Chromaphone from Applied Acoustic Systems is a native based plug-in that combines models of acoustic resonators to create drums, percussion, string, and synthesizer-like instruments. The resonators' material, tuning and coupling parameters allow the creation of a wide range of instruments and sonic colors. The results vary from real, to innovative, or something with an ethnic touch.
A wooden bar makes a xylophone; turned metallic it becomes a glockenspiel. Adding a tube transforms it into a vibraphone or marimba. Plates shape up in bells and cymbals. Membranes are used for drum skins, and when combined with a tube, they create bass drums, snares, congas and bongos.
One-shots are no longer limited to just velocity changes. The plug-in utilizes the entire keyboard range to modulate volume, mallet noise and stiffness, noise-filter frequency and density, hit position, and coupling to open a whole world of expressive sounds, and in a totally step-less fashion.
At the end of the Chromaphone signal path reside two multi-effect modules in series, allowing for additional sound shaping of the resonators. Each module includes three different types of delays (ping pong, digital, tape), a chorus (mono and stereo), a flanger, phaser, auto wah, wah wah, a notch filter, three-band equalizer, tremolo, three different types of distortion, and reverbs.
The included sound library contains a wide range of expressive and responsive instruments, from warm and mellow pitched percussions for melodies, to punchy one-shots and kits for rhythm tracks. Preset load very quickly and since there are no samples, the instruments have a very small memory footprint.