Free VST synth plugins are pretty common, but free ones that come from well-respected developers and promise something new and innovative aren’t so easy to find. This is what we’re told to expect from Newfangled Audio and Eventide’s Pendulate, though; described as a chaotic monosynth, it’s said to feature a brand-new oscillator technique that can generate “previously unheard sounds”.
Pendulate is so-named because it’s based on the physics of a double pendulum. You might think it looks random, but underneath there are underlying patterns, interconnectedness, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals, and self-organization.
In audible terms, this means that you can smoothly fade from a simple sine wave to a chaotic sonic maelstrom, stopping off at everything in between. The oscillator is matched with a wavefolder and low-pass gate that were inspired by the work of synth legend Don Buchla, with these three modules coming together to generate the sounds.
What’s more, all three modules can be modulated by the included envelope generator and LFO or MIDI and MPE sources. In fact, the modulation interface enables you to patch any combination of sources to any destination.
Pendulate can run in three colour schemes and comes with 136 presets. It’s 100% free with no iLok required - though you will have to register on the Eventide website if you want it - and is available for PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats.
