At the bottom of the interface are 4 knobs marked Pitch, Tracking, Detune, and Noise. Pitch allows you to transpose the incoming audio up or down three octaves in both semitones and cents. The Tracking knob controls how closely the resynthesized signal follows the incoming audio. Lower settings will give more synthetic/robotic results.

1. Sonic Charge Synplant Serial
2. Sonic Charge Bitspeek Serial

Detune controls the pitch of a second oscillator that can be used to fatten up the sound by up to 1200 cents. The Noise control determines the balance between the oscillator and noise in the resynthesized sound. Turned all the way up, the plug-in will use only noise to replicate the sound giving a Kraftwerkian whisper effect. Although the number of controls on offer here may seem spartan, Bitspeek is actually capable of a surprisingly wide range of manipulations. The quality is top notch and totally nails the sound of many a speaking toy those of us who grew up in the 80's will remember fondly.

Although the most obvious application here is to process vocals with Bitspeek, you can use it on literally any mono audio signal with equally cool results. Unlike mere bitcrushers, Bitspeek can really tear apart a sound until it only vaguely resembles what you fed into it. You're damn right it's fun! If all that isn't enough to convince you, then the pricetag surely will.

Sonic Charge Synplant Serial

At only $29 even us starving artist types can add it to our plug-in folder without a second thought. Just get it already. You won't be sorry.

Sonic Charge Bitspeek Serial

I think you might be missing the point of Synplant. The whole idea behind it is to offer an alternative way to explore sound design without the typical Moog-style OSCFilterADSR signal flow found in almost every other synth. It was never intended to be a bread & butter instrument. I think it has more in common with FM synthesis in that you are rewarded with happy accidents through open minded exploration. Very few developers challenge conventional design like this and unlike other 'gimmicky' or 'cute' VSTs, Synplant's interface is actually very functional.

There's nothing quite like it.