The latest wavelet distortion plug-in for audio signals from Dear Reality, Miya takes an alternative approach to distortion by creating a wide range of permutations of the input using adjustable harmonics. Users can re-synthesise their audio and sculpt sounds as with a synthesiser, ranging from slight alterations and subtle textures to distortion and sub-harmonics.
Unlike ordinary distortion effects, Miya processes the original input by detecting zero-crosses and replacing the original signal between them with additively synthesised waveforms. ‘We are specialists in spatial audio, but we are also passionate about exciting audio algorithms outside of our spatial audio focus,’ explains Felix Lau, product owner at Dear Reality. ‘A perfect example of this is Miya’s digital distortion technology, in which the listener can recognise both the footprint of the original and the synthesised sound.’
Miya allows users to add texture or wreck the original signal to recreate it from scratch with precisely tuned wavelets. A real-time visualiser provides immediate feedback using four colours. Short orange vertical lines indicate detected zero-crosses, while a grey line shows the incoming original signal. A blue line plots the generated signal, and a green line visualizes the output from the plug-in, a mix of wet and dry signals.
In the Analyzer section, users can define the length of the wavelets and create unique resonances by discarding detected zero-crossings – the longer the wavelet, the lower the synthesised tone. The generated signal can be adjusted individually, with the five Harmonics sliders creating a variety of harmonics ranging from first to fifth.
Miya’s internal gate provides enhanced input signal control, allowing users to eliminate quieter sounds, such as background noise, or to emphasise rhythmic aspects of the original signal. Further, the signal generated by the additive synthesiser can be boosted based on the amplitude of the initially detected wavelet.
Miya is available now via the Dear Reality store for US$49 (plus local VAT).
