The Atoms soft synthesizer by Baby Audio has entered the music production landscape as a promising tool for generating experimental and off-kilter sounds.
In this review, I explore the various features and capabilities of this brand new physical modelling synth, highlighting its strengths and areas for potential improvement.
Baby Atoms Review
With its bank of innovative presets and potential for generating unique atmospheres, transitions and otherworldly textures, Atoms offers a fresh perspective on
Pros
- Intuitive user interface that lends itself to experimentation
- Offers experimental and obtuse presets, ideal for generating innovative and unconventional ideas.
- Excels in creating odd FX loops for electronic production, adding metallic and otherworldly textures to compositions.
- Unique capability to generate transitional ideas, disrupting traditional song structures and adding intrigue to compositions.
Cons
- A minor issue in Ableton Live regarding automation lane triggering.
- Some presets may feature subtle variations upon each playback, potentially requiring users to freeze tracks and commit them to audio for consistency.
Scroll to the bottom of the article to view our full scoring breakdown.
User Interface and Navigation
The user interface of Atoms is intuitive and straightforward, allowing for easy navigation and control. A notable feature is the ability to expand the screen size by simply dragging the corner with your cursor, which is particularly beneficial given the plugin’s ’round’ parameters.
In place of your regular synth parameters, you have a total of 6 primary dials:
- Chaos
- Order
- Force
- Overtones
- Drive
- Filter
You have a second layer of parameters below that help you further shape the sound, which are your usual ADSR dials alongside Vibrato, Movement, Modulation and a Reverb control.
There is also a 4-way switchable dial that switches the internal algorithm between Standard, Alternative, Lo-Fi and Inharmonic. Each have a different flavor, and it’s worth playing around with this.
If you’re feeling lucky, there’s a nifty little ‘dice roll’ feature that randomizes parameters for you. This has fast become a staple in a lot of similar sound design plugins like Synplant, Playbox and Shaperbox, and it fits right at home here too.
Sound and Presets
Baby Atoms totes itself as a “simulation of interconnected masses and springs with tweakable properties and dimensions. The model is triggered by a virtual bowing action that excites the system and makes it vibrate to generate sound.”
Pretty esoteric stuff, but the main takeaway here is that this isn’t your regular workhorse synthesizer. I’ll try my best to explain my experience with the synth over the past few weeks.
Atoms offers a range of presets that lean towards the experimental and obtuse, making them ideal for styles that embrace heavily detuned drones and off-kilter sounds. While these presets may not always seamlessly fit into existing tracks, they serve as a valuable resource for generating innovative and unconventional ideas.
If I had to describe the tonality of the synth, it would be a marriage between industrial, metallic colors and organic, evolving sensibilities.
One of the defining features of Atoms is the unique modulation possibilities that largely focus on movement parameters that range from subtle to extreme.
Its in the modulation where you can begin to understand the esoteric marketing copy about springs. The textures that result from modulating these dials have a unique quality- you’ll just have to hear it for yourself.
In the audio example below, I used several instances of Atoms to create all the layers (except for the drums). This should give you a good idea of the tonality of the synth.
Creative Applications
Transitions
For me personally, one of the standout features of Atoms is its ability to generate unique transition ideas, offering a departure from conventional transition techniques (I’m far too guilty of relying on white noise risers).
By layering and tweaking preset notes, users can create unique effects that disrupt traditional song structures, adding an element of surprise and intrigue to their compositions.
Atmosphere & Sound Design
While any synthesizer, at its core, is geared towards sound design, Atoms excels at creating odd FX loops for electronic production, helping you to add metallic and otherworldly textures to drum loops and transitions. Combine some of its long, drawn-out ethereal pads with something like a rhythmic gate, and you have a quick and easy recipe for some mind-bending loop ideas.
If it wasn’t already obvious from my audio example above, the synth also shines in its ability to produce oblique atmospheres and experimental drones and tones.
If you bought Atoms and are struggling to make good use of it, I would encourage you to play around with the octave range. This wildly changes the application of each preset.
Tonal Range and Artistic Influence
Unlike traditional ambient pads that you’ll find other synthesizers, Atoms opens up a sonic realm of metallic and obscure tones, evoking imagery reminiscent of psychological horror settings. For producers inspired by experimental artists such as Haxan Cloak and Autechre, this plugin offers a wealth of creative possibilities.
While I found that it shined in producing obtuse and otherworldly sounds, some artists like Germaine Franco have found uses for it in orchestral scores, and, to my surprise — romantic comedies. So, it’s versatile, to say the least, and the only limitation with this synth is going to be your imagination.
Performance and Technical Considerations
In its early stages, Atoms exhibited occasional bugs, such as the inability to undo/redo parameter changes in certain DAW environments. This seems to have been ironed out, however I do keep having some weird glitches in Ableton Live where automation lanes will randomly turn off. Not sure if this is a user error on my part, but it’s worth mentioning.
It’s also worth noting that some presets may feature subtle variations upon each playback, potentially due to programmed randomization, which may require you to freeze tracks and commit them to audio for consistency. I’d call this more of a feature than a bug, though.
Wrapping Up
Atoms by Baby Audio presents itself as a pioneering soft synthesizer, catering to the needs of producers seeking experimental and unconventional soundscapes.
If you have a specific artistic vision that lends itself to more obtuse, sci-fi and avant-garde, or if you often work on film or game scores, Atoms won’t disappoint.
In most cases, I would not recommend Atoms as your first synthesizer as it’s not a super versatile workhorse synth. It’s a niche synthesizer limited to a few specific colors and tones — but it does it really, really well.
While minor technical considerations exist, this synthesizer’s creative possibilities and artistic influence make it a compelling addition to the toolkit of the modern producer.
