There are plenty of ‘technical’ ways to describe Things Motor - AudioThing’s latest plugin collaboration with German electronic music artist Hainbach - but we like the theory that it will take any two audio signals and make them “dance around each other like courting birds drunk on fermented cherries” the best.
Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that - though, to be honest, does there really need to be? - as we’re also told that you can use the effect to morph between your sounds or cut them up rhythmically, affecting both their volume and spatial position. But that doesn’t sound as interesting, does it?
Motors is based on an old BBC Radiophonic Workshop curio that went by the name of The Crystal Palace; this enabled speed-dependent switching of up to 16 audio channels. It was powered by a big capacitor rotating on a motor.
This being 2021, Things Motors works rather differently - by combining the two signals via sidechaining, to be precise. The switching is controlled by a variable waveshape LFO, and you can take things further with tremolo, vibrato and panner effects, which are synced to the LFO.
The story doesn’t end there, though, as our old friend Look Mum No Computer has also had a hand in the project, building his own physical version of the Crystal Palace as only he can.
Things Motors is available now for PC and Mac in VST/AU/AAX formats. The regular price is €19, but you can currently buy it for €9. A demo is available, too.
Find out more on the AudioThing website.
