Ableton Vinyloid v.2.5 | Physical Modeling Vinyl Record Simulator
Max for Live Device (.amxd file)
Physical modeling for record playback inside Ableton Live
A lot of vinyl processing begins with the result. Darken the sound, add crackle, introduce pitch movement, and the recording begins to feel older.
Vinyloid 2.5 begins somewhere else.
It treats the audible character of record playback as something produced by physical causes rather than by one global vintage control. A worn record played on a stable turntable should not behave like a cleaner record played through an unstable one. If the cause is different, the sound should be able to change for a different reason.
That is the central idea behind Vinyloid.
Your audio enters a physical modeling system in which the condition of the record and the behavior of the playback process can develop independently. Instead of deciding how much vinyl effect you want, you decide what has happened to the playback system that produced the sound.
The goal is not to reproduce one specific record, cartridge, turntable, or amplifier exactly. The goal is to make the causes behind record playback available as material for sound design.
Give a sound its own playback history
Start with clean audio and imagine the condition it has passed through.
Perhaps the record has already been used heavily, while the turntable itself remains relatively stable. Perhaps the surface is still in good condition, but the playback mechanism has started to drift. These situations should not collapse into the same texture, and Vinyloid allows them to remain separate.
This is where the physical modeling approach becomes musically useful.
The stylus stage is not reduced to a simple tone control. The model treats contact with the groove and the geometry of tracing as separate parts of the playback process. The signal then continues through a pickup stage whose behavior can also change without requiring you to rebuild the condition of the record that came before it.
You can therefore keep a surface character that already works and change the way it is being read. Or you can preserve the playback setup and make the record itself feel more worn.
Instead of choosing between finished versions of an old record sound, you construct the history that leads to the sound you want.
Let the cause of the change move with the arrangement
Physical modeling also changes the way deterioration can be automated.
Rather than automating one generic vinyl amount, you can automate the event that is changing.
A section can begin with relatively controlled playback and gradually become less stable while the surface remains unchanged. Another passage can keep its rotation steady while the record itself becomes more damaged. Playback position can move over time so the conditions under which the groove is read develop with the arrangement.
The audible transformation now has a reason behind it.
This makes Vinyloid useful even when the goal is not an obviously destroyed LoFi sound. Small changes can introduce a sense of physical playback while leaving the source clearly recognizable. More extreme settings can push the same source toward a much more compromised state without requiring every part of the model to deteriorate together.
The sound can age in one way, then change direction.
Treat record playback as a sound design system
Vinyloid 2.5 is not built around finding one correct vintage record sound.
It is built around the idea that the character associated with vinyl comes from a system. The medium has a condition. The playback mechanism has a condition. The groove is read under particular circumstances, and the signal continues through a playback chain after that reading has taken place.
When those causes remain separate, they become compositional choices.
You can make the playback system unstable without covering the source in noise. You can make the record feel used without forcing the same amount of pitch movement into it. You can change what happens after the groove is read while preserving the physical history you have already created.
That is the difference between adding a vinyl texture and designing a record playback process.
Vinyloid turns that process into a physical modeling environment for sound design inside Ableton Live.
Availability and free lifetime updates
Vinyloid 2.5 is a Max for Live Audio Effect for Ableton Live with Max for Live.
Your purchase includes free lifetime updates. Future published updates for Vinyloid are included at no additional cost. Existing customers can access the latest available files through the Sellfy account used for the original purchase. This does not imply a fixed update schedule or guarantee that updates will be published at any particular interval.
Vinyloid v2.5 Release Notes (October 7, 2026)
[New Features & System Enhancements]
* Finalized UI Design: Updated layout per owner specifications.
* Advanced Modeling Core:
- Paired RIAA curves with bounded cutter reference.
- Rotation and physical groove playback simulation.
- Expanded condition states for pristine (Mint) and second-hand (Used) records.
* Expanded Cartridge Models: MM, MC, and Ceramic cartridges.
* Amp Modeling Extensions: 50s Tube, 80s Transistor, and Modern DJM amplifiers.
* Audio Engine Upgrades:
- Localized non-linear anti-aliasing to minimize digital artifacts.
