Baby Audio Atoms: Literally exciting new physical modeling synth
3,7 / 5,0 | 
The force behind Transit look to shake up physical modelling with the new Baby Audio Atoms soft synth, a plugin based on springs and masses.
Baby Audio Atoms
Baby Audio, the plugin development team behind Transit and BA-1, have just revealed that they’re about to drop a new instrument. Called Atoms, it’s a physical modelling synthesizer plugin based on a mass/spring interaction network. I’m not sure what that is either but I’m definitely intrigued. And it’s out now!
Baby Audio Atoms: Spring Into Action
The first look comes courtesy of a NAMM 2024 video from Sonic State, who have had bumper ads touting a new Baby Audio plugin all week. The rough and ready video reveals that Atoms models a network of masses connected by springs with inertia and weight, with sound generated by “playing” it with a virtual bow.
Baby Audio stresses that it has a complex underlying algorithm but it’s distilled down into six, simple parameters: Chaos, Force (how the bow plays the model), Drive (saturation), Order, Overtones (where on the model you apply the bow to change harmonics) and Filter (a lowpass filter).
Automation and MPE
Additionally, there is an internal automation system to automate parameters. This results in evolving, organic textures, says Baby Audio in the video. You can also assign MPE to each of the six parameters for additional, per-key automation.
How About Effects?
In terms of effects, Baby Audio Atoms doesn’t appear to have any built-in reverb or delay. However, Baby Audio presenter Michael Hahn did point out that Atoms has chorus and vibrato. Uniquely, these are generated by the physical model itself, not post-effects circuits. Very interesting.
Get Excited
I’m a big fan of Baby Audio’s products and this looks to be another winner. Physical modelling is capable of generating some unique tones, and judging by the demo audio in the video, Atoms can do fat and punchy bass, evolving pads and more. Baby Audio claim it can do a “huge range of stuff from natural to sci-fi,” and they have a team of sound designers working on presets right now.
Baby Audio Atoms is available now here at Plugin Boutique (affiliate) for an introductory price of $59 instead of $99 (until March 30). Platforms supported: macOS 10.11 and up (including Native Apple Silicon M1/M2 Compatibility) and Windows 10 and newer. Plugin formats: VST, VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit).
Get Baby Audio products at Thomann.de:
More Information
- Baby Audio home page
- All about synthesizers
- GUI of Atoms: Baby Audio
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