Pyramids: Quartz Pyramid Virtual Instrument by MNTRA Instruments

Rated 4.6/5 on Plugin Boutique (17 ratings)

Pyramids is a virtual instrument from MNTRA Instruments that recreates crystalline quartz pyramids as recorded samples. It offers 94 presets, extended-range polyphonic sample maps and Sample Start Modulation for expressive playback in MNDALA 2.

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01Overview

Pyramids is built from recordings of quartz pyramids tuned to precise ratios. The developer says the pyramids were captured both inside and outside reverberant and dead rooms, using a low-noise signal chain to preserve the onset and tail. Spinning a pyramid produces an acoustic vibrato, and the sample set includes different mallets and resonant jingles. The instrument comes in VST2, AU and AAX formats for Windows and macOS.

Best for

Ambient pad textures
Healing and meditation sound
Electroacoustic soundscapes
Experimental sound design
Film and game atmospheres

Developer: MNTRA Instruments
Category: Virtual Instruments
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

94 presets and 50 Atelier presets
32 instrument sample maps
22 sample maps with Sample Start Modulation
17 round robins for repeated notes
Up to 2 microphone channels
Extended Range Audio (E.R.A.) stretched samples
Recorded at 32-bit, 384 kHz; plays back at 24-bit, 96 kHz
Installs and updates within MNDALA 2 with a registered account

03In depth

Sound Character and Sample Playback

MNTRA used ultrasonic sampling techniques to stretch the recordings into Extended Range Audio (E.R.A.) samples. According to the developer, this reveals slower fluctuations and hidden frequencies beyond the physical range of the instruments, and it allows massive polyphonic versions that could not be played physically.

Sample Start Modulation is available on 22 of the sample maps. Played velocity or random modulation moves the start point through the sample, so the same note can change character from one hit to the next.

The library contains 32 instrument sample maps and 17 round robins. Recordings are made at 32-bit, 384 kHz, and playback runs at 24-bit, 96 kHz to keep CPU load lower.

Presets, Workflow and Requirements

The instrument ships with 94 presets and 50 Atelier presets. Developer-supplied presets cover a range of tones, and the instrument can record up to two microphone channels, which gives some control over the room and perspective of each sound.

Installation and updates are handled inside MNDALA 2 with a registered MNTRA account. The developer states that the copy protection is installed automatically and encrypts the instrument to your system.

The listed system requirements are 8 GB of RAM and an i5 or better CPU. Install space is 5.2 GB on macOS (10 GB needed during setup) and 6.5 GB on Windows (13 GB needed during setup). The developer lists macOS 10.14 or later with M1 support, and Windows 7 or later.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	MNTRA Instruments
Type	Plugin
Category	Virtual Instruments
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Pyramids support?

Pyramids is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS.

What do I need to run Pyramids?

The listed requirements are 8 GB of RAM and an i5 or better CPU. The instrument is supported by all popular VST, AU and AAX compatible DAWs. Installation and updates run through MNDALA 2 with a registered MNTRA account.

What is Sample Start Modulation?

On 22 of the sample maps, the playback start point moves through the sample based on played velocity or random modulation. This changes the sound from note to note.