DSP Bricks Optigan Plug-in

DSP Bricks announces the Optigan Plug-in, a faithful software recreation of the Optigan, the cult optical organ of the early 1970s. DSP Bricks was founded by synthesizer pioneer Stefan Stenzel, best known as co-founder and long-time CTO of Waldorf Music. His first project there was the legendary Waldorf Wave in the early 1990s. Optigan Plugin is available as AU, VST3, AAX and standalone for macOS and Windows, the plugin puts the instrument's unmistakable lo-fi sound and quirky playing concept directly into any modern production setup. The Optigan Plugin is available now for a price of €49 from the DSP Bricks website.

The original Optigan, short for Optical Organ, was released in 1971 by a subsidiary of toy maker Mattel. Instead of generating sounds electronically, it played back looped recordings of real instruments from interchangeable, LP-sized optical Program Discs. A melody keyboard combined with chord and rhythm buttons let a single player build surprisingly complex arrangements, from organ and piano to strings, brass, full rhythm sections and special effects. The Optigan Plugin recreates this concept faithfully. It includes all 40 original Program Discs plus three unofficial Prototype Discs, offering a broad library of characterful vintage sounds that range from guitars and pianos to complete accompaniment grooves.

Much of the Optigan's character comes from how it worked, not only how it sounded. On the hardware, disc speed controlled tempo and pitch together: faster meant sharper, slower meant flatter. The plugin reproduces this coupled behaviour, including the original motor and speed characteristics.

With the new Flex Mode, producers can break that rule and adjust pitch and speed independently, opening up sound design that was impossible on the original. Alternatively, the Optigan can lock straight to the DAW tempo. An emulation of the original spring reverb completes the authentic sound of the keyboard section.

The Optigan Plugin can be played from a MIDI keyboard, the computer keyboard, or directly with mouse or touchpad. Several chord-detection options make the accompaniment section easy to control. And one charming hardware quirk survives: Program Discs can be inserted upside down, just as on the original, where a flipped disc played its music backwards.

Key Features

• Authentic recreation of the 1970s Optigan
• All 40 original Program Discs plus 3 unofficial Prototype Discs
• Emulation of the original motor and speed behaviour, with coupled tempo and pitch
• Flex Mode for independent control of pitch and speed
• Sync to DAW tempo
• Spring reverb emulation for the keyboard section
• Multiple chord-detection options
• Program Discs can be played upside down, just like the original
• Playable via MIDI keyboard, computer keyboard, mouse or touchpad
• Scalable user interface from 50% to 200%
• Formats: AU, VST3, AAX and standalone
• Systems: macOS and Windows, with native Apple Silicon support

The Optigan Plugin is available now at a price of €49. Customers can purchase and download it directly from the manufacturer's website.

www.dspbricks.com