Applied Acoustics Systems

AAS’ latest efect plugin (VST/AU/AAX)
combines a stereo delay with the physical
modelling synthesis for which the company are
best known . Comprising three individually
bypassable signal processing sections, a inal
Mixer stage and an LFO for modulation, it
enables transformation of the input signal or its
echoes into tonally disparate sounds via one of
four ‘acoustic resonators’.
Objeq of desire
The irst stage in the signal low is a pair of ilters
– High and Low Cut – each sweeping from 20Hz
to 20kHz and ofering a choice of 6dB, 12dB or
24dB/octave rollof slopes.
After that comes the all-important Object
section, where the acoustic resonators are
brought into play, using complex iltering to
make it sound as if the input is being merged
with or ‘played through’ a particular type of
physical medium. When the Delay section is
turned of, it processes the dry signal; when
Delay is on, it works its magic on the wet signal
only. It’s not possible to route the dry/wet mix
through the Object, although a workaround is to
use two instances of the plugin.
The four Object types are Beam (a solid,
rectangular beam), Drumhead (a circular
membrane), Plate (a lat, rectangular plate) and
String (a “perfectly elastic” string). The speciics
of the selected Object are highly tweakable,
lending each one an impressively broad range in
terms of spectrum and temporality.
The Frequency knob tunes the resonator’s
fundamental pitch between 20Hz and 4kHz,
while the time it takes to stop resonating is
determined by the Decay knob. The Material
control extends the decay of higher frequency
partials the further clockwise its turned, with the
efect of making the sound more metallic.
The Formant control adjusts the point at which
the Object is ‘excited’ – ie, how close to the centre
point it’s struck, expressed as a percentage: 0%
is the outer edge, 100% is dead centre.
The inal stage in the chain is the
aforementioned Delay section, which contains
two delay lines, the irst (called, er, First) a simple
tap, the second (Echoes) a feedback loop with
sweepable 6dB/octave High and Low Cut ilters
inserted. Each delay line can be run free at
0.0018 seconds, or synced to host at the usual
array of regular, dotted and triplet note timings;
and the Multiply parameter scales the delay
time by a factor of 1/2, 2/3, 4/3 or 2. There’s also a
Ping Pong mode for left-to-right bouncing.
A world of its own
There simply isn’t another plugin on the market
that does what Objeq Delay does, and its ability
to generate percussive and melodic echo
‘sequences’ from any source material – as well
as wonderfully odd spatialising, chorusing,
langing and more straightforward delay efects
– is genuinely remarkable. It doesn’t hurt that
the Object resonators sound superb, of course,
or that a huge library of beautifully designed
presets is included.
Beyond its limited modulation options (see
Low Frequency Objeq), Objeq Delay’s only other
signiicant failing is that the actual delay
functionality is surprisingly basic – it’s positively
crying out for a more creatively programmable
multitap setup. Nonetheless, this is a unique and
musically-minded plugin that every producer
and sound designer needs to try.
Web www.applied-acoustics.com
Applied Acoustics Systems
Objeq Delay $139
When the masters of physical modelling synthesis decide to put out
a delay plugin, you just know interesting things are going to happen…
Verdict
For Excellent physical modelling
Powerful ilters and LFO
Stands alone, sonically
Massive preset library
Against Not enough modulation
Delay section could be more ambitious
Object can’t process input and delays
Objeq Delay’s combination of physical
modelling synthesis and echo generation
adds up to more than the sum of its parts
8 / 1 0
Alternatively
Unfiltered Audio Sandman Pro
237 » 9/10 » $99
Incredibly versatile delay
plugin with tons of modulation
and the brilliant Sleep bufer
PSP Audioware StompDelay
232 » 10/10 » $69
Stompbox-style ‘analogue’
delay efect built with live
performance control in mind
Central to Objeq Delay’s sound design
potential is its LFO. This can be assigned to
cyclically modulate a single parameter from
anywhere in the plugin, or the volume of the
wet signal, which isn’t otherwise accessible.
It’s got ive waveshapes (Sine, Triangle,
Square, Random and Random Ramp) and the
same timing controls as the delay lines, but
with the 2/3 and 4/3 Multipliers replaced by
3/4 and 3/2 options. The Polarity and Phase
are adjustable, too, as is the Pulse Width, the
last facilitating conversion of the Triangle
wave to an up- or down-ramping saw, and
shaping of the sine and square waves for lop-
sided rhythmic variations.
The LFO is a fantastic and deining
component of the plugin, but, oh, how we
wish there was more than one of them, as
wobbling that single, lonely parameter
invariably inspires further, depressingly
unrealisable modulation ideas. We’d take an
envelope follower while they’re at it, an’ all.
Low Frequency Objeq
100 / COMPUTER MUSIC / January 2018
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