- Smooth dynamic transitions between cartridge and amp processing stages.
* Updated Factory Presets: New default profiles optimized for long-used turntables and second-hand vinyl condition.
v.2.0 ... Improved overall physics modeling fidelity. (2026/7/4)
v.1.7 ... Improved overall physics modeling fidelity. (2026/5/26)
v.1.5 ... Improved realism and overall fidelity for a more polished experience. (2026/5/15)
v.1.0.9 ... Fixed latency bug. (2026/5/9)
v.1.0.8 ... Fixed latency information bug. (2026/5/8)
Filter
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Doc
■ Overview
Vinyloid v1.07 is a highly simulates the physical phenomena of vinyl record playback.
This manual provides explanations for parameters adapted to the UI names, as well as detailed one-by-one descriptions of the "Hidden Parameters" accessible via automation.
1. Main Media & Material Settings (Left UI)
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- RPM Selector (33.3 / 45 / 78 / Other)
[Internal: rpm] Sets the rotation speed. Acts as the reference for wow/flutter, noise intervals, and tracing distortion.
- Pressing Origin (US / UK / JP / GER)
[Internal: press_origin] Presets for country-specific pressing quality. JP is low noise, US is high noise.
- Material Dropdown (Vinyl / Colored / Shellac / Picture)
[Internal: vinyl_material] Defines internal damping coefficients. Affects resonance sharpness and high-freq attenuation.
2. Motor & Drive System (Middle-Left Block)
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- Motor
[Internal: motor_cogging] Torque variation from motor pole "cogging." Higher values increase micro-instability in rotation.
- Wow
[Internal: wow_amt] Depth of pitch fluctuation. Simulates belt stretch or motor irregularities.
- Rate (Below Wow)
[Internal: flutter_freq] Speed of the wow and flutter (LFO frequency).
- Warp
[Internal: warp_amt] Intensity of volume and pitch modulation caused by the physical warping of the record.
- Rate (Below Warp)
[Internal: warp_rate] Frequency of the warp modulation. Also excites the tone arm resonance system.
- LFO Shape (Sine / Tri / Rand)
[Internal: wow_shape] Modulation waveform. Sine is smooth; Rand provides irregular speed changes.
- Platter
[Internal: platter_mass] Inertial mass of the platter. Higher values stabilize rotation and suppress wow.
- Torque
[Internal: torque_const] Motor torque constant. Determines the force maintaining constant rotation speed.
- Jitter
[Internal: dd_jitter_amt] PLL jitter residuals. Adds fine, high-frequency pitch instability.
- Vinyl Wear
[Internal: vinyl_wear] Amount of record wear. Increases surface graininess and noise.
- Stylus Wear
[Internal: stylus_wear] Needle wear. Reduces high-frequency resolution and increases non-linear tracing distortion.
3. Cartridge & Tone Arm (Cartridge Block)
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- Stylus Shape (Spherical / Elliptical / Fine / Line)
[Internal: stylus_shape] Physical geometry of the needle. Affects contact area and high-frequency resolution.
- Tip Material (Diamond / Sapphire / Ruby / Steel)
[Internal: tip_material] Friction coefficients. "Ruby" is simulated as synthetic diamond properties.
- Cartridge Type (MM / MC / Liner)
[Internal: cart_type] Circuit design. "Liner" operates as MI type internally. MM enables specific high-freq compensation.
- stylus_weight
[Internal: stylus_weight] Tracking force in grams. Distortion increases if outside the optimal range.
- Cart Gain
[Internal: cart_output_mv] Cartridge output voltage. Determines the input gain into the electrical simulation.
- Position
[Internal: inner_groove_pos] Playback position (0-100%). Distortion worsens towards the inner groove (100).
4. Noise System (Noise Block)
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- Click
[Internal: click_gain] Volume of transient click noise from scratches or dust.
- Dust
[Internal: dust_density] Frequency or density of click noise occurrences.
- Rumble
[Internal: rumble_amt] Level of low-frequency rumble transmitted from the motor or bearings.
- Charge
[Internal: static_charge] Probability of spike noise generated by static electricity.
