From the company that revolutionized vocal intonation processing comes kantos 1.0, a software-based synthesizer that finally liberates you from the tyranny of MIDI, keyboards, controllers or, in fact, anything that stands between you and the music you hear in your mind.

Whether you are looking for an alternative to conventional controllers, or are looking to produce electronic music with a level of dynamic expression that's simply not otherwise possible, kantos 1.0 will, quite literally, change the way you make music.

Input and Gate Generator

kantos 1.0 is designed to be patched as an insert effect on a channel of your digital audio software. Route the audio which will control kantos 1.0 in on this channel and use the Input control to set a nice hot level.

The Gate Generator gives you control over the triggering and duration of the envelopes as well as (optionally) retriggering the oscillators' wavetables. A real time display of the input signal's amplitude helps you set the independent Gate On and Gate Off levels as well the minimum Gate Hold time. Also included is a variable-threshold noise gate to help clean up any annoying background noise in the control audio.

Oscillators and Filters

kantos 1.0 provides 2 flexible wavetable oscillators. Each oscillator also includes its own independent multimode resonant filter and chorus generator. kantos 1.0 ships with a variety of wavetables and additional wavetables will be available from our web site. You will also be able to create your own wavetables with pretty much any competent sample editor.

Each oscillator also includes a pitch constrain keyboard. Press keys to limit the notes that the oscillator can play (useful for getting interesting melodic material from polyphonic and unpitched input). Press all of the keys to limit the oscillator to a diatonic scale and to remove any expressive pitch gestures from the input audio.

Noise Generator and Filter

This is a broadband noise generator with its own dedicated multimode resonant filter. Useful for (among other things) adding sibilance to a patch and for passing through the articulator to create a unique "whispering" effect (check out audio example 1c below).

Articulator

This is the heart of kantos 1.0. Using the harmonic content and formant information detected by kantos 1.0's input section, the Articulator can apply that information to the output of the oscillators and noise generator. The 2-axis Amount and Q control defines the amount and character of the harmonic processing. With the control dot at the lower lefthand corner, the input is passed through unaffected. The maximum effect is obtained with the dot at the upper right corner. The Formant Offset parameter shifts the input's detected formants up or down in frequency, affecting the sounds character in yet another way. Finally, the Emphasis section lets you tailor the sound's overall harmonic balance.

LFO

kantos 1.0 includes two multi-waveform LFOs which are routed in the Modulation Matrix. Their frequency can be set manually or by the Tap Tempo section described below.

Envelope Generators

Two ADSR Envelope Generators are also included as modulation sources.

Normally, a patch's dynamics are derived from the dynamics of the input audio. However, pressing the Amp Envelope's "On" button allows that envelope to control the dynamics.

Modulation Matrix

Although kantos 1.0 generates incredible expressive control from the input audio's pitch, dynamics and harmonic characteristics, it also provides a flexible modulation matrix for an almost limitless variety of dynamic effects. Any source can control multiple destinations and any destination can be controlled by multiple sources. Almost every variable parameter is available as a destination.

Delay and Tempo Control

For rhythmic effects, kantos includes a delay line with variable feedback. The delay time can be set in absolute time or, via the Tap Tempo function, in BPM. The Tap Tempo section can also be used to set the frequency of the LFOs or to sync one or both of the LFOs and/or the Delay.

Mixers

The kantos 1.0 output section includes two mixers. The Submixer controls the internal sound sources. In addition to the wavetable oscillators and noise generator, two additional sine wave oscillators track the fundamental frequencies of their respective wavetable oscillators.

The Main Mixer lets you balance the main synth output, the delay line return, and, if desired, the original unprocessed input audio. If kantos 1.0 has been instantiated as a mono in/stereo out plug-in, each of the main mixer inputs include a pan control.

Q&A

Q: How the heck does kantos 1.0 do that?
A: Unlike conventional MIDI synthesizers, kantos 1.0 is controlled by audio. Any pitched monophonic audio. Like your voice. Or a musical instrument. Live, in real time. kantos 1.0 analyzes incoming audio and instantaneously extracts pitch, dynamics, harmonic content and formant characteristics. This information is then used to control the kantos 1.0 sound engine in ways never before possible with a conventional MIDI synth.

Q: In some of those audio examples it's hard to believe that we're not listening to a processed version of the input signal. Does kantos 1.0 also function an effects processor?
A: Nope. kantos 1.0 is really a synthesizer. While it is possible to mix some of the input signal into the final mix (and we make it very clear where that has been done in the examples below), pretty much everything you are hearing is the result of using the input signal's pitch, dynamics
and timbral characteristics to control kantos 1.0's various functional modules.

Q: Does the input signal have to be a solo voice or instrument?
A: Not really. For reliable pitch detection, the input does have to be monophonic. But unlike most pitch detection algorithms, kantos 1.0 works fine with unison sections (i.e., multiple singers or instrumentalists playing the same pitch).

Q: What happens if you drive kantos 1.0 with a polyphonic or unpitched signal?
A: All sorts of potentially interesting things. You obviously won't get predictable pitches from unpitched input, and kantos 1.0 won't generate harmony from chords, but particularly with rhythmic input, you can get very exciting (and sometimes downright surprising) results. Check out some of the audio examples below to hear for yourself.

Q: What exactly makes up the kantos 1.0 sound engine?
A: kantos 1.0 provides a combination of traditional synthesizer functions and new functions unique to audio control. They include:

• 2 Wavetable Oscillators
• Pitch Constraint and Quantization Control
• Noise Source
• 3 Resonant Multimode Filters
• 2 Chorus Generators
• Timbral Articulator
• 2 Envelope Generators
• 2 LFOs
• Modulation Matrix
• Gate Generator
• Noise Gate
• Delay Line
• Mixers

A Cool UI (well, it's not actually part of the engine, but it gets you in the mood)

Q: I'm familiar with most of those functions, but what the heck is an "articulator?"
A: The kantos 1.0 articulator is a unique module that takes the harmonic content and formant information from the input signal and dynamically applies it to the synthesized signal. It can either reproduce the input signal's formant and harmonic characteristics with uncanny accuracy or, through the use of its formant offset and resonance controls, warp them into a variety of mutant forms.

Q: Can you add new wavetables for the oscillators?
A: Of course. (Did you think we'd include a question like that just to answer "No?") kantos 1.0 will ship with a variety of traditional - and not so traditional - wavetables. As we develop new wavetables, we'll make them available for download from our web site. And for the more adventurous, we'll show you how you can create your own custom wavetables with pretty much any audio or sample editor.

Q: Is kantos 1.0 polyphonic?
A: Not in the traditional sense. If you are using kantos 1.0 to create melodic lines, you get one line per instance. If you want harmony, you can create multiple lines one-at-a-time, or instantiate kantos 1.0 on as many individual tracks as your CPU power will allow. On the other hand, audio example 4a below was created in real time with one instance of kantos 1.0. No overdubbing or multitracking was involved.