LayR is a massively polyphonic, multi-timbral synthesizer for iPad and iPhone, optimized for modern 64 bit devices delivering up to 256 voices of rich, multi-layered and textured sounds.
LayR’s primary sounds are called Performances: A Performance is a set of Instruments where each instrument is a set of Layers and each Layer is a complete synthesizer. A performance can consist of over 100 instruments each with it’s own MIDI channel and crossfading keyboard span. Voices are assigned to each layer in each instrument until the audio engine runs out of available voices. This means that with normal playing technique it is possible to create extremely complex texture on each note or even to have a single insane monophonic instrument equivalent to 100 synths all playing at once!
Every Layer has a dual oscillator which can morph with modulation between two shapes and phase states, two rich and warm state variable filters and a mixer to blend the oscillator with filters in any serial/parallel combination. For modulation (Frequency, Amplitude and Phase) there are two aux oscillators ranging from DC to audio frequency switchable to optionally follow keyboard pitch and restart phase when a note is started. 2 loopable ADSR envelopes ranging from fractions of a millisecond to 100 seconds, a volume level ADSR and a random level generator with a smoothing filter. With stereo delay, reverb and EQ on the output section LayR excels at not only emulating normal analog synth sounds but also at creating ambient textures with extremely long evolution cycles.
LayR version 1.2 update (available Friday April 20th 2018) :
Audio Unit: LayR now includes a fully functional audio unit version with a dynamic user interface that adapts to the available screen space.
Ableton Link for built in sequencer.
PDF Manual: The old help system is replaced by a comprehensive manual which can be read in-app or exported to your preferred PDF reader.
Improved User Interface: The entire UI has been given a modern facelift including pinch to zoom, double tap to zoom and fully labelled controls in the Layer Editor.
Instrument Mixer Drag & Drop: Instrument and Layer strips can now be re-arranged in the Instrument Mixer. Layers can be converted to new Instruments or copied between instruments with drag and drop.
MIDI Controller Mixer: A new panel that sports optional sliders for Channel Volumes and every MIDI cc that’s been assigned to the current performance. Allows users to perform live MIDI controller mixing in-app. Can also be used to query which parameters have been assigned to MIDI and in which Instrument/Layer they are located.
Arpeggio Sequencer: The arpeggiator gets a more descriptive name and some cool additions including new eventtypes, new playback modes and the ability to set mode, speed and length per track.
Modulation Matrix: Modulation sources in the Layer Editor can now be routed to any destination.
Improved Oscillator: The oscillator gets Coarse/Fine tuning and “Fixed Mode” which decouples the oscillator from the MIDI keyboard. Also FM has been greatly improved with a new mode allowing modulation over the full audio range.
LFO Sync Mode: Keeps LFOs in all playing voices synced to the same phase as each other.
Wave Folder Pitch Adjust: The amount of folding is now reduced as notes get higher, this helps reduce aliasing artifacts that may be introduced by the folder when processing high frequency content.
Legacy Mode: A experimental option that keeps LayR’s engine to a fixed lower CPU usage, this will hopefully extend LayR’s lifetime for users with older, lower powered iOS devices.
Light Colour Scheme: An optional lighter colour scheme for use in bright daylight conditions.
2nd MIDI Input Port: For stand-alone app: A port which listens on all channels for MIDI Bank Select/Program messages, this port can be used to select Performance presets while allowing the other input port to use all 16 channels for multi-timbral use.
New Presets: A whole new bank of 36 presets by Sky Runner and another new bank dedicated to individual user presets.
and the list goes on…
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