Natural Selection S by Dillon Bastan
EVOLVE AND MORPH PRESETS OF A VERSATILE SYNTH AND RHYTHM GENERATOR
TRIPLE PACK SAVINGS: Add any three or more Dillon Bastan products to your cart and save 15% automatically at checkout!
Natural Selection S is an innovative sound design tool that uses a genetic algorithm to evolve sounds over generations, creating unique presets by mixing and mutating parameters like DNA. With an internal poly synth, rhythm generator, and effects system, you can intuitively shape sounds without touching a knob. Perfect for discovering new sonic textures, this device offers endless possibilities for creating evolving sounds tailored to your preferences.
Key Features:
- Genetic preset evolution
- Internal poly synth with 5 voice types
- Rhythmic note generator and effects system
- 117 presets included
USER GUIDE: Natural Selection S User Manual
Natural Selection S by Dillon Bastan
EVOLVE AND MORPH PRESETS OF A VERSATILE SYNTH AND RHYTHM GENERATOR
TRIPLE PACK SAVINGS: Add any three or more Dillon Bastan products to your cart and save 15% automatically at checkout!
Natural Selection S is an innovative sound design tool that uses a genetic algorithm to evolve sounds over generations, creating unique presets by mixing and mutating parameters like DNA. With an internal poly synth, rhythm generator, and effects system, you can intuitively shape sounds without touching a knob. Perfect for discovering new sonic textures, this device offers endless possibilities for creating evolving sounds tailored to your preferences.
Key Features:
- Genetic preset evolution
- Internal poly synth with 5 voice types
- Rhythmic note generator and effects system
- 117 presets included
USER GUIDE: Natural Selection S User Manual
Additional information
| MaxforLive | Control Devices |
|---|---|
| Ableton Live Compatibility | Ableton Live 10 Standard with MaxforLive, Ableton Live 10 Suite, Ableton Live 11 Standard with MaxforLive, Ableton Live 11 Suite, Ableton Live 12 Standard with MaxforLive, Ableton Live 12 Suite |
| Min. Requirements | Ableton Live 10 Standard with MaxforLive Installed or Ableton Live 10 Suite |
| OS | Mac, Windows |
PRICE: £22.00
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Natural Selection S by Dillon Bastan
OVERVIEW AND INSPIRATION
Natural Selection explores an evolutionary process with sound design! It treats the parameter values of presets as DNA values which are mixed together and mutated over generations to create new sounds.
You play the role of the environment, selecting preferable sounds to continue to pass their DNA to the next generations. And over the generations the sound will evolve closer to your preferences. Sound design with your sonic intuition, without even touching the synth parameters (unless you want to;))!
There are two versions of Natural Selection. This device, Natural Selection S, can mix and mutate presets of an internal versatile poly synthesizer (also an internal rhythm/note generator and FX chain) to discover new sounds and combinations.
Check out the features and videos above to understand more about the internal synth and the evolution system!
The other version, Natural Selection P, applies this process to any external audio device or rack of devices.
The design of these devices is by River Marchand
NATURAL SELECTION S INCLUDES:
The device, user manual, 117 presets (some presets have many presets within them too!)
NATURAL SELECTION S FEATURES:
- Genetic algorithm that treats parameter value presets as a genotypes or ‘DNA’. New ‘child’ presets are created by mixing 2 parents’ parameter values to create new generations of presets (all generations forming a ‘Family Tree’ of presets). Some of the functions included in this system:
- Mutation amount and two mutation modes
- Ability to limit the number of generations copulating for a new generation
- Ability to start a new tree of presets from those of a previoius tree
- Two modes for adding ‘seed’ presets: (1) current values of the device with optional random spreading (this way you can also load in adv presets and add them as seeds to the tree). (2) Randomized seeds
- Functions for remixing parent presets DNA to create a new child and for saving the current parameter values into any child’s DNA
- Rating system to add bias to certain genetics when creating a new generation
- Two page UI for navigating the various generations and children of presets
- A section where you can morph up to 8 presets with two XY quadrants and a blend slider between them
- For this device, the genetic preset system applies to presets of an internal poly synth + note generator + effects system
- Versatile internal poly synth:
- 2 Sources available. The voice types for each source are: (1) Basic morphable oscillator with FM options, (2) Resonator with mallet exciter, (3) Karplus Strong String with mallet exciter, (4) Wavetable oscillator with various wavetable options (and ability for User wavetable file drops) and FM options, (5) white noise oscillator
- Unique ‘partials’ system. Each partial is a source voice. Set the number of partials and the spread between each partial (100% spread is normal harmonic distribution) as well as exponential scaling option (Bias) in order to create a variety of effects. NOTE: increasing partials increases CPU
- Two filters with basic filter shapes, ladder filter, and a vowel/formant filter
- Modulation system each source with two destinations and bipolar attenuation. Sources: 2 LFOs, 2 Envelopes, 2 spray values, MIDI sources (pitch, velocity, PB, adftertouch, modwheel)
- Portamento, internal limiter, up to 16 voices
- Rhythmic Note Generator system:
- A trigger with sync and free ms rate options and a swing amount
- Two gating modes: (Euclid) a euclidean sequencer with a unique ‘Slope’ parameter that clusters pules at either the beginning or end of the sequence. (Rand) random note gating
- Two pitch modes: (Seq) a linear step sequencer, (Rand) random pitches. Both have scale and tonic options
- Random ranged velocity and duration generation
- The inclusion of this system allows you to morph and evolve rhythms and even treat each child as an organism with its own ‘voice’ and ‘song’
- Effects System that includes distortion, chorus, phaser, delay, and reverb
ALSO AVAILABLE AS PART OF THE NATURAL SELECTION BUNDLE WHICH ALSO INCLUDES NATURAL SELECTION P
BUILD YOUR OWN BUNDLE! Purchase any 3 Dillon Bastan Products at the same time and claim a 20% discount at checkout!