- Surface
[Internal: surface_noise_lvl] Steady surface noise level from needle/groove friction.
- Leak
[Internal: hum_leak_lvl] Level of power supply hum (50/60Hz).
5. Amp, EQ & Output (Right UI Block)
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- Preamp Type (Tube / Solid / Opamp)
[Internal: preamp_type] Preamp distortion characteristics. Tube provides warmth, Solid provides harder clipping.
- Rec Gain
Input stage attenuator at the very start of the device. Adjust this to control the saturation level in the Drive stage.
- LoFi
[Internal: lofi_tone] When ON, drastically cuts high frequencies for a vintage sampler-like texture.
- RIAA
[Internal: riaa_correction] Amount of RIAA equalization. 100% is normal; 0% results in a thin, treble-heavy sound.
- Drive
[Internal: preamp_drive] Input saturation amount. Increases analog-style saturation.
- Hi / Mid / Lo
[Internal: eq_treble_db, eq_mid_db, eq_bass_db] 3-band output EQ (±20dB).
- Master
[Internal: out_gain] Final output level.
- CrossTalk
[Internal: crosstalk_lvl] Signal leakage between L/R channels. Higher values narrow the stereo image.
- SubCut
[Internal: subsonic_cutoff] Subsonic cut. Suppresses unwanted woofer wobble caused by record warping.
6. Hidden Parameters (Automation Only)
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These parameters are not on the GUI but can be controlled individually via automation.
- motor_poles
Number of motor poles. Changing this alters the cogging noise period, changing the "grain" of rotation.
- startup_transient
Needle stability at start. Higher values make rotation more unstable immediately after playback starts.
- warp_resonance
The strength of how much record warping shakes the tone arm. Higher values cause more intense modulation.
- arm_eff_mass
Effective mass of the tone arm. Together with stylus compliance, it determines the system's resonant frequency.
- stylus_compliance
Flexibility of the needle tip. Balance with arm mass affects tracking and specific low-freq emphasis.
- arm_damping
Damping of the tone arm resonance. Lower values let the resonance ring out longer.
- arm_resonance_boost
Artificially boosts arm resonance to simulate old or degraded equipment.
- anti_skating
Compensation for inward force. Affects L/R volume balance and asymmetry in distortion.
- vta_angle
Vertical Tracking Angle. Reproduces distortion caused by mismatch with the original cutting angle.
- azimuth_deg
Needle tilt (azimuth). Causes phase shifts and signal leakage between channels.
- cart_inductance_mh
Cartridge inductance. Forms the basis for electrical high-frequency roll-off.
- load_capacitance_pf
Load capacitance (including cable). Creates a specific resonance peak in the high frequencies.
- load_resistance_ohm
Load resistance. Determines electrical damping (Q) and the sharpness of the high-freq peak.
- mm_resonance_freq
Electrical resonance frequency specific to Moving Magnet types.
- mm_resonance_q
Sharpness (Q) of the MM electrical resonance. High values significantly boost specific high frequencies.
- vinyl_temp_c
Record temperature. Changes material hardness, subtly affecting damping and noise texture.
- press_era
Pressing era. Scales differences in record thickness and material compounds.
- click_decay_ms
Decay of click noise. Shorter for sharp "ticks," longer for softer "thumps."
- click_stereo
Stereo width of click noise. 1.0 means clicks are fully scattered across L/R.
- hum_freq_sel
Base hum frequency. Choose between 50Hz (East JP/EU) or 60Hz (West JP/US).
- hum_harmonic3
Mix ratio of the 3rd harmonic (150Hz/180Hz). Higher values make the hum sound brighter.
- grounding_quality
Quality of the ground connection. Lower values result in significantly louder hum.
- signal_noise_amt
Friction noise that occurs in proportion to the signal amplitude.
- azimuth_xtalk
Frequency-dependent crosstalk caused by azimuth misalignment.
- input_sat
Direct saturation applied to the input signal, separate from the Preamp Drive.
- master_wet
Mix ratio between the processed (wet) signal and original (dry) signal.
- channel_balance
Final output balance between Left and Right channels.