Developer Giorgio Sancristoforo has introduced Homework for macOS, a standalone experimental modular music workstation.
The software features three main components: a four track portastudio-like cassette recorder with granular, reverb, echo and saturation effects; and two modular synths, inspired by classic modular instruments of the 70s:
- The Eye Of Horus is a modular synth modeled after the West coast Paradigm, with some peculiar features like two Tropical Additive Synthesis Oscillators, a Hybrid Putney Filter, a Triple Variable State BP Filter, a Tropical Shaper, a Comparator and a double sequencer and clock.
- Sonda is a modular synthesizer designed for drones, inspired by the instrument popularized by the French composer and synthesist Eliane Radigue. It offers multi-waveforms oscillators, two multi-mode variable state filters/resonators, two modulators/amplifiers, one LPF 24 dB filter, a 7-channel mixer and a very slow triple low frequency oscillator.
Pricing and Availability:
Homework is available now for macOS for 25.00€. A Windows version is also planned.
I think it should offer the option to switch the cassette emulation to a 4-track reel-to-reel model. After all, anyone who owned not just one, but two modular synths would probably also be using some kind of fancier tape recorder.
But I like the idea of emulating a tape recorder: you get the same old workflow, but without having to deal with actual tapes.