ANVIL is a semi-modular percussive synthesizer featuring an 8-step sequencer and a 4-slot modulation matrix. Two oscillators, a self-oscillating ladder filter, and two attack/decay envelopes can be freely patched across four modulation matrix slots. It creates kicks, snares, and percussions, as well as metallic sound effects, evolving drones, and rhythm patterns with per-step panning.

It includes 20 factory presets. F01–F12 demonstrate how individual features work one by one, while F13–F20 are ready-to-use patterns for your tracks. A quick way to explore is to audition the later presets to get a feel for the sound, and then inspect the earlier presets to see how they are built.

1. Quick Start

1. Load ANVIL onto an instrument track in your DAW.
2. Choose a preset from the preset bar at the top of the window. Start with F02 Deep Kick.
3. Press Play in your DAW. The sequencer runs in sync with host tempo. It will produce sound without pressing any keys.
4. Drag the knobs in the SEQUENCER PITCH lane up or down to change the pitch of each step. The center position is 0.
5. Adjust VCF CUTOFF and RESO, along with VCF EG DECAY, to shape the texture.
6. In the leftmost MOD MATRIX slot, select SOURCE and DEST, then set the amount with the slider on the right. Negative values are also supported.

2. Interface Overview

VCO 1 / VCO 2

• Two oscillators that generate raw sound sources. Selectable waveforms are Tri (triangle), Saw (sawtooth), Sqr (square), and Sin (sine). Tri and Sin have fewer harmonics and suit low end, while Saw and Sqr sound bright and forward.
• FREQ extends down from 5 kHz to 5 Hz. Setting it below the audible range turns it into a slow fluctuation rather than a musical pitch, allowing it to serve as a modulator via the MOD MATRIX. This is why ANVIL does not need a dedicated LFO.
• EG AMT sets how much VCF EG modulates pitch. Positive values create a downward pitch sweep falling from high to FREQ. This is where kick punch is shaped. Negative values produce an upward pitch movement.
• The SUB waveform can be switched between Sub Sin (sine) and Sub Sqr (square) in the VCO 1 switch row. The default is sine. While square adds harmonics and bite, dropping FREQ low can introduce a click at the onset of hits. Keep it set to sine for low-pitched sounds.
• Turning SEQ off causes that oscillator to ignore sequencer pitch, holding a constant pitch. Use this when you want to lock one oscillator’s pitch.
• SYNC (on VCO 2) enables hard sync. VCO 2’s waveform resets forcefully in sync with VCO 1’s cycle, producing a sharp, metallic character.
• FM AMT and 1→2 / 2→1 provide frequency modulation between the two oscillators. Use these to create bells and inharmonic percussion.

MIXER

• Sets the levels of four sources sent into the filter: VCO 1, SUB, VCO 2, and NOISE. Noise serves as the source for snares and hi-hats.
• SUB adds a source one octave below VCO 1. Turn this up when you want to thicken the foundation of kicks or bass. You can also set VCO 1 to 0 to hear only SUB.

VCF

• A 4-pole ladder filter. CUTOFF determines brightness, and RESO controls sharpness. MODE selects low-pass (LP) or high-pass (HP).
• Pushing RESO to maximum causes the filter to self-oscillate and produce sound on its own without any input. This is by design, functioning as a clean, near-sine sound source. F08 Self Osc Sine is an example.
• EG AMT sets how much VCF EG modulates cutoff. Negative values are also available.
• DRIVE controls input gain before the filter stage. Higher values add warmth and grit.

VCF EG / VCA EG

• Two-stage attack and decay envelopes without sustain or release. Designed specifically for percussive sounds.
• VCF EG modulates the filter and (via EG AMT) oscillator pitch, while VCA EG modulates amplitude.
• Retriggers on every step. Even if the previous sound is still decaying, a new attack begins on the next step.
• VEL on VCA EG determines how much the sequencer’s VEL lane and incoming MIDI velocity affect volume. Setting it to 0 gives every step equal volume.

GAIN (OUT)

• Sets final output level, ranging from -24 dB to +12 dB.

