Aalto’s sound engine lets you create sounds that have been difficult or impossible to make with softsynths before now.
The heart of Aalto is a Buchla-inspired complex oscillator, with FM, timbre and waveshape controls that enable a wide
range of expressive sounds. These sounds are uniquely malleable and alive, in part because they are made with dynamic
calculation, not static wavetables.

Aalto is designed as much for sequencing patterns as for playing individual notes. Each voice has a separate, built-in
sequencer with a patchable, independently controllable rate and offset that make it easy to achieve evolving, chaotic
textures. Each voice also includes a lowpass gate module with a vactrol emulation in the control path. The vactrol
equation slows down the response to incoming control signals through a complex nonlinear filter. You can turn the vactrol
response down to instantaneous, or up to a pronounced ring. Following the lowpass gate is a patchable waveguide / delay
module with a waveshaper and a peaking EQ built into the feedback loop. Because it has such short and controllable delay
times, unlike a typical analog delay, it can be used as an additional oscillator or waveguide.

Aalto's filter is a state-variable topology with mixable simultaneous outputs, tuned to have a similar range to an
Oberheim SEM filter. (Though I couldn't resist turning up the resonance just a little more.)

Subjectively speaking, Aalto can make a wide range of sounds, from lush to edgy, including some very complicated ones,
without sounding too thick in a mix. Aalto's sounds are not hyped or confined, they are wide-range, open and natural. We
hope our approach will appeal to experienced sound designers who have their own favorite EQs and limiters. And for those
just getting into synthesis, Aalto is an accurate and honest tool for learning. We have tried to make Aalto a deep
instrument that will reward lasting engagement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODwLUgv9WAU

Changes in Aalto v1.6

- Both AU and VST versions now use .mlpreset files in new JSON format.
- Added preset converter to convert all old presets to new format.
- Presets directory moved to ~/Music/Madrona Labs.
- Improved speed of preset loading.
- Fixed a problem with keyboard stealing in 64-bit VST.
- Now saving window size state properly in compatible DAWs.
- Fixed an issue with the oscillator and extreme pitch modulation.
- Added OSC enable / disable and port offset (Mac OS).
- Sequencer now quantizes to currently selected musical scale.
- Fix parameter loading when no DSP is active in application (for Max/MSP and Vienna Instruments).
- Fixed problem with sequencer retrig.
- Fixed defaults for envelope trigger and x vel.
- Added defaults to make MIDI patches more compatible with Soundplane / t3d.
- Added clearer display of multiple channels in scope dials.
- Fixed a bug affecting MIDI timing.
- Added multi-channel MIDI receive for voice-per-channel operation with Soundplane / t3d.
- Fixed an issue affecting Save as… on some systems.
- Improved graphics performance.
- Fixed a problem that prevented MIDI program changes on some systems.
- Fixed bug when no MIDI Programs folder was present.
- Scale keyboard mapping files (.kbm) now loaded if present in scales directory with same name as scale.
- Improved UI response for dials with only a few values.
- On Save as… outside normal patch directory, warn then allow anyway.
- Fix an issue loading patches if the home directory was renamed (Mac OS).
- Fixed a bug where a program change could cause t3d to stop receiving.
- Added environment menu that contains editor and OSC settings.
- Added “reset editor size” option in settings.

System requirements:
Mac versions requires OS 10.6.8 or higher. Windows versions require Windows 7 or 8. Windows XP and Vista may work
but are not officially supported. All versions require a 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo processor or better.

Aalto is heavy on the CPU. On a mid-range notebook from 2010, a dual core 2.4 GHz Core i5, four voices of a
complex patch use around 30 percent of the CPU time. Results vary between hosts and operating systems—the best thing
to do is try the demo before purchase.

Copy Protection:
Aalto doesn't have it. Copy protection always creates hassles for legitimate users, and is by definition a hassle.
Our approach is different. What we do is watermark each copy of Aalto securely with your name and a unique ID. While
it is running, Aalto may unobtrusively check to ensure that the terms of the license are being respected. Since you
are only licensed to run Aalto on one computer at a time, and we're all so connected these days, we assume you will
be careful about where your watermarked copies go, or else.

