SOMA Laboratory, maker of experimental synthesizers and sound machines including the legendary LYRA-8 Organismic Synthesizer, announces its new Metaconformer modular MIDI processor.
Much more than a simple MIDI utility, Metaconformer facilitates instrument routing scenarios that enable users to connect instruments in entirely new ways – making it easier to manage multitimbral sound sources in a MIDI-based environment.
Metaconformer – which uses the longstanding MIDI protocol in unconventional ways while offering greater control over a complex instrument setup – provides three primary modes of operation:
Splitter Mode: Split keyboard in up to 8 zones
Splitter Mode allows the splitting of one keyboard (127 midi notes of one channel) in up to 8 zones. Each zone corresponds to one instrument, or MIDI channel. In splitter mode, users can operate several synths simultaneously.
Additionally, certain grooveboxes can receive several MIDI channels as well, thus enabling users to simply create multitimbralities. Zones can are flexible and can intersect, and each zone has a transposition option.
Combiner Mode: Combine up to 8 different instruments
Combiner Mode allows combinations of up to 8 different instruments into one multitimbral polysynth. To do this, it receives notes from the Metaconformer input MIDI channel, and distributes notes to the MIDI channels of ‘voices’ much like classical polyphonic – but with different sounds on each voice.
Translator Mode: Configure key tracks
Finally, the Translator Mode allows users to play on parameters of sound core (CC messages) with notes – this may include resonating filters, paraphonic oscillators and so on. Conceptually, it may be considered as something of a configurable key track. For instance, a user can play note N (from 0-127 midi notes), and then have it translated it to parameter value (0-127 midi CC values).
Metaconformer makes it easier to control a complex electronic instrument setup, while opening up new opportunities for experimentation. It is easy to set up, with an interface focused on simplicity and great user experience. All three mode configurations require about 3 to 4 simple steps, along with entering any required information from the user keyboard – there is no menu diving or deep knowledge of MIDI required.
Metaconformer, which is available now at SOMA dealers around the world and through the SOMA website, is priced at $184.99.
