VST Instrument: LazySnake

Andreas Ersson's "LazySnake" is a fairly versatile virtual electric piano. It was lots of fun to jam with, and it can produce some very interesting and useful sound.

Features:
-Coarse and fine tuning controls
-up to 16 voices

-Fork section (control over harmonics and fundamental pitch)
-Amp section (overdrive and hardness)
-built in wah effect and tremolo
-the skin is adjustable (if that really matters to you)

Sound:
This is a very good instrument. Though many of the presets are uninspiring, some tweaking will lead you to some decently realistic sounds. I was particularly impressed with the "Ebass" preset. It sounds quite similar to an electric bass (you can hear it in the demo below). I spent about a half hour trying to find a funkier sounding EP, but I couldn't quite nail it. I guess that's something I need to work on. I appreciated the "Fork" section. Controlling the harmonics (with this much ease) is not something I've found in many plug-ins. The Wah and Tremolo are pretty standard, but still allow you to really customize your sound.

Ease of Use:
It's not incredibly easy to use, but I wouldn't say it's difficult to use. Pulling up a preset to get started is simple. It does, however, take some time to understand the functions of all the nobs. It's consistent with a lot of other plug-ins, so the experienced programmer will have no issues.

Overall:
If you don't already have a source for EP's, definitely check it out (hey, nothing beats free!). If you're not the pickiest, this instrument will most likely do just what you need! Give it a shot!



Check out my demo (in HD!)


Download LazySnake!

VST Effect: Auto-Filter v2

"Auto-Filter v2" is a pretty versatile effects plug in. It is pretty much all you could ask for in a filter is a compact package.

Features:

-6 filter options: Band pass, low pass, high pass, notch, peak A, peak B

-Attack, Threshold, Range, Res, and Out Sliders

Sound:

In the video demo below, I used the filter on a drum track. I was able to create some pretty interesting sounds, ranging from the "sub-woofer down the street" kind of feel, to a high pass telephone type sound. There are wide range of options with the different filter settings. As far as I know, it doesn't have an "Auto-wah" feature. As you'll notice in the video, you can sort of accomplish this by moving the slider up and down. This plug-in works great for piano, synth, bass, and other sounds as well.

Ease of Use:

Using this plug-in is very simple. Although I may be embarrassing myself, I still haven't figured out what the "Range," and "Res" sliders do. I assume "Res" is an abbreviation of resonance, but I haven't got a hold on what exactly it does in the context of this plug-in. Other than that, the controls and interface are very easy to understand.

Overall:

If you're looking for a filter that gets the job done, this one works just fine. If you are looking for an "Auto-wah" effect, you may be looking in the wrong place. It's definitely worth checking out though!

Watch my demo of "Auto-Filter v2" (WATCH IN HD!)

Download Auto-Filter v2