Eight voices.
Your kind of percussion.
PUBLIC BETA 0.1.0
macOS · Windows
September 2026
01 / RAVIK MANUAL
Make a sound first. Explore the details when you need them.
Download the latest installers and watch the introduction at valdlabs.com/ravik. This HTML manual contains its own fonts and images, so you can save it for offline reading.
02 / RAVIK MANUAL
A quick route from a new instrument track to a kit.
03 / RAVIK MANUAL
Desktop formats and the first launch.
| Platform | Installation |
|---|---|
| macOS | AU and VST3, universal Apple Silicon / Intel. Requires macOS 11 or later. Run the signed, notarized .pkg and restart or rescan your DAW. |
| Windows | 64-bit VST3. Run the x64 installer and allow WebView2 and Visual C++ runtime setup to complete. Restart or rescan your 64-bit DAW. |
macOS VST3: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
macOS AU: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/
Windows VST3: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
Logic uses Audio Units. On Windows, choose VST3. Other macOS hosts may support both; use the format you normally use for instruments.
If the beta registration screen appears, follow its email verification instructions. After the instrument opens, load a preset and check playback before building a new kit.
Your DAW provides the audio device, sample rate and MIDI routing. Enable the instrument track’s input or monitoring to hear incoming notes. The internal sequencer can also play the kit.
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Select a voice. Its controls come to you.
Play and tempo sit beside the preset controls. SHARE, PASTE, PRST and QSAVE handle patches. The hamburger opens clock and MIDI options.
Numbers 1-8 select a channel. M mutes it; S solos it. The white dot follows the sounding voice, and the coloured dots show modulation activity.
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Useful gestures and the two macro knobs.
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Drag vertically | Move up to increase a knob’s value, down to decrease it. |
| Shift + drag | Make a smaller, finer adjustment. |
| Mouse wheel | Step a knob’s value; Shift makes finer changes. |
| Double-click | Reset the knob to its default. |
| Right-click | Open the parameter’s context menu. |
| Lock | Keep that setting when randomising. You can still edit it by hand. |
| MACRO #1 / #2 | Assign the parameter to one of the two sequencer macro knobs. |
| Unlink | Remove LFO, MOD or macro connections. Unlink all also clears the parameter’s MIDI CC mapping. |
CONTROL exposes the selected engine’s sound controls. Their labels and jobs change with the engine. A bass-drum parameter and a resonator parameter can occupy the same position while shaping different parts of the sound.
Right-click a sound parameter and assign MACRO #1 or #2. The macro gives you another place to edit that same parameter; it is not a separate copy of the setting.
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Eight independent sequencers, in the main instrument view.
Select a channel, choose an algorithm, then set its step count and division. Changing a channel’s sequence or octave does not change the neighbouring channel.
| Control | What it changes |
|---|---|
| MONO / CHROM | MONO displays rhythm blocks at the voice’s tuning. CHROM displays a pitched pattern. |
| ALGO + four controls | Choose one of nine generators and shape its pattern. The four labels follow the algorithm. |
| STEPS | Sequence length, from 1 to 32 steps. Different lengths can run against one another. |
| DIV | Step timing, from 1/32 to two bars, including triplet and dotted divisions. |
| PROB | The chance of a generated hit playing. Reduce it to introduce gaps. |
| HUMN / SWING | Humanisation and rhythmic offset. Start with small changes to hear their effect. |
| RATCH / DENSE | Repeated hits within steps, and pattern density. |
| Direction | Forward, reverse, ping-pong or random order. |
Click a generated hit to mute it. Click its dimmed position again to restore the generated result. This works in MONO and CHROM. The grid edits which generated hits play; it is not a freehand piano-roll note editor.
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The same generators can also create modulation patterns.
| Algorithm | Four controls / musical use |
|---|---|
| WAVE | FRQ A, FRQ B, MIX, THRES. Combine two wave patterns and adjust the threshold that turns them into hits. |
| EUCL | HITS, STEPS, ROT, FILL. Distribute hits across a cycle and shift their position. |
| WALK | STEP, RANGE, BIAS, DRIFT. Move through a changing contour with control over size and direction. |
| LOGI | R, SEED, THRES, SPAN. Explore patterns derived from a logistic map. Small changes can produce large rhythmic changes. |
| CELL | RULE, INIT, NBRS, GENS. Build patterns from cellular-automaton rules and starting conditions. |
| CLAV | PTRN, VAR, ROT, DENS. Explore clave-derived patterns, then vary and rotate them. |
| POLY | A, B, ROT, BLND. Combine two rhythmic divisions and change their relationship. |
| BRKN | DENS, SYNC, SEED, GHST. Shape broken rhythms, syncopation and ghost-note behaviour. |
| GOLD | HITS, PHASE, SPRD, FILL. Space events using a golden-ratio pattern. |
Try one algorithm on a soloed voice first. Keep the sound unchanged while moving the four generator controls, then bring the other channels back in.
