Mazetools Soniface Lite (iOS/ Android)

The free app gives you the basis to try out Grid Synth, Sampler & Rhythm without ads or subscription.

Mazetools Soniface (iOS/ Android)

The Pro version lets you add as many instruments as you want, arrange with the pattern mode and perform with the FX controller.

Mazetools Soniface Lab (Win10/ MacOS)

The Lab version provides surround audio and a special interface to create sophisticated geometric shapes with up to 3 separate outputs.

Mobile & Tablet

Mazetools Soniface

Mazes
One Maze point can be Grid-Synth, Sampler and Rhythm at the same time. By the use of several Mazes, each one can be taken for a certain sound element.

Patterns
Every session starts with the first pattern and includes all Mazes on the screen. The way of composing follows the cloning and transforming the first pattern, or adding a new pattern.

Performance
The main audio effect controller includes Filter-Echo, Filter-Reverb, Flanger & Reverser. It is intended for live effecting and in combination with possibility to record the session as wave.

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Desktop for Windows & Mac

Mazetools Soniface Lab

The Lab version provides a special Visual Interface, to create sophisticated geometric shapes and play live with up to 3 separate designable outputs.

Another essential feature is the integrated surround sound output to extend your Sets to 5.1 and 7.1 speakers and create spatialized soundscapes.

Sessions of the mobile Soniface versions can be imported to the Lab version for further arrangement.

Desktop

Mazetools Soniface Lab

The Lab version provides a special Visual Interface, to create sophisticated geometric shapes and play live with up to 3 separate designable outputs.

Another essential feature is the integrated surround sound output to extend your Sets to 5.1 and 7.1 speakers and create spatialized soundscapes.

Sessions of the mobile Soniface versions can be imported to the Lab version for further arrangement.

Tutorials

Get introduced to Soniface and learn how to start a visual music composition.

Find more Turorials here

Demos & Performances

Get some impressions of Soniface & Soniface Lab.

Find more Performances here

About Mazetools

The Mazetools development is closely connected to music projects & sound design, generative art, VR development and workshops of Ectoplastic Lab.

Find more Ectoplastic Videos here

Tutorials

Get introduced to Soniface and learn how to start a visual music composition.

Find more Turorials here

Demos & Performances

Get some impressions of Soniface & Soniface Lab.

Find more Performances here

About Mazetools

The Mazetools development is closely connected to music projects & sound design, generative art, VR development and workshops of Ectoplastic Lab.

Find more Ectoplastic Videos here

Find more Ectoplastic Videos here

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Soniface & Soniface Lab

Essentials & Features

  • Visual Grid Synth: Each line plays a tone, its shape is changed by sound modulation & effects
  • Rhythm Interface incl. step sequencer, modulation, envelope & effect modules
  • Bass/Synth mode for Rhythm Interface to create pushing bass lines
  • Sampler to loop soundscapes and tunes from native and user samples
  • Granular Synth to transform samples into endless soundscapes
  • Hyperface Performance Controller – play & modulate the Grid-Synth, Rhythm, Sampler and Granular Synth live by multitouch
  • Main FX Controller with Echo, Reverb, Filter, Flanger and Reverser
  • Color Sequencer for chord and note sequences
  • Exchange folder for project files, main sound recordings, internal mic recordings and user samples
  • MIDI input, Ableton Link & Bluetooth
  • User Guide, FAQ and in-app documentation

Frequently asked questions

What is Mazetools?

The story of Mazetools began in 2011 with the animated experimental short movie “Geometric Poetry” by Stephan Kloss. The following year he did prototype an audiovisual synthesizer called Maze with the intention to incorporate aspects about geometry, cymatics and the phenomenon synesthesia as well as contemporary digital music creation processes. Together with his company they found Ectoplastic Laboratory and the practical application energized the development. Although the team focused on bringing Maze -tools- from a prototype status to an app, accessible for anybody. The release of Mazetools Soniface 1.0 was in May 2017. In this way Mazetools became a brand for experimental cross-platform audiovisual music creation software distributed by Ectoplastic UG.

What's behind the visual - sound relation?

Getting influenced by visuals while making sound or music may have a positive impact on your process of creation. The basic principle of Soniface is an animated grid. Each line is linked to a sound. As soon as the grid begins to vibrate and deform, sounds are created.

What is Soniface?

Soniface is the first tool of Mazetools. It is a multi-sensual sound and music creator. Soniface combines the intuitive kind of interaction in games, with the virtuous handling of professional sound tools. Everyone can get on an own path to compose and perform soundscapes, beats, songs and sets. The use is very connected with the moment of creation. The name is related to a metaphysical interpretation of a sonification interface.

