Features

How Anima Works

Anima is a resonant filter instrument. It takes any audio sample and runs it through eight tuned harmonic filters. When you play a MIDI note, those filters tune to harmonic intervals of that note's frequency.

Dual Sample Slots

Anima has two independent sample slots: A and B. Each slot has its own:

Sample with loop points
Amplitude envelope (ADSR)
Input filtering
Harmonic resonator settings
Reverb

The BLEND knob crossfades between the two slots.

The LINK button (A+B) syncs parameters between slots. When linked, adjusting one slot affects both.

Loading Samples

Drag audio files onto the waveform display, or use the built-in capture feature to record audio directly into Anima. Samples can be up to 60 seconds long.

Loop Points

Click and drag in the waveform to set loop start and end points. Enable LOOP to repeat the selected region, or disable it for one-shot playback.

Transient Snap

Enable TRANSIENT SNAP to automatically align playback start positions to detected transients. Adjust SENSITIVITY to control detection threshold.

Playback Modes

Direction

Forward: Normal playback
Reverse: Play backwards
Ping-Pong: Alternate forward and reverse
Random: Randomly choose forward or reverse at each note-on

Pitch Mode

Pitched: Sample playback speed follows MIDI notes. Higher notes play faster, lower notes play slower.
Fixed: Sample plays at its original pitch regardless of MIDI note. Harmonics still tune to the note, but the sample itself stays constant.

Start Randomization

Controls how much the playback start position varies per note. At 0%, every note starts at the same position. At 100%, each note starts at a random position within the loop.

Amplitude Envelope

Standard ADSR envelope per slot:

ATTACK: Fade-in time (1ms to 2 seconds)
DECAY: Time to reach sustain level (1ms to 2 seconds)
SUSTAIN: Held level (0-100%)
RELEASE: Fade-out after note release (1ms to 3 seconds)

Input Filtering

Shape the sample before it enters the harmonic resonators:

HP CUTOFF / RESONANCE: High-pass filter removes low frequencies
LP CUTOFF / RESONANCE: Low-pass filter removes high frequencies
INPUT GAIN: Boost or cut the signal level (-24 to +24 dB)

Filtering the input changes what frequencies are available for the resonators to extract.

Harmonic Resonators

The heart of Anima. Eight resonant filters tuned to harmonic intervals of the played note.

Harmonic Controls

Each of the 8 harmonics has:

GAIN: Loudness of that harmonic (0-100%)
MUTE: Silence the harmonic while preserving its gain setting
SOLO: Isolate just that harmonic
PAN: Stereo placement (-100% left to +100% right)

Resonance Settings

RING: How long harmonics sustain after excitation. Higher values increase sustain time.
SPREAD: Detunes upper harmonics for inharmonic spectra. At 0%, harmonics follow the material ratios exactly.
LIFE: Adds slow random modulation to harmonic frequencies.
DRY/WET: Blend between the original sample and the resonant output.

Material Types

The MATERIAL selector changes the harmonic ratios based on physical models:

String: Integer harmonic series (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8)
Membrane: Circular membrane ratios (0.5, 1, 1.59, 2.14, 2.30, 2.65, 2.92, 3.60)
Bar: Stiff beam ratios (0.5, 1, 2.76, 5.40, 8.93, 13.3, 18.6, 24.8)
Plate: Metal plate ratios (0.5, 1, 1.73, 2.09, 2.56, 3.01, 3.65, 4.42)
Bell: Bell-derived ratios (0.5, 1, 2.4, 3.0, 4.2, 5.4, 6.8, 8.5)

Granular Mode

Enable GRANULAR to switch from continuous sample playback to grain-based playback with overlapping windows.

GRAIN SIZE: Duration of each grain (10-500ms)
DENSITY: Number of overlapping grains
POSITION SCATTER: Random variation in grain start position
PITCH SCATTER: Random pitch variation per grain (0-50 cents)
PAN SCATTER: Random stereo placement per grain
DRIFT SPEED: Rate of playhead position drift within the loop region

Scale Quantization

Anima can quantize pitch bending and harmonic transposition to musical scales.

Scale Selection

Choose from 72 scales across 16 categories:

Western Modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor)
Pentatonic & Blues (Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, Blues, Minor Blues)
Jazz & Bebop (Bebop Dominant, Bebop Major, Bebop Minor, Bebop Dorian, Altered)
Symmetrical (Chromatic, Whole Tone, Octatonic H-W, Octatonic W-H, Augmented, Tritone)
Hungarian & Balkan (Hungarian Minor, Hungarian Major, Hungarian Gypsy, Romanian Minor)
Spanish & Flamenco (Double Harmonic, Por Arriba, Por Medio)
Middle Eastern (Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Egyptian, Hijaz)
Jewish (Mi Sheberach, Adonai Malakh)
Indian Ragas (Bhairav, Yaman, Kafi, Asavari, Todi)
Japanese (Hirajoshi, In-Sen, Iwato, Kumoi, Yo)
Chinese (Gong, Shang, Jue)
Ethiopian (Tizita Major, Tizita Minor, Ambassel, Anchihoye)
African (Maqam Rast, West African)
Indonesian & Thai (Pelog Bem, Pelog Barang, Slendro, Thai Pentatonic, Thai Heptatonic)
Celtic & Scottish (Celtic, Scottish, Mixolydian b6)
Exotic (Enigmatic, Double Harmonic Minor, Neapolitan Major, Neapolitan Minor, Persian, Prometheus, Super Locrian)

Scale Mode

When SCALE MODE is on, pitch bend and harmonic transpose operate in scale degrees rather than semitones. Bending up by 2 moves two scale degrees, not two semitones.

When off, everything operates chromatically in semitones.

MPE Expression

Anima fully supports MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression):

Per-note pitch bend: Each voice can bend independently
Pressure/aftertouch: Controls amplitude per voice

MPE Amplitude Mode

Velocity: Note velocity sets amplitude ceiling. Pressure modulates from 50% to 100% of that ceiling.
Pressure: Pressure controls sustained amplitude. Velocity affects attack only.

Transpose Controls

SAMPLE TRANSPOSE: Shift the sample pitch ±24 semitones
FINE TUNE: Micro-tuning ±100 cents
HARMONIC TRANSPOSE: Shift all harmonics up/down (in scale degrees or semitones depending on scale mode)

Reverb

Per-slot reverb with independent controls:

MIX: Wet/dry balance
TIME: Decay length
DAMPING: High-frequency decay (higher = darker)
DIFFUSION: Smear/density