X-Wheel of Fortune





AlgoMusic is happy to host X-Wheel of Fortune by H.G. Fortune, which is an algorithmic pattern-based music system as a free vsti-plugin for Windows.
It comprises 3 editable synth-parts (bass, solo & pad) and one percussion part (standard wav-file loadable, each with tune, pan & volume).

The X-Wheel of Fortune music system is capable of generating a wide variety of facinating music based on very few input-data. Thus you can let it play and let "the flux flow" or control it at realtime via MIDI/Keyboard for instant transposition. Settings of 9 different musical scales is supported, a complete
mixersection offers for all parts temposynced delays.

Download it here

http://www.algomusic.nl/freeware.html

(3.56Mb, including manual in PDF format)

Additional info is available here: http://www.flomo-art.de/se

The integrated soundbank comprises 128 patches by Tim Conrardy, Carlos Needham, Vera V. and H.G. Fortune

Be sure to also check out our products page regarding the popular M42 Nebula VSTi.

http://www.algomusic.nl/products.html

You can download the M42 Nebula demo on the downloads page.

Have fun with X-WOFortune, a wonderfull algorithic synth.

BTW: the first version ( Wheel of Fortune..or WOF for short) is still available and was skinned by UGO. I also did a bank of presets for it available on Patch Arena.

Time to make Music!

TC

I second that..

Not another one. The download did not show up on the http://www.algomusic.nl/freeware.html site. Don't tell me. It is down the bottom somewhere. I seem to have this problem with a few pages. New additions don't show up. Is it really there? Perhaps a direct link would be possible. Looks cool though.

Absolutely wacky... Its like your very own psychedelic-synth-jazz band!

How about all the other modes? dorian, et al?

I liked this when it first came out but didn't it have a different interface? I think I rather liked the old one's looks though I assume the new version has many improvements overall.

Thanks.

edit - ah found a pic on the original page

It did have a different interface. You can look but don't touch here http://www.flomo-art.de/se

sickle666 wrote:

I second that..

I will third that

aMUSEd wrote:

I liked this when it first came out but didn't it have a different interface? I think I rather liked the old one's looks though I assume the new version has many improvements overall. Thanks. edit - ah found a pic on the original page

Yeah

This was the original WOF skinned by UGO. However UGO was too busy to skin the new one, so HG did it himself...and not too bad...lots of parameters on this synth too...and a great percussion module as well...did a few patches called PRC just using that.

and the link IS at the bottom of the freeware page.

Tim

Quote:

and the link IS at the bottom of the freeware page.

Yep. That is where it usually is when it doesn't show up at all in my browser. This is the last thing that shows up for me:

Quote:

String Syntheszer Emulation (no samples here!)of those String Synthesizers of the late 70's made famous by ARP and Solina . The characteristic "ensemble" sound of those machines was not realised by adding expensive oscillators, but by using a (at the time) brand new and relative low cost technology: the BBD chip (Bucket Brigade Device), which was basicly a analog delay line. Included are 40 patches by Tim Conrardy, UGO, Matthew DeMeritt and Dr A. Download v1.1 here.

I have deleted everything in my cach etc and refreshed until the cows came home. Oh well. Such is life.

I don't know what is wrong with your browser, morelia, but I'll pm you the direct link (In case Tim & co. would prefer it wasn't used)

Is there some way to tell this thing to stay in a certain key? Or modes?

just rushed through the first ten presets...

good, good, good.

maybe has a flatty gui, but...wow.
congrats and thanx.

Wow, incredible. I think I know where this is headed and have no fear, I'll have to buy it!

