It allows you to apply familiar subtractive synthesis techniques to effectively harness the raw power of an additive synthesis engine. Harmor is another innovative hybrid synthesizer from Image-Line. Image-Line Maximus also provides you with four user-definable compression curves, complete stereo separation control, saturation processing, and a handy visualizer to provide useful visual feedback while making adjustments. Maximus has the ability to operate across three independent frequency bands, LOW, MID, and HIGH, all featuring adjustable crossover points and gain settings, which enhances versatility and precision when applying dynamics processing techniques. It provides a wealth of features and is equally well suited to tackling dynamics processing on a per-track basis as it is to functioning as a mastering tool. Image-Line’s Maximus is a Swiss army knife of a device in that it’s e qual parts limiter, maximizer, compressor, expander, noise gate, and de-esser, all within a compact and user-friendly GUI. Combine that with optional chorus, delay, and reverb units in the FX section, and you’ve got yourself one truly powerful synth.
The device also provides three independent filter units, each containing a multitude of filter types as well as a dedicated wave-shaping device. Image-Line Sytrus also boasts a powerful additive harmonic editor that can be used to synthesize partials to create virtually any sound you can imagine. Its six operators can act independently as subtractive oscillators themselves or can work interdependently by cross-modulating each other. This allows Sytrus to deliver an enormous range of timbres and sonorities, from lush pads and bells to synthetic percussion and otherworldly effects. Sytrus is one of Image-Line’s hybrid synthesizers, combining the familiarity and ease of subtractive synthesis with the added power and versatility of FM (frequency modulation) and RM (ring modulation) synthesis. Image-Line Gross Beat also excels at creating s ide-chain compression or gating effects as well, without the need to actually trigger a compressor or gate from an external source. Preset slots can be triggered using multiple trigger behavior modes, including MOMENTARY, RETURN TO BASE, or HOLD. All preset gestures can be linked via MIDI to any external control surface for spontaneous playability, or can be automated within your DAW for even greater precision. Gross Beat stores incoming audio in to a continuously rolling internal buffer, which is controlled by 36 user-definable time and volume envelopes, allowing you virtually limitless creative accuracy and control. It’s perfect for real-time performances or for adding glitches and stutter effects within your productions. Image-Line’s Gross Beat is a time stretching and manipulation tool designed for looping, chopping, gating, and essentially mangling your sounds in a variety of interesting and musical ways. Let’s take a deeper look in to what these devices are and what they have to offer. With the newly released alpha versions of these devices, those using OS X based systems can now test drive them to get a glimpse of how they can enhance productivity and creativity.
Image-Line commands a wide range of creatively developed software plugin products that are both unique and powerful, featuring workflows and processing algorithms that are truly one of a kind. Due to popular demand, Image-Line has recently been releasing VST and AU versions of many of their plugins to accommodate OS X compatibility, and have announced that they will soon be adding four more modules to their ever growing list of externally compatible devices: Gross Beat, Sytrus, Maximus, and Harmor. Image-Line’s proprietary plugin modules have historically only been available natively for their own FL Studio software, and have long been the envy of producers using other DAWs like Logic or Ableton Live on OS X based systems.