Probably not what most people on this forum are like, but I’m not a big start from scratch sound designer. I’m a sampler and so the challenge for me is finding source material. Something that inspires me to start chopping, flipping, sculpting. Currently this mostly involves trawling through sample packs, YouTube videos etc. My dream is something that gives me sounds, loops etc. that I have little choice in but is rich enough that it’s a good starting point for my sampler process and my jam session. Are there synths like this that exist? I remember seeing the one button synth thing and I think that looks fun, just wondered if there was anything else.
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The Cyma RND is the first that comes to mind, as you call out. I feel I’ve had related experiences with the sound and pattern randomiser in the Korg Volca Drum. If you have access to Ableton Live, building a big messy/fun rack of fave instruments, fx, assigning parameters to macros and tailoring ranges and then spamming the ‘random’ button that’s part of the instrument rack now can get you there-ish. Ned Rush has demo’d means of getting your own sample packs out of this method pretty effectively.
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Low Poly Synth by Alexander Zolotov is a cheap plugin for desktop or mobile that might be worth looking at. It generates patches comprising eight algorithmically generated loops, and you can change the volume of each loop depending on which aspects of the patch you like. However, the sounds tend to be suited to making atmospheric beds, rather than the more bold, characterful sample-friendly sounds that the Cyma RND seems to be good at.
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+1 for low poly synth / fractal bits / relic waves / relic flow
these exist mostly in software, there are hardware options that provide this but they are far fewer from what i have seen.
also see these (not an ipad app, you can load it in your web browser):
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Any Hydrasynth.
Pay attention to its specialized Random functions.
The Leviasynth too – you can’t randomize sequences on it, but you can use the Entropy knob on existing sequences, everything else responds to the various effects of Random.
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Thanks. The Hydrasynth doesn’t have a sequencer right?
See also these threads :
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The randomization of the arpeggiator on it is one of the most amazing parts of that, and i use that by itself a lot.
No sequencer by itself on the HS, except through the step LFO, and other tricks.
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For sequencer randomization, that is still very usable ( 'cuz sequencer randomization in generation often gets too strange ), i’d recommend the newish Arturia KeyStep 37 MK2. It has an especially powerful but still useable built-in generative and randomization features called Mutate, Spice, and Dice.
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If you use Ableton - I just uploaded an extension that does exactly what you’re looking for:
It uses the new Ableton extensions SDK so you’ll need the Beta to use it.
You search Youtube or Dig with random searches - it then digs through YT and finds source material that it then seamlessly loops into micro loops - you can then audition/export the audio/MIDI into your set.
Update incoming with stem separation for audio/midi
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