GeoShred Studio
An instrument that plays the way you think. GeoShred Studio is an expressive performance platform that runs as a VST3, AU, or AUv3 plugin or standalone. Its isomorphic surface tuned in perfect fourths delivers continuous pitch, pressure-responsive dynamics, and gesture-driven articulation across every note.
The included physically modeled guitar engine ships with over 70 adjustable parameters, a 22-unit inline FX rack of stompboxes, amp simulation, reverb, delay, and arpeggiator, and 200+ built-in scales, Indian ragas, and microtonal temperaments. GeoSWAM and Naada instruments expand the platform into orchestral strings, brass, woodwinds, and global traditions as separate in-app purchases.
Works with MPE controllers, wind and breath controllers, and GeoShred Control, a free iOS companion app for multi-touch expressive performance over USB.
GeoShred Studio – Expressive Performance Platform for Your DAW
CONTINUOUS PITCH, PRESSURE DYNAMICS, AND GESTURE CONTROL IN A SINGLE PLUGIN
GeoShred Studio puts an isomorphic performance surface tuned in perfect fourths directly inside your DAW or running standalone. Every note on the grid responds to three simultaneous axes of expression: horizontal movement for pitch bend and slide, vertical movement for timbral shaping, and pressure for dynamic control. The result is an instrument platform where phrasing, vibrato, glissando, and dynamic contour are shaped continuously by your hands, not triggered by velocity values or keyswitches. The included physically modeled guitar engine and a 22-unit FX rack provide a complete signal chain from the first touch to the final output.
What's Inside GeoShred Studio:
- Isomorphic performance surface in perfect fourths with continuous pitch, slide, portamento, and configurable pitch rounding across the full grid
- Three-axis expression per note: horizontal (pitch bend), vertical (CC74/brightness for timbral control), and pressure (aftertouch for dynamics) with independent polyphonic expression per string
- Physically modeled guitar engine with Guitar Inspector: over 70 parameters including string stiffness, pick position, bridge and body resonance, hexaphonic string control, and harmonics
- 22-unit FX rack with circuit-modeled effects: Tube Screamer, MXR Distortion, Moog VCF filter, Sympathetic Resonator, Reverb, Multitap Echo/Looper, Arpeggiator, Envelope Follower, and Amp/Cabinet simulation
- Over 200 built-in scales, Indian ragas, Balinese Pelog scales, and custom microtonal temperaments with per-key cent offsets
- Control Surface Editor for placing custom sliders, pads, and parameter controls anywhere on the interface, with assignable lookup curves (exponential, multi-stage, key-step, key-number)
- MPE support with per-note expression, plus wind/breath controller, standard MIDI, and GeoShred Control iOS companion app compatibility
- VST3, AU, and AUv3 plugin formats plus standalone operation; iCloud preset sync across devices
The Isomorphic Surface: Why Layout Matters
Standard piano keyboards separate pitch from expression. You press a key, a note triggers, and aftertouch or mod wheel adds limited shaping after the fact. GeoShred Studio's isomorphic grid merges pitch selection with continuous expression from the first moment of contact. Because the surface is tuned in perfect fourths, interval shapes remain consistent in every key, and moving between registers happens without the mental remapping that chromatic keyboards require. Slide your finger horizontally for true continuous glissando. Press harder for dynamic swell. Move vertically within a note for timbral modulation. These three axes operate simultaneously and independently on every active note, enabling polyphonic expression where one voice sustains a drone while another bends through a melodic phrase above it.
The Guitar Engine and FX Rack
GeoShred Studio ships with a physically modeled guitar engine whose behavior is governed by real-time acoustic simulation, not samples. The Guitar Inspector exposes over 70 parameters: string material and stiffness, pick angle and position along the string, bridge coupling, body resonance characteristics, and individual hexaphonic string tuning. Small changes in these parameters shift the instrument's identity from a nylon classical character to a steel-string acoustic to an electric with single-coil brightness, all computed continuously rather than crossfading between static recordings.
The 22-unit FX rack processes the guitar engine's output (or any hosted instrument) through a drag-reorderable signal chain. Circuit-modeled stompboxes include a Tube Screamer overdrive, MXR-style distortion, and a Moog VCF filter. Spatial effects cover reverb, a multitap echo with looper capability, and a sympathetic resonator that adds harmonic interaction between notes. An arpeggiator and envelope follower provide rhythmic and dynamic automation directly within the performance chain. The Amp/Cabinet simulation can be bypassed entirely when using GeoShred Studio purely as an MPE controller for external instruments.
