Get with the programmers
We get the inside story from one of the product developers behind Nektar’s new Bolt softsynth
What makes Bolt special? RS “Harmonics synthesis was developed by Udo Zölzer at Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, originally for vocal synthesis. He has a long history in audio and DSP development. The first Matlab-based proofof-concept he showed us – featuring only the two Harmonics and Rolloff knobs – already had a unique, ‘organic’ sonic character. Unlike additive synthesis, where you use banks of oscillators to create the sound, or subtractive synthesis where you filter the generated waveform into shape, Harmonics Synthesis creates the desired shape directly in the oscillator, using just these two knobs. That makes it fast and easy to use. What I find special is that even if you just fiddle around, the results somehow always sound good.” What can you do with Bolt that you can’t with other synths? RS “Bolt is not an emulation of anything. I’d say its qualities lie in its core sonic character, not any particular feature and how you create sounds. Harmonics Synthesis somehow has an unusually clear, transparent and rounded character. It can deliver sounds ranging from warm analogue to FM-style digital, and even patches that almost sound like samples. So being able to deliver this range of different characteristics is unusual, too.”
Bolt is Nektar’s first softsynth. What challenges did you face? RS “Bolt’s development has been a fascinating ride: I mean, when in life do you get the opportunity to create a synth including its synthesis from scratch? We started with a blank sheet: not knowing what the synthesis would be capable of; no pre-defined parameter list, structure or anything
beyond the oscillator prototype. HSU assigned a staff scientist to the project, who also had a software development background, and we just got going. I’m not a programmer, so my role was concept, sound design and product management. HSU have excellent audio department people. Sebastian, the key guy from their end, has joined Nektar now.”
Bolt is also remarkable for its easy single-screen interface. Did you have to make compromises in order to make it work?
RS “Thanks! Ease of use was a key design goal – we wanted a UI that invites experimentation and lets you create new sounds more intuitively. Adding parameters for the sake of it was not an option. So some may see the meta parameters for Reverb and Delay in the effects section as a compromise, but they make using these effects really fast. It let us reduce parameters to three per module. Conceptually, we decided to exclude a standard low-pass synth filter, as we worried such a filter might destroy the uniqueness in Bolt’s oscillator-based approach to sound design.” What’s next for Nektar on the software front? RS “We just introduced Nektarine, our new software for instant remote control, mapping and library management of virtual instruments in any VST/AU compatible DAW. Nektarine was launched with our new Panorama T-series and will now be available for the Panorama P-series. Plus, we have new DAW integration software for PreSonus Studio One that should be out shortly. Then some things I can’t talk about…”
“If you fiddle around, the results somehow always sound good”