Console Sound Modular Studio

Console is something of a breakthrough for people who enjoy using modular setups. Using it as an insert in your favourite sequencer adds modular routing capabilities to traditional channels. Automation is also handled progresively, through discrete midi connections (control and audio are treated seperately in console) so you can avoid static setups. Using it as an instrument, you can stack effects on top of multiple instruments with ease, and change to hearts content. Its pretty amazing for doing this kind of unison work.

Its also 100% stable, working with everything I've tried, supporting VST/i, DX, DXi's.. and some special plugins developed for these kind of hosts (like, bidule, audiomulch etc) like mixers, but within the VST context.

Its dirt cheap - people who shelled out for TC Spark and similar (Chainer and other stacks) should check it out before trying other solutions, as its dead cheap, and the developers could do with the encouragement for making such a top quality product.

Its a standalone, VST/i and DX/i program, so whatever your choice of sequencer, you can use it with no hassle. You can even use it as a "compatiblity layer" for hosts that have no native support for one of the formats it supports (eg. VSTs in Sonar, Direct-X in Psycle etc).

Downsides are.. its a japanese program, and while the english translation is spot on, some quirks remain. I find them to be fun, instead of irritating, but others may not agree. Also, the nature of modular setups mean that some complex arrangements are eye-stretching, but with care you can get round that.


NickedStole review follows:

This plugin is great for creating completely new effects, using standard vst/dx plugins like 'modules', kindof like in reaktor, but using plugins instead of custom units. it allows you to have feedback loops without a problem, so you can make really nasty tones, or keep it subtle by including a compressor in the feedback loop.

you can see a list of all the automatable plugin parameters, and assign any of these to a midi cc input. you can choose which midi channel to take your parameters from by only connecting this midi 'cable', and there are included plugins for filtering midi. .there is a handy randomize feature for all the automatable parameters too.

you can roll up several fx/instrument editor windows to a thin bar, which will float over your main sequencer while the main console routing window is closed, so you can quickly get to a particular plugins editor.

there is also an independent version of console which acts as a vst host. by using the included midi pianoroll vst plugin, you can have many sequences playing at once, and switch between sequences with external midi inputs. you can effectively process midi in a modular way too, using vst effects that process midi, such as http://www.smartelectronix.com/~dunk/ . of course you can do the midi stuff under the vst/dx plugin versions too.

its a tool with unlimited possibilityRead Review