Free Download SkyDust 3D by Sound Particles, Version 1.5.1, for Windows.
Overview of SkyDust 3D Synthesizer
SkyDust 3D is a spatial synthesizer plugin that allows you to play a note and instantly get 3D audio in any immersive format. It’s great in stereo and great in 3D.
Features of SkyDust 3D
SkyDust 3D is very effective immersive audio processing software, and in their latest project, Sound Particles have applied this technology to a synthesizer that is apparently a world first. The synthesizer itself uses a set of eight multi-wavelength oscillators, which can either be layered for analog-style subtractive synthesis, or used individually as frequency modulation (FM) sources to modulate other oscillators.
The oscillators are then fed into a mixer and each layer has its own filter, modulation, and envelope settings. There are various options to further modify the oscillator waveforms, as well as the built-in effects, arpeggiators, and sequencers. Sound Particles has organized the GUI using tabbed sections to make accessing all these features very easy.
Unusually, the surround panning technology behind most existing Sound Particles plugins has been integrated into the synthesizer, so that the surround pan position becomes the modulation destination. In other words, panning can be controlled using all the usual modulation sources such as envelopes, LFOs, and sequencers, as well as having access to a set of preset paths.
Each of the oscillator sources fed into the mixer can have its own pan mode, so you end up with a multi-layered sound where each layer moves independently. The output format can be selected to suit your monitor system, from mono or stereo to a long list of nearly 30 discrete surround formats up to 13.1 (and Dolby Atmos compatible), binaural or Ambisonics, so there are options for creating sounds that work on headphones as well as in surround sound systems.
Apparently, the synth uses ACN/SN3D (also known as AmbiX), so to use Ambisonics SkyDust 3D you just need to place it on a DAW track that supports it. There are several binaural format options to choose from, as well as additional options for each of these formats.
There is a large selection of patch presets available, which can be browsed by category. There’s also a “Dice” button for random settings and a menu that allows you to lock certain aspects, such as pitch, timbre, or spatial settings, so they don’t change when you try different random settings.
Presets for arpeggiator sequences and 3D movement are also available, so you don’t have to do deep editing until you’re ready.
Technical Details & System Requirements
- Support for MIDI MPE
- New Presets
- Performance Improvement
- Support for Mono Output
- GUI updates
- On the preset save info, Tab key allows switching to the next text field
- LFOs max rate is now 100 Hz
- On the Pitch Tab:
- Pitch EG has knobs disabled for Random Behaviors: Detune ± 10 Cents; Detune ±50 Cents; ±2 octaves
- On the Sequencer Tab:
- There is now “Clear Step” “Reset Notes” and “Clear Notes” options
- Changes between note mode no longer resets the notes on the Keyboard
- Delete button for Lane is now on the top part of the parameter label
- On the Matrix Tab:
- The Filter Frequency behavior is now Logarithmic – old presets keep a “Legacy” behavior
- MIDI Indicator
- Virtual keyboard with pitch-bend, modulation wheel, and sustain pedal indicator
- Zoom UI (resizable Window)
- 40 EGs per voice: 8 gain EGs, 8 pitch EGs, 8 filter EGs, 8 spatial EGs, 8 extra EGs
- 40 LFOs per voice: 8 gain LFOs, 8 pitch LFOs, 8 filter LFOs, 8 spatial LFOs, 8 extra LFOs
- FM modulation (phase modulation) with 8 operators
- FM matrix, for custom FM connections
- 4 FM parameters per operator: ratio (or fixed frequency), detune, modulation gain, feedback
- A FM view to help visualize the current FM diagram
- Binaural: 5 HRTF datasets, with more than 100 HRTF profiles
- Supports Ambisonics up to 6th order (only SkyDust 3D)
- Support multichannel: LRC, LRCS, Quad, 4.0, 5.0, 5.1, 6.1, 7.0, 7.1, 9.0, 9.1, 5.0.2, 5.1.2, 5.0.4, 5.1.4, 7.0.2, 7.1.2, 7.1.4, 7.0.6, 7.1.6, 9.1.2, 9.1.4, 9.1.6, 9.0.8, 9.1.8, 11.1.8, Auro 11.1, Auro 13.1, IMAX 12.0, 22.2
- Support for stereo: stereo, stereo (VBAP), stereo (MS) (…)
- Support for binaural (3D sound over Headphones) – 2 XY pads, with custom parameters per axis
- Snap feature, with snap time, on XY pads
- FX: Delay, Reverb, Bit-Crusher, Distortion, EQ (3 bands), Parametric EQ (1 band)
- FX presets and sub-presets
- Dry/Wet control
- Meters in between FX slots
- LFOs with depth, rate, phase, delay
- Ability to sync LFOs with host (tempo)
- Global LFOs (all LFOs in sync with each other)
- 11 Movement modifiers: Random rotation, Oscillate, Floating, Random Target, Rotation, Moving Up, Moving To Position, Moving Left, Moving Front, Moving Rear, Moving Right
- EG with multiple types: AR, ADR, ADSR, AHDSR, DAHDSR
- Global octave, transpose, detune
- 4 macros, with support for multiple parameters, and custom curves
- Multiple 3D views: 360 view, rear view, top view, spherical view, SkyDust view
- Main volume and main meters
- Mixer panel, with independent control of oscillators (volume, mute, solo, meter), 4 FX dry-wet and main volume (and mute)
- Optional monophonic behavior, with “Mono” or “Legato” mode, and variable glide time
- Curve editor, with multiple point editor and curve adjustment, or using knobs (depth, min, mid, max)
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