AudioThing Things Motor: Hainbach’s intriguing recreation of the Crystal Palace
AudioThing and Hainbach have teamed up again to create Motor, a plug-in reincarnation of a rare hardware device created in the 1960s for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Motor takes two audio signals and twists and swirls them around in all sorts of beautiful ways. And if that wasn’t enough, Look Mum No Computer is working on a hardware version.
AudioThing Things Motor
After Wires, AudioThing has once again teamed up with Berlin-based artist Hainbach for a unique plug-in. And like Wires, Motor is based on a rare hardware device from the golden age of electronic experimentation. Developed by Dave Young for the BBC Radiophonic workshop in 1967, ‘Crystal Palace’ was a fascinating contraption that combined up to 16 audio channels into one using a capacitor on a motor. Most notably, the device was used by Brian Hodgson and Delia Derbyshire for the soundtrack to the Doctor Who episode ‘The Krotons’.
The plug-in version lets you combine two channels of audio via the sidechain input. The switching is controlled by a variable-waveshape LFO, which allows for a wider variety of waveshapes than the original. Motor can morph smoothly between signals or create aggressively chopped-up sounds, and it all works at speeds up to audio rate, so you can create some neat ring-modulating effects, as well.
To make it even more versatile, they’ve added vibrato and panning effects, both of which can sync to the motor speed. With all sorts of warbling, twisting and modulating rotary effects, Motor can turn two audio signals into something entirely new.
While the plug-in might be more practical for most of us, none other than Look Mum No Computer is experimenting with his own hardware device based on ideas from the Crystal Palace. Check out his video below!
Price and compatibility
AudioThing Things Motor is now available at an introductory discount. For a limited time, the plug-in costs €9. The regular price will be €19. You can get Motor at Plugin Boutique*.
Motor runs on Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher in VST, VST3, AU and AAX formats.
More information
Videos
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