Tela

Name: Tela
Price: 39 USD
Author: Fors

by Fors · Synth · Modal synth

Not rated yet

Tela is a modal synth from Fors with a dynamic modal bank excited by a ratcheting impulse generator and a grain generator.

It is Mac-only (CLAP and AU), has 16-voice polyphony and 200 presets, and costs $39.

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

Keywords: preset-driven, granular, polyphonic, textures, CLAP, MPE support, additive, evolving, metallic, monophonic, cinematic, clean, CPU-light, futuristic, plucks, randomize, sound design.

What it does

Tela is a modal synth from Fors. Instead of modelling real instruments, it excites a dynamic bank of bandpass resonators, like struck metal or drum skins, and lets you bend its partials from clean waveforms into "otherworldly timbres and textures."

Modal bank: the core sound source, a dynamic bank of resonant modes built from many bandpass filters.
Impulse exciter: plucks and strikes the modal bank, with an adjustable shape and a repeat (ratchet) function for rhythmic patterns.
Grain exciter: a particle generator that scrapes, bows and blows into the bank, with a density control.
Tonality and Contour: Tonality reshapes the frequency content and partials; Contour sets the amplitude of individual partials.
Space and Patch: Space is a reverb with variable size; Patch holds pitch, glide and velocity settings.
Modulation: six LFOs, one per page, that can also act as envelopes, sample and hold or jitter, with BPM and note sync.
Voices and tuning: up to 16 voices or mono legato, MPE pitch bend, CLAP note expressions and ODDSound MTS-ESP microtuning.

It ships with 200 presets and a patch randomizer, and the interface scales to 200% with custom colour themes. A fully featured 7-day trial is available.

Source: Fors product page

When to use it

Tela is the pick for bell-like, metallic and evolving resonant textures, with a small, page-based interface built for exploring rather than programming. Compared with Pigments 7 and Phase Plant, it does one kind of synthesis and cannot cover basses, leads and pads in general, but its modal engine and grain exciter go further into struck and bowed resonances. It costs far less than either. Unlike Serum 2 or Vital, it has no wavetable or sample engines.

Best for: bell-like, metallic, percussive and evolving ambient textures, and microtonal or MPE playing.
Genres: ambient, cinematic and experimental electronic.
Look elsewhere if: you want a general-purpose synth; Pigments 7 or Phase Plant cover far more.
Tip: AudioNewsRoom suggests the repeat function on the Impulse page for syncopated rhythms, and the Grain exciter for organic unpredictability.

What producers say

The one detailed review was strongly positive.

AudioNewsRoom (May 2024) recommended it to sound designers, praising the well-organised interface, the efficient engine and the 200 presets from several sound designers.
Criticisms: only a 7-day trial.

AudioNewsRoom review

Where to buy

Fors: $39

Tutorials and reviews

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