drastically the tone but make the instruments
much more natural and realistic. The preset library is also completely
different.

[Angstrom]

that's interesting, the bi-directional resonance idea.
I wonder if Collision will also include this update at some point. I can live without it, but ... if it's coming then I'll have it.

Thanks for the info anyway