Unique Layout

While all the main controls are laid out at the bottom of the page, the rest of the page will visualise all the currently selected sounds as soon as a key is pressed. Spheric icons will show and hide in succession representing the current sound.

How Does It Work?

With the main CREATE COMBI/PATCH button  generating a complete patch with new sounds and effects is as easy as clicking one button. Also it is possible to just swap sounds keeping the parameters and effects unaltered.

While it is fun to let Sphaera generate new combinations, this instrument allows precise control over each parameter to create the patch the user envisioned. 

The user will be able to set the sample start position for each sound, adding a randomising factor to the START POSITION value, so the script will choose a slightly different start position at each keypress.

The GRAIN LENGTH control sets the length of each sound slice, the portion of sound that is played from the set start position. and LENGTH RANDOM adds randomness to the slice length.

The GRAINS GAP knob sets the time separation between each sound slice.

The SOUNDS AT ONCE control can set up to 4 sound layers at once among the chosen sound layers.

The SOUNDS POOL control sets the number of sound layers among which the script will choose when randomising the sound slices.

The TIMING OPTIONS MENU offers several timing/speeds at which the sound slices will be triggered in succession when a key is played. In “FREE” mode the timing will be actualising the GRAINS GAP knob. In that event, the timing will vary slightly for each sound slice, creating interesting timing variations.

More Control

Sphaera  includes a full set of  ATTACK, HOLD, DECAY, SUSTAIN, and RELEASE controls that are applied to all sounds globally.

The RANDOM PAN control places each sound slice randomly in the stereo field.

The RANDOM OCTAVES control will transpose the played note randomly by intervals of 1 or more octaves.

The RANDOM AHDSR control will apply different ATTACK, HOLD, DECAY, SUSTAIN, and RELEASE values for each sound slice.

Tame the Uncontrollable

When the CYCLE FORWARD control is not activated, the sound slices will be triggered in a random order. Instead when this control is activated, the sound slices will perform in the same order one after the other each time the key is pressed.

Effects and Sequencing

Sphaera includes a dedicated effects page with a CONVOLUTION REVERB, including many impulse responses, from simple reverb spaces to crazy sound alterations, a portamento effect, a three band equaliser, a unique artefacts effect which alters the notes transitions. 

And finally Sphaera sports a step sequencer with scale and key manager, like most of Audiofier’s instruments.