Kaivo
Kaivo is a semi-modular software synthesizer that combines two powerful ways of making sound: granular synthesis and physical modeling.
Download the plugin
When you first install the plugin, it will run in demo mode. This means that a gentle reminder sound plays every minute or so, and saving patches is disabled. When you register the plugin, these restrictions are removed.
To update your plugin, just download and run the latest installer above. The latest version will always be right here and updating won't affect your registration.
Buy a license: $129.00
The purchase price includes a license for both Mac OS and Windows.
Your purchase will create a license key that you can get from the "My licenses" page after logging in. To register your plugin, just copy the key and then click in the plugin’s registration area.
The koto sound in particular is really stellar and what I love about it is that I could make subtle adjustments to it to blur the line between authentic sounding koto and synthesizer.– Kasson (Symbion Project)
The reason I was drawn to [Kaivo] is that you can create a granular synth out of your own samples, and I wanted to create a synth out of my voice. I love it.– Natasha Kmeto
After a couple days with Kaivo, I can honestly say this instrument is amazing. […] Other physical modeling synths I've played with just sound like instrument emulators (with limited controls and no real modular capabilities), but yours allows me to explore truly alien realms of acoustics.– Rrose
I use some, but very little, software synthesizers from time to time. I do quite like the software from Madrona Labs, Aalto and Kaivo. These are really interesting and different sounding synthesizers and they bring something to my palette that I don’t have in hardware (well, Kaivo, mostly). They both have a very organic sound quality to them, I think that’s why I’m drawn to them.– taylor deupree
I've been playing with Kaivo for about a year now, and I just premiered a full-length set last night made 100% with Kaivo. People loved it! It's such a versatile machine.– jesse
Kaivo is truly inspiring to use, sounds wonderful and does things that no other synth can. Innovative, edgy and awesome.– Ronan Macdonald (MusicRadar)
For me, the Kaivo isn’t just a lovely thing to work with – its component parts are sufficiently innovative that it generates ideas in addition to audio.– Gregory Taylor (Cycling ’74)
About the sound
Kaivo brings some of the latest academic research in physical modeling to a patchable package for the first time. Mathematically speaking, its finite difference time domain (FDTD) models let the player reach inside the instrument and affect the internal vibrations at any point. This allows for a fine degree of realistic detail, like the bridge rattles on a "gut string" model, for example. And while Kaivo is capable of making very realistic sounds, it is also designed to apply this subtlety to abstract creations.
Like a picture is sometimes worth 1000 words, a physical model is worth 1000 samples. Every time a model is triggered, it makes a slightly different sound due to the initial conditions when the sound starts. This subtle variety can quickly give a very lifelike quality to sounds that would be tedious to recreate with sampling. Kaivo has eight different types of tuned resonators, including strings, chimes and springs, each with its own complex response to sound. As for instrument bodies, there are four, including two wooden body models, a metal plate, and a frame drum—all true 2D models.
Expansive spatial sounds are possible in Kaivo, with independent panning available on grains, resonator, and body. Kaivo’s granulator feeds the models from a 2D map of sound with up to four channels. The body is a true 2D vibrating model of a physical object with left and right pickups that create a spatialized mix of all the frequencies flowing through it. Great for deep environments and filmic spaces.
Have a listen
Read the friendly manual
Kaivo’s manual has over 50 pages full of Kaivo secrets, introductions to granular and physical modeling synthesis, and a speaker-freaking anteater! Click to download:KaivoManual.pdf
System requirements
Mac versions require OS 10.9 or higher and a 64-bit host application. Windows versions require Windows 7 or higher. Windows XP and Vista are likely to work but are not officially supported. If you have any concerns about compatibility, please try the demo.
More info
For info on fulfillment, licensing, transfers, and returns, please visit ourpolicies page.