Available for download, Factory from Sugar Bytes is a complex modular synthesizer in virtual instrument form. It features two oscillator engines with 10 types of synthesis apiece, including VA-sync, FM, transformer, fractal, six types of wavetable, and more.
For manipulating these oscillators, there is a vast array of envelopes, filters, LFOs, sequencers, arpeggiators, tonal quantizers, and randomizing elements, all of them assignable via the intricate—yet fairly intuitive—matrix window. Furthermore, an on-board effects section allows you to apply tasteful reverbs and delays to your resulting timbres. This virtual instrument is compatible with Mac and Windows platforms, and operates in VST, AU, and AAX formats.
Oscillators
Furthermore, all of these knobs can be assigned to filters, sequencers, and more via the matrix window. You get two mixable oscillators, plus an assignable sub oscillator and five kinds of noise, also mixable.
Modulators
Additionally, two LFOs which can operate freely or in time with your DAW's BPM. A phase knob allows you to nudge the time of the LFO more precisely, and a polyphony mode allows you to disperse the modulation effect individually across all the notes in any given chord, fine-tuning/tailoring the LFO across an entire harmonic structure.
Lastly, don't discount the sample/hold function, which allows you to sample a triggered input source and freeze it at different values as determined by the threshold slide. Yes, it sounds very complicated, and likewise, you can create all sorts of complicated, intricate soundscapes and effects with this parameter.
Arpiculation Panel
The Pitch Factory section gives you control of every note's tuning, as well as options to change the scale and tonal center of all the notes on the keyboard. You can also manipulate various glide modes, change the range of the pitch wheel, and apply the "Unisono" slider.
The Intonation area adds a pitch envelope to the start of any note you trigger. The shape of this envelope can be influenced in a variety of ways within this section.
Finally, an arpeggiator rounds out this panel, with controls over speed, direction of arpeggiation, randomness, and more.
Matrix Routing
In the matrix section, sources one and two can receive audio input straight from the oscillators or the master output, resulting in some truly strange and esoteric manipulation possibilities. Further options abound the matrix window, including a dice icon—which gradually introduces randomness into the matrix depending on how much you "roll" it—and a tweak/mutate/target knob for changing the relationship between intensities. For added fun, you can affect this knob's behavior via LFOs, envelopes, the mod-wheel, and more.
Four Sequencers
Each sequencer can act as a source in the Matrix window, and macro buttons allow you to shift all values to the right or left, copy sequences into other sequencers, paste them, create randomized sequences, and delete whatever mayhem you have engendered, so that you may start from scratch.
Each step in the matrix window boasts its own selectable shape, which will change how the sequencer reacts. There are 36 selectable shapes in total per step, but you can also draw in custom envelopes if none of the shapes pique your fancy.