Description

Natural Selection explores an evolutionary process with sound design! It treats the parameter values of presets as DNA values which are mixed together and mutated over generations to create new sounds. You play the role of the environment, selecting preferable sounds to continue to pass their DNA to the next generations. And over the generations the sound will evolve closer to your preferences. Sound design with your sonic intuition, without even touching the synth parameters (unless you want to;))! There are two versions of Natural Selection. This device, Natural Selection S, can mix and mutate presets of an internal versatile poly synthesizer (also an internal rhythm/note generator and FX chain) to discover new sounds and combinations. Check out the features and videos below to understand more about the internal synth and the evolution system!

Promo vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y8y83dO4c8

Walkthrough vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-is3EZ4XQ

The other version, Natural Selection P, applies this process to any external audio device or rack of devices.

The design of these devices is by River Marchand

Features:

Genetic algorithm that treats parameter value presets as a genotypes or 'DNA'. New ‘child’ presets are created by mixing 2 parents’ parameter values to create new generations of presets (all generations forming a 'Family Tree' of presets). Some of the functions included in this system:

Mutation amount and two mutation modes

Ability to limit the number of generations copulating for a new generation

Ability to start a new tree of presets from those of a previoius tree

Two modes for adding 'seed' presets: (1) current values of the device with optional random spreading (this way you can also load in adv presets and add them as seeds to the tree). (2) Randomized seeds

Functions for remixing parent presets DNA to create a new child and for saving the current parameter values into any child's DNA

Rating system to add bias to certain genetics when creating a new generation

Two page UI for navigating the various generations and children of presets

A section where you can morph up to 8 presets with two XY quadrants and a blend slider between them

For this device, the genetic preset system applies to presets of an internal poly synth + note generator + effects system

Versatile internal poly synth:

2 Sources available. The voice types for each source are: (1) Basic morphable oscillator with FM options, (2) Resonator with mallet exciter, (3) Karplus Strong String with mallet exciter, (4) Wavetable oscillator with various wavetable options (and ability for User wavetable file drops) and FM options, (5) white noise oscillator

Unique 'partials' system. Each partial is a source voice. Set the number of partials and the spread between each partial (100% spread is normal harmonic distribution) as well as exponential scaling option (Bias) in order to create a variety of effects. NOTE: increasing partials increases CPU

Two filters with basic filter shapes, ladder filter, and a vowel/formant filter

Modulation system each source with two destinations and bipolar attenuation. Sources: 2 LFOs, 2 Envelopes, 2 spray values, MIDI sources (pitch, velocity, PB, adftertouch, modwheel)

Portamento, internal limiter, up to 16 voices

Rhythmic Note Generator system:

A trigger with sync and free ms rate options and a swing amount

Two gating modes: (Euclid) a euclidean sequencer with a unique 'Slope' parameter that clusters pules at either the beginning or end of the sequence. (Rand) random note gating

Two pitch modes: (Seq) a linear step sequencer, (Rand) random pitches. Both have scale and tonic options

Random ranged velocity and duration generation

The inclusion of this system allows you to morph and evolve rhythms and even treat each child as an organism with its own 'voice' and 'song'

Effects System that includes distortion, chorus, phaser, delay, and reverb

more:

dillonbastan.com

dillonbastan.com/store

Updates:

- v1.0.2: Added MPE!