Turning hummed melodies into malleable MIDI just got that bit easier thanks to a slick new update to Vochlea’s vocal alchemist
A little over a year ago, the release of Dubler 2 blasted open the potential of Vochlea’s audio-to-MIDI conversion tool, by introducing the option to use any dynamic microphone – as opposed to having to purchase the company’s bespoke offering as part of the more expensive Studio Kit.
Attracting far more interest than that first version, Dubler 2’s broader accessibility resulted in greater take-up. Fortunate then, that this was coupled with a wider array of options for using your vocals as not just a MIDI note generator, but for using vowel sounds (‘OOOs’ and ‘AAAs’) as MIDI CC messages, meaning that you could open and close filters with your mouth, modulate effects with silly vocalisations and much more. It also offered up the ability to turn plosive, impactful vocal noises into sample triggers, allowing you to playfully beatbox your way to a perfect rhythm track. From brain, to mouth, to project.
So, over a year on, why are we turning out attention back on Dubler 2? The answer is the company’s brand new addition, MIDI Capture. This nifty in-DAW plugin which communicates with the standalone Dubler 2 software, granting the ability to briskly bring Dubler 2’s audio-to-MIDI wholeheartedly into your DAW.
Mr Clean
With MIDI Capture, it’s easy to experiment with Dubler 2 without having to leave your central creative hub. Speed is the watchword here. With MIDI Capture open as an AU or VST3, you can quickly communicate with the separately running Dubler 2, lay down a quick hummed or sung melody, and get an instant, draggable, MIDI pattern that you can slot straight into your project. There’s also the option to neatly tighten‐up wayward notes, via a basic Raw to Clean switch.
As with the option to use any microphone, the introduction of MIDI Capture allows Dubler 2 to slot more neatly into your everyday workflow, making the learning curve that much smaller. With no need to record/edit in one window and then switch back into your DAW, there’s an immediate joy to be had simply improvising short, BPM-synced, melodies and getting instant, zero-latency results while you cycle a drum loop. Recording is slickly attributed to the spacebar.
The ultimate instrument
Turning our attention back on the freshly spruced up Dubler 2 software itself, and we’re soon reminded of the breadth of approaches it provides. We’ll be the first to admit we’re no Frank Sinatra, and that’s not what Dubler 2 requires of your voice. Just simple melodies, hums and plosives sounds will do just fine, as the software promptly converts them MIDI, or uses it as a sample trigger. Under the hood, smart AI a
