Important update:
NoiseBox)2 is now available in v1.3
New features detailed below, new UI controls & new matching presets.
Old presets are not compatible with this release.

The NoiseBox) was our second instrument for Kontakt. It’s been used by many artists since its first release, back in 2021.

This new improved version is fueled with a bunch of new samples, some processed sounds made with springs, metal blades, crystal tubes, paper drums, wooden things… It’s a bit more than an ambient machine now.

Recording setup:

– Noisebox prototypes 1 & 2

– Piezo captors

– Oktava stylus microphone

– Beyer M81 microphone

– Focusrite ISA

– RME HDSPe RayDat

Postprocessing:

– Hardware (modular synth)

– Software (various plugins & EQ)

Made with Kontakt 6.7.1

The NoisBox)2 is coming with 167 samples in 9 categories (see the colours on the keyboard), from right to left:

– Percussions | fuchsia | short sounds made by knocking parts of the Noisebox

– Springs | mint | medium duration sounds made by pulling/plucking the springs

– Rattles | lime | long sounds made by scraping the springs and the other bits

– Chromatic | yellow | tuned (sort of) spring sounds and kalimba blades

– Kicks | red | made by knocking on the wood of the instrument or by using the “kicker” unit

– Frozen | blue | samples processed to obtain granular-ish sounds

– Reverse | purple | samples processed & played backwards

– Crystal | orange | samples processed with resonators and more

– Destruct | green | samples processed with stutters & glitchers

Impact & Body controls are secret weapons designed to empower percussive sounds even further. Yeah, a transient processor.

The NoiseBox)2 runs 4 filters at the same time:

– V-Filter, a Formant filter with LFO & 3 parameters + bypass switch.

– Smooth, a simple non-resonant High Cut filter, just to smoothen the sound and prevent this awful digital high end. Bypass switch provided.

– Timbre, a complex filter network, difficult to explain, you really have to try on your own. At “0” the filter is bypassed.

– LPF, a 4 pole Low Pass Filter with Cutoff & Resonance + Bypass switch. Everything is better with a LPF.

You also get a Grain-ish effect based on a delay. You can adjust the Size and the Amount of grains + Bypass. Be really cautious with this or you will get a nasty loud feedback.

The DAC is a BitCrusher with Sampling Frequency range, Bit resolution, Noise amount, Color (of the noise) and the classic Bypass. If the resolution and the frequency are set too low, you won’t get any sound.

Looking at the lower part of the UI, you will find:

– a Drive with a tone control, a blend (mix) knob, a drive control (amount of drive) & bypass (the “drive” bubble)

– a simple Delay with time, feedback & bypass (the “delay” bubble again)

– a Convolution Reverb with predelay, mix & 8 models (IRs)

– a Wideness (stereo processor) & Output knob (output gain)

The sustain switch will help you if you don’t have a sustain pedal.

Please exercise caution if using the maximum value of every knob. This instrument has built-in protections, but you may get a nasty digital clipping if pushed too hard.

Update NoiseBox)2 v1.3 partial changelog:
– new GrainShift function, it’s a real gamechanger
– new routing, massive sound improvement
– optimized samples, more depth
– new presets, the old ones won’t be supported due to the changes described above

Finding the right place to copy the preset folder:
For Windows: \Users\\My Documents\Native Instruments\User Content\Kontakt
For Mac OS: Macintosh HD/Users//Documents/Native Instruments/User Content/Kontakt

Demo video v1.3

Demo video v1.0 (basic functions are still the same in v1.3)

Review by Denis DION (French speaking)

Contributors

Fluidshell Design

Responsible for sampling, scripting, UI design, presets. Reverbs by FLO Audio.