Plena — Features

Plena Features

Gridless Spatial Canvas

No timeline. No tracks. Place sound objects on a 2D/3D canvas and hear the result immediately. Object position directly controls audio — X pans stereo, Y sweeps a spectral filter, Z controls depth. Moving an object is mixing.

The canvas is completely freeform. Objects can be placed anywhere with pixel precision, freeing you from the grid-based constraints of traditional DAWs.

Three Sound Engines

Every sound object can use one of three engines:

Audio File Playback

Load any audio file and loop it with variable playback speed from 0.25x to 4x. Define loop regions, trigger and stop on demand. Ideal for samples, field recordings, and textural layers.

Step Sequencer

Sample-based step sequencer with configurable step count. Forward, ping-pong, and random playback modes with per-step pitch control and attack/decay envelopes. Supports up to 8 simultaneous voices.

Granular Synthesis

Granular engine with grain size from 1 to 500ms and density from 1 to 64 simultaneous grains. Control position, spread, speed, and pitch ratio. Choose from Hann, triangle, Gaussian, or rectangular grain envelopes.

Position Is Sound

Every spatial axis maps to an audio parameter:

X Stereo pan — left to right across the soundstage
Y Low-pass filter cutoff — 200 Hz to 20 kHz exponential sweep
Z Depth — volume attenuation combined with reverb wet/dry mix

Gravity System

Physics-based modulation where sound objects exert gravitational pull on each other's parameters. Set objects to attract or repel, creating dynamic, evolving sonic relationships that respond organically to the spatial arrangement.

Gravity strength falls off with distance, so proximity matters. Move objects closer for tighter coupling, or further apart for subtle influence.

Per-Object FX Chains

Each sound object has its own independent effects chain. Built-in effects include delay, reverb, chorus, and distortion — each with dedicated controls for time, feedback, mix, rate, depth, room size, damping, and drive.

Full VST3 and Audio Unit plugin hosting lets you load any third-party effect, with plugin parameters exposed for spatial modulation and automation.

LFO Modulation

Every modulatable parameter can be driven by its own LFO. Choose from sine, triangle, sawtooth, square, or sample-and-hold waveforms. Adjust rate, depth, phase offset, and slew for smooth or abrupt modulation curves.

Axis Binding

Bind any parameter to the X, Y, or Z axis for automatic spatial modulation. As you drag an object across the canvas, bound parameters update in real time — turning spatial movement into expressive performance control.

Multi-Space Composition

Create multiple independent spaces, each with its own set of sound objects and spatial configuration. Use the timeline to arrange spaces into a larger composition — combining the freedom of spatial placement with the structure of linear arrangement.

Musical Scale System

Quantize pitch parameters to predefined musical scales or create custom ones. Keep melodic content in key while preserving the freeform nature of spatial composition.

9 features v0.1.0