DSP Bricks puts the 1971 Optigan in a €49 plugin, all 40 discs included
The optical-disc instrument gets tempo sync, chord detection and a Flex Mode that splits pitch from speed. Mac and Windows, AU, VST3, AAX and standalone.
DSP Bricks has released the Optigan Plugin, a software version of the optical organ that first appeared in 1971. The original played looped recordings of instruments and accompaniment patterns, encoded on interchangeable optical Program Discs.
The plugin ships with all 40 original Program Discs, plus three unofficial Prototype Discs. They cover melodic instruments, chordal accompaniment, rhythm patterns and effects. It keeps the original’s quirk where speed and pitch are linked: faster playback raises pitch, slower lowers it. A new Flex Mode separates the two. Discs can also be loaded upside down, which reverses playback as on the hardware.
Playback can follow your DAW’s tempo. Several chord-detection options let you drive the accompaniment section from played notes. The plugin also emulates the keyboard section’s spring reverb. You can play it from a MIDI keyboard, the computer keyboard, a mouse or a touchpad, and the interface resizes from 50% to 200%.
The Optigan Plugin costs €49 and is available now from DSP Bricks. It runs on macOS, with native Apple Silicon support, and on Windows, in AU, VST3, AAX and standalone formats.
