25 software synthesizers and sample players in one tidy package.
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS
DYNAMO 1.0.1 (MAC/WIN)

by Len Sasso


  If you’ve been curious about Native Instruments’ Reaktor synthesis and sampling software but you’re reluctant to take the plunge into its complexity, Dynamo might be a good place to start. A collection of 25 software synthesizers and sample players created with Reaktor, Dynamo doesn’t let you build your own devices from scratch, but does allow you to create and save banks of presets for each Dynamo instrument.

The 25 Dynamo virtual devices are taken from Reaktor’s highly regarded Premium Library, and the upgrade path to Reaktor is reasonably priced should you venture into deeper waters. (For more on Reaktor, see “Master Class: Building a Reaktor” in the September 2000 issue of EM.) The Dynamo virtual instruments fall into six categories: drum machines (3), audio-processing effects (1), sample players and manipulators (7), classic/subtractive synths (5), FM and hybrid synths (5), and synths with built-in sequencers (4). We’ll take a look at each group, but first let’s see how Dynamo works.

Ins and Outs
Fig. 1

FIG. 1: Dynamo’s Me2SalEM Ensemble is modeled after the classic ’70s Oberheim 2-voice analog synth. At the top of the screen is the Toolbar, where you monitor audio performance, select and save Snapshots, and control MIDI playback and audio recording. Below the Toolbar is the Control Panel, where real-time parameter changes are made. At the bottom, noise generator, input and output patching matrices, and a stereo delay have been added to the 2-voice model (click image).
Dynamo can be used as a stand-alone program or as a VST 2.0 plug-in (if your digital audio sequencer supports that format). In addition to its own audio drivers, Dynamo supports ASIO on Mac and PC as well as MAS and DirectConnect on Mac. When running by itself, MIDI input and output is handled by OMS or FreeMIDI on Mac and by any installed MME MIDI driver under Windows. MIDI to and from a sequencer running on the same computer is also handled by OMS or FreeMIDI on Mac and by Dynamo’s own MIDI driver (included) for Windows. I used a beige Mac G3/300 with 384 MB of RAM running under OS 8.6; relevant peripherals included an Emagic AW8 sound card and Mark of the Unicorn’s MIDI Express XT MIDI interface.

Dynamo features a built-in, rudimentary MIDI-file player and an audio “tape deck” for direct recording to RAM (and subsequent saving to disk). Playing a MIDI file within Dynamo and then recording the results yields sample-accurate timing. Using the internal MIDI-file player gives lower latency and more voices than if Dynamo and a sequencer ran simultaneously. On the downside, the player provides only Start and Stop buttons, and when you double-click Stop it jumps to the beginning of the file. (A position display as well as Fast Forward and Rewind buttons are documented in the manual and slated for future release.)

Dynamo’s audio recorder can play back recorded material and can also play audio files from your hard drive. However, this feature has limited utility because prerecorded audio files and Dynamo can’t play at the same time, unless you have the right hardware and software. (Certain PC sound cards, such as the E-mu APS, can play two ASIO audio streams simultaneously. On the Mac, you could use a DirectConnect driver and an ASIO driver to get the same results. Nevertheless, with so many possible combinations of hardware and software, there’s no guarantee this will work on your computer.)

As with Reaktor, the devices in Dynamo’s collection are called Ensembles; they can contain a single sound-generating source called an Instrument, or they can contain multiple Instruments. Individual presets or programs are called Snapshots, which you can create on the Instrument and Ensemble levels. (An Ensemble Snapshot is just a collection of Instrument Snapshots.) An extensive collection of factory Snapshots is available for each Ensemble, and playing through them is an excellent way to get to know an Ensemble’s sound.



Reprinted with permission from Magazine, December, 2000
© 2000, Intertec Publishing, A Primedia Company All Rights Reserved


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