First Look Review The Foundry from Sonicsmiths
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The Foundry a new approach to sound design from Sonicsmiths
First Look Review The Foundry from Sonicsmiths
The Foundry is available from BigFishAudio.com and is currently on sale till Sept 6 for $249.00 (reg 299.00)
I loaded up The Foundry from Sonicsmiths and hit record to take you along on my first look of the instrument.
The Foundry approaches sound design in an entirely new way by using the AARE – Adjective Assignable Randomizer Engine.
With the AARE you are able to select a number of adjectives then hit the “random” button and using Sonicsmiths specially scripted algorithm the instrument is loaded up with samples, filters, effects and sequencers that fit the criteria you had chosen.
The Adjective Assignable Randomizer Engine Lets you randomly load in samples, effects and sequencers based on your selection.
The Foundry contains over 15 thousand samples, 19+GB of sample content and has literally trillions combinations. With tons of effects and 3 mode sequencer with controls for pitch, pan, volume and glide for each sample bank, The Foundry gives you literally trillions of sonic combinations.
Another thing that really stood out is that The Foundry has 4 banks for loading in samples to start creating your sound. The 15,000 samples are categorized as Non-pitched, Pitched, Simple & Complex Beds and Pads, Textures, FX, and Rhythmics. With 2 or more samples loaded into the banks you are then able to morph between the sample by using the X-Y Pad.
The X-Y Pad in the lower right.
Another cool feature is the ability to use Templates in what Sonicsmiths has called “Template Mode” these load up effects and sequencing settings to help you create drops or rises, or instantly put Foundry into other settings such as pulsing, hark attacks, etc.
The Foundry Template Mode
With the sequencer you can set it to 3 modes: Rythmic, Melodic & FX mode. You can get really creative with all the pan, pitch, velocity setting you would expect from a sequencer, but the GLID control is an unexpected control that I am sure will help you to create very unique patterns.
The Foundry Sequencer giver you rhythmic, melodic and FX settings.
Of the effects included The Foundry you have some great sounding standard effects which are fully assignable including Filters, Distortion, Compressors, Delays, Panning Rotators and Reverb.
Another Cool feature is the Body Designer. The Body Designer comes with over 60 different body types allowing you to manipulate each of the “core” sounds by sending them through different material types, such as tubes, bricks, glass EVEN dog bodies! I couldn’t find specifics on this but I amusing it is an impulse response from the way it sounds.
6 assignable modulators to Filters, Pitch, Amplitude, and surround panning allow for a wide range of stuttering, pulsing, frequency modulation, and many standard synthesis techniques.
Something I didn’t get into in my first look video is the Graining Synthesis controls. Most of the sample you load into the banks can be manipulated by adding granular synthesis allowing you to stretch, pan and manipulate the sounds in many other ways.
Icing on the cake is the ability to control placement in Surround Mode. This lets you set all 4 sample banks routings to output to different channels as well as pan in surround