MOD MATRIX

• A 4-slot modulation routing matrix. For each slot, choose SOURCE (modulator) → DEST (destination), then adjust modulation depth with the slider on the right.
• Depth is always bipolar (positive and negative). Inverting the sign moves the modulation in the opposite direction.
• SOURCE options include the two envelopes, two oscillators, noise, sequencer lanes (pitch, velocity, pan), trigger, and MIDI velocity.
• DEST options include oscillator pitches, individual mixer levels, filter cutoff, resonance, output volume, FM depth, envelope decay times, sequencer pitch offset and rate, and stereo pan.
• Slots where SOURCE is set to None appear dimmed, making active slots easy to spot at a glance.

SEQUENCER

• 8 steps × 3 lanes. Set PITCH, VEL (velocity), and PAN with dedicated per-step knobs. PITCH and PAN center at 0 and move in either direction.
• The PITCH and PAN knobs center at 0, with indicator rings spreading from center: left for negative values, right for positive values.
• The numbers across the top indicate the currently playing step.
• Turning RUN off stops automatic playback (MIDI triggering remains active).
• RATE sets step duration, LEN sets pattern length (1–8), SWING delays even steps, and DIR sets playback direction (Fwd / Rev / Pendulum / Random).
• Setting QUANT to Semitone quantizes PITCH to semitones. The default is Off (continuous values), which is ANVIL’s standard behavior.
• RANGE sets the pitch scale of the PITCH lane: +/-5 (subtle pitch variations), +/-12 (1 octave), or +/-24 (2 octaves).
• WIDTH controls the depth of per-step panning. Setting it to 0 centers all steps for pure mono output.
• Setting VEL to 0 creates a rest. No sound triggers on that step, and the previous hit continues decaying uninterrupted. Use this to create sparse patterns without triggering all 8 steps.

Lane Macros (Below Each Lane)

• Thin sliders below each lane title let you adjust all 8 steps in that lane simultaneously. This changes the character of a pattern without re-editing 8 individual knobs.
• SCALE on PITCH and VEL scales modulation depth while preserving the relative pattern contour. Setting it to 0 flattens the lane; restoring it brings back the original contour (programmed values are not lost).
• SPREAD on PAN controls stereo width.
• These three sliders can be automated in your DAW. Use them when you want to control all 8 step knobs from a single automation lane (3 macro lanes can control all 24 knobs together).

Preset Bar / InfoBar

• Select presets from the bar located at the top of the window, to the right of the logo. SAVE saves user presets, and DEL deletes them. Factory presets beginning with F cannot be deleted.
• Clicking the preset name display opens the preset list. Use Export current... at the bottom of the list to export the current patch to any folder, and Import... to import files. Use this to transfer sounds to another machine.
• The bar immediately below displays parameter explanations and current values when hovering over controls (displays in English when the OS display language is not Japanese, and in Japanese when it is).
• If you do not need tooltips, toggle them off using the TIPS button at the right end of the bar. This setting persists across sessions.

MORPH — Morphing Between Two Sounds

• A slider located to the right of the InfoBar. Capture two sounds and morph seamlessly between them with a single control.
• Usage steps:
  1. Dial in a sound and press SET A (it will light up).
  2. Change the sound. You can even switch to a different preset.
  3. Press SET B.
  4. Move the MORPH slider to continuously morph between A and B.
• MORPH does nothing until both buttons are lit. With only one side captured, there is no destination to morph toward.
• Moving the slider physically moves the knobs on screen. What you see on screen reflects the current sound.
• The purple dot on each knob’s outer ring indicates the B target position, showing where each control will land at 100%.
• MORPH can be automated in your DAW. This is the primary purpose of the feature: moving dozens of parameters through a single automation lane.
• Pressing an illuminated SET button again clears that snapshot.
• If you re-tweak settings at either end, press that end’s SET button again. Turning knobs while MORPH sits at 0% or 100% does not update stored snapshots. Moving MORPH recalls the stored snapshot, discarding unsaved tweaks unless re-captured.
• Morphing applies only to continuous rotary knobs. Stepped selectors such as waveforms and filter modes do not morph (because there are no intermediate states).
• Snapshots A and B are stored in the plugin instance, not inside presets. This allows capturing A and B across different presets. They are saved along with your DAW project session.

