"Amazing plugin! Love it! I'm using it in my live PA this weekend :) " - Pheek

Black Magic is a unique loop workstation with the ability to generate diverse loops with a single mouse click. Furthermore a loop can instantly be recorded out to WAV, automatically named by BPM and timestamp. The idea developed to make sample based loops an easy and fun process, as loop creation is generally a time consuming process. Black Magic can also be used as a standard midi drum machine and also has the ability to jam with the individual sequences in real time. It has 10 Samplers each with its own sequencer and many adjustable parameters. It uses standard WAV files and ships with a large library of samples, but users can easily add their own. There is also a solid FX section which includes a Compressor/Limiter, Delay, SoundScaper, Flanger/Filter and Drive as well as many Modulation options including randomizers, a Modulation sequencer and an LFO.



Black Magic looks deceptively simple on the surface and can be used easily without delving into the details too much, but underneath there is a vast amount of tweakable parameters. Each sampler has its own settings for 14 parameters such as Cutoff, Resonance, Volume, Pan, Pitch, Release etc, but there are also a set of Master controls for these settings which are additive/subtractive. These knobs provide instant gratification and can change the sound dramatically as well as being automated (like most controls in BM). There is also an overview Mixer screen which allows seeing all levels for 12 of the Sampler parameters and allows a great way to randomize just the pitches or cutoff values for instance.

Each Sampler has its own 32 step sequencer which can be triggered via midi and has adjustable step size, which allows for complex overlapping rhythms to be constructed. There is also a useful alternative to randomizing the sequence which uses a pre-defined set of presets which is randomly selected. This allows much more usable rhythms to be created as opposed to the standard randomizers (which are also available). Another useful feature is that Octave 4 and 5 of the midi controller affects a selectable parameter such as Master Pitch or Master Cutoff in real time which adds a whole new world of creative possibilities, for example playing a tune with the current loop.

There is a Kit feature which allows grouping installed samples together and saving as a kit, this then allows quick selection of those samples in the future. The Kit screen provides a useful overview of all current samples where they can also be selected and randomized. Samples are stored in folders, and those folders appear as banks within Black Magic and there is the ability to lock the bank. So for example selecting Snare drums and locking the bank will mean that when randomizing only Snare Drums will be selected for this sampler slot.

The FX Section has Soundscaper which is a diverse delay/reverb style effect, a Stereo BPM Delay, and a Flanger which can be switched to Filter instead, the LFO has a large amount of wave shapes available. Each sampler has its own set of sends for these effects. There is also a Compressor, Limiter and Noise Gate which happen just before the Master Volume Level, the compressor is great for a heavy compression sound that is popular these days.

Main Features:

256+ Presets

10 Individual Sampler Sections each with independent:

• Sample Selection - In the form of Bank and Sample via 2 pop up menus.

• Velocity
• Volume
• Pan
• Filter Cutoff
• Resonance
• SoundScaper Send
• Delay Send
• Flanger Send
• Adjustable Start Time
• Attack Amount
• Release Amount
• Pitch
• Drive
• Velocity
• Velocity -> Filter
• 3 Randomizers with selectable destinations
• Modulation Sequencer -> selectable destination
• Reverse
• Lockable Bank
• Dry Signal Only
• 32 step Sequencer Part

SoundScaper

• A Reverb/Delay Type effect with diverse potential.
• Size, Width, Damp and Level
• 8 Adjustable Comb Sizes
• Over 100 Time Modes (fine or normal)
• Selectable Combs 1-8
• Selectable All Pass Filters 1-4
• Comb Scale Slider
• Min Comb Value Slider.

BPM Stereo Delay

• Feedback, Width and Level
• Left/Right Times plus Dotted.

Flanger / Filter

• Depth, Phase, Feedback and Level
• Switchable between Flange or Filter
• Selectable BPM tempo
• 33 Wave Shapes plus custom.
• 150 Custom Wave Shapes
• 32 Levels of Smooth for each shape

Compressor

• Threshold, Ratio and Release.
• Adjustable Attack

Live Sequencer

• 10 Parts, one per sampler
• Each Part can be triggered via midi
• All can be triggered via midi note
• 32 Steps
• Adjustable Tempo
• Adjustable Length per Part
• Copy/Paste between Patches
• Shift Left/Right
• Randomize Pattern
• Solo
• Set to Default
• Always First Note on Randomize setting
• Resynchronize Sequencer buttons
• Record Part Sync Setting
• Global Mode Maximum Edit
• 3 Midi Modes:
• Normal - Note Triggers sequence when down
• Sticky - Note switches part on/off
• Groups - Different combinations of Part from each key.
• Top 2 Octaves can affect one of 13 destinations such as Pitch, cutoff etc...