08 / RAVIK MANUAL
A tuned voice can sit inside a drum kit.
Use MONO for a repeating percussion sound. Use CHROM when you want the channel’s generated sequence to change pitch. The engine’s TUNE control still shapes its underlying tuning.
Each channel stores its own root, scale, octave and pitch span. Start with a narrow range for bass drums and tuned toms; try a wider range for resonators or digital percussion.
| Setting | Choices |
|---|---|
| Root | All twelve chromatic root notes. |
| Scale | Chromatic, major, natural minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, harmonic minor, major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, blues and whole tone. |
| Octave / span | Starting octave and the range the generated pitch pattern can cover. |
| Direction | Forward, reverse, ping-pong and random. |
Open the hamburger menu to select sync. SLAVE follows the host’s transport and position. FREE runs the internal sequence independently; in a plugin, an available host tempo can still supply the tempo. MASTER is also offered as a free-running clock mode; it does not imply Ableton Link support.
Start can be IMMEDIATE or NEXT BAR. If NEXT BAR is selected, allow playback to reach the next bar before expecting the pattern to begin.
09 / RAVIK MANUAL
Three MOD lanes per channel, with destinations across the kit.
Select a channel and press M1, M2 or M3. Pick a target, choose an algorithm and set its steps and rate. MIN and MAX define the range delivered to that target. SQUARE holds each step; TRI connects values with straight ramps; CRV uses smooth curves; MIX combines shapes.
MOD lanes can target another channel. Read the channel number in the target label before editing: a lane on channel 1 can deliberately move a control on channel 3.
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Regular movement, generative movement and manual control.
Open LFO’S for the selected channel. SHP chooses sine, triangle, saw, square, sample-and-hold or random. DEPT controls the amount; RATE offers free-running and synchronised movement; TGT chooses the destination.
| Source | How to approach it |
|---|---|
| LFO | Choose a shape and rate, then raise depth from zero. Use small amounts for pitch movement and larger amounts for obvious filter or pan motion. |
| MOD lane | Choose a generator, timing, direction and MIN/MAX range. It generates a control pattern rather than a fixed repeating waveform. |
| Macro | A second place to adjust one assigned parameter. Assign it from the parameter’s right-click menu. |
MOD uses the selected MIN/MAX range. If that range reaches extreme values, the sound can become very different even when the target’s original setting looked moderate. Begin with a narrow range and enlarge it while listening.
Right-click the destination knob. Choose Unlink LFO, Unlink MOD or Unlink macros for the connection you want to remove. Unlink all clears those links and any MIDI CC assignment for that parameter.
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Two filter models and a percussion-focused envelope.
| Control | Use |
|---|---|
| SEM / VOKS | Choose the filter model for the selected channel. SEM provides the morphing multimode response; VOKS is the Polivoks-inspired alternative. |
| CUT | Move the cutoff frequency. In low-pass mode, lowering it softens the high end. |
| RES | Emphasise the area around the cutoff. Increase gradually while listening to the level. |
| TYPE with SEM | Morph through low-pass, band-pass, notch and high-pass responses. |
| TYPE with VOKS | Move between low-pass and band-pass, with a blended region in between. |
| ENVF | Bipolar filter-envelope amount. Centre is neutral; either side sweeps cutoff in a different direction. |
| SNAP | Shape the front of the hit: negative softens it, positive makes it more aggressive. Centre is neutral. |
| DEC | Set the channel’s decay. The selected synthesis engine also contributes its own ringing and body. |
Start with delay and reverb wet levels and sends at zero. Now adjust DEC and the engine’s body controls. Bring effects back only after the dry hit has the length you want.
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Sixteen controls, arranged in two rows.