Scales, Temperaments, and Global Music Support
GeoShred Studio includes over 200 scales and modes: Western church modes, jazz scales, Indian ragas, and Balinese Pelog tunings are all selectable from the interface and immediately applied to the grid layout. Custom temperaments allow per-key cent offsets for Pythagorean, Byzantine, or any user-defined microtonal system. Note name display supports Western letter notation, Indian Svara names, Solfege (Do-Re-Mi), Byzantine Greek characters, and German H/B notation, making the surface readable for musicians working in any tradition.
Expand with GeoSWAM and Naada Instruments
GeoShred Studio serves as the host platform for two families of physically modeled instruments available as separate purchases. GeoSWAM instruments, developed in collaboration with Audio Modeling, deliver monophonic solo performance for Western orchestral instruments: violin, viola, cello, trumpet, flute, bass flute, clarinet, oboe, tenor saxophone, pizzicato bass, and bass trombone. Each GeoSWAM instrument responds to the full three-axis expression of the GeoShred surface with instrument-specific behavior: bow pressure and contact point for strings, embouchure and air column dynamics for brass, breath pressure and fingering nuance for woodwinds.
Naada instruments, powered by AccelMatrix physical modeling, add a polyphonic global instrument palette: bansuri, sitar, sarod, erhu, duduk, oud, pipa, sarangi, ney, and over 20 additional instruments spanning Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Western traditions. Unlike GeoSWAM's monophonic focus, Naada instruments support chords, layered textures, and ensemble-style performance directly from the grid.
GeoShred Control and External Controllers
GeoShred Control is a free companion app for iPhone and iPad that connects to GeoShred Studio over USB, providing a second multi-touch expressive surface during performance. The full MPE implementation also supports hardware controllers directly: Roli Seaboard, LinnStrument, Keith McMillen instruments, and other MPE-capable hardware connect with per-note expression intact. Wind controllers and breath controllers map naturally to the continuous dynamics that GeoShred's instrument models expect. Standard MIDI controllers connect as well, though instruments designed around continuous expression (particularly GeoSWAM models) respond most fully to controllers that provide pressure or breath data.
DAW Integration and MIDI Routing
As a VST3, AU, or AUv3 plugin, GeoShred Studio loads directly into Logic Pro, Cubase, Reaper, and other compatible hosts. Over 1,000 internal parameters are accessible through a User Defined Parameters system that maps selected parameters to DAW automation lanes. MIDI routing operates in single-channel, multi-channel, or full MPE mode, and string-to-channel mapping allows individual grid rows to output to separate instruments or channels for multi-timbral splits. iCloud integration syncs presets, backing tracks, and pedalboard configurations between the desktop plugin and iOS versions of GeoShred.
FAQ
What is GeoShred Studio?
GeoShred Studio is an expressive performance platform that runs as a VST3, AU, or AUv3 plugin or standalone application. It includes an isomorphic performance surface tuned in perfect fourths, a physically modeled guitar engine, a 22-unit FX rack, and full MPE support. It also serves as the required host for GeoSWAM and Naada physically modeled instruments, which are available as separate in-app purchases.
What plugin formats does GeoShred Studio support?
GeoShred Studio runs as a VST3, AU, or AUv3 plugin inside compatible DAWs including Logic Pro, Cubase, and Reaper. It also runs as a standalone application.
What instruments are included with GeoShred Studio?
GeoShred Studio includes a physically modeled guitar engine with over 70 adjustable parameters. GeoSWAM instruments (violin, viola, cello, trumpet, flute, and more) and Naada instruments (sitar, bansuri, erhu, oud, and over 30 others) are available as separate in-app purchases and require GeoShred Studio as their host platform.
What controllers work with GeoShred Studio?
GeoShred Studio works with MPE controllers (Roli Seaboard, LinnStrument, Keith McMillen instruments), wind and breath controllers, standard MIDI hardware, and GeoShred Control, a free iOS companion app that provides a multi-touch expressive surface over USB.
What is the difference between GeoSWAM and Naada instruments?
GeoSWAM instruments are monophonic solo instruments focused on Western orchestral instruments (strings, brass, woodwinds), developed in collaboration with Audio Modeling using SWAM physical modeling. Naada instruments are polyphonic and cover a broader global palette including Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern instruments, powered by AccelMatrix physical modeling. Both families run inside GeoShred Studio and share the same expressive performance surface.
Can GeoShred Studio be used as an MPE controller?
Yes. GeoShred Studio can bypass its internal sound engine entirely (using the Amp/Cabinet Mute feature) and function as a full MPE controller, sending per-note expression data to external instruments and plugins in your DAW. MIDI routing supports single-channel, multi-channel, and MPE modes with string-to-channel mapping for multi-timbral splits.
Does GeoShred Studio support microtonal tuning?
Yes. Over 200 scales and modes are built in, including Western modes, Indian ragas, and Balinese Pelog tunings. Custom temperaments allow per-key cent offsets for Pythagorean, Byzantine, or any user-defined microtonal system.