A demo version is also available free of charge. The demo plays a gentle reminder sound every so often, does not allow
saving and is not time-limited.


Mac OS :
Aalto Demo 1.6.0 [VST/AU for OS X]
Aalto Patches Installer for OS X

Windows:
Aalto Demo 1.6.0 [VST for Win 7/8] with patches


Aalto for Windows and Mac (VST/AU) is available for purchase for $99 USD.
The Aalto 1.6 update is free for existing Aalto customers.

More INFO: Madrona Labs | Aalto

 

Since 1.3.2 (which is on AZ-site):

Aalto 1.6:
- Both AU and VST versions now use .mlpreset files in new JSON format.
- Added preset converter to convert all old presets to new format.
- Presets directory moved to ~/Music/Madrona Labs.
- Improved speed of preset loading.
- Fixed a problem with keyboard stealing in 64-bit VST.
- Now saving window size state properly in compatible DAWs.
- Fixed an issue with the oscillator and extreme pitch modulation.
- Added OSC enable / disable and port offset (Mac OS).
- Sequencer now quantizes to currently selected musical scale.
- Fix parameter loading when no DSP is active in application (for Max/MSP and Vienna Instruments).
- Fixed problem with sequencer retrig.
- Fixed defaults for envelope trigger and x vel.
- Added defaults to make MIDI patches more compatible with Soundplane / t3d.
- Added clearer display of multiple channels in scope dials.
- Fixed a bug affecting MIDI timing.
- Added multi-channel MIDI receive for voice-per-channel operation with Soundplane / t3d.
- Fixed an issue affecting Save as… on some systems.
- Improved graphics performance.
- Fixed a problem that prevented MIDI program changes on some systems.
- Fixed bug when no MIDI Programs folder was present.
- Scale keyboard mapping files (.kbm) now loaded if present in scales directory with same name as scale.
- Improved UI response for dials with only a few values.
- On Save as… outside normal patch directory, warn then allow anyway.
- Fix an issue loading patches if the home directory was renamed (Mac OS).
- Fixed a bug where a program change could cause t3d to stop receiving.
- Added environment menu that contains editor and OSC settings.
- Added “reset editor size” option in settings.

Aalto 1.5 (FEB 16, 2014):
- Fixed an issue that was slowing down Aalto dramatically on some Windows systems.
- Fixed an issue requiring a runtime support pack on some Windows systems.
- Improved latency through the patcher when running at large host buffer sizes.
- Aalto now draws at full resolution on Macintosh Retina Display, in compatible hosts.
- Aalto is now compatible with Soundplane version 1.0 and higher.
- Fix mousewheel direction on Mac OS 10.7 and higher.
- Accelerated drawing to the screen on Mac OS with OpenGL.
- Optimized drawing scheduling to avoid glitches, especially in Logic.
- User and factory presets now share the same location.
- Improved ergonomics of patcher with larger handles and smoother graphics.
- Fixed a drawing problem with bipolar dials.
- Improved drag ergonomics for dials.

Aalto 1.4.1 (AUG 02, 2013):
(Update for Mac, for Logic users, some fixes with OS X 10.8).

Aalto 1.4 (JUL 29, 2013):
- Over 100 new presets
- KEY module now recognizes MIDI sustain messages
- Fixed LFO self loop problem
- SEQ: quantize now snaps to current scale in KEY module
- Touches over OSC / Soundplane are now quantized on release
- Fixed problem scanning MIDI programs in MainStage
- Fixed possible crash with preset menu in MainStage
- Fixed unison mode for OSC / Soundplane
- Fixed zipper noise in OSC / Soundplane input
- Fixed possible OSC-related crash in Ableton Live
- Fixed a problem with OSC / Soundplane input when UI was not open
- Fixed a problem loading presets with default tuning
- Fixed a problem where window could become stuck after maximizing