Ultrasonic Death Whistle by MNTRA Instruments virtual instrument plugin interface

Ultrasonic Death Whistle: Sample-Based Instrument by MNTRA Instruments

Rated 4.5/5 on Plugin Boutique (278 ratings)

Ultrasonic Death Whistle is a sample-based virtual instrument from MNTRA Instruments built from recordings of 13 death whistles. It is available as a VST2, AU and AAX plugin for Windows and macOS.

VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS

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01Overview

Ultrasonic Death Whistle, or UDW, is a virtual instrument built around recordings of rare pre-Columbian death whistles. MNTRA Instruments says the plugin was designed as an introduction to its MNDALA Sound Sculpture Engine. The instrument is performed by MNTRA founder and composer Brian D'Oliveira, and each of its 13 sample maps represents a different whistle with its own character. The plugin includes its own engine, so no additional software is required to run it.

Best for

Experimental sound design
Ultrasonic texture sampling
Cinematic and game-style percussion
Unusual vocal-like textures
Creative sample-based performance

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

02Key features

What you get

13 instrument sample maps, each a different death whistle
Up to 31 round robins per sample
Recorded at 32-bit/384kHz resolution with an extended ultrasonic range
3-axis universal controls mappable once across instances
Animation-driven performance GUI with mouse hover interactions
Efficient in-DAW playback with fast preset loading
Plugin and samples watermarked to the purchaser
Updates and downloads via Pulse Downloader
Approximately 4 GB installed

03In depth

Sound Character and Sample Maps

Each of the 13 instrument sample maps is a separate death whistle, and each whistle is named for the character it represents. Names include Yuuali (Night), Ehecatl (Wind), Tlilcoatl (Viper), Cuaxicalli (Skull) and Ozomatl (Monkey). The samples were recorded at 384kHz/32-bit to capture an extended ultrasonic range. Some whistles were handcrafted in the developer's studio to expand the available sounds, and the developer says several of them appeared in the production of award-winning AAA video game soundtracks.

The maps offer up to 31 round robins per sample, which reduces repetition when playing notes in succession.

Performance Controls and Workflow

The interface uses a 3-axis universal control system. You can map a favorite controller once and reuse that mapping across all plugin instances. The performance GUI is animation-driven and responds to mouse hover, and the developer describes its interactive scene as allowing non-linear, multidimensional control and patch creation.

Playback is designed to be efficient in the DAW, and presets load quickly. Updates and downloads are handled through the Pulse Downloader.

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 Ultrasonic Death Whistle support?

Ultrasonic Death Whistle is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats.

Which operating systems are supported?

The plugin supports Windows and macOS. The listed macOS requirement is version 10.11 or later, including Apple M1 chip systems.

What do I need to run Ultrasonic Death Whistle?

The developer lists a minimum of 8GB of RAM, an i5 or better CPU and 5GB of hard drive space for setup. It is supported by all VST, AU and AAX compatible DAWs, and no additional software is required.