The Future of Audio Plugins | BEAM

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In this video tutorial, Joshua Casper introduces Beam, a new plugin by Lunacy Audio, as a versatile tool for producers. He expresses excitement about its capabilities, describing it as a comprehensive solution for various audio needs. Casper demonstrates the plugin's functionality by applying it to a vocal track, showcasing its default settings and exploring different presets. He highlights its ability to finely control effects like reverb and demonstrates left-right processing for stereo enhancement.
00:00 Intro
00:04 Audio Examples
01:31 Overview on Vocals
03:12 Audio Streams
04:28 Left Right Processing Tip
06:18 GUI Overview
09:19 More Presets
10:13 LFOs & Modulation and Macros
11:41 Processing Drums
Throughout the presentation, he emphasizes the plugin's intuitive interface, actionable feedback, and extensive customization options. Casper also showcases Beam's features on drum tracks, illustrating its versatility and effectiveness in sound design. He praises its user-friendly design and encourages viewers to explore its potential. Overall, he concludes that Beam is a valuable addition to any producer's toolkit, offering both practical functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Beam is a multi-effect audio plugin that has convolution reverb and granular effects processing capabilities and one of the most visually stunning GUIs we've ever seen.
BEAM - Interactive Effects Playground
BEAM is an interactive multi-effects plugin featuring a cutting-edge granular engine, convolution reverb, and filters with an innovative dynamic audio graph system. Sparkle your keys, spice up your vocals, reshape your drums, and launch your synths into outer space.
Space Node
A stunning convolution reverb effect featuring a curated set of impulse responses, including sound design by Benn Jordan and Venus Theory.
These aren’t your average spaces - dive deep into a collection of textural spaces designed to transform audio into new soundscapes.
Grains Node
A real-time granular effect perfect for shimmering particle clouds, glitchy percussive grooves, and rhythmic soundscapes.
Built for speed and performance, BEAM allows up to three parallel grain engines at once.
Filter Node
A classic collection of lowpass, highpass, and bandpass filters with frequency and resonance control.
Use up to four filter nodes in serial or parallel to dial in the right frequencies for each patch.
Dynamic Graph
Build complex effect layouts using an interactive visual audio graph.
BEAM allows endless combinations of parallel and serial sequences with up to 6 parallel paths.
Features
250+ Global Presets: Crafted by leading sound designers from across the globe, including designs from Venus Theory, J.Views, Dash Glitch, Databroth, Alckemy Neuro, and more.
150+ Impulse Responses: A collection of impulse responses ranging from otherworldly halls to synthetic textures. Wrap your sound in metal chains or a vast ambient space.
100+ Node Presets: Dial sounds in fast with dedicated sub-preset browsers for effect nodes and modulators.
Deep Modulation: Harness 2 LFOs and a Macro control with a dedicated LFO preset browser and shape editor.
Intelligent Preset Designer: Generate new presets from scratch with the click of a button using a proprietary probability cluster algorithm.
#pluginboutique
#musicproduction
#audioplugins

[@SynthfulDuck]

Plugins are starting to make me feel like I'm loading Unity projects inside my DAW.

[@HazyJ28]

XMAL be crazy lol

[@JohnnyVbeats]

Yes, very gimmicky and all for marketing.

[@YoungambitionCeo-we2sk]

As a blender/unity user I completely feel the same🤣🤣🤣

[@Bronwyn031]

Havent checked on the price yet, but minus the granular effects; what makes this any better or even on par with ShaperBox? SB is a LFO driven effects BEAST.

[@silspok]

Am I missing something? I use Bitwig and Studio One. Bitwig has FX Layer/Multiband devices with which I can create as many weird parallel effect branches as I want, Studio One has Splitter(Normal, channel or frequency split) with similar functionality and I can use any combinations of my favorite effect plugins(Soundtoys, Output, Melda, Valhalla, Arturia Efx, Neural DSP,...) without being stuck to built-in effects and later be "forced" to buy add-ons...

[@Zrokool123]

this!

[@12Jerbs]

Novice Ableton user here. I believe beams would be similar to return tracks and racks. x% of a channel is sent to a return track, which contains a rack of the effects you want to apply. BEAM has the convince of presets (racks) already being setup, but you're initially limited to only 3 base effects and I assume you will have to pay for more additional effects. With racks, I can use any effect that I have. I believe the visuals of the beams will make it easier for setup and understanding what is happening, but this is based on my novice opinion and users who have used return tracks/racks for years may not really see too much of a benefit.

[@breitbanddesign]

Exactly. And on top that interface that looks like a mini game from a console game.

[@leftovercode]

Exactly!

[@SongOfItself]

Thank goddess for Bitwig! Plus, I wonder how much CPU these nifty graphics take (or if, hopefully, they're GPU-bound).

[@brettchassen2888]

Definitely looks hella cool 😅

[@gregoryivesdolbyatmosmusic]

This has become a very useful tool for me here. Also do some Immersive support for these, which I could use here.

[@GameArtsCafe]

Would like to see this as a Surround Plugin with Binaural- each node could be floating and positioned in 3D Space, controlled with a 3DConnexion mouse in real-time and refined later.

[@ma3boch]

There is no trial version available ?

[@constair]

Really cool effects.

