OtherDesertCities vs Speldosa

Other Desert Cities is a multi-mode delay plugin built for sound designers, producers, and anyone who thinks regular delays are getting a little boring. Named after the famous sign on the I-10 leaving Los Angeles, Other Desert Cities takes you down less-traveled roads. Six algorithms, each with its own distinct personality. A full suite of modulation. A diffuser that smears feedback toward reverb. And gain-structure controls deep enough to duck, pan, and route almost anything. ALGORITHMS Desert Shores — a clean dual stereo delay with saturation, filtering, spread, and crossfeed. Mecca — a reverse delay with smooth crossfading and an optional Reflect mode that alternates playback direction on each repeat. Cactus — a dual-delta delay. Each side runs as a variable-speed looper, playing forward or backward at any speed from zero to 2x, with pitch quantized to octaves, fifths, or semitones. Thermal — a multi-tap delay with up to sixteen equally-spaced taps per side, each with its own level. Mirage — a variable-speed multi-head delay inspired by the 1967 Eltro Information Rate Changer. One to four rotating heads play through a circular buffer at any speed from -2 to +2. Sky Valley — a granular delay with independent control over grain size, scatter, and pitch randomization. Transpose from three octaves down to one octave up. MODULATION Two tempo-syncable LFOs with variable shape and skew, plus an envelope follower with sidechain input. Almost every parameter in the plugin can be modulated. Click any knob and assign modulation depth from each of the three sources independently. DIFFUSER A diffusion processor sits inside the feedback path, with controls for size, diffusion amount, modulation rate and depth, and a dedicated low-cut filter. At high settings it takes the delay into reverb territory, especially paired with the Thermal algorithm. LEVELS Full input/output gain control, stereo width, independent delay pan, regeneration balance, and wet balance. Input level and mute sit before the delay block, so the plugin works correctly as both an insert and a send, with proper tails behavior. PRESETS Factory presets from Chris Randall, Matthew Lyon, Red Means Recording, and Time Rival, plus a cross-platform XML-based preset manager with import, export, and clipboard paste. FEATURES Six distinct delay algorithms Two LFOs and an envelope follower with sidechain Diffuser with independent modulation Tempo sync on delay times and LFO rates Delay times up to two seconds free, ten seconds synced Cross-platform XML preset format AUv3 and standalone Also available for macOS, Windows, and Linux in VST3, AU, AAX, and CLAP formats from Audio Damage.

Speldosa (Wintergatan Music Box) is an Audio Unit instrument, the result of a unique collaboration between Klevgrand and the Swedish artist Wintergatan/Martin Molin. Wintergatan has primarily worked in the physical world (the Marble Machine is probably the most astonishing example), while Klevgrand has performed its craft within the digital sphere. When these two worlds now meet, the result is something that both visually and aurally inspires the creation of new compelling melodies. Speldosa (Swedish for “Music Box”) is the essence of the shared beliefs of Klevgrand and Wintergatan, and their fascination with minimalism. A simple melody played on a music box can contain an equal amount of emotional power as any symphonic work. There is something about the music box sound that never ceases to fascinate. The instrument itself has been meticulously recorded by Wintergatan and transformed into a playable digital instrument plugin. It features four different models (Modern, Vintage, Antique, and Eternal = Reversed), two different Room models, and an algorithmic reverb. Wintergatan about Speldosa: "I created the sound by sampling a music box using an acoustic guitar as resonance box. I chose the best samples and it was instant magic. The Music Box went on to become the sonic signature for my two bands, Detektivbyrån and Wintergatan, both recognised for their unique sound. The Speldosa has been the secret sauce in my music career and i hope other musicians finds it as useful as i have. There is a special quality to this exact music box sound that lifts it above the novelty feeling of a toy and turns it into a real music instrument. It just sounds so good, that’s really it. And it is a sound that makes you write music instantly - the music comes from the sound itself. During the collaboration with Klevgrand, when they sent me the first beta version of the plugin, i ended up playing around with the sound for three hours, losing track of time. I wrote three songs that day when i was scheduled to actually do something else. That’s what the sound does to me, and i think it will do the same for others." Features: - Four different music box characters - Two room ambiences - Spacious reverb - Optional vibrato - Output level Speldosa works both as a standalone app and as an AUv3 plugin. Check out the product web page for more info, sound examples and a user manual. Feedback or suggestions? Drop us a mail: support(at)klevgrand.se or @klevgrand on Twitter.