CAMEL AUDIO CamelPhat 3.15
   and CamelSpace 1.15

Aug 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By rachMiel

The Value Readout display shows the current preset name and has buttons for selecting the previous or next preset in the bank. When the Display Value option is active, it also displays the value of the currently selected knob.

The x-y controller enables you to modify the values of any two of CamelPhat's parameters. That is useful for both patch building and live performance. You can assign any parameter to the x (horizontal) or y (vertical) axis.

You can easily assign each CamelPhat control, including the x-y controller's cursor, to a MIDI continuous controller. Right-click on the control, choose MIDI Learn from the shortcut menu, and move your MIDI controller.

CamelSpace

Although CamelSpace is as well crafted as CamelPhat, the control panel is more crowded to accommodate more modules and a step sequencer. With a few exceptions, the panel again reflects the signal flow through the modules: Trance Gate, Enhancer, AutoPan, MMFilter, Flanger, StereoDelay, and Reverb (see Fig. 2).

Trance Gate works in conjunction with the step sequencer to gate incoming audio. That creates a host of enticing stutter effects, imparting rhythm to continuous passages. It's a great tool for adding inner motion to pads, chords, and legato melodies.

Enhancer combines two effects: Xcita adds presence-enhancing distortion to the upper frequency range. Softsat adds warmth and oomph by emulating analog-style soft saturation.

AutoPan automates left-right panning motion in a stereo track. The LFO and Seq buttons determine whether the automation is driven by an LFO with seven waveshapes or the step sequencer, both of which can be synced to host tempo. The MMFilter is the same as CamelPhat's, but in CamelSpace, its cutoff frequency can be modulated by the LFO or the step sequencer.

Flanger is a classic flange effect with typical controls: Delay, Rate, Depth, Feedback, and Mix. Unlike CamelPhat's, this flanger is capable of generating robust effects suitable for soloing.

StereoDelay has independent left- and right-channel delay times syncable to tempo. Global Feedback, Cutoff for a lowpass filter in the delay feedback line, and Mix controls are also present. The Reverb module is basic but effective, allowing control of room size and wet/dry mix (see Web Clip 2).

CamelSpace's powerful little 128-step pattern sequencer can drive the Trance Gate, the AutoPan position, and the filter cutoff. In just a few square inches of screen space, it manages to fit an attack-sustain-decay amplitude envelope for each step, eight 16-step patterns, a pattern selector for creating and arranging the playback of those patterns, a Length control that specifies the duration in bars of the 16-step patterns, and a Shuffle control for inducing swing. MIDI users will be happy to know that MIDI notes can be used to switch on different patterns for different effects parameters.

One Hump or Two?

From their classy looks to their reasonable price, everything about the CamelPhat and CamelSpace duo says “Buy me.” The graphical user interfaces are well designed, and the documentation is clear and complete. The sound quality is excellent, and each comes with a generous collection of presets to get you started or to use as fodder for randomization.

If I had the cash for only one of these plug-ins, I'd go with CamelSpace. I found it endlessly fascinating to run groove loops through its presets, tweaking and randomizing as I went. I was slightly less bowled over by CamelPhat, but still sufficiently impressed to fork over the money. At $149 for the pair, you really can't go wrong.

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rachMiel is a composer of deliriously experimental electronic and acoustic music.