Instant Suspense & Insanely Cool Soundscapes – Introducing Phobos From Spitfire Audio - Recording Studio Rockstars

Instant Suspense & Insanely Cool Soundscapes – Introducing Phobos From Spitfire Audio

Introducing - BT Phobos from Spitfire Audio

You know that scene in a movie or a video game where the character enters a mysterious room or is exploring a giant space ship? You know... suddenly there is this huge spacious soundtrack that you can't quite put your finger on, but it just gives you a sense of awe? Like giant breathing metal monsters floating on galactic winds?

Imagine to try to create that sound! I wouldn't even really know where to begin...

Enter BT PHOBOS from Spitfire Audio

Phobos is like a one stop shop for instant suspense and insanely cool ​soundscapes! Within seconds you can create sounds that will transport you to another world if you jump right into the presets. And even without understanding whats going on under the hood you can still easily grab cool looking graphical controls and start morphing your sounds to taste.

Phobos is a ​"POLYCONVOLUTION SYNTHESIZER" which as I understand it means that it takes multiple sound source inputs (think wav files and loop samples) and convolves them against other impulse responses. This essentially transforms input sounds that might be sort of "plain vanilla" to start into wide new soundscapes that can have a huge sense of depth and mystery.

I found the explainer videos from Spitfire really fascinating, leaving me excited to dive into this synth and put in some fun time learning it. But you don't have to. The presets alone would give you plenty of great sounds for the right uses without ever even turning a knob.

And while I believe this plugin was really created for the sound designer, sometimes you just need something in the studio that sounds really different from the band. You know what I mean? Especially if you are creating analog meets electronic hybrid music!

Phobos is a must-have synthesizer for composers writing epic, cinematic electronic and hybrid compositions. Conceived by renowned composer and electronic music pioneer BT (The Fast and The Furious, Monster, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), we’ve together developed a powerful new device to add a unique timbral expansion to your compositions by unlocking the liquid, morphing and transforming capabilities of convolution. With an asset base featuring over 20GB of unique hand built BT rhythms, pulses, textures and atmospheres, and a revolutionary polyconvolver engine, you can quickly and easily create molecular loops, patterns and textures to energise your music and hold your audience at the edge of their seats. - Spitfire Audio

PHOBOS WEBSITE
PHOBOS
FROM SPITFIRE AUDIO

OVERVIEW

Together with Spitfire, BT has combined over 20GB of his own personal bespoke new libraries (following on from Breaks from the Nu Skool and Twisted Textures) into a convolution synthesis engine that allows you to sculpt, filter, rhythmically cut and pulse impulse responses that are tonal, melodic and harmonic. Most importantly you can play them polyphonically.

This synthesizer, sound engine and bespoke library package represents years of diligent searching for new awe-inspiring sounds and sound design techniques. If you, like BT, are looking for a new wave of inspiration for your compositions that are evocative, emotional, expressive and truly new, you owe it to yourself to check out Phobos. It is a well of endless inspiration.

One of the greatest solutions Phobos provides is for composers wanting to engage their audiences for extended sequences and cues without things sounding repetitive or ‘loopy’. Phobos allows for an all new real-time interface interaction that allows the user to evolve, warp and transform their molecular patterns according to nuanced changes within a scene.

BACKGROUND

What is Phobos?

One of Mars’ moons? A synthesizer? A tool for creating massive cinematic and electronic rhythms? An engine for endless spectral combinations of wide, lush pads and ambiences with propulsive rhythmic figures? Is it a sound library of bespoke percussion, beats, micro rhythms, field recordings, live acoustic and orchestral treatments, textures and a massive vintage synthesizer collection? That is just scratching the surface.

At its core, Phobos is a synthesizer based on the unexplored precept of polyconvolution as a synthesis engine. BT came up with this idea many years ago doing sound design. What does that mean exactly? Polyconvolution as a synthesizer? Well, it means instead of using convolution for reverb or modeling an amplifier's distortion circuit, why not make a “reverb” impulse response tonal?

Combining something rhythmic with something tonal (as an impulse response) yielded some of the most modern, liquid and percolating ambiences and textures BT had ever heard. These are the kinds of sounds he has been searching for whilst scoring; those elusive sounds where the director asks for “movement and a feeling of drive, yet subtly”. That’s not to say that Phobos only excels at subtlety - it can sound massive, driving and aggressive, like an army of monsters in its scope and power.

PHOBOS

FEATURES

  • Revolutionary polyconvolution synthesizer, across 3 separate convolvers
  • Contains more than 2000 unique sounds, created by BT, that can be used both as a source or as an impulse response
  • Over 650 presets showcasing the possibilities of Phobos
  • Plugin that loads directly into any DAW that supports VST / VST3 / AU / AAX.
  • IRs in Convolvers are polyphonic, track pitch played and render in realtime
  • Loops as sound source / or as IR track host tempo
  • MPE Compatible (for use with multidimensional controllers such as ROLI Rise or Roger Linn Linnstrument)
  • Dedicated Gate Stages and Filters on each sounds source / convolver unit
  • All controllers mappable to controller and / or multiple LFOs
Please visit the Spitfire Audio website to learn more about BT Phobos
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