Flesh

Native Instruments' FLESH represents a genuinely novel approach to sample manipulation and performance synthesis. Rather than operating as a traditional effects processor, FLESH functions as an intelligent resynthesis engine that analyzes incoming audio material and reconstructs it through four distinct synthesis layers: Sample, Monosynth, Polysynth, and Subsynth engines. The plugin automatically extracts transient data and spectral information from up to 12 loaded samples, converting this analysis into modulation curves and pitch triggers that drive regeneration across these engines.

The technical execution is sophisticated. The Monosynth engine rebuilds wavetables from your source material to generate monophonic sequences with harmonic fidelity to the original, while the Polysynth layer employs granular synthesis to derive chord progressions and harmonic foundations. The Subsynth generates bass frequencies from extracted pitch data, and the Sample Engine allows direct sonic manipulation through transient compression and modulation. An unusually characterful effects section - essentially a heavily modulated dub delay - can itself be modulated by the curves extracted from your samples, creating feedback loops between analysis and processing.

FLESH suits producers working primarily with short melodic or percussive samples who want rapid harmonic and rhythmic expansion without deep synthesis knowledge. Its strength lies in generating genuinely musical variations that maintain tonal relationships to source material rather than generating abstract textures. Among resynthesis tools, FLESH distinguishes itself through its emphasis on hands-on performance and its four-layered approach, though users seeking granular texture work or radical sound design might find its constraints somewhat prescriptive.