Koblo announces the Vibra2000 synthesizer – a vintage plug-in? (history lesson included)
The US and Danish collaboration Koblo Audio Software has announced the release of Vibra2000 “mini-synthesizer plugin”. The Vibra synthesizer line was originally part of the Studio9000 bundle distributed by Digidesign in the turn of the millenium. Could this be considered an emulation of a vintage plug-in? Perhaps not really, but it makes you think what we might end up seeing in the future. To learn the future, just read on as I dig into the past… And oh, we’ll look at the Vibra2000 as well.
From the Koblo press release:
The Vibra2000 re-introduces today’s Audio Professionals to the classic Koblo Filter and Oscillator sounds, with an updated User Interface, preset design, and compatibility with both Windows and Mac operating systems. It features a powerful arpeggiator, filter, and oscillator section, to allow for quick and easy programming of dynamic lead sounds, sweeping pads and wicked effects. The Vibra2000 is available in RTAS (Protools), VST and AU formats, and can be used in all major host programs. The interface is easy to use, and will appeal to musicians and sound designers of all kinds.
The Vibra2000 is available immediately here at Koblo’s website for the tiny sum of $29.95.
Vibra2000 comes with 150 presets, and more have been promised to be available via Koblo’s website, as well as new synthesizers. Koblo strongly encourages it’s own community, customers are thus invited to join to “show off their music and talents, and find other musicians to collaborate with” (I’ve seen the future brother, and so has Koblo).
I asked Michael Logue of Koblo to comment on the new release and why the new Vibra was released now.
I can’t say there is a particular reason as to why this one now. But we do have another in Vibra series just about ready as well.
Recently we “rediscovered” some original Koblo DLT tapes with the original Koblo code. Our hope is to bring back to life as much as possible. It will take some data mining and resources we don’t have at the moment.
But if all of you out there that remember and love Koblo want to help, spread the word about the “new” Koblo. We will use the proceeds from current software sales to help fuel our growth and ability to bring back the future!
Studio9000, Vibra9000 and the Vibra6000
The old Vibra9000
I thought I’d treat you, good reader, with a history lesson as well. The fundamentals of Vibra2000 comes from a much older software, made by Koblo and distributed by Digidesign in 2000. While I’ve never had the pleasure to work with this instrument, I decided to investigate it a little and dig into the past to find out why one would be interested in ressurecting it.
Digidesign first announced Koblo Studio9000 around the same time as Pro Tools 5.0. If it was distributed by someone else before that, I’m not sure. Anyway, Pro Tools 5 was pre-instrument tracks, and if you think MIDI in Pro Tools is poor today with 7.4 (gimme 8, gimme 8!), you should’ve seen 5.x. I got started with 5.x, and I’ll tell you, the interface was butt-ugly as well.
OK, so that’s a little besides the aim of this post. Anyway, the Studio9000 was a synth and sampler package. With the use of DirectConnect and “the new MIDI capabilities of Pro Tools v5.0″, Koblo was used with then hardware 24 MIX and MIXplus systems. Studio9000 was actually a bundle of plug-ins. Including two mono synths, the Vibra9000 and the Vibra6000, the Stella9000 8-voice sampler, the Gamma9000 multi-timbral drum machine, and the Vibra1000.
From an eight year old Digidesign press release:
The Vibra9000 is a monophonic analog-modeling synthesizer with real-time control knobs. It features two stereo oscillators with five waveform options, three syncable LFOs, four assignable ADSR envelopes, eight filter types, and a programmable Arpeggiator. The Stella9000 is an eight-voice polyphonic sampler that enables users to load samples and adjust parameters in real time. Like the Vibra9000, it features three syncable LFO’s, four assignable ADSR’s and eight filter types. The Gamma9000 is a multi-timbral drum machine with a built-in step sequencer. Each track’s output is routable to separate audio outs providing individual automation and editing capability within Pro Tools. Both the Gamma9000 and Stella9000 are compatible with Sound Designer II file formats and SampleCell II key maps. The Vibra6000 is a leaner version of the Vibra9000 – perfect for making quick and simple sounds.
The Studio 9000 offers the user real time editing of on-screen parameters via MIDI controller messages and the ability to recall multiple synth setups from a saved ‘project’ file. When used with DirectConnect, a 24-bit audio path is provided for all 16 channels of the Studio 9000 audio output to take full advantage of the fidelity and power of the Pro Tools TDM-based mixing environment, including complete automation and processing.
By the way, Studio9000 was priced at 600 bucks. And that was back when the dollar was worth something and people cared about it. Vibra2000 for around $30 seems much better.
See: “digital” history is fun!
By J~P ~ October 25, 2008 kl 1:20 pm
OK, so I know what you’re getting at… and yeah, you’re right!
By stiff ~ October 25, 2008 kl 9:49 pm
LOL:) No one pushing here. By the way: I remember not being able to use the 9000 back then because of an issue with the Bitheadz Unity sampler. Which is still on my shelf, and used as much as I used it back then. Is it just me or are more people searching for “lo-fi” samples like the ones found in the Akai 1000/2000 or early E-Mu’s. Everything is “so real” these days… How about a samplepack that contains “The original crappy Akai piano samples you loves back then”….Or something:)
By J~P ~ October 26, 2008 kl 5:37 am
Hi there, I coded most of the Studio9000 series, including the Vibra filters.
Studio9000 was build using our own visual dsp programming language called Tokyo, which was a bit similar in concept to the later MaxDSP. The Studio9000 was distributed by Moridaira in Japan.
.-)
By emil tin ~ October 26, 2008 kl 1:15 pm
COOL! Did you have any part in this release?
By J~P ~ October 26, 2008 kl 1:22 pm
Hello Emil, good to have you here! Please share anythin about the old or new release you like
By stiff ~ October 27, 2008 kl 2:39 am
Hi all. thanks for the recognition and support. I made the original product design for Vibra9000 and Emil did the implementation + a million improvements. This time I have coded the smaller Vibra2000 and reused the original filter code developed by Emil.
By Max ~ October 27, 2008 kl 5:37 am
OK, this is starting to be an interesting thread. Mainly because the development of plug-ins is wrapped in clouds for most of us. So: how manny people actually worked on the original?
By J~P ~ October 27, 2008 kl 6:09 am
well it depends on how you count. where does the cloud end, and the sky begin?
i guess we were a small group of about 4-5 developers, with myself doing the majority of the coding, and others doing supporting work, or working on other stuff.
i can tell you that coding was harder back then. the tools were not as good, and remember it was back in the days before multi-threading, and a crash meant the whole computer had to be restarted.
By emil tin ~ October 31, 2008 kl 4:56 pm
[...] continues on their Vibra synth rampage (previous post with a little history and comments by the creators), this time with the Vibra3000. Like the [...]
By MaxvaX » Koblo has released Vibra3000 mini-synthesizer ~ October 31, 2008 kl 7:39 pm