Great Expectations

Some combinations are made for each other: bread and butter, strawberries and cream, Laurel and Hardy.

Albino is the result of a collaboration between Peter Linsener of LinPlug, creator of well known plugins such as RM IV, Cronox, Delta III, and sound-designer extraordinaire Rob Papen, whose credits include sounds for the famed EMU Orbit 3 and the Access Virus module.

Does that glittering combination of talents work? Let's find out....

Description

Albino is a 4 oscillator semi-modular instrument. It comes with dual filters and variable polyphony that can be adjusted from 1 voice to 8, to All (up to 32 voices - CPU dependent). It also provides an advanced modulation matrix and dual effects.

It's not an emulation of an existing instrument but one designed to provide dance sounds, although it is by no means limited to that style of music.

Although not multi-timbral, you can run as many instances of Albino as your sequencer and CPU will allow.

Pricing

Two versions are available:

The direct version can be either downloaded directly (the version reviewed here) or burnt to a CD for a modest fee of USD 4.99 /EUR 4.99.

The extra 75 presets from the retail version can also be purchased separately for USD 19.95 /EUR 19.95.

Platforms

Albino is available for both Windows and Mac (OS9 and OSX).

Being a VST plugin, you will need to use a VST2.0 compliant host, such as Cubase SX or Fruity Loop.

Should your sequencer not support VST directly, you can use a "VST-to-DX" adapter such as the one provided in Sonar.

For Logic users, there is an VST-to-AU adapter that can be purchased from FXpansion.

System Requirements

The system requirements are modest and in line with the host you are using:

As always, the more RAM and the more power your computer has, the better...

The computer used for this review had the following specification:

Installation

It couldn't be simpler: download the installer or run it from the CD-ROM in the case of the boxed version. Follow the instructions on screen, and you'll be going in no time at all.

The installer correctly identified my existing shared plugin folder, and Albino installed there without any problem. You can also select the destination folder manually should you need to.

Registration

Registration is via a serial number which is unique to each user. Once you have registered on the LinPlug or Rob Papen website, it is e-mailed to you. If you bought the boxed version, there is a sticker with the serial number on it.

All you need to do is to enter it in the space provided on screen the first time you start Albino (I cut and pasted mine).

Once it is entered, click anywhere outside the input box and Albino will be activated and ready to run. Should you need to reinstall or update Albino, the serial number is automatically remembered.

First Impressions

The interface is pleasant to look at and well laid out. It is easy on the eye and makes it possible to work for long sessions without eye strain (please note that the following screenshot is heavily compressed to speed-up download times).

Initially the screen might seem a bit intimidating, but after a few minutes' use everything falls into place, and you should have no problems. A quick read of the manual will fill-in any gap when using some of the more advanced facilities.

By clicking on the Albino logo, you are taken to a back-panel that lets you specify linear or circular response for the rotary controls, tuning (430Hz to 450Hz), random patch generation strength (0% to 100%) and pitch bend (1 to 24 semi-tones - although Fruity Loops only works with values up to 12).

Values in boxes can only be changed via the mouse (or a hardware controller if you have one - see the section on Automation). You can use the "plus" and "minus" buttons, or move the mouse up and down or in a circle depending on how you set-up the global preferences.

Holding the ALT key whilst moving the mouse will limit changes to small values. Holding the CTRL key will reset a control to its default value.

The Presets

A major attraction of this synth is the huge number of presets by Rob Papen. I must say I was very impressed! There is hardly a duffer in there and a great number are quite simply inspirational. I found myself going "Aah!" and smiling each time I changed patch on an almost indecent number of occasions. Be prepared to spend A LOT OF TIME with this little gem.

This review would grow to unmanageable proportions if I listed all the patches that impressed me, so I'll limit myself to the following excerpt showing a few of the first few patches I came across:

A few presets

With such a large number of presets, you need some way to organise and navigate them. The solution LinPlug have used is to store them in folders on your hard drive.

To change bank, simply click on the "load" button and select any preset within a folder. These have been thoughtfully organised into handy categories such as "Ambient Sounds", "Deep Basses" etc. making finding sounds a cinch.

