The Element of Surprise

Random Preset-Generating Polysynth



Overview

Built for the KVR Developer Challenge 2007 (won 3rd place), The Element of Surprise is a fun little freeware virtual analog polysynth that is designed for one purpose only...to make really cool randomly generated sounds for fast inspiration and experiments in spontaneous song writing.

The interface is simple (shown full size, to the left) but under the hood there is a full synth with multiple oscillators, filters, various types of modulation, and effects, all optimized to provide a wide variety of usable randomly generated sounds.

Just click the exclamation point and get a cool sound. Fast, easy, fun, and (hopefully) inspirational.

Features:

Additional Features:
    • A full synth under the hood
    • Randomizer tweaked to produce potentially useful results more often than not
    • Possibly the easiest envelope control ever...one color coded, click and drag square

    • Optional envelope randomization
    • Velocity control
    • Inspirational writing exercise included in the manual (helps free me from writer's block)