Preview: Caustic 3 (Android)

Caustic 3, Android’s most advanced music workstation yet

Some of the improvements are a more detailed piano roll (32/64th notes anyone?!), being able to reorganize devices and of course new sound sources. In fact, many new devices! An organ emulator (pictured far below), an FM synthesizer and even a fully modular synthesizer (pictured below) to name a few. The master section, pictured left, has also been expanded with a new parametric equalizer and limiter while the original master reverb/delay combo is still in place, however with much more controls and much improved reverb/delay algorithms. Which is a posh way of saying “they sound better”.

For what the app has to offer it feels like having Reason in your pocket. Caustic’s virtual rack might not be as modular as Reason’s it does compare nicely in sense of completeness. But it has it’s own merits that Reason doesn’t have, like a static flanger, Organ synthesizer* and of course ‘fitting in your pocket’. (*Reason might have those features now-a-days, I’m familiar with Reason up to version 5.)

If you buy an unlock key for Caustic 2, it’ll also work on Caustic 3. The price will surely rise when the third installment comes out (if not, it deserves a price-raise), so get in early and familiarize yourself with the controls of Caustic 2.

For more info about Caustic, like news updates, it’s manual, and a user forum head on over to http://www.singlecellsoftware.com/.

Note: The pictures in this preview say RC3, however I’m currently already on RC4. Improvements and maybe even enhancements beyond RC4 can still be made, and as such I might do a review on the full version later.