Krotos Releases Reformer Voice Morphing VST/AU Plugin (Freemium)

Krotos has announced the release of Reformer, a freemium (free with optional add-on purchases, iLok account required) real-time voice morphing effect in VST and AU plugin formats for PC and Mac.

Reformer is a voice morphing effect which can process the audio signal on the input with over 100 different sound templates available from Krotos. The plugin comes with a single (free) sound template called Black Leopard which transforms the audio source into leopard roars. Additional templates can be purchased from Krotos, with the prices ranging from £10 to £69 for single products and up to £999 for the complete template bundle.

The workflow is very simple. The plugin works as any other audio effect and reacts to the audio signal on the input in real time. It works best when used in real time with a microphone, although you can also use it for pre-recorded audio tracks, or even for processing a virtual synth. I was hoping that spoken word will remain intelligible after processing with Reformer, but the included Black Leopard template simply converts the audio into unarticulated animal roars. Louder sounds result in more aggressive roars, and vice versa. The dry/wet knob in the bottom of the GUI can make words somewhat easier to understand by mixing some of the unprocessed audio with the wet signal.

The basic free installation of Reformer is very limited, but fun to use nonetheless. Hooking up a microphone to your DAW and having your voice instantly transformed into realistic roars is pretty cool. I’m pretty sure that audio SFX artists out there will find the free version worth the download (you never know when you’ll need to take that leopard roar effect out of the toolbox), however expanding it into anything more than a one-trick pony can get very expensive very quickly. Calling the free version of Reformer a mere demo wouldn’t be fair, though, because it is indeed a fully functional effect that doesn’t limit the user with nag screens, occasional noise bursts, etc.

In the meanwhile, we have received a bit more information about the plugin’s architecture from the developer team at Krotos. You can read it in the update below.

UPDATE: Reformer automatically sources and constructs a new sound from a palette of pre-analysed library sounds in real time based on the input. It compares the input sound with every millisecond of the library sounds and automatically makes a new sound. Unlike morphing, which morphs one sound into another, there is no processing or morphing involved between two sounds. In other words, it doesn’t process the input sound at all but it uses it as a reference to construct a new sound from the given library. It basically allows you to perform a whole sound library.

Please note that you’ll need to install the iLok License Manager application in order to activate Reformer on your computer. When launching Reformer for the first time, you’ll need to enter a valid iLok ID to complete the activation process.

Reformer is available for free download via Krotos (82.8 MB download size, ZIP archive containing EXE installer, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU plugin format for Windows & Mac OS).