In today’s musical landscape, where tons of new plugin companies pop up daily and saturate the market, Klevgrand, a small but passionate Swedish music software company, isn’t afraid to break the rules. Known for its inventive and sometimes quirky approach to plugin design, this small but mighty company has steadily built a reputation for offering tools that encourage experimentation and spark creativity. In this article, we’ll explore the company’s roots and take a deep dive into two of its standout offerings: Tomofon and Speldosa.
A Brief Look at Klevgrand
Founded in Stockholm, Klevgrand has grown from a basement project into a recognized name among producers, musicians, and sound designers worldwide. Small but highly dedicated and run by musicians, producers, and developers alike, the company prides itself on creating tools that are not only affordable but also exceptionally fun to use.
Tomofon: Reimagining the Audio Synthesizer
When it comes to innovation, Tomofon is arguably one of their most ambitious projects to date. A real audio sampler, this plugin blurs the lines between sampling and wavetable synthesis in a way that feels refreshingly unique.
What Exactly Is Tomofon?
At its core, Tomofon is a synthesizer that takes ordinary audio files and transforms them into something extraordinary. Instead of simply playing back a sample, the plugin analyzes your audio, slicing it into dozens—or even hundreds—of microscopic “wavetables.” These sliced segments, which they refer to as the “Audio Model,” are then mapped across the keyboard so that each note triggers a unique combination of these waves. In doing so, the user can create a sonic landscape that is simultaneously rooted in the original recording yet free to evolve in unexpected directions.
Imagine recording a simple vocal phrase or an instrument line and watching as the plugin distills its essence into a series of evolving textures. That’s the magic of Tomofon. With over 124 pre-loaded Audio Models and a library of more than 180 presets ranging from strings and vocals to brass and woodwind sounds, the developers have offered a vast playground for sound designers. The process is straightforward yet intriguing: drag in your sample, let the plugin analyze and slice it, and then experiment with the mapping and modulation controls to create sounds that range from the unexpectedly organic to the wildly experimental.
Features and Creative Possibilities
The plugin’s interface also comes equipped with a set of intuitive controls designed to give you detailed access to every facet of its unique synthesis engine. Among its features are:
• Audio Model Editor: A dedicated workspace where you can visualize the pitch zones and manually adjust how the audio is sliced and mapped.
• Envelope Options: Pitch and layer depth envelopes—easily adjustable by the user —offer a wealth of modulation possibilities.
• Built-in Effects: Delay, Post reverb, and EQ are integrated right into the plugin, ensuring that once your sound is generated, you can further process and refine it to your heart’s content.
By slicing up your samples like a professional chef, the plugin straddles the line between realistic samples and sounds that are entirely synthesized, creating textures that feel both familiar and otherworldly. This isn’t a tool for those who want something normal—it’s for the curious and the brave, those willing to experiment and see where the sound takes them.
The Learning Curve and User Experience
As with many tools, Tomofon comes with its learning curve. Sometimes the automatic analysis can yield unexpected results. Not every sound works the best. However, this “quirk” is also part of its charm—the plugin forces you to engage with your sound material more deeply, encouraging you to listen carefully and experiment with different audio sources.
For those willing to invest a little time in learning its ins and outs, Tomofon can become a powerful ally in the quest for creative, unique sound design.
Speldosa: A Nostalgic Nod to the Music Box
While Tomofon offers an adventurous approach to synthesis, Klevgrand’s Speldosa is a more playful and intimate instrument. Its name – which means “music box” in Swedish—evokes images of childhood wonder and nostalgic melodies. In contrast to Tomofon’s expansive, experimental soundscapes, Speldosa is all about capturing the delicate charm of a vintage music box.
The Concept
Created as part of a collaboration with Wintergatan, a well-known Swedish musician famed for their innovative instrument designs (you might recall the mesmerizing Marble Machine video). This collaboration has resulted in a plugin that is not only affordable— but also incredibly evocative.
The sound of a physical music box carries with it a sense of wonder and wistfulness. The gentle tinkling of bells, and the slightly off-key, mechanical imperfections—these are the sonic hallmarks that Speldosa seeks to replicate. Whether you’re looking to add a touch of nostalgia to a film score or inject a hint of whimsy into a pop track, this plugin offers a delightful palette of tones that can instantly transform your project.
Features and Usability
Speldosa might be deliberately simple and minimalistic, but it packs a surprising amount of personality into its streamlined design, allowing you to focus on tweaking the most essential parameters. Adjustable features include:
• Intuitive Controls: Straightforward sliders and a knob make it super easy to control the parameters of the two different room reverb models and select between four different instrument models (Modern, Vintage, Antique, and Eternal = Reversed). It also comes with an algorithmic reverb.
The overall effect is one of understated beauty. This instrument doesn’t try to do everything at once; rather, it offers a focused sonic experience that can instantly evoke a sense of time and place. For those moments in your composition when you need to dial back the complexity and just let a simple, elegant melody shine through, Speldosa is an excellent choice.
We can’t help but highly recommend it for its endearing character. The calming charm of this instrument is comparable to that of a cherished childhood toy, a reminder that sometimes, the simplest instruments can be the most evocative.
The Broader Plugin Family
While Tomofon and Speldosa are the two plugins discussed today, they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Klevgrand’s lineup includes other inventive tools like Brusfri (a noise reduction plugin that uses gates instead of messing with audio phasing), various percussion apps like Skaka, One Shot, and Borsta, and even tape emulators that evoke the warm distortion of vintage cassette decks. This diverse product range reflects the company’s desire to provide creative solutions for a wide array of musical challenges.
So, what’s next? Well, as of this week, they have just announced Elpiano, a VST designed to mimic the sound and vibe of vintage electromechanical pianos. If you’re a fan of those warm analog keyboard tones from the late sixties and 70s this is for you!
Final Thoughts: A Celebration of Creative Sound
Klevgrand, reminds us that innovation isn’t just about flashy interfaces or adding an overkill amount of features like some developers do —it’s about rethinking how we interact with sound. Through products like Tomofon and Speldosa, this mighty team from Sweden invites you to see audio synthesis and instrument design from a fresh perspective.
Tomofon challenges you to rethink the traditional boundaries of synthesis by transforming ordinary audio into living, breathing soundscapes. Its unique approach to slicing and mapping audio opens up a playground of creative possibilities, whether you’re crafting cinematic pads or exploring experimental textures. And while it may take a little time to get used to its unconventional workflow, the results can be profoundly inspiring.
On the other hand, Speldosa captures the magic of a bygone era. Its delicate, nostalgic tones serve as a gentle reminder that sometimes, the simplest sounds can evoke the deepest emotions. Whether you’re adding a subtle layer to a modern track or creating a standalone piece that tugs at the heartstrings, this plugin delivers with a charming sincerity that few plugins can match.
Both plugins exemplify the spirit of Klevgrand—a company that is unafraid to embrace experimentation, to unlock creative potential. In an age where digital tools often lean toward the overly complex, their minimalist-designed but often very unique offerings are a breath of fresh air.
For producers looking for tools that break away from the norm, or for anyone who wants to inject a dose of creativity into their workflow, Klevgrand’s products are well worth a look. Tomofon and Speldosa, in particular, stand as testaments to the team’s enduring ethos.
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