Noises

Name: Noises
Price: 39 USD
Author: AudioThing

by AudioThing · Synth · Noise texture instrument

Not rated yet

Noises is a noise instrument made with Hainbach, with 36 banks and over 2 GB of noise sources from test equipment, analog synths, tape machines, Eurorack and field recordings.

A central dial crossfades between 8 sounds per bank, with a sequencer, filter and bit crusher, for $69.

Best for: Sound Design, Keys & Synths. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Electronic & EDM, Lo-Fi.

Keywords: textures, sequencer, analog, sound design, vintage, experimental, film & game audio, randomize, aggressive, cinematic, creative, fuzzy, hardware emulation, lo-fi, modulation matrix, modular, preset-driven, risers & hits, simple, subtractive, thin.

What it does

Noises is an experimental noise instrument made by AudioThing with the Berlin composer Hainbach, who supplied hundreds of recordings from his studio. It treats noise as a musical source, with the aim of a "minimum of clicks for a maximum of sound": you pick a bank, turn a dial and shape what comes out.

Sound banks: 36 banks of handcrafted samples from rare vintage gear: analog synths, test equipment, tape machines, electro-acoustic instruments and field recordings. Each bank holds 8 sounds chosen by Hainbach.
Central dial: a precise crossfader between the 8 sounds of a bank, modeled on the motor controls of vintage test equipment, with an adjustable crossfade time.
Sequencer: moves the dial in patterns, with step muting, randomization and a "fuzzy" jitter for less regular movement.
Trigger: play sounds by hand or from MIDI notes, and record or automate the controls.
Shaping: a multimode filter with resonance, a bit crusher, and the Trip modulation system, which moves filter cutoff and resonance with a phase control.
Custom banks: add your own folders of WAV, AIFF, FLAC or OGG files, with optional text descriptions and artwork.
Presets: 159 presets by Hainbach, plus a randomizer.

Version 1.3 (April 2026) added internal MIDI Learn, a new Photophone Tape bank and 5 presets. The demo has fewer sounds, inserts 3 seconds of silence every 2 minutes and can't save.

Source: AudioThing product page

When to use it

Noises is narrower and more direct than Omnisphere 3 and Pigments 7, which can make noise textures among everything else but are full synth workstations with huge sound engines. It is a curated library of characterful noise recordings played through a dial, a sequencer and a filter. It is closer to a texture box for layering under music or picture than to a playable synth, and it isn't pitched across the keyboard in the usual way. For tonal pads with noise in them, Pigments 7 or Omnisphere 3 are the better pick; for hiss, hum, radio and machine textures with a vintage-lab flavour, Noises gets there faster and costs far less.

Best for: ambient beds, background texture, risers, rhythmic noise, hiss and crackle under mixes, and film or game sound design.
Genres: ambient, cinematic, experimental electronic and lo-fi.
Look elsewhere if: you want a melodic, playable synth; Pigments 7 or Omnisphere 3 go much wider.
Tip: layer several instances to build a thick textured carpet under other parts, rather than using Noises as the main element.

What producers say

Reviewers found it simple to start with and inspiring for textures, with limits as a lead instrument.

Computer Music (via MusicRadar, 2022) called it a "deceptively simple plugin" capable of textures through to aggressive beats at a great price; cons were no conventional keyboard pitch control and a thin manual.
Sinesquares called it a "great tool for ambient musicians and score composers", with deep potential behind an easy interface, but found it hard to master, weak as a main melodic part and "not for everyone".
Note: both reviews covered the original 22 banks; updates have since brought it to 36.

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $39 (regular $69)
Best Service: $64.87
AudioThing: $69
AudioDeluxe: $69

Tutorials and reviews

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