[@PluginBoutiqueOfficial]

agreed. it sounds amazing on everything - JC

[@luklagrande]

Hi, I downloaded the installer from PB (1.04) and I experienced issues with it (crash every time I change any parameter while playing the song). So I installed the 1.03 version which is the only one available on the developer website and that is fine. I'm on Win11 with Reaper... I hope this is useful.. Amazing plugin brw! 😊

[@mdk1983]

Joshua just stepped into a parallel universe, from where he is pushing plugins through a portal to our world ❤🔥

[@KLEPTOMANE]

Oh, you make music in the normal world, good morning 😂

[@Zsklar]

Bought it and it's crashing my DAW (Ableton 12) every time I try to open it. Ughh.

[@ErickMcNerney]

14:11 - it sounds really cool and seems pretty unique. But I'm not sure I agree that visuals are that important. If anything I think it can trick us into thinking a plugin is more special than it is. I'd rather just base something on its sound and functionality, taking out the visuals. I think we'd be better off training our ears, and trying to discern things just based on the sound, and nothing else. If it happens to have good visuals, that's a plus. And the other thing I was thinking, with such busy visuals, is it going to be adding some unnecessary load to our systems? Having said all of that, I may pick this up at a future date.

[@Simeon_Harris]

i agree. some plugins with fancy UI's allow the user to turn off the animations and whatnot and i always do that. anything that distracts the user from listening and also uses cpu cycles needlessly, is a bad a idea in my book. having said that, this plugin does sound great. series parallel routing isn't new, but super useful. i might give it a try and see just how bonkers i can get with it.

[@lunacyaudio]

Hey there! We very much appreciate the feedback and totally understand your point of view. A few things to address: For one, the graphics are running on your GPU and they're extremely optimized so they won't affect your computer much. You can always turn the graphics to "Low Quality" in the settings if there's any concern. Two, our philosophy on interface design is that most plugins actually kill your creativity (and ear training) with knobs and sliders. You'll find with BEAM you can actually work faster and train your ears better because you're not constantly looking at parameter values. Many producers tend to correlate knob values directly with sound, or mix just by looking at meters. When you abstract the controls to something more visually informative, you spend less time obsessing over the difference between something like -2db and -2.5db, and more time focused on the sonic aesthetic. We hope that makes sense! :)

[@ErickMcNerney]

@@lunacyaudio Thanks for the clarification.That makes a lot of sense.

[@fischergreen4134]

The GUI is different Ill give it that and seems user friendly but sonically it offers me nothing new and that is the only reason that I consider VST these days.

[@mrstumpyninja]

CPU load? Cube was heavy on CPU.

[@mrstumpyninja]

Never mind, already answered below.

[@cesmcmyth]

pretty amazing indeed. it kept throwing unexpected more and more. Awesome job

[@PluginBoutiqueOfficial]

agreed. it's super creative and inspirational... real talk - JC

[@Dispoboy1]

To be honest, the parallel Processing Feature might be cool, but the visuals Look like they are a massive CPU eater.

[@lunacyaudio]

The graphics run on your GPU and highly performant! They will hardly affect your CPU :)

[@Dispoboy1]

What a Kind way to Tell me im a DAU/BDU 😁 thanks anyway.

[@cesmcmyth]

@@Dispoboy1 DAU? dum3, 4ssh01e, Udiot? LOL! what are those?

[@AirArtStudiosOfficial]

Looks mental!

[@JoshuaCasper]

❤

[@JohnnyVbeats]

Nice visuals but definitely lacking sound quality

[@YoungambitionCeo-we2sk]

I purchased it..not going to lie...you'll like it

[@JohnnyVbeats]

@@YoungambitionCeo-we2sk I did actually purchase it (no demo version), and that was what I based my comment on. Other plugins I own have far better granular engines and sound quality, and hence my disappointment. Sure, it's not awful, but the graphics are selling this, not the sound.

[@YoungambitionCeo-we2sk]

I understand,I am actually looking into having multiple granular effects plugins.this is a cool one for the arsenal.ive already did some great things to my beat with it

[@JohnnyVbeats]

@@YoungambitionCeo-we2sk It's fun, don't get me wrong. But the quality of the engine is not as good as other options on the market. Let's just say if this had a 'standard' looking interface like Fabfilter or Waves for example, nobody would care for it. But clever visual marketing certainly tricks a lot of people 😀

[@HWSNISNW]

@@JohnnyVbeats which ones

[@SongOfItself]

Way too much form over function. Especially if your DAW makes routing easy, like Bitwig..

[@louiscourts1801]

I don't understand why you would show the granular reverb and just talk about how it looks visually whilst describing the sound, without playing how it actually affects the vocal? IMO the granular reverb is best part of this plugin so to not show an example of how it sounds on vocals is criminal 😬

[@user-ws9rw7rz4p]

no demo no go

[@issiewizzie]

why does it look like the multiverse ..lol

[@HazyJ28]

Reminds me of Patcher, but much less useful lol.

[@phil_helix1191]

The problem with these kind of plugins will be that Ai will just automatically replace most producers, seriously.

[@YuzimaPhilip]

Ai can not replace creativity.

[@shinymew2887]

@@YuzimaPhilipwe as a society have been creatively bankrupt for years so you’re not really saying much.