How to use it?

Soniface is a versatile multi-media instrument to create soundscapes in a moving geometric sphere, make beat sketches, incorporate sounds to an audio scenery, utilize audiovisual effects by multi-touch. It offers new ways to song concepts, compositions or audiovisual performances. All creations, sets and sessions, can be saved as individual project files. It‘s possible to record the entire sound as an audio file (* .wav).

In Soniface everything is immediately changeable: image, color, rhythm and sound. Beside the audiovisual grid based synthesizer, another drum synthesizer offers the possibility to generate beats with different rhythms and to modulate the sound.
Colors are associated with notes and chords based on a system combining the color wheel and circle of fifths. The soundscape sampler allows microphone recording, the integration of custom audio files and includes nature and everyday sounds.

You can find some basic instructions and hints in our tutorials. Also, you may have a look into the in-app help mode of Soniface.

How to use surround sound (4.0, 5.1 & 7.1)?

Before you start Soniface Lab, you need to change the speaker configuration in the sound settings of your computer to 4.0, 5.1 or 7.1. After this, you can start the app and it will run in surround.

When you work in surround, the soundscape sampler will work different, as in stereo (if the Maze is on the left side of the display, it’s fading to the left speaker…). If you’re using surround sound, you can place a sample into the room. That means, if you place the Maze point on your display to the top left, the sample will be played mainly from left front speaker.

If you place a Maze point on the bottom right, the sample will be played mainly from your right rear speaker. In this way you can build arrangements and atmospheres easily in surround sound and combine it with animations, like the circle animation, to let a sample move through the room. If you got a multi channel recording setup, you can record in this way soundscapes in real-time for example for a movie.

Is it possible to use a second screen?

The desktop version Soniface Lab provides a native 2nd screen output. After you did plugin your video cable, you have to extend the screen in your display settings. After this, you can start the app and it will use the 2nd video output.

We’re currently working on the implementation of Airplay (iOS), Chromecast (Android) for mobile devices as well as the use of multiple display output for desktop computers.

What’s about Midi?

We decided to make a cross platform release. That’s why we focused on an unified list of functions, that work for all systems. Soniface will contains Midi input for iOS, Mac OSX and Steam. Other connectivity features will follow asap.

Is it possible to record the sound and how to get to the recorded files?

There is an in-app stereo main mix recording as well as a mic recording function in the Soniface and Soniface Lab. Currently it saves the files to the local app folder.

  • Android: disk/Android/data/com.MazeTools.Soniface/files
  • iOS: connect your device to iTunes and go to the Mazetools Soniface app folder, since Soniface 1.92 a sharing beta is implemented in iOS
  • Windows: C:\Users\”YOUR ACCOUNT”\AppData\LocalLow\Ectoplastic UG\Mazetools Soniface Lab
  • Mac OSX: Show the app content in the finder, when you click on the app by holding command.

Is it possible to exchange Mazes & Set files?

Like the microphone and main mix recordings, all Mazes and Set files will be saved to your local app folder. So, you can just copy the *.mazes and the *.sets files and paste them into another local Mazetools Soniface app folder on another device. All files you did on your mobile can also be played on your desktop.

How to make personalized Mazes & Set files?

Open the editor interface in Soniface or Soniface Lab and go to the Setup section. Below you will find the >Session< button. Tap on it. Tap on the + button to start a new session. Give your session a name. Further a *.mazes and a *.sets file with that name will be generated and every new composition will be saved to this session.

To get a mazes/set file from one session to another, open your set, go to session (Setup section). Tap on the session of your choice (it will load), go to Sets, save your set into the list. Notice, the work on the file archive is still in progress.

Where I can find more videos?

What's coming next?

Beside all connectivity issues and improvements, we’re working on new features for Soniface. Currently you can follow us on instagram to get the latest information about the development.

Produced & Distributed by Ectoplastic UG
(haftungsbeschränkt)
© 2021 Stephan Kloß

Datenschutzerklärung / Data Privacy
Site notice / Impressum

For more information visit:
http://www.ectoplastic.com

support@mazetools.com

Produced & Distributed by Ectoplastic UG
(haftungsbeschränkt)
© 2021 Stephan Kloß

Datenschutzerklärung / Data Privacy
Site notice / Impressum

For more information visit:
http://www.ectoplastic.com

support@mazetools.com