Assigning MIDI CC (MIDI Learn)

• Right-click any control to open its parameter menu.
• Selecting MIDI CC Learn enters standby mode, and the target control’s outline flashes. Moving a knob or fader on your external MIDI controller assigns the first received CC number.
• Assigned parameters show [CC nn] at the end of their InfoBar description.
• From the same menu, you can clear the current assignment or clear all assignments.
• Assignments are stored in plugin settings, not within presets. Because they belong to your hardware setup, they persist across preset changes.

Working with MIDI Notes

While the sequencer operates on its own, sending MIDI notes unlocks two capabilities:

• Transpose pitch: Note numbers determine the transposition applied to that triggered hit (with C3 = Note 60 as ±0). Use this to create tom fills or play basslines. Transposition affects only the hit triggered by that note; when the host continues playback and triggers a step, pitch returns to ±0. Auditioning with low notes will not leave your pattern transposed downward. While playing with the sequencer alone, pitch follows the 8 steps programmed in the PITCH lane.
• Custom trigger timing: Playing a note triggers the current step instantly and advances the sequencer by one step. Rhythm can be defined entirely via notes while keeping the programmed pattern content (pitch, velocity, pan) intact. You can program syncopated rhythms off the RATE grid without touching the sequencer.
• Velocity multiplies with the value in the VEL lane, allowing dynamic accents from MIDI notes.
• Incoming notes take precedence during playback. They do not double-trigger alongside automatic playback.

3. Parameter Details

FREQ (VCO 1 / VCO 2)

The base pitch of the oscillator. Sequencer pitch, MIDI notes, and modulation all shift relative to this baseline.

• Extends down to 5 Hz. Sub-audible frequencies act not as audible pitch, but as modulation wobble via the MOD MATRIX.
• Default: 110 Hz (both VCO 1 and VCO 2)

EG AMT (VCO 1 / VCO 2)

Modulation depth of VCF EG onto pitch. One of the most critical parameters for percussive punch.

• Positive values produce downward pitch sweeps falling toward FREQ, typical for kicks and toms. Negative values sweep upward.
• Speed is determined by VCF EG DECAY. Short decay creates tight clicks, while longer decay produces heavy drops.
• Default: 0.00

FM AMT / FM DIR (VCO)

Frequency modulation from one oscillator onto the other. 1→2 or 2→1 selects direction.

• The ratio between the two FREQ values dictates harmonic character. Near-integer ratios create bells; dissonant ratios yield metallic clangs.
• Default: 0.00 / 1→2

CUTOFF / RESO (VCF)

Filter cutoff frequency and resonance sharpness.

• Pushing RESO to maximum causes self-oscillation. Even with all MIXER sources set to 0, a near-sine tone continues sounding, usable as a standalone oscillator.
• Default: 1200 Hz / 0.20

EG AMT (VCF)

Modulation depth of VCF EG onto filter cutoff. Shapes the opening and closing movement of percussion hits.

• Negative values sweep cutoff downward. Use this to create damped or closed percussive textures.
• Default: +0.60

DRIVE (VCF)

Pre-filter input drive. Higher values add saturation and alter resonance behavior.

• Default: 0.25

ATTACK / DECAY (VCF EG / VCA EG)

Attack and decay times. For percussion, keeping ATTACK near minimum while shaping with DECAY alone is standard.

• VCA EG DECAY controls overall sound duration, while VCF EG DECAY controls filter sweep duration. Setting VCF EG shorter creates an attack with bright bite followed by a sustained body.
• Default: VCF EG 1 ms / 250 ms, VCA EG 1 ms / 180 ms

PITCH (SEQUENCER)

Per-step pitch offset centered at 0. Modulation depth is set by RANGE in the transport row.

• By default, pitch is unquantized (continuous). Switch QUANT to Semitone to snap to semitones.
• When programming subtle percussive pitch nuances, narrowing RANGE to +/-5 increases knob resolution for easier fine-tuning.
• Default: all steps 0.00 (center) / RANGE +/-12

PAN / WIDTH (SEQUENCER)

Per-step stereo positioning and overall stereo width.

• Pan switches instantly on step trigger. It glides smoothly only when a previous sound is still ringing out, keeping attack transients sharply localized.
• Set WIDTH to 0 to check mono compatibility; all steps will collapse to center.
• Default: PAN all steps 0.00 (center) / WIDTH 1.00

SWING / DIR / LEN (SEQUENCER)

Controls playback flow and groove.