After selecting any preset within a bank, simply click on the "next" and "previous" buttons to scroll through the other patches - simple and effective.

Due to the sheer number of presets I found myself wishing for a quicker way to go directly to a bank or sound similar to that used in Stylus (i.e a menu with sub-categories). However this is only a minor point, the existing system is highly useable as it is.

On the plus side, once you have selected a bank the presets also appear in the host's list. This makes it easy to select an individual sound, and in the case of Cubase SX you can use the built-in search filter:

Alternatively, you can click on "Load" and select a particular preset directly:

Note that if you want to use MIDI programme changes only the first 128 sounds in a bank will be available. This is not a limitation of Albino but of the MIDI specification itself. Personally, I always prefer to rely on my sequencer to save the settings I use.

Manual

The manual, penned by Chris Share, is very extensive and well written. Everything is clearly laid out and written concisely. You'll probably only need to read it once, and occasionally refer back to it to look-up some of the more advanced functions.

A small detail which impressed me was the way the screen shots show the general area you are working on (i.e the "Oscillators" section) and the actual control the text refers to. This makes it easier to relate controls to the signal path in Albino.

When viewing the manual as a PDF file, I was disappointed to see that no navigation panel was available. This made it slightly more awkward to jump to a particular section or chapter. Likewise there is no index, although there is a handy glossary, MIDI implementation chart and a collection of extensive appendices.

Oscillators

Albino gives you four oscillators per voice. They are grouped in two pairs and can be individually selected from a choice of three types of oscillators:

Given that they are all generated digitally, the analogue waveforms sound convincingly warm and rounded. A knob lets you go from a saw to a pulse shape and anything in between. They also sport a "symmetry" control which lets you vary the width of the waveform cycle.

The digital oscillators include a well thought out selection of waveforms. These include all the basic analogue ones, as well as various types of saw, square, organ and spectral shapes to add sonic variety. The Amplitude and Frequency Modulation knobs let you generate sounds with plenty of metallic overtones or richer harmonics. A "Range" slider lets you morph at will between any two shapes.

The noise generator gives you a choise ranging from pure white noise, to brown noise via pink noise. It's a welcome addition on this kind of synth. Other controls include volume, tuning and balance. You can also route the oscillators to either or both filters. All in all a very versatile oscillator section.

Filters

Arguably, what really sets an instrument of this type apart is the quality of its filters. The ones on offer are very comprehensive, with a choice of 12dB and 24dB slopes, Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpath and Notch (only available on the "cream" filter setting).

Rather than go after a "clinical" sound, the designers have gone for "character" instead. You can select from the aptly named Cream and Silk filters. The best way to describe them is to say that they live-up to their names as you can hear in the example below:

Smooth filters (the drums are not from Albino)

These filters really shine and add plenty of bite when necessary, but they can also help sounds to blend into a mix when called upon to do so. If I had to chose a single word to describe them it would be: "smooth"...

Other facilities include Balance, Pan and Saturation as well as Envelope Invert. You can tailor the sounds really quickly so they blend perfectly into your tracks.

Envelopes

There are no fewer than eight (!) envelopes at your disposal.

The first four control the four oscillators, one is dedicated to modulation, two are used for the filters and one is used for general amplitude.

In addition to the usual ADSR segments, LinPlug have added a fifth section called "Fade". This provides an extra stage after the decay, and can be put to great use when creating long and complex evolving sounds.

The envelopes provide plenty of "snap" when called for. All of them also feature velocity and pitch scaling for added control.

Matrix/LFO

A very welcome addition is the Modulation Matrix. Eight slots are available. Each one of them offers a number of sources (Notes, Controllers, LFOs, Envelopes etc.), a modulation amount and a destination (Amplitude, Pitch, Pulse Width, Modulation, Filters etc.)

This makes Albino capable of creating very complex patches with plenty of movement:

Modulation

The four LFOs offer a full complement of waveforms, including noise and sample-and-hold, as well as Frequency, Symmetry and Phase. Very usefully Delay, Attack and Decay are also available.

Most importantly for use in dance music, they can be sync'd to the host from 1/1 to 1/32 beats. Triplet and Dotted values can also be selected.

