Symbolic Sound Announces Kyma X.1

Jan 10, 2005 4:56 PM

           
 

Symbolic Sound has announced Kyma X.1 (Mac/Win), which is free to registered Kyma X owners. The update includes support for using a Wacom Tablet as a 3-D sound control surface, three new oscillator types, modules for turning presets into a 3-dimensional parameter subspace, and other enhancements and improvements.

With the Wacom Intuos3 or Graphire3 pen tablets, you can use the eraser-end of the pen to simultaneously control up to 8 sound parameters (using pen position plus on the Intuos pen tilt) in Kyma X.1. You can map any sound parameter to pen orientation by using the Pen Status window.

By flipping the pen over, you can use the tablet as a continuous microtonal musical keyboard, sending KeyDown, KeyPitch (left/right), KeyVelocity (up/down), and an additional key event called KeyTimbre (front/back). Sounds designed for the http://www.hakenaudio.com Continuum Fingerboard are fully compatible with Sounds designed for the Wacom tablet in keyboard mode (and vice versa).

The new Kyma Oscillator generates the full range of sound, from a single impulse, to a formant-shifted tone, to the classic continuous-waveform oscillator. By giving you control over the duty-cycle of any waveform (independently of the fundamental frequency), this new oscillator can be used to synthesize anything from granular pops and pulses to the familiar analog waveforms. A new CrossFadingMulticycleOscillator allows you to smoothly interpolate between any two waveforms over the course of a single cycle.

Inspired by composer/architect Iannis Xenakis, the XenOscillator lets you define a waveform by adjusting any number of breakpoints and interpolating between them with straight lines, curves, or if you prefer, no interpolation at all. You can even use the Wacom pen to redraw the waveform of the oscillator while it is playing.

Using the new PresetSpace module, you can define a 1-, 2-, or 3-dimensional subspace by placing the presets of a Sound on the vertices of a line, a square, or a cube. You can then move through that space by interpolating between those endpoints.

A related module, InterpolatePresets, treats any number of presets as points in an n-dimensional space and then allows you to travel along a line connecting those points. In effect, you are controlling any number of faders with a single master fader that interpolates between presets. Use this module to perform your patches live on stage, sequencing through them in order or jumping from one patch to another as you improvise with other performers.

Other additions to Kyma X.1 include the ability to view multiple automated controllers from multiple Sounds in the Timeline. For more information about the upgrade, visit www.symbolicsound.com.