We redesigned Mica

We redesigned Mica, and its panel now looks closer to what the instrument would look like if it were hardware. This is a new direction for Stemwire. This style will gradually be applied to the plugins we have already released, and it will also be used for the plugins we work on next.

What led us to this was the idea that our instruments and effects should be more inspiring, and that having them open in a session should help you stay in the zone. When you open a Stemwire plugin, you should know straight away that it is ours.

It also gives us the freedom to give every instrument we release its own DNA. The next synth in development will be a six-operator FM synth. (In short: Instead of tuning the operators, their ratios and everything else by hand, it will be controlled through macro movements that create very interesting mathematical patterns.) This means it can have a different chassis, and when you open it, it will feel slightly different and have its own personality. Mica will have a different vibe again.

The original design language assumed that every plugin would look more or less the same. Our plugins are built on our own framework to make the user experience as good as possible across all of them. We want to keep that, especially in how the controls behave, so that every Stemwire plugin feels familiar. We are just giving ourselves more visual creative freedom.

The Stemwire website has also been redesigned to give the brand a calmer and more mature look.