Resonator Effects
Each instrument also ships as an audio-effect plugin: Orbiter Handpan Resonator, Orbiter Gong Resonator, and Orbiter Bowl Resonator. The effect takes the audio on its track and uses it as the excitation signal for the same physical model the instrument plugin synthesises with — handpan tone fields, gong plate, or bowl rim. Audio in, resonator out.
Setup
- Drop the resonator plugin on a DAW audio track.
- Set Dry/Wet to 50% to hear the resonator output alongside the source.
- Adjust Input Drive if the resonator is undriven (raise) or overloaded (lower).
- Pick Stereo Mode — Mono Sum (channels summed before excitation) or True Stereo (L/R drive the resonator independently).
Effect-only controls
These three controls only exist on the resonator effect plugins:
| Control | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Dry/Wet | 0–100% | 0% is bypass; 100% is resonator only. |
| Input Drive | –12 dB to +36 dB | Pre-resonator gain. |
| Stereo Mode | Mono Sum / True Stereo | How L/R channels are routed into the resonator. |
Instrument controls
Every other control on the resonator effects mirrors its instrument-plugin counterpart. See the per-instrument parameter reference:
- Handpan — Scale, Transpose / Fine Tune, Brightness, Reverb, Decay, Volume, MIDI Channel
- Gong — Size, Strike Position, Nonlinearity, Damping, Excitation, Brightness, Reverb, Volume, MIDI Channel
- Bowl — Scale, Transpose / Fine Tune, Brightness, Reverb, Decay, Bow Intensity, Sympathetic, Volume, MIDI Channel
MIDI input on the same track triggers notes that play through the resonator alongside the audio-driven excitation.
Routing notes
- The effect doesn't pitch-track the input. Scale (handpan / bowl) or Size (gong) sets where the resonance sits; input spectral content determines which modes light up.
- Volume is applied after the dry/wet blend.
- For high wet mixes, parallel routing with the plugin at 100% wet on a send often sits better than an in-line insert.