OBSCURA SOUNDTHE 88 ARCHIVEPRICING

Catalogue · OBS-8801 — OBS-8803

The 88 Archive

Three separate music tools for guitar and bass effects, layered synthesis and drum programming. Each one is a release with its own sleeve.

Liner notes · Why this exists

It started with a shelf of records

The jangle and chorus. The cold drum machines and sequenced synths. Walls of fuzz and reverb that never quite ends. The 88 Archive draws on the independent music of the 1980s and early 1990s, then opens it up to new songs. Start with an original preset and make it yours.

The artwork comes from the same shelf. The designers behind those records — Vaughan Oliver and v23 at 4AD, Peter Saville and Central Station Design at Factory, the sleeves of Creation and Rough Trade — made a record something to hold and keep. Each release here gets its own sleeve in that spirit, made from the plug-in’s own artwork.

Factory sounds are written as sound directions for alternative, post-punk, dream pop, shoegaze, synthpop and ambient music. They are not reproductions of named artists or recordings, and imply no affiliation with or endorsement by any artist, designer or label named here.

Listening to

  • The Smiths
  • The Cure
  • Depeche Mode
  • Joy Division
  • New Order
  • Ride
  • My Bloody Valentine
  • The Stone Roses
  • Slowdive
  • Echo & the Bunnymen
  • The Jesus and Mary Chain
  • Siouxsie and the Banshees
  • Lush

Looking at

  • Vaughan Oliver / v234AD
  • Peter SavilleFactory
  • Central Station DesignFactory
  • The label’s sleevesCreation
  • Duotone sleevesRough Trade
  • Tinted cover starsThe Smiths

OBS-8801 · Guitar & bass effects

TRACE // 88

What remains after the chord.

A guitar and bass effects plug-in for clear picked tones, textured drive and spacious ambience. Combine amp and cabinet voices, chorus, tremolo, glitch, dual echoes and reverb, with a built-in tuner and 124 presets across 18 collections.

  1. Side ATexturesVoice · Motion · Echo A · Space · Glitch + Rhythm
  2. Side BAmp + CabPedal Drive · Amplifier · Speaker Cabinet · Rhythmic Echo B
  3. IndexTunerChromatic tuner · A4 430–450 Hz · Mute Output
Introductory price · USD$49Launch detailsListen
OBS-8801 · Fig. 01Actual interface
TRACE // 88 Textures view, preset Gloom Service – Chorus Clean: Voice, Motion, Echo A, Space and Glitch + Rhythm panels above input conditioning, amp tremolo and final-stage controls.
Textures — chorus, echo, space and glitchGloom Service - Chorus Clean
Explore TRACE — 8 screenshots
  • 106Presets
  • 18Dedicated arps
  • 16Step sequencer
  • 3Layers

OBS-8802 · Layered synthesizer

HALOWEFT // 88

Light, woven into sound.
OBS-8802 · Fig. 01Actual interface
HALOWEFT // 88 Synthesis view, preset Chapel Prism: Layers + Oscillator, Filter + Console and Dual Envelopes panels above pitch controls and an on-screen keyboard.
Synthesis — layers, filter and envelopesChapel Prism

A layered software synthesizer combining virtual analog, string and organ voices, and sampled textures. Explore 106 presets, including 18 dedicated arpeggios, with a 16-step sequencer, chorus, dual echoes and spacious reverb.

OBS-8803 · Drum machine & pattern builder

OBSCURA DRUM // 88

Rhythm Archive

OBS-8803 · Fig. 01Actual interface
OBSCURA DRUM // 88 Pattern Builder, kit Black Tile, Bar A: eight drum rows across 16 steps, with step detail, performance fills and final-stage controls below.
Pattern Builder — Bar A, eight rows and editable step detailBlack Tile / Bar A

An eight-voice drum machine with 88 kit and pattern presets. Build rhythms of up to 32 steps with swing, probability, ratchets and live fills, then export your pattern as MIDI. Shape the kit with individual voice controls, room, echo, crush and tape color.

  • 88 kit and pattern presets in 18 descriptive collections
  • Eight drum voices with individual source, tuning, decay and tone controls
  • Up to 32 steps, independent row lengths, swing, probability and ratchets
  • Momentary performance fills, clear/undo controls, kit saving and MIDI export
Introductory price · USD$39Launch detailsListen
Explore OBSCURA DRUM — 5 screenshots

THE COMPLETE 88 ARCHIVE · COMING SOON

Three worlds. One collection.

