Lese Releases Smear - Multistage Spectral Processing Plugin

Lese has announced the release of Smear, a multistage spectral processing plugin for macOS and Windows: We have made quite a few spectral effects in our time, but many of them weren't fleshed out enough to be a single plugin. Smear takes all of the good processors we've made, expands upon them, and allows for extensive layering & spectral mixing using our signature Factor Band system (like in Sweep and Strum). Smear is made for spectral painting. With a large collection of different processors available; from subtle frequency shapers to aggressive spectral destroyers, every band becomes its own creative playground. Add modulation on top of this and let your sound breathe, evolve, and transform in ways you've never heard before. Spectral Effects Traditional audio effects operate in the time domain. They process the audio signal as it flows through time, sample by sample. When you apply an EQ, compressor, or distortion in the conventional way, these effects act on the entire signal at once, treating all frequencies as a unified whole in each moment. Spectral processing takes a totally different approach. By converting the audio into the frequency domain (usually by using an FFT), the signal is decomposed into its constituent frequencies at a given moment. This reveals the sound's 'spectral content', a snapshot of which frequencies are present and at what amplitudes. Creating what's essentially a two-dimensional map of frequencies over time. Smear takes these snapshots, processes them, and turns them back into sound, allowing for a wide range of new possibilities. Highlights Factor Band System Instead of processing the effects uniformly, as in processing them in the whole spectrum, you can specify which areas of the spectrum you want given effects to be with Smear's 'spectral mixing' system, available in each effect slot, using factor band controls. Additionally, some effects can swap between spectral mixing, and using the Factor Bands to control other frequency specific aspects of the processing (such as adjusting the delay time of every section of the spectrum in our delay processor). Modulate Me Smear features a modulation system, similar to the one in Glow (with improvements.). Offering up to four modulators which can be optionally synchronized to the DAW's BPM and retriggered by the DAW's playback state. More Features Interchangeable spectral processor system. Spectral Side chaining (optional). Spectral mixing / spectral parameter adjustment system, using Factor Bands. A selection of embedded demo presets. Vectorized, resizable interface. Pricing & Availability Smear is available now for macOS and Windows in VST3, AU and AAX plugin formats priced at $55 USD. Read More