Stax – Free Polyphonic Synthesizer for Max for Live

New in v1.2:

• Reduced CPU usage
• Reduced the filter steepness
• Tweaked the Drift dial to have more of an effect at lower values
• New feature: Drift now adds unison voices when Stax is set to Mono.

Stax is a free, compact, and versatile polyphonic synthesizer. Whether you're sketching ideas or crafting unique sounds, Stax provides intuitive macro controls, a dynamically changing user interface, and expressive features. At its core, Stax builds on the concept of stacking square waves at octave intervals to emulate saw waves—but with a twist. By leveraging pulse width modulation, it allows you to deconstruct and reshape these waves into entirely new and unique sounds.

To see Stax in action, watch the YouTube video above or, explore the included Ableton Live project (created in Live 11.3.35).

Key Features:

• Dynamic Interface: Stax’s display changes to show an appropriate UI for the last dial you adjusted for easy visualization, with direct editing available for the Envelope and LFO displays.
• Powerful Oscillator: Three macro controls allow a variety of tonal combinations, opening up an expansive range of sounds.
• Flexible Filter: Choose from four filter modes—Lowpass, Highpass, Bandpass, and Notch.
• Modulation:
  • One LFO with adjustable rate in both synced and free time, morphable waveform, and fade-in time.
  • One envelope with full ADSR control.
  • Both modulators can be mapped to both the Filter Cutoff and Magic dial in a streamlined modulation matrix.
• Velocity Sensitivity: Stax responds to velocity input, making your performances more dynamic and expressive. Adjust the sensitivity from fixed to fully responsive.
• Mono/Poly Modes: Switch between monophonic mode (with note retriggering) or polyphonic mode, supporting up to 8 voices.
• Glide and Pitch Bend: Smooth pitch transitions with adjustable glide (0ms to 1s) and pitch bend functionality (±2 semitones).
• Output Gain Control: Fine-tune the output level for optimal balance and avoid clipping on stacked polyphonic sounds.

Why You’ll Love Stax:

Stax’s intuitive design, compact interface, and responsive controls make it effortless to bring your ideas to life. Best of all, it’s completely free to download and use, with an optional payment option to support the creation of future tools and devices.

If you’re enjoying Stax, consider leaving a positive rating—it really helps! Don’t forget to check out my other device, Dixie

This device has been tested and works in Live 11 and 12 Suite and will work with Max 8.5.8 and above (earlier versions may work but have not been tested).