Frequently Asked Questions
Natural Selection S is a Max for Live device that uses a genetic algorithm to evolve and morph presets of its own built-in poly synthesiser. Unlike other versions of Natural Selection, this one works with an internal synth engine rather than external devices, so everything you need for sound design, rhythm generation, and effects is contained within a single device.
The device treats the parameter values of synth presets as DNA, mixing and mutating them across generations to produce new sounds. You act as the environment by selecting which sounds you prefer, and those selections pass their characteristics forward to the next generation, gradually steering the evolution towards your sonic taste.
Not at all. The whole point of Natural Selection S is that you can sculpt sounds using your ears and intuition alone, without ever touching a synth parameter directly. That said, the internal synth is fully accessible if you want to dig in and tweak things manually.
Alongside the internal poly synthesiser, the device includes an internal rhythm and note generator as well as an FX chain, making it a comprehensive sound design and performance tool in a single Max for Live device.
Natural Selection S is a Max for Live device, so you will need Ableton Live Suite or Ableton Live Standard with a Max for Live licence installed. Always check the product page for the specific minimum versions of Ableton Live and Max for Live that are required.
After purchase you will receive a download containing the device file. Simply drag and drop it into your Ableton Live User Library or a location of your choice, and it will then be available to drop onto any MIDI track.
It is particularly well suited to experimental sound design, ambient and generative music, and any situation where you want to discover unexpected sounds and textures without starting from scratch. It is also a strong tool for producers who want to break out of preset habits and find genuinely unique tones quickly.
Important Information
V1.0.2 – Released February 2025
MPE Support for Natural Selection S
V1.0.0 – Initial Release – September 2024
Our Products are generally provided as Zip file downloads which in all cases will need to be extracted and saved to your hard drive prior to installation. Details on the different file type provided and what to do with them are below.
.alp Files – These are Ableton Live Packs and will either install directly into the Packs Section of the browser of Ableton Live or ask you to save them to your hard drive. For packs that install to the library, when you double click on them you will see a pop up window asking you to confirm that installation is ok as the files are described as “Legacy”. This is fine and you are ok to proceed, the packs are created using the format for an earlier version of Live and so remain compatible with the current version.
.amxd files – These are individual MaxforLive Devices and can be stored anywhere on your hard drive. We’d advise creating a folder for them and then adding that folder as a location within the Places section of Lives Browser.
TO INSTALL AND USE PRESETS:
Drop the entire folder called “Natural Selection S” (NOT the folder called “Natural Selection S v.x.x.x”, but the one that is next to this file) into the folder called “ableton/user library/presets/instruments/max instrument”. This is found in the “Places” section in Live’s browser or in your finder/file browser. If you are going through finder (mac) the Ableton User Library folder is typically in your “Music” folder. If you are going through your file browser (windows) it is typically in the “My Music” folder.
The full path to the MaxForLive device should be:
“…/ableton/user library/presets/instruments/max instrument/Natural Selection S/Natural Selection S.amxd”
IF THERE ARE ISSUES:
Make sure you have the latest version of Live 10/11/12. If that doesn’t resolve things then download the latest version of Max/MSP from cycling74.com (you don’t need a license to download it), then in Live’s preferences, set max to that version and reset Live (if you have an old crack of Live then you will have to add a line in the options.txt text to make that work, google for more info). If you still have issues after that then reach out to me at [email protected].
END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR ISOTONIK STUDIOS SOFTWARE PRODUCTS.
PLEASE READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THIS PROGRAM INSTALL.
This End-User License Agreement (referred to as “EULA”) is a legal agreement between an individual or a single entity (referred to as “LICENSEE”) and Isotonik Studios for the Isotonik Studios software product(s) which may include associated software components, media, printed materials, and “online” or electronic documentation (referred to as “SOFTWARE PRODUCT”). By installing, copying, or otherwise using the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, the LICENSEE agrees to be bound by the terms of this EULA.
This EULA represents the entire agreement concerning the program between the LICENSEE and Isotonik Studios and it supersedes any prior proposal, representation, or understanding between the parties. If the LICENSEE does not agree to the terms of this EULA, the LICENSEE should not install or use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
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