Micah Frank, Puremagnetik’s mastermind, is back with Pastfabric, a new plugin inspired by granular microsound (such as Curtis Roads’s work), and experimental tape splicing practices.
An Ode To Puremagnetik
Before going ahead with the plugin’s description, let me say something about Puremagnetik’s plugin collection.
Not only these plugins are extremely affordable (either as part of the Spark subscription or à la carte) but they are also some of the most musically inspiring tools you can find on the market – especially if you’re into organic electronic sounds, haunting soundscapes and all that jazz. If you’re not familiar with them, do yourself a favor and check them out ASAP, you’ll thank me later!
Micro-Splicing
Going back to Pastfabric, it is a micro-splicing machine that operates in real time with whatever you put into its buffer. It takes cues from both the analog and digital realms to imbue your audio with everything from nostalgic glitch to shimmering ambiences.
Here’s a video introduction to Pastfabric:
Pastfabric records incoming audio in real-time to a 10s buffer. The Past control sets the scanning length. It then pulls out splices – somewhat randomly – based on the selected “past factor”. Motion controls how often the splicer pulls new content out. With Duration and Length each splice can undergo time compression/expansion, chopping, glitching or sustaining into blurred ambience.
Effects and Fabric
Splices can be routed through space diffusion and analog aging effects. Haze is a blurring effect that diffuses the spatial source of the slices. Fabric adds analog aging to the splices, making them wow and flutter, click, pop, and saturate.
Between micro-memory splicing and effects, Pastfabric can turn a very simple sound input into complex repeating patterns, modulating, beautiful ambiences and much more.
Pastfabric Features
• Microsound inspired time splicing
• Granular control of splicing effects
• Diffusion and analog deterioration effect
• Integrates into any VST / Audio Units compatible host
• Includes a collection of factory presets
Pricing
Pastfabric is currently offered as part of Puremagnetik’s Spark subscription for $8 per month. After one month it will become back-cataloged for a la carte purchase at $20 USD.
Learn more here.