FX

Usually, I tend to be weary of built-in FXs. I tend to prefer adding my own, but with this type of instrument the FXs are effectively part of the sound.

My trepidations were unfounded. The two independent effect units are well up to the job and sound very respectable in their own right. They add a welcome degree of variety. The following effects are included: Delay, Chorus, Phaser, Filter (a nice touch), Reverb and Stereo Delay.

As with the LFOs, the delays can be fully sync'd to the host which is a boon. I also appreciated the HP/LP controls used to tailor the effects' response. Another plus point!

Automation

One of the pleasing features of Albino is the way in which you can assign external controllers to any parameter.

It's simplicity itself:

You can now sit back and watch in amazement as the controls on the screen move in response to your hardware ;-)

Automated filter

Once all the controls you want to automate have been allocated, simply save the assignments as an ECS file and re-load them at any time. You can save as many different ECS setups as you want to. The last settings are preserved in the registry ready to kick-in the next time you start Albino.

Since the automation uses MIDI, you can use any external hardware controller. This is a real plus for those users who like "hands-on" control and is a must-have to add movement and interest to your music.

A complete list of all the MIDI controls Albino can respond to is listed in the manual, however they need to be assigned via ECS before you can use them. Very few controls are hardwired by default - this gives you maximum flexibility...

Stability / Usability

I didn't encounter any problems at all during the review, even when running multiple instances of Albino.

There are some neat little touches... the use of sub-screens to keep the interface clear. You can click on the MIDI activity display to trigger a C3 - invaluable when doing tweaking away from a keyboard.

There is also a very usable "Random" facility that lets you generate new sounds with varying degrees of predictability when you run out of inspiration. Changes can range from very slight to total mayhem, the decision is yours! The Glide/Bend facility is well thought out and very effective. You can select Constant or Time rates for example.

A "Precision" setting lets you introduce slight variations to give your sound that "Analogue" feel. Unused components can be turned off to save CPU and polyphony is adjustable. Finally, there is a global volume control to balance the various patches in a mix.

Future Developments / Support

LinPlug are very active in supporting their products. There is a dedicated user forum covering all their instruments at K-v-R.

Originally, I thought that a simple built-in EQ would have been useful, but after playing with many of the sounds I was quite happy to use them "as is". Any additional tweaking can be done with external plugins, especially in the context of a mix when you'll be using your favourite effects.

Perhaps the only facility I really missed and which I think Albino begs for, is a built-in arppegiator! Granted you can use MIDI plugins for that task, but nothing beats the convenience of having one built-in. Judging from the forum, this is a very popular request from users and one which is high on the list of priorities for Albino 2. The developers will also try to ensure maximum backward compatibility so you can use your old patches with the new version when it comes out.

One minor niggle: at present Albino doesn't respond directly to MIDI Pan - however you can use the Albino built-in pan control or the audio mixer in Cubase SX instead. This ommission is due to be fixed in Albino 2.

Finally, some users prefer to use keyboard entry - in which case they will have to content themselves with mouse and remote control.

Conclusion

It boils down to two simple factors:

You can have the greatest sounding plugin in the world, but if it is so hard to use that it interferes with your creativity you'll probably relegate it to the "no-good" category. So how does Albino fare?

It passes both tests with flying colours! The sound is vibrant, warm and spacious. The bass end is rounded, the filters sound sweet and the controls are smooth. More importantly it is an inspiring synth! Throughout this review I kept coming across sounds than simply begged to be played and recorded.

Albino works just as well in a mix. Some synths take-over your mixes - this one doesn't. Although aimed primarily at the dance market, it can be used equally well in other musical genres.

Don't let the simple appearance or "preset-machine" tag fool you. There is plenty of power and flexibility lurking under the hood along with some surprisingly nice touches and extras.

Download the demo, play with the presets, tweak the parameters and chances are you'll end-up buying it. You won't regret it...

I will leave you with a simple example of Albino at work: no EQ, external FX or mastering (not even normalising). The only external sounds used are a bass drum and hi-hat sample.

Enjoy!

Albino Trance

Review written by: Rudi Cazeaux.
www: TraXmusic.Org.

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