Rast Sound Naturaliser: Breathe life into static audio tracks
Rast Sound Naturaliser does to your audio tracks what your DAW’s Humanize button does to MIDI tracks. It makes them sound more lively and natural by letting you dial in slight variations of the spectrum, transients and color. Say goodbye to static, boring drum tracks and loops!
Rast Sound Naturaliser
Some recordings and pre-recorded loops are simply too perfect. When every note and every drum hit sounds exactly the same, the track can sound static and the ears will quickly get tired. Rast Sound has developed a plug-in that can breathe new life into your audio tracks.
In the MIDI domain, this phenomenon is known as the “machine gun effect”. Many sample libraries try to circumvent it by playing a different sample for each note (round robin). Most MIDI sequencers and DAWs also offer some sort of humanizing function that randomizes the timing and velocity of notes to create slight variations.
But what if you’re working with audio? Well, Rast Sound says that they’ve found the solution. Naturaliser starts by slicing your audio tracks into user-defined sub durations. To these, it applies random states of its spectral, transient shaping and coloring effects, so each note or drum hit sounds a little bit different.
You can set the timing using the speed knob and select which of the three effects you’d like to use. Then, simply dial in the intensity to introduce the desired level of variation. There’s also an extreme mode, in which the plug-in creates more drastic variations and becomes a creative sound design tool. The noise motion option adds a noise sequence, which adds another dimension of color and can also be used as an effect.
Next time you wish your DAW had a humanize button for audio, give Naturaliser a try. It looks like a great way to freshen up lifeless performances and loops, and it also has a creative side to it.
Price and compatibility
Rast Sound Naturaliser is now available from the developer’s website for €29. This introductory offer lasts until January 21st, after which the price will increase to €39.
The plug-in runs on macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU formats (64 bit).
More information
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