Plugin Spotlight: Analog Strings by Output

Analog Strings Overview

The team at Output continues to impress with innovative software instruments and groundbreaking concepts. The creative force behind the development of REV, SIGNAL, EXHALE, and SUBSTANCE have extended their line of impressive music production tools with Analog Strings, a radically new approach to crafting and performing strings sounds that are insanely unique and cutting-edge.

“Analog Strings is a modern take on string production. We were meticulous in our sampling but then spent months messing it all up to create something new and different. We’re really excited to hear the music it inspires.” – Gregg Lehrman, Output’s Founder and CEO.

At its core, Analog Strings is a modern virtual instrument for Native Instruments KONTAKT line of devices designed for creating and manipulating string sounds like no other instrument can. Cleverly wrapped up in Outputs signature modern designed interface, Analog Strings offers advanced modulation routing, dual tape loopers, dual arpeggiators, flux sequencing, and four macro sliders along with some insane sound design possibilities. The Output team has also captured the best of the best by recording two string orchestras, the rarest vintage synths, and unconventional elements that can all be blended to create some unmatched sounds. Back that with a 39 GB sound library and 500 presets and you have enough content to push the boundaries of string creation.

Main Page Fun

The Main Page features Analog Strings’ unique macro design and is where all the fun happens. Here you make quick changes to the instrument’s mix, sound sources, and macro settings. This page is where you’ll want to be when you’re not dialing in the details of the sound, but rather exploring presets and performing with assignable Macros.

The controls on the bottom half of the main page will remain throughout the instrument regardless of which page you are using. Here you can mute, mix, reverse, or mutate playback settings depending on the type of source you’re playing.

Advanced Editing

Sculpt and manipulate your sounds with precision on Analog String’s Edit Page. This page is where the trigger settings for both sound sources can be set. Dive deep into the details with essential controls for editing the volume/amplifier ADSR envelope, the pitch ADSR envelope, pitch flutter, stereo pan field, tuning, and playback settings. You can also enable/disable monophonic and legato modes from the Edit Page as well as access more advanced features for even more immersive control

In the Advanced menu, you can set the key range, swap stereo perspective (for orchestral sources), adjust the glide time, dial in velocity sensitivity, edit color settings per layer, and much more.

FX Page

The FX Page offers a vast selection of audio effects and controls for dialing both Layer FX and Global FX.

Layer FX

• Filter: Eleven different filter types with frequency cutoff, resonance control, velocity sensitivity cutoff modulation, and Filter Envelope.
• EQ: Three frequency bands with adjustable bandwidth and gain cut/boost controls.
• Distortion: Equipped with three types of distortion styles that include Tube, Drive, and Lo-Fi.
• Compressor: Threshold, ratio, attack, release, and gain control.
• Delay: Tempo-synced delay time, feedback, L-R pan amount, wet/dry mix control.
• Reverb: Room modeled reverb with pre-delay, size, and dry/wet control.

Global FX

• Filter: High and lowpass filters with frequency cutoff and resonance control.
• EQ: Three frequency bands with adjustable Q and gain cut/boost controls.
• Distortion: Emulates the tone of classic British guitar amps. Gain sets the ‘preamp’ gain, the bass, middle, and treble are tone color controls.
• Compressor/Limiter: Compressor offers a threshold control, ratio range from 1:1-1:25, attack/release and gain. The limiter has input gain controls and release time.
• Motion: Chorus and Phaser effects with selectable depth, speed, feedback, phase, and wet/dry controls.
• Delay: Two tempo-synced delay time, feedback, L-R pan amount(ping-pong) and wet/dry mix control.
• Convolution Reverb: Select from up to sixteen different ‘creative’ impulse responses and seven different realistic impulse responses. Control the pre-delay time, early reflection size, late reflection size, cutoff frequencies of high and lowpass filters, and the overall wet/dry mix.

Feel The Rhythm

Each layer of Analog Strings sports two independent rhythm generators that can be either set to LFO or Step Sequencer. The rhythm generators can be used to modulate layer volume, layer pan, filter cutoff, filter resonance, tube saturation, distortion drive amount, lo-fi distortion bits, and lo-fi distortion sample rate. The top section of the page also offers controls for setting the rate (speed) of modulation and dialing in the amount of modulation being sent to either of the eight available modulation destinations. You can also quickly enable/disable all rhythmic modulation or any individual rhythm generator. This section also features Flux, a reimagined step rate sequencer that determines the modulation rate of all rhythm generators. Each step of the flux rate sequencer has a rate parameter – meaning when the flux sequencer reaches a step, all rhythms with Flux enabled will modulate at the rate set to the current Flux Rate sequencer step. Additionally, you can set each Flux sequencer step to remain on the current step for a set amount of time.

Moving further down the interface is where you select between the LFO or Step Sequencer modulation types. Each modulation type offers a selection of controls and access to presets that include LFO wave shapes and Step Sequencer patterns. In addition, you can also draw your own step pattern or create a custom LFO shape.

Arpeggiatorize

Analog Strings’ dual arpeggiator is the most advanced arp Output has built to date. Select the direction of arpeggiation from a menu offering twelve arp types and then release arpeggio madness with a host of controls for adjusting the speed, duration, gate time, swing, octave, and velocity.

The step table shown in the arpeggiator allows you to program in the accent level of each note in the arpeggio. Here you can adjust the number of steps, reverse or randomized steps, control the amount of repetition of each step, and set a pedal setting which determines whether the highest or lowest note will be alternated when ‘pedal’ is enabled.

Heaps of Presets

Analog Strings comes loaded with 500 explosive presets that can quickly be swapped out from any page. The dedicated Preset Page gives you access to a monstrous list of presets with an ultra helpful tag filter that offers 30 tags to help filter your search by characteristic. You can also “star” favorite presets and then sort the preset list by favorites.

Key Features

• A playable instrument with 500 presets
• 39 GB sound library (20 GB compressed)
• Powerful dual-layer sound engine
• Four central macro sliders unique to each preset
• Advanced modulation routing
• Layer FX and global FX
• Dual arpeggiators
• Dual tape loopers
• Flux sequencing
• Syncs to tempo
• Preset menu with smart tagging
• Built-in help menu

The Breakdown

Analog Strings brings a new era of advanced sound design to the forefront and is capable of serving some seriously styled-out string sounds. The elegant but modern looking design, intuitive control, and flexibility make it an excellent tool for creating and manipulating simple or complex string sounds with little effort. Everything about this thrilling plugin sparks instant creative inspiration and is a must have if you’re looking for an innovative and highly expressive new software instrument.

Pricing and Availability

Available at Output and Authorized Output Dealers for $199 USD
For more information and bundle options visit the output.com