Mixer Screen

• Has convenient slider banks so that the all parts can be seen/altered in one place for
• Volume, Pan, Cutoff, Resonance, Start, Attack, Release, Pitch, Drive, SoundScaper, Delay and Flanger
• Randomize and Default buttons for each one.

Kit Screen

• Kits are a convenient way to associate a set of samples together. They can be saved and reloaded.
• All ten Banks/Samples are visible at once for easy selection.
• Each has a Randomize, bank locked Randomize.
• Global Randomize and Default.
• Bank Lock settings for each part
• Filter ON/OFF Switch per Part

Master Section

• Master Volume
• FX Mix
• Swing
• Humanize

• Has Master Additive/Subtractive controls which maintains the relationship between all the parts for the following controls:
• Cutoff, Resonance, Release, Pitch, Start, Drive and Attack
• Noise Gate
• Master FX  ON/OFF
• LFO ON/OFF
• Mod Sequencer ON/OFF
• Gapper ON/OFF

Front Panel Triggers

• Standard Drum Trigger Buttons 1-10 corresponds to midi Octave 1
• Sequence Triggers 1-10 corresponds to midi Octave 2
• All On button, corresponds to midi B2
• Triggers All Off Button
• Part On/Off Switches 1-10
• Solo Switches 1-10
• Current edited Section Select

Record Section

• This Records X bars and dumps it in the Recorded folder in a xx BPM folder and named by time.
• Record Volume
• Switch to swap LED display to Record instead of Output
• Start Record - Will start on the next bar and record for the bar amount setting
• Bar Amount - How many bars should be recorded. (Master Settings)
• Play Last Recorded WAV (current session only)
• Record Bit Depth set between 16, 24, 32 and 32 bit float.

Limiter

• ON/OFF

• Threshold
• Attack
• Release
• Gain

Misc

• Filter Cascade x2
• Lofi Modes
• Assignable Pitch Bend Amount
• Assignable MOD Wheel Destination
• 10 Filter Types including Low Pass, Hi Pass, Band Pass, Hi Shelf, Lo Shelf and Comb.
• Master Pitch modes, normal, Timestretch or Pitch Shift
• Adjustable Master Clock Tempo to Half Tempo
• Smooth Sliders for Filter, Volume and Pan

Modulation Sequencer

• Max 32 Steps
• Adjustable BPM Tempo
• 20 Modes
• Retrigger
• Sections Enable
• Direct to Filter Mode
• Smooth
• Randomize
• 8 Direction Modes

LFO

• 34 Wave Shapes plus Custom
• 150 Custom Shapes
• Slider Mode with 8 sliders to create shape
• Smooth Slider for Custom and Sliders
• BPM Based Tempos
• Half Speed Mode
• Randomizers
• Direct to Master Filter
• Retrigger

Gapper

• Attack
• Release
• Length
• Mix
• 32 Steps Max
• 4 x Direction Modes

Randomizers

• Lots throughout the Synth
• Along the top are Randomizers and Defaults for all the main parts of the synth, always accessible.
• Global Randomize and Default.

Included Samples:

01-Bass Drum x 128
02-Snare Drums x 128
03-Rim Shots x 54
04-Hi-Hats x 128
05-Hand Claps x 68
06-Toms x 128
07-Cow Bells x 50
08-Hand Drums x 68
09-Cymbals x 128
10-Percussion 1 x 129
11-Percussion 2 x 128
12-OBB Bass Drums x 86
13-OBB Hihats x 52
14-OBB Snare Drums x 54
15-OBB Various x 63
16-Guitar x 101
17-Bass Guitar x 70
18-Instruments x 86
19-Percussion 3 x 67
20-Optik Kit x 10
21-SOG BOngos x 30


Total: 1,654


Acknowledgments:

Programming/Building/Samples: Andy Medforth
Initial Idea/GUI/3D Design/Samples: Andreas Nilsson

Much of Black Magic is hand Coded in C++ and built using Synthedit by Jeff Mcklintock. - www.synthedit.com

The Sample System and a few other modules were created by Chris Kerry - www.chriskerry.f9.co.uk/

VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH

Many thanks to the beta testers for testing plus contributing Samples, Banks, Demos and Presets:
Az're-ul, Josiah Christensen, SampleScience, GJK, JDT, Elxicano, Alex Falcao, Musical Gym, Chester Desmond.