Atavism by Parallel Minds turns a track into an in-key spectral pad. Launch price is $29, then $39. VST3 and AU on Mac and Windows, about 300 ms of latency.
Plugin comparison
Atavism vs Portal
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
8.4Great
Portal is a granular synthesis FX plugin from Output that transforms any audio input into playable, musical granular effects.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Atavism | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 launch / $39 | $149 |
| Dubspot Score | — | 8.4 |
| Formats | VST3, AU | VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Type | Spectral pad-from-track effect | — |
| Price | $29 launch, $39 regular | — |
| Version | 1.0.2 | — |
| Control | One knob, plus Pulsation, Shimmer, Mix, low cut, high cut | Circular XY control linked to granular parameters |
| Latency | About 300 ms, about 170 ms in Short mode | — |
| Presets | Eight factory presets | 250+ presets for instant playability |
| macOS | 11 or later, universal, VST3 and AU | — |
| Windows | 10 and 11, 64-bit VST3 | — |
| Not included | AAX, VST2 | — |
| Licence | One key, both platforms, no account | — |
| Built-in FX | — | 7 built-in FX plus a master compressor and filter |
| Time manipulation | — | Powerful time manipulation engine with tempo-synced grain delay |
| Modulation | — | Scale-based pitch modulation, Time Stretch, Pitch Shift, and Humanize controls |
| Apple Silicon | — | Native Apple Silicon compatibility (M1, M2 and beyond) as of v1.2.0 |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.