Endogen
ENDOGEN \ Modular Lowercase and Drone Synthesis Environment
✓ WORKS ON MAC & WINDOWS
Full documentation: https://www.peamarte.it/endogen/main.html
Featured on Create Digital Music (CDM) article https://cdm.link/endogen-lowercase-synthesis/
ENDOGEN is a Max/MSP + SuperCollider synthesis environment designed for lowercase music, microsound, and deep atmospheric drone.
Highlighted by CDM as a deep exploratory instrument for electroacoustic lowercase synthesis, ENDOGEN emphasizes slow listening, generative processes, and subtle temporal behaviors rather than immediate results.
Very low levels by default, delicate dynamics, and dense evolving textures reward patient listening and long-term exploration.
Before purchasing – Please read
ENDOGEN is not a plug-and-play instrument. Before purchasing, you should have basic working knowledge of Max/MSP, including:
- opening and running patches
- setting file paths and preferences
- launching and stopping SuperCollider manually
ENDOGEN is a hybrid system (Max + SuperCollider) and requires manual setup.
Please read the Quick Start guide carefully before purchasing. If you are not comfortable with Max patching, preferences, and external engines, this software may not be suitable for you at this time.
No refunds are provided for lack of technical familiarity.
WHAT IT IS
ENDOGEN is not a traditional synthesizer. It's a modular ecosystem built around microsound, drift, feedback, and near-silence. Forget presets this is a living synthesis environment with 30+ specialized modules, each operating as an independent engine capable of long-term evolution and emergent behavior.
Built with Max/MSP + SuperCollider, ENDOGEN combines the precision of code-based synthesis with an intuitive, performance-ready interface designed for extended listening sessions, live performance, and studio recording.
CORE PHILOSOPHY
- Lowercase-safe headroom — designed to work at very low levels without losing detail
- Organic modulation — no random LFOs, only slow, musical drift inspired by natural phenomena
- Physical approach — modules modeled after vactrol dynamics, tape machines, mechanical systems, resonant objects
- Long-term behavior — ~150 parameters designed for gradual evolution over minutes, not instant results
- No parameter-by-parameter manual — explore modules as behaviors, not specifications
- KEY FEATURES
- 30+ specialized synthesis modules (generative oscillators, modal synthesis, cybernetic systems, tape mechanics, noise generators)
- Multi-channel phase-shifted LFO system with 4×9 modulation matrix (36 destinations)
- Multiple waveform types (sine, ramps, triangle, square, sample & hold)
- Flexible modulation modes (unipolar, bipolar, additive, absolute)
- Extensive companding system for transparent dynamic balance
- Real-time performance and direct recording capability
REQUIREMENTS & USAGE
For Max/MSP Users: Open patches directly in Max — full access to the entire synthesis architecture for exploration, modification, and customization
For Non-Max Users: Use standalone app (.app for macOS included) with free Max Runtime from Cycling '74 — no Max/MSP license required. Performance and recording ready out of the box.
Supported platforms: macOS and Windows. SuperCollider + Max/MSP or Max Runtime required.
WHO IS THIS FOR
- Lowercase music composers and microsound artists
- Sound designers exploring subtle timbral evolution
- Performers working with extended duration and slow transformation
- Experimentalists interested in generative systems and emergent behavior
- Anyone tired of preset-based synthesis looking for a deeper, more organic approach
Requirements & Usage Options
✓ WORKS ON MAC & WINDOWS
Available in two formats: .maxpat for full editing control (Max/MSP users) and .mxf for runtime use (works with free Max Runtime).
System Requirements
macOSmacOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
Tested and stable from macOS 10.13 onwardsWindowsWindows 10 (64-bit) or later
Windows 11 fully supportedProcessorIntel Core i5 or Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or equivalent
Multicore processor recommended for optimal performanceRAM8 GB minimum, 16 GB or more recommended
Higher RAM improves performance with multiple synthesis layersDisplay1366×768 minimum resolution
1920×1080 or higher recommended for optimal interface experienceAudio InterfaceProfessional audio interface recommended
ENDOGEN operates at very low levels - quality monitoring essentialSoftwareMax Runtime required (free)
Included with Max/MSP or Max for Live, or download free from Cycling '74
What you get when you buy ENDOGEN A complete lowercase synthesis environment built with Max/MSP and SuperCollider A real-time, sample-free sound engine focused on microsound, drift, feedback and near-silence Multiple interconnected modules behaving as a single evolving system (not isolated instruments) Wood microsound textures, fragile noise, surface friction, granular matter, low-frequency mass and ultra-high micro-residue A modal timbral engine with vactrol-inspired LPG articulation Sleep Pad 432, Whisper, Forms of Paper, Concrete PH, Surface Contact and additional internal systems 28 continuous parameters where small changes affect long-term behavior, not instant results A tactile Max interface controlling a deep autonomous SuperCollider synthesis core via OSC Carefully balanced dynamic control, companding and headroom, designed for low-level, detailed listening A system made for deep listening, long-form exploration and subtle sound design An instrument that behaves rather than performs — no presets, no patterns, no samples Recommended for headphones or high-quality monitors.