Nudist Audio Newsletter #10

Hey sound-lovers,

Mostly unsexy updates here at Nudist Audio HQ for this month! I’m finishing up the new plugin, and there are many logistical things to be done—website backend stuff, endless testing, etc.

I’m really excited to see what you all do with it. If you haven’t guessed, it’s a very strange timbral shaper: sort of like a formant shifter, but it works on any source, not just vocals, and it sounds even weirder.

I thought I’d change it up by showing you some full mixes through the plugin. So here are some songs I love, utterly destroyed:

(The Rolling Stones - Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, and Madvillainy - Money Folder)

In very delighting news, the most recent Nudist Audio business expense has been a handsome old analog oscilloscope. If you’ve never seen one… these things are just insanely, intensely beautiful. Last night I literally stared at it, mesmerized, for multiple hours (no, not on drugs).

Here are some sine waves going through a chorus, into the oscilloscope:

Here, the x-axis is the left channel, and the y-axis is the right channel. So, for a mono signal, it always just looks like a diagonal line (x = y, ie. left channel = right channel). To get more interesting shapes, we have to make it stereo—which is why I have the sine wave going through a chorus here.

This isn’t just an abstract visualizer. You’re literally seeing the sound waves.

Here’s a bass through the oscilloscope (again going through a chorus):

These videos don’t capture the extreme smoothness of the screen. This isn’t digital—it’s a continuous electron beam that shoots at a fluorescent film, snaking and sliding faster than your eyes can keep up.

Just for fun, I put some sine waves through Nudistort and put that through the oscilloscope. Turns out you get some pretty insane-looking things.

I really think more people should be using these for concerts and shows! I can’t be the only one who thinks these are the coolest-looking things in the world. If you’re thinking of trying this out and want advice on how to do it, let me know!

Hope your ears are full of sounds this month.

Cheers,
Caleb