AudioThing - Noises by Hainbach
Just a noise generator for drone musicians or more?
German composer Hainbach once again teamed up with AudioThing to create their fourth collaborative VST plugin, Noises.
Noises is an experimental instrument based on noise recordings of rare vintage measurement and tape equipment, analog synths, strange field recordings, electro-acoustic and magnetic field experiments, and more that can be used to add texture and a “live“ feel to your tracks.
There are 22 banks of recordings from Hainbach’s studio but you can also import your own recordings making Noises a weird and powerful sampler. You can set up the level, the pitch, and shape the sound with an attack and release envelope while also having a multi-mode filter and a bitcrusher to further manipulate the original recordings. It’s really thoughtful that they added a simple way to also change the routing of your signal between the filter and the bitcrusher. There is also an 8-step sequencer to sequence different recordings of each bank that will get you to some very interesting results by tweaking a few knobs.
Hainbach is famously known for his love for old vintage recording gear and experiments. He is an inspiring musician that pushes the boundaries of music creation and takes the unconventional path when it comes to music production. This instrument embodies those principles, forcing you to experiment and more importantly listen.
Besides using Noises just for a simple noise source, you can use it as your main element of your production and even as a melodic source. But to do that, it takes a bit of trial and error. It is very simple to use at first but it’s a bit hard to tame it and to make it play well with your other instruments. There is more than meets the eye with this one and it’s definitely not for everyone.
My first patch was a waves patch that sounded like huge ocean waves crashing down and after a lot of experimenting and layering multiple instances of Noises I ended up having a full thick background texture for an ambient piece. It shines as a “carpet” for your tracks but I feel there’s something missing if you want it to be your main element. It can do that too, but with some limitations. Or maybe it just wasn’t designed to be that.
The sounds are carefully curated, all sounding great, and you can spend hours of tweaking and experimenting. I believe it’s a great tool for ambient musicians and score composers because there are not many noise-based plugins out there and noise it’s a tricky thing to process.
Noises is definitely a unique instrument. It is a fresh take on noise and its use in modern music and that makes it a useful tool for every musician that likes to add textures and ambiances into his/her music.