Open EFFECTS and select the channel scope from its dropdown. The CH number identifies the channel being edited. Row one contains delay and reverb; row two contains distortion and miscellaneous processing.
| Section | Controls |
|---|---|
| Delay | TIME sets the timing; FBCK controls repeats; TYPE chooses Digital, Tape, Ping-pong or Lo-fi; WET sets the contribution. |
| Reverb | TIME and FBCK shape decay and space; TYPE chooses Hall, Room, Plate or Shimmer; WET adds the reverberated sound. |
| Distortion | GRIT and PUNCH shape the drive; TYPE chooses Digi, Fuzz, Bite or Lo-fi; WET sets how much is used. |
| Miscellaneous | DUCK creates level movement, FOLD adds harmonics, COMP controls dynamics and SPRD changes stereo spread. |
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Separate spaces for a single voice and the complete kit.
DLY, REV and DIST send some of the selected channel to shared effect processing. These amounts are separate from the channel’s local WET controls.
Use the dropdown on EFFECTS to select MASTER. The label changes to show the scope. Master controls affect the shared/main mix rather than becoming another copy of the selected channel’s settings.
A channel can have local reverb and also feed the shared reverb. Both contributions can be audible. The send is taken before local inserts, so a local reverb tail is not sent through the shared reverb again; the two paths still add together at the main output.
| Goal | Starting point |
|---|---|
| One voice in its own space | Use that channel’s reverb WET and leave its REV send at zero. |
| Several voices in a shared space | Keep local reverbs low and raise the REV sends on the channels you want to connect. |
| A pumping groove | Choose which channels act as ducking sources and which remain immune, then raise DUCK gradually. |
| A dry comparison | Lower local WET controls and all three send levels, then compare with the effects restored. |
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Play the kit, map a controller or mix each voice in your DAW.
The MAP control sets the MIDI trigger note for a channel. Right-click it and choose Note Learn, then play a note. Multiple channels with the same trigger note can layer sounds. CHROM channels respond to incoming notes at their played pitch.
Right-click a parameter, choose MIDI Learn and move a controller. You can also enter a CC number directly. Re-learn or Clear CC changes or removes the mapping. The hamburger’s MIDI mapping window lists the assignments.
The individual buses include channel effects, volume and pan. Shared effect returns and master processing stay on the main output. Output activation and track creation are host-specific.
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Presets, patch keys and controlled randomisation.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| PRST | Open the preset list. INIT recalls Tight Loop. |
| QSAVE | Save a new preset with a generated name. |
| SHARE | Copy the current patch key and open its sharing view. |
| PASTE | Import a compatible patch key from the clipboard. |
| THIS ENGINE | Randomise the selected channel’s sound settings while retaining its engine choice. |
| THIS SEQUENCE | Randomise only the selected channel’s generated sequence settings. |
| ALL ENGINES | Randomise sound settings across the kit while retaining the engine choices. |
| ALL SEQUENCES | Randomise the sequence settings on all eight channels. |
| TOTAL CHAOS | Randomise sound settings, engine choices and sequences across the kit. |
Right-click a parameter and choose Lock before randomising. A lock excludes that setting from randomisation; it does not stop manual changes or modulation. Save a preset before a large experiment.
Pale Grain, Night Strand, Pale Braid, Linen Coil, Mist Ribbon, Velvet Tide and Tight Loop are included. Your DAW also saves plugin state with its project.
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Small experiments that make the controls easier to learn.
01 / A focused kick
Choose BD on a channel, use MONO and start with a simple EUCL pattern. Keep pan centred and effects dry. Shorten DEC, then raise SNAP a little. Change the engine controls one at a time to find the balance of low body and initial click.
02 / Moving metal
Try CY, MDL or MBR on another channel. Choose CHROM with a narrow pitch range. Route an LFO or a slow MOD lane to that channel’s CUT, using a modest range. Add a small local reverb and listen for how the ringing changes from hit to hit.
03 / A loop that takes its time
Use 16 steps for the kick, a different step count for a resonator and a slower division for a noise voice. Lower probability on the supporting channels. Keep the kick steady while the other parts drift through different relationships.
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Every engine can be selected on any of the eight channels.
A synthesised bass drum with a pitched body and a sharp front. Start dry and use tuning, body and SNAP to place it in the groove.
A pitched and noisy snare source. Balance its body and bright snap before adding reverb.
Multiple noise bursts form a clap-like attack. Try short decay for tight accents or effects for a wider tail.
Metallic and noisy percussion for closed and open hat roles. Decay and filtering are useful first controls.
A percussion source combining noise, filtering and pitch movement. Explore tuned toms and rougher drum bodies.
A stack of inharmonically related square waves creates a metallic source. Filter and decay shape its brightness and ringing.
