Random sound duplication plugin

Question

I am trying to find a plugin that will take a single mono sample and replay it many times at random volumes, frequencies, and locations within the stereo field (with the ability to control the threshold of these automations).

The closest thing I could find was the GRM Tools Freeze plugin, but there wasn't enough control over the parameters to achieve what I wanted to do. It would also be nice if I could use multiple samples instead of just one. I've been able to create this effect manually before but it is very cumbersome and time consuming so I was hoping to find something that could automate it for me.

Any and all help would be appreciated!

Update: Just discovered a new app called "Sound Particles" which essentially does exactly this and a lot more http://www.sound-particles.com/

Answer 1

Take a look at Manic, a free VSTi that seems to do just what you are asking for:

Description from website:

manic is an 8 slot random sample player where you decide the samples, but manic decides when to play them. Samples are triggered according to their probability, on a tempo sync pattern. Also allows for randomising of volume, pitch, pan, delay, reverse and swing. You decide how much, but not when. You can loop the sequence, change sequence seed with midi keys and quantise the pitch randomising for a more melodic sequence. Works well for random glitchy percussion, instant melodic sequences of multisamples or total chaos

features

• 8 sample slots, supports 16&24 bit mono&stereo wavs
• each sample played randomly according to it’s probability
• tempo sync hit rate (hits/beat)
• seeded randomising for repeatable sequences
• midi playable seeding, change sequence with a midi key press
• random sequences can be looped for repeatability
• randomised swing
• per sample volume, pan & pitch
• per sample randomising of volume, pan, pitch and reverse
• per sample pitch quantising to semitone/cent
• per sample routing to randomised delay
• play / stop / resync controls
• midi CC and midi learn
• 246 samples and 25 presets covering acoustic&electronic drums, glitch and 8 bit noises, synth bass and keys

Answer 2

The only real-time plugin that would come even close to what you're wanting would be a granular plugin. Granular plugins give you the ability to modify the cycling speed and randomization of each grain, unfortunately, I do not know of a granular plugin that lets you independently choose the pitch of each interval. This may be something you have to do manually.

A much simpler and more affordable alternative would be to simply load the sound source into a digital sampler inside your DAW and record yourself randomly playing keys up and down the spectrum. After you have plenty of random MIDI notes together, select all of the notes and randomize their velocities. To get the stereo effect, you can do one of three things:

• The first option would be to run two delay plugins in parallel. The first plugin would be an ordinary dual stereo delay plugin with 1/4th of a delay for the left channel and and dotted 1/8th for the right channel (or vice-versa). The second delay plugin would be a single-channel delay with 1/2 as the delay speed. Obviously, you can further tweak these parameters to fit your needs, these are just some good ones to start out with.
• The second option would be to record yourself three separate times pressing all kinds of random notes on three individual tracks inside your DAW. One track will be hard-panned to the left, one to the right, and one with no pan at all (center-mono). Randomize each note's velocity using the process explained above.
• The third option would simply be a combination of the above two if you really wanted pure, inharmonic chaos :P

Answer 3

Absynth's Aetherizer effect module is a Granular effect module that can has a lot of these features including randomization and Surround Panning. You can assess whether this will work for you, but some features include:

• Predelay: 0.1-500ms, Random
• Rate: 20hz - 1000hz (E.g. @20hz a whole 1 sec sample will be reconstructed with 20 grains), Random
• Duration 0 - 100%, Random (Grains can overlap)
• Transponsition: -24/+24 st, Random
• Filter per grain (Bandpass or Comb)
• Filter Frequency 50hz - 22000hz, Random
• Filter Q: 0.5 - 1000, Random
• Filter Quantize into various Scales, Vowels
• Filter Quantize Transposition (Offset), Random
• Pre Highpass, Lowpass filters
• Post Delay line, with Feedback / LP Filter / Gain.

Video Demo