Cryptoclash vs Sean's Strange Box

Cryptoclash is a strange generative synthesizer, which translates letters into sound. By typing in a string of up to 20 letters (a-z), you set up the states of the sound engine, which are represented as roaming particles. Every time they collide, things can change! Use the accelerometers to change gravity, and tap on a ball to give it a velocity boost. Each time you choose the source string, you create a new sounding patch. Some sounds are noisier, and others more meditative; keep exploring and you'll hear interesting new tuning systems (such as 26 notes per octave), and different amounts of synthesizer feedback. The central idea behind this work is that of the musical cryptogram, where letters are turned into notes; but the sound engine here avoids such a direct and obvious mapping for a combination of physics engine (thank you Box2D), live coding, sonification, finite state machines, Markov models and feedback FM. Download Cryptoclash if you are open to stranger computer music sounds, and avoid it if you just want diatonic melodies and piano sounds! If you like this, or want a free starting point, you may be interested in the other two in an accessible live coding triology; TOPLAPapp and RISCy, already available on the App Store.

Sean's Strange Box is a polyphonic house synth with a step sequencer that jacks. Part of Time2Jack's Architect Series, it brings hands-on sound design, pattern writing and live performance to iPhone and iPad. THE SOUND Two oscillators with SHAPE, DEFORM and SYMMETRY, a sub and noise, and up to four-voice UNISON with DETUNE and stereo SPREAD. Shape the sound with LP12, LP24, high-pass and band-pass filters, two ADSR envelopes and three LFOs, including Lorenz and Rössler chaos. A twelve-slot modulation matrix connects the LFOs, envelope, velocity, XY pad, pressure and tilt to your sound. Chorus, phaser, ping-pong delay, reverb and a three-band EQ run in the order you choose. Sixteen-voice polyphony. STRANGE AND BENT STRANGE moves from subtle instability, filter motion and stereo drift into deformation, deeper modulation, effects movement and rhythmic variation. BENT focuses on timbre. Variations evolve every bar, and the same gesture produces a repeatable performance. FREEZE and REPEAT add momentary delay and rhythmic effects. THE SEQUENCER Build patterns up to 64 steps long with velocity, accent, probability, ratchets, ties and slides. Put up to five notes on a step, or let CHORDS generate a progression in your key and scale. Record four automation lanes. Eight scenes, A to H, change on the bar line, and CHAIN plays them in the order you choose. GENERATE offers a new house bassline when you need a starting point. JAM AND PERFORM JAM gives you a note matrix, two octaves of keys, a metronome and recording into the sequencer. Lock your key and scale to stay in tune. PERFORM brings the XY pad, macros and effects together for live playing. EZ AND PRO Two control surfaces share the same instrument. EZ groups sound design into SOURCE, TONE, SHAPE, MOTION and SOUND, plus STRANGE. PRO opens the full set of controls. Switching surfaces preserves your sound, pattern and playback. 58 FACTORY SOUNDS Explore house basses, acoustic-inspired instruments, unison and chaos sounds. Search, tag and audition presets, or HYBRIDIZE two sounds into something new. PLAY TOGETHER Use Ableton Link, DJ SYNC and MIDI input to play in time with other gear. MIDI Learn connects controls to your controller. The included AUv3 instrument runs in compatible iPad music hosts. Save a complete sound, modulation matrix and all eight scenes in a .strange project. Runs on iPhone and iPad. No account, subscription, ads or in-app purchases. Make music offline; enable local-network sync when you want to play together.