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Every engine can be selected on any of the eight channels.
A short inharmonic ping for rims, clicks and small metallic accents. Try it against a slower resonator.
An excited feedback loop creates plucked-string behaviour. Useful for tuned percussion and short, woody notes.
A bank of resonant modes turns an excitation into a struck or ringing object. Explore it in CHROM mode.
Coupled string-like resonances add a pitched, ringing body. Keep the decay short for percussive patterns.
Comb-filter resonance creates pitched repeats and resonant colour. Try a narrow pitch span before widening it.
Frequency-modulated tones for bright, metallic and synthetic hits. Small tuning changes can reshape the harmonic balance.
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Every engine can be selected on any of the eight channels.
Mathematical bitwise patterns produce raw digital textures. Filtering can bring the useful body out of a bright or noisy result.
A particle-based texture source for scattered, noisy percussion. Use envelope shaping to keep each event defined.
Small sound fragments form a granular percussion texture. Compare short and long decays to hear the grain structure.
Stochastic polygon-wave synthesis produces unstable, irregular timbres. Start with restrained level and a simple rhythm.
Chip-inspired percussion colours. Useful for tight digital hits and pitches that stand apart from acoustic-style drums.
An eight-mode skin model gives struck-drum resonance. Explore its pitch and body before adding shared space.
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Every engine can be selected on any of the eight channels.
A nonlinear resonator for tones that grow rougher and more complex. Use filtering to shape the resulting harmonics.
Particle-collision behaviour creates shaker-like texture. Try probability and humanisation for less uniform accents.
Pulse-formant synthesis gives a hollow, vocal-like digital character. Try tuned patterns and modest filter movement.
Stick-slip friction produces scraping textures. Short envelopes turn the texture into discrete rhythmic events.
A fracture-cascade source for crackling, breaking textures. Use sparse patterns to hear the detail of each event.
Two-operator FM with an index envelope and pitch sweep. Explore the relationship between the initial impact and its changing body.
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Follow the signal from the voice to the output.
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| No sound | Engine is not OFF; the channel is not muted; another channel is not soloed; channel volume is up. Check the host track’s monitoring and output routing. |
| Sequencer does not start | Enable RAVIK’s play button. In SLAVE, start the host transport. With NEXT BAR selected, wait for the bar boundary. |
| Some hits do not play | Check PROB, density, muted steps and the generated pattern. A quieter hit can also be masked by a long previous sound or heavy processing. |
| Changing a control affects another voice | Read the modulation target’s channel number. Check LFO, MOD, macro and MIDI CC links. Also check whether EFFECTS is in MASTER scope. |
| Decay seems too long | Turn down local delay/reverb WET and sends. Check the dry engine body and DEC before restoring effects. |
| Reverb jumps in level | Check local WET and the channel’s REV send separately. Two reverbs can add up on the main mix. |
| Individual outputs sound different | They include local effects but not shared returns or master processing. The main output carries the finished mix. |
| A saved key will not import | Check that the complete key was copied and that the receiving build supports its version. |
If a problem persists, send the RAVIK version, operating system, DAW/version, a patch key and the shortest steps that reproduce it to vald.labs.lisbon@gmail.com.
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The complete instrument, in compact form.
| Area | Included |
|---|---|
| Architecture | 8 independent channels; 24 engines plus OFF; individual level, pan, mute and solo. |
| Sequencing | 8 sequences; 1-32 steps; 9 algorithms; MONO/CHROM; probability, humanisation, swing, ratcheting, density and direction. |
| Pitch | Independent root, scale, octave and span on each channel; 12 scales. |
| Modulation | 24 MOD lanes, 8 LFOs, cross-channel MOD targets and 2 assignable macros. |
| Filters / envelopes | SEM and Polivoks-inspired VOKS; cutoff, resonance, type, bipolar filter envelope, SNAP and decay. |
| Effects | 16 local controls per channel; delay, reverb, distortion, ducking, folding, compression and spread; shared sends and master processing. |
| Connections | MIDI trigger mapping, Note Learn, MIDI CC Learn, host automation and synchronisation. |
| Outputs | Main stereo mix plus 8 optional stereo channel outputs. |
| Presets | 7 factory presets; INIT/Tight Loop; preset saving, QSAVE, SHARE/PASTE keys, scoped randomisation and locks. |
| Formats | macOS AU/VST3, Apple Silicon/Intel, macOS 11+; Windows x64 VST3. |
valdlabs.com/ravik
Made in Lisbon.