• SWING delays even steps (2, 4, 6, 8).
• LEN sets pattern length in steps (1–8). Setting it to 4 loops back after 4 steps.
• Pendulum bounces back and forth without repeating the ends (1→8→2, a 14-step cycle). Random picks a step at random on each advance.
• Default: 0.00 / Fwd / 8

4. Recommended Settings

Deep Kick

VCO 1 FREQ:     55 Hz / Tri
VCO 1 EG AMT:   +0.45          Positive for downward pitch sweep
MIXER:          VCO1 1.00 / SUB 0.25 (Sub Sin) / VCO2 0.00 / NOISE 0.00
VCF CUTOFF:     900 Hz
VCF DRIVE:      0.65
VCF EG DECAY:   200 ms
VCA EG DECAY:   400 ms

The key is not to push SUB too high. While it thickens sub frequencies, setting it too low makes the sound completely inaudible on laptop or smartphone speakers. Low end is defined not just by amount, but by which octave it occupies.

Always adjust VCA EG DECAY while playing a pattern rather than auditioning single hits. A decay that feels great on a single hit will often bleed into subsequent hits during continuous playback, making the pattern muddy.

Metallic Snare

MIXER:          VCO1 0.25 / VCO2 0.20 / NOISE 1.00
VCF MODE:       HP
VCF CUTOFF:     2200 Hz
VCF RESO:       0.72
VCF EG DECAY:   120 ms
VCA EG DECAY:   170 ms

Self-Oscillating Sine

MIXER:          VCO1 0.00 / VCO2 0.00 / NOISE Tiny amount
VCF RESO:       1.00
VCF EG AMT:     0.30
VCA EG DECAY:   Long

Panning Rhythm Pattern

SEQ DIR:        Random
SEQ SWING:      0.50
SEQ RANGE:      +/-12
SEQ PAN:        Odd steps Left / Even steps Right
OUT WIDTH:      1.00

5. System Requirements

Item	Details
Supported OS	Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit), macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon / Intel)
Plugin formats	Windows: VST3 / Mac: VST3, AU (Instrument)
Supported DAWs	VST3 or AU compatible DAWs (tested with Ableton Live)
Polyphony	Monophonic (1 voice at a time; load multiple instances for layering)
Output	Stereo
Sample rates	44.1 kHz – 192 kHz
Latency	A small latency is introduced for sound quality. It is automatically reported to the DAW, so recording positions will not shift.
Window size	1200 × 750 px (fixed)
Screen language	Japanese / English (English when the OS display language is not Japanese)

6. Installation & Uninstallation

Installation (Windows)

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Copy the ANVIL.vst3 folder to the following location:
   C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
3. Launch your DAW and perform a plugin rescan.

Installation (Mac)

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Copy ANVIL.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/, and copy ANVIL.component to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ (where ~ represents your home folder. In Finder, open the “Go” menu, choose “Go to Folder…”, paste the path, and press Return. If the folder does not exist, create it).
3. Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal), paste the following 3 lines one by one, and press Return for each:

   cd ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine VST3/ANVIL.vst3
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine Components/ANVIL.component

4. Launch your DAW and perform a plugin rescan (if you copy while it is running, it may not be detected immediately).

Uninstallation (Windows)

Delete the C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\ANVIL.vst3 folder. To completely remove user presets as well, delete %APPDATA%\Tonecraft Tokyo\ANVIL\.

Uninstallation (Mac)

Delete ANVIL.vst3 and ANVIL.component. To completely remove user presets and settings as well, delete ~/Library/Tonecraft Tokyo/ANVIL/ and ~/Library/Application Support/Tonecraft Tokyo/ANVIL/.

