LIVEN 8Bit Warps wave memory synthesizer: V3.0 firmware – new features
4,7 / 5,0 | 
SONICWARE All Black 8 Bit Warps · Source: Sonicware
Sonicware LIVEN 8-Bit Warps · Source: Sonicware
SONICWARE’s LIVEN 8Bit Warps module receives two notable updates today in the form of a version 3.0 firmware update with loads of new features, and a limited edition All Black version!
UPDATE 15th Sept. 2023: It doesn’t seem like nearly four years since the first of SONICWARE’s hugely successful LIVEN range debuted at NAMM before we all headed into a global lockdown! Yet, here we are, proving that they’re not one to leave their legacy gear behind, SONICWARE has released version 3 of the firmware which delivers all of these amazing new features:
- Six new effect types (10 Total FX)
- Distortion
- Phaser
- Tremolo
- Ring Modulator
- Auto Wah
- Reverse Delay
- Added Sound-Locking features
- Sequences can be duplicated to double the length
- Looping of chain playback is now possible
- 29 new drum sound patches, which can be easily made into drum patterns with the sound-locking feature
- Several bug fixes and improvements
In addition to the new firmware, a new “All Black” edition has been released, and is now available through Thomann.
SONICWARE All Black 8 Bit Warps · Source: Sonicware
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8bit Warps
Original post from January 2020
Just launched on Kickstarter they are hoping to raise nearly £35,000 in preorders to bring it to life. It’s full of 8-bit sounds (obviously) with a wide selection of preset waveforms. The synthesis engine is all about warping and morphing. You can warp (or crossfade) between two waveforms, or you can morph between them. You can morph via an envelope or you can mess them about with FM. The voices can be played in poly, mono, unison, legato, or as an arpeggiator.
You then have low, high, and bandpass filters and a stack of the usual modulation, delay, and reverb effects. There’s a single LFO and envelope for direct modulation.
The sequencer has 64 steps with parameter locks per step, 128 patterns, and pattern chaining. You can record in real-time or step time. There’s also an audio looper for getting into that real-time performance stuff they were talking about.
You have 16 knobs for real-time control, it can take batteries, and have a built-in speaker.
The demo video is very dramatic but I’m not entirely sure what’s being played and whether the box is generating everything or just some of it. I don’t believe it has a drum section. I’m also not sure about how many tracks it can have going at once, how multi-timbral it is or the polyphony. Hopefully, these things will become clear.
Otherwise, it looks like a lot of fun, it has some great chiptune-style sounds going on and it’s only £126 to get in on the action. They should be showing it at NAMM or you can go to the Kickstarter right now.
Sonicware LIVEN 8-Bit Warps · Source: Sonicware
More information
- 8bit Warps Kickstarter page.
Video
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sonicware/liven-8bit-warps-8bit-wave-memory-synthesizer-8/description
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3 responses to “LIVEN 8Bit Warps wave memory synthesizer: V3.0 firmware – new features”
Love that they have upgraded this even further…. I’m a little unclear what Sound-locking means though,
Check out Chris Lody’s tutorial here…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_89oART5OCI&t=387s
This from Yu-Endo at Sonicware might help…
“A sound lock function has been added to the 8-bit warps Ver.3 firmware.
With this function, you can enter a note with the current sound setting at any position by simply pressing the step key while holding down the keyboard key.
This is based on the parameter lock mechanism.
This may sound difficult at first glance, but simply set the PRM LOCK button to orange, create a sound with the knobs, or load an appropriate sound patch, and then sequence the steps to automatically record the sound settings.
Using this function and the drum preset sounds added this time, you can create rhythm patterns quickly and easily.”