TRACE, HALOWEFT and OBSCURA DRUM together. 318 factory presets across guitar, bass, synthesis and drums.

$119 USD

Save $28 compared with buying separately.

Explore the bundle →

Which one?

One effect, two instruments

TRACE changes the sound of a guitar or bass you play into it. HALOWEFT and OBSCURA DRUM make their own sound from MIDI. They are three separate plug-ins. Choose one or collect all three in the complete bundle.

  • TRACE // 88what remains after the chordOBS-8801 · OBSCURA SOUND

    TRACE // 88

    Audio effect

    What it is
    An audio effect
    Where it goes
    On a track carrying your guitar or bass
    What you play
    Your guitar or bass, through it
    Presets
    124 in 18 collections — 88 guitar, 36 bass
    Also has
    Chromatic tuner
  • HALOWEFT// 88OBS-8802Light, woven into sound

    HALOWEFT // 88

    Instrument

    What it is
    A MIDI instrument
    Where it goes
    On an instrument (MIDI) track
    What you play
    Notes from MIDI or its on-screen keyboard
    Presets
    106 in 18 collections — 18 arps
    Also has
    Arpeggiator and 16-step sequencer
  • OBSCURA DRUM// 88OBS-8803 · RHYTHM ARCHIVE
    What it is
    A MIDI instrument
    Where it goes
    On an instrument (MIDI) track
    What you play
    Patterns from its own step builder
    Presets
    88 kit + pattern presets in 18 collections
    Also has
    Live fills and MIDI export

Inner sleeve

Choose your place in the archive

  1. 01BuyAt launch, choose one plug-in or the $119 complete bundle. Each is a one-time purchase, with no subscription.
  2. 02DownloadYour purchase will include Mac and Windows downloads in Your Library. Installer downloads open at launch.
  3. 03PlayRun the installer and open your compatible DAW. TRACE goes on an audio track; HALOWEFT and OBSCURA DRUM go on instrument tracks.

Made for your DAW

Mac
Apple Silicon & Intel · VST3
Windows
64-bit · VST3

Designed for DAWs that support VST3.

Full compatibility details →

LISTENING ROOM

Hear the archive.

Nine performances, three different worlds. Explore guitar textures, layered synths and evolving drum patterns.

One product per clip. Playback levels matched, with no external effects. Drum performances use factory kits and patterns with built-in fills and voice mutes.

Guitar & bass effects

TRACE // 88

All 6 TRACE // 88 demos →
Gloom Service - Chorus CleanCold, clear chorus with spacious quarter-note echoes.0:43 · Recorded guitar
The Wobble Department - Deep TremoloDeep, interlocking volume pulses with a tight American amp and a small room.0:43 · Recorded guitar
Fuzz With a Sweet Tooth - Warm FuzzRounded fuzz wrapped in a broad, warm room.0:43 · Recorded guitar

Layered synthesizer

HALOWEFT // 88

All 6 HALOWEFT // 88 demos →
Arp - Glass Spires — two-octave weaveChanging four-note voicings feed a two-octave arp and interlocking glass echoes.0:21 · 8 bars · 118 BPM
Factory Floor — sequenced bassAn eight-step bass engine follows changing roots, octave turns and deliberate gaps.0:18 · 8 bars · 124 BPM
After-Hours Choir — slow vocal bloomClose choir-and-string voicings open into suspended harmonies and a long final release.0:31 · 8 bars · 80 BPM

Drum machine & pattern builder

OBSCURA DRUM // 88

All 6 OBSCURA DRUM // 88 demos →
Black Tile — gated architectureA stripped groove opens into the full gated kit, tom cascades and a final snare build.0:21 · 8 bars · 112 BPM
Tangerine Shuffle — loose pocketA swung acoustic groove develops through ride accents, a kick-free break and rolling tom fills.0:22 · 8 bars · 104 BPM
Lantern Drums — orchestral shadowsLow orchestral drums and ringing cymbals build into tom runs with long hall-like tails.0:29 · 8 bars · 88 BPM
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