What is SonicBirth?

SonicBirth is an AudioUnit designing application. The first in its category, it allows users to build their own AudioUnit plugins, either by working with existing circuits or by creating circuits completely from scratch. SonicBirth is also a free AudioUnits package, as it comes bundled with a set of plugins designed for standalone use as plugins as well as pre-constructed circuits to modify or build upon for creating new plugins. Whether you're looking for traditional eqs, compressors, and reverbs, or softsynths, distortion, and filters, etc., SonicBirth allows you unprecedented freedom and creativity over your sound.

SonicBirth is based on a powerful, flexible engine. Every plugin can be used in 32 bits or 64 bits for added precision. Since all plugins share this engine, any improvement in speed will benefit all of them.

Take a look at the visual tour to see how simple and powerful SonicBirth is.

SonicBirth got a special mention in the Apple Design Awards 2005.

SonicBirth allows you to easily create custom interfaces to your plugins. You can use images to create the background, and even your own knobs, faders, buttons, pads, etc, simply by drag & dropping an image file.

With SonicBirth, you can also create audio effects and instruments directly in the host, saving you time and allowing you to work directly in your usual environment. You can also use it to modify the behavior of third party AudioUnits by automatically modifying its parameters or by adding processing elements on its inputs or outputs.

These are the currently available, free and fully working, prebuilt plugins. New ones will be added over time.

Convolution reverb: Reverb using impulse responses.

Graphic equalizer: Linear phase convolving graphic equalizer.



Flying Monkey Synth: A powerful, flexible soft synt. Requires an AU host capable of loading cocoa guis.

Flying Monkey Synth: A powerful, flexible soft synt. Requires an AU host capable of loading cocoa guis.

Multiband Scraper: Degrades the bit depth and sample rate of the signal independantly over and under a user selectable frequency.

Multiband Scraper: Degrades the bit depth and sample rate of the signal independantly over and under a user selectable frequency.

Simple Reverb: A simple reverb based on Jezar's Freeverb, with the the addition of a feedback delay line and selectable filter.

Simple Reverb: A simple reverb based on Jezar's Freeverb, with the the addition of a feedback delay line and selectable filter.

Multiband Freeverb: Jezar's Freeverb with a twist!

Multiband Freeverb: Jezar's Freeverb with a twist!

MIDI Filter: A MIDI controllable, lowpass/highpass selectable filter. Frequency is set by the note pressed.

MIDI Filter: A MIDI controllable, lowpass/highpass selectable filter. Frequency is set by the note pressed.

Bassdrum: A bassdrum synthesizer, with variable slope, punch and distortion.

Bassdrum: A bassdrum synthesizer, with variable slope, punch and distortion.

Rainy synth: A simple synth showing a filter used in an unusual way to create a new sound.

Rainy synth: A simple synth showing a filter used in an unusual way to create a new sound.

5 Band Eq: A five band, with variable center frequency, Q and gain, completely MIDI controllable.

5 Band Eq: A five band, with variable center frequency, Q and gain, completely MIDI controllable.

20 Band Eq: Simply a basic twenty band eq.

20 Band Eq: Simply a basic twenty band eq.

Width Enhancer: Stereo width enhancer/nullifier.

Width Enhancer: Stereo width enhancer/nullifier.

Limiter: a seven stages, 2 ms look-ahead limiter.

Limiter: a seven stages, 2 ms look-ahead limiter.

Compressor: Audio compression with variable attack, release, threshold, and knee softness.

Compressor: Audio compression with variable attack, release, threshold, and knee softness.

Gate: Audio gate with variable attack, release.

Gate: Audio gate with variable attack, release.

Valve Warmer: A warm valve distortion simulator.

Valve Warmer: A warm valve distortion simulator. Swamp Buffer: Record and replay live audio.

Funky repeater: Repeats parts of the signal depending on the envelope.

DC Blocker: Removes DC offset.

Hum remover: Removes 50 or 60 Hz hum.

Buff rice: Plugin created by Uli Reuter. Cyclic, hypnotic audio chop and replay (try it!).

More to come!

SonicBirth allows you to modify the prebuilt plugins and create new ones from scratch. For example, you might want to take the Multiband Scraper, and make the frequency controllable via a MIDI keyboard instead of an on-screen slider.

You could take two circuits (elements patched together), and mix them in an original way! SonicBirth allows you to create and modify a plugin while it is playing, so you get immediate results.

Best of all, you can share the results with everyone! (If you wish, you may also submit your plugins for them to be bundled with the main application.)

Hop on to our download page and try the last version.

SonicBirth requires MacOS 10.3.9, QuickTime 7, and any host application that supports the AudioUnit or VST plugin format.