New Virtual Organs for Download

[planetbotch]

Hi people.

Just wanted to let you know about some brand new virtual organs, freely downloadable.

I made them as part of an excursion into app programming in general. I'm not a professional - it's a hobby. Two of the instruments I feel are sufficiently usable to make available now, and these can currently be accessed via my blogsite, on this link: http://planetbotch.blogspot.com/2011...-download.html

I also have more nearing completion, so you may like to keep an eye out for those too. They'll all be downloadable free – no strings. The caveat is that I've been unable to test them on a wide range of PCs, and therefore I can only offer the .dll files on an 'at-your-own-risk' basis. I was a bit wary about going public with them, but I think if I hung on and tinkered with them any longer they'd never see the light of day at all.

The first of the two organs currently available is essentially a copy of a particular analogue tonewheel simulator, with a tacky fake rotary - I'm sure you know the one. My virtual version (the VSTX3), however, also has the addition of a more authentic digital-style rotary effect, with variable parameters. You can choose which rotary you prefer to use – or even use both at once if you feel like it. There's an added chorus too (which the real instrument didn’t have). I suppose you could regard the overall package as a virtual Hammond simulator, although it definitely sounds more like a Hammond simulator simulator – if that makes sense. It sounds markedly different from the Native B4, for example.



The second VSTi is based on a home organ I owned back in the early '80s. This instrument (The Nash) is able to toggle between classic drawbar-derived sounds and the 'orchestral voice' combinations (which sounded nothing like orchestral voices) common on home organs of that period. It doesn't have any auto-beats or accompaniments, you may or may not be pleased to hear. But it could very well suit those who are a bit fed up with the same emulations and want something a bit more individual.

[planetbotch]

Things have been pretty busy since October, when my free VST organs (and other instruments/FX) began to take off in earnest, but I’ve finally got round to providing an update.

I can speak with more confidence about the software now, as I know it works, and that people like it. The two VSTis I mentioned in the above post are still available, albeit now looking a bit more professional with the benefit of a visual makeover. These have been joined by three more VST organs, and a separate rotary speaker simulator which comes as a VST effect. The virtual organs available at present are:

The VSTX3 (as in the above post but with visual makeover)

The Nash (as in the above post but with visual makeover)

The Rawgan (a very flexible combo organ/synth hybrid with assignable drawbar tones, built-in rotary, phaser, etc)

The VSTV2 (a classic ‘60s organ)

The GutterSnipe (a rock orientated organ with a dirtier sound).

You can see and hear the GutterSnipe in this short YouTube vid made by the myVST site. Version 2 of the GutterSnipe, just released, has major sonic improvements over Version 1 (the one featured in the vid), but you can still get Version 1 if you want that specific VSTi.

All of the above is available free. You can access the download for the free rotary speaker effect, as well as all the other organs and VST paraphernalia, via the link below…

http://planetbotch.blogspot.com/2011...-download.html

Hope this is of use.

[andyg]

Thanks for the updates, I'll be downloading them and using them in due course!
Andy

[cahyo]

Wow.. its amazing!

Thanks PlanetBotch

[lparsons21]

These look interesting, but I'm not really familiar with VST tech at all, but I like to play around.

I see that you use these with VST Host software. I have a Mac as my desktop box and saw that there are some free VST Hosts available. Will these work with any of those?

I suppose I could switch to running Windows on my Mac as I have it installed via BootCamp to make it a native OS, but I would prefer to do these kinds of things on OSX. I run the latest version of OSX, Mountain Lion.

[mashaffer]

I am not familiar with VST. Is it soundfont based? If so it probably wouldn't horribly difficult to use these with jOrgan.

mike

[andyg]

VST is not soundfont based. VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology and was created by Steinberg for their Cubase DAW. Version 3.7 was the first to have a virtual instrument - now called a VSTi. It was a tiny monophonic synth called Neon, but since then there have been hundreds of instruments, if not thousands. Everything from a Theremin to a Hammond B3 to dozens of grand pianos to entire orchestras.

VST has gone through several iterations and I think we're still on v3 right now.

To play a VSTi you need either a VST-equipped DAW or notation app, or a VST host app that will let you play them live.