Tonsturm Wind Maschine: Make music with an obscure air instrument from the 60s!
Music is vast and sometimes you can come upon really obscure instruments. Take the Windhowler, for example. This is an experimental electronic instrument built way back in the 1960s and, yes, this is the first time I’ve heard of it. Thanks, Tonsturm for making me a little smarter. The developer’s latest plug-in takes the Windhowler concept into digital territory. With further work and refinement, the ol’ Windhowler becomes a comprehensive virtual instrument that’s ripe for all sorts of sound design experiments.
Tonsturm Wind Machine
The plug-in finds its origins in the Windhowler SFX Library, itself derived from the actual machine. The team found one in great working condition and proceeded to sample every nook and cranny. It’s only natural that Tonsturm felt compelled to capture the Windhowler’s soul in virtual instrument format next. The rest is history unfolding before our eyes…
The original Wind Howler from the 1960s. · Source: Tonsturm
True to the original, the sounds is generated from resonators. There are 19 resonators which you can place within 4 channels. Next, the wind modulation system comes into play. The Speed parameter regulates the wind speed, for example, and you can take things further from the X / Y pad. You can also access parameters such as pitch or pan, along with an EQ and filter unit. Finally, the Send control brings the audio into a distortion, a delay, and a convolution reverb – the so-called Howler. Fun for the entire family!
The audio examples show that Wind Machine is more than just a source for sweeping sound effects. Sure, you can make all sorts of noises with it, but ambient pads and drones are also possible. Besides, you are in no way limited to the internal sound engine and effects. Like any VSTi worth is virtual salt, Wind Machine could be just the beginning of a potentially super-intricate sound design patch. Let your skills and imagination lead the way!
Price and specifications
Tonsturm Wind Maschine runs as a VST, AU and AAX plug-in under macOS (10.9 or newer) and Windows (8 or newer). Valid until October 27, 2020, the introductory price is USD 129 instead of USD 179. Throw in the Windhowler SFX Library as a complement, and you will pay USD 149 instead of USD 199.
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3 responses to “Tonsturm Wind Maschine: Make music with an obscure air instrument from the 60s!”
$149 to make howling wind sounds?! I can do the same with a 39p tin of beans and a microphone.
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Way overpriced. I thought it’d be in the Puremagnetik ballpark (1$ to 20$).