This week here at Sonic Academy we welcome back Noah Koroman aka 2Scoops to check out Infected Mushroom’s monophonic audio alteration plugin in How To Use Manipulator.
With unique granular algorithms setting it apart from other plugins, Manipulator is entirely dependant on what approach you choose to take - altering and enhancing your vocal or sound recordings in subtle ways, right through to a complete warping of the audio.
The plugin primarily revolves around a pitch shifter, a harmonics shifter, and an alternator, however with each control you have an attached control to further alter the desired effect. The pitch shifter has a formant control, the harmonics shifter a ratio control and the alternator an octave control. There are several other parameters which consist of a smear function, as well as a stereo widener and detune function, and for those wanting something even deeper, the bottom part of the GUI is given over to four modulation controls which work in a similar fashion to assignable macro controls on softsynths.
In this two-part tutorial 2Scoops firstly looks at the user interface and controls before showing us how he would use the plugin for his own tracks.
Loaded with some awesome presets, Manipulator is definitely one of those plugins where messing around with the various parameters and their combinations can give you some truly unexpected and creative results.
Go check it out!