7. Troubleshooting

• Plugin does not appear in DAW
  • [Windows] Check that files were copied to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\, and perform a plugin rescan in your DAW. Copying while the DAW is running may prevent immediate detection.
  • [Mac] Verify that files were copied to the correct directories (~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/ for VST3, ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ for AU), that the Terminal commands were executed, and perform a plugin rescan. If AU does not show up in Logic Pro or other DAWs, restart your Mac.
• Security warning appears on first launch
  • [Windows] Because the plugin is not code-signed, Windows SmartScreen may appear. Click “More info” → “Run anyway” to proceed.
  • [Mac] Run the Terminal commands listed in the Mac section of “6. Installation & Uninstallation”.
• Mac displays “is damaged and cannot be opened” or “cannot check it for malicious software”
  • Run the Terminal commands listed in the Mac section of “6. Installation & Uninstallation”.
• No sound output
  • Check whether your DAW is playing. The sequencer advances in sync with host transport playback. To audition sounds while playback is stopped, play MIDI notes.
  • Check that RUN is not turned off, and that the four MIXER levels (VCO1 / SUB / VCO2 / NOISE) are not all set to 0.
• Sound continues even with all MIXER levels at 0
  • Pushing RESO to maximum causes the filter itself to oscillate. This is by design. Lower RESO to silence it.
• Pitch does not align with musical scales
  • The sequencer’s PITCH lane is continuous (unquantized) by default. Switch QUANT to Semitone to snap to semitones. You can also adjust pitch range with RANGE.
• Pitch shifts unexpectedly when played via MIDI
  • Note numbers act directly as transposition. C3 (Note 60) is ±0, and notes further away transpose up or down accordingly. Transposition affects only the hit triggered by that note; once the host resumes playback and triggers a step, pitch returns to ±0.
• Pattern stays in sync when changing tempo or always aligns to loop start
  • This is intended behavior. The sequencer tracks host transport position continuously, so it stays in phase through tempo changes, loop wraps, and timeline jumps.
• Per-step panning movement is undesirable
  • Set WIDTH to 0 to center all steps into mono.
• Cannot delete factory presets
  • This is by design. The factory preset bank is read-only. Modified sounds can be saved as user presets using SAVE.
• Moving MORPH changes nothing
  • Verify that both SET A and SET B are illuminated. With only one side captured, there is no destination to morph toward, so MORPH does nothing.
  • If both are lit but the sound barely changes, the two snapshots may be too similar. Tweak one snapshot significantly and re-capture.
• Knob tweaks made at the extremes revert when moving MORPH
  • This is by design. Snapshots A and B store the parameters captured at the instant SET A / SET B was pressed. When editing at an extreme (0% / 100%), press that end’s SET button again to store your changes.
• Holding long notes does not sustain the sound
  • This is by design. The envelopes do not feature sustain or release; sound duration is determined solely by DECAY on VCA EG.
• Playing chords skips sequencer steps
  • This is by design. Each incoming MIDI note advances the sequencer by one step. Always write single notes.
• Previous note does not cut off on silent steps
  • This is by design. Steps with VEL set to 0 are rests; they do not trigger a new hit, allowing the previous hit to ring out naturally. Shorten VCA EG DECAY if you want shorter decay.
• Raising SUB introduces clicks or pops on note onset
  • Check whether the SUB waveform is set to Sub Sqr (square). For deep bass frequencies, Sub Sin (sine, default) is recommended.
• Bass is present in the mix but inaudible on laptop or smartphone speakers
  • The pitch may be too low. Small speakers cannot reproduce deep sub-bass frequencies. Lower SUB and raise VCF CUTOFF to emphasize audible fundamentals and harmonics.

8. Notes

• This product is distributed free of charge (freeware) “AS IS”, without support.
• The source code is proprietary and not public.
• All copyrights to this product belong to Tonecraft Tokyo.
• Modification, reverse engineering, redistribution, and resale of this product are strictly prohibited (please download from the Tonecraft Tokyo official website and Gumroad).
• Free for both commercial and non-commercial use.
• This product uses JUCE.
• This product uses Noto Sans JP and JetBrains Mono (SIL Open Font License 1.1).

9. Disclaimer

• This product is provided “AS IS”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement of third-party rights.
• Tonecraft Tokyo is not liable for any damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, this product, including but not limited to loss or corruption of project files or audio data, equipment malfunction, lost working time, or lost profits.
• Operation is not guaranteed for every combination of DAW, operating system, and hardware.
• Specifications may change, and the product may be discontinued, without notice.
• Use this product at your own risk. Back up your projects before important work.