Ok, this puppy has some major coolness happening. Want to have some fun? Pull up eXT and work the preset generator - blend, crossfade, sit back and boggle.

floyd wrote:

I don't know what is wrong with your browser, morelia, but I'll pm you the direct link (In case Tim & co. would prefer it wasn't used)

Our motto is "we aim to please" so here ya go:

http://www.algomusic.nl/ARimages/XWoF-VSTI.zip

RE: scales: theres two modes: ( selected by the top left dialog) You can control the key by the keyboard, meaning, hit a D, and it's in the key of D. or...Keyboard and random mode...which means it changes key when it wants to while you are playing...interesting stuff can be had however.

Also, I selected all my patches for the tempo to be controlled by host. This means you can put in an M42, and everything will be synced up..WATCH OUT!

TC

Thanks Tim

Impressive, man I hope this baby isn't a CPU hog given all the parameters.

Thanks Tim and thanks H.G. Fortune.

Very cool stuff!
Thanks a bunch.

Hi all,

as the author of X-WoF I'd like to answer a few questions.
@xRavenx:

Quote:

Is there some way to tell this thing to stay in a certain key? Or modes?

not really, if you use MIDI/KB=Keyboard mode that's the one you want. But X-WoF will generate further notes around the base-note, well, actually it's the task of this prog
@all:
There are three modes:
MIDI/KB, where is no transposition (except manually by MIDI/KB) and further notes are generated around the base-note
MIDI+Auto offers a "hard"-transposition of +3,+5,+7 and -3 halfnotes in different succession returning to base-note after 12 x of what is set at bars (1B, 2B, 4B or 21)
AutoAlgo is a bit more musical (and tricky) as it refers to the scalesetting for transposing within a specific range. This was a last-minute-addition to the prog which I found quite useful.
Also I did experiment with some kind of "playlist" changing to other programs after x bars, but this could not be solved by now to be in this version as it leads to a major change in structure. So this feature will be in the Pro-Version.

@atomic_afro:
no, it is not a CPU hog although there is a lot of stuff working inside, but very much optimized On my PIV 2.5GHz there is a CPU-load of 10 to 12% normal, ok some times there are peaks up to 20%, but there is no need to have much stuff playing aside of X-WoF as I think

@morelia:

Quote:

look but don't touch here http://www.flomo-art.de/se

what did you mean with that????

cheers
H.G. Fortune

Fortune wrote:

Hi all, as the author of X-WoF I'd like to answer a few questions.

could one use it to just channel the midi data (that WOF probably internally generates) to *other* synths?

sorry if that's a stupid question, seeing i won't be able to download and check it out until i get home...

blixa wrote:

Fortune wrote: Hi all, as the author of X-WoF I'd like to answer a few questions. could one use it to just channel the midi data (that WOF probably internally generates) to *other* synths? sorry if that's a stupid question, seeing i won't be able to download and check it out until i get home...

goood Q..although you would need something like eXT to make use of that function.

TC

blixa wrote:

Fortune wrote: Hi all, as the author of X-WoF I'd like to answer a few questions. could one use it to just channel the midi data (that WOF probably internally generates) to *other* synths?

hmm... X-WoF is generating only MIDI-notes on bass-, solo- and Pad-part but no other MIDI-Data. You need a host like Cubase or MiniHost to make use of these notes eg recording in a different track or driving other synths. I did check this within Cubase SL and Minihost driving an Alesis ION and a JD-800 - my only hardware-synths left

btw. MIDI-Out for the parts is not dependant on Ext/Int setting - the notes are always sent.

cheers
Fortune

I came across the original version of this synth for a while, and even sugested it for Vurt's three hours "assignment": just let it play. It makes lots of fun, although I never saw any serious use for it.

Curious about what this version adds to the first one. Going to download it now.

its a small v

anyway downloadin,rolling will test forthwith

Fortune wrote:

blixa wrote: could one use it to just channel the midi data (that WOF probably internally generates) to *other* synths? hmm... X-WoF is generating only MIDI-notes on bass-, solo- and Pad-part but no other MIDI-Data. You need a host like Cubase or MiniHost to make use of these notes eg recording in a different track or driving other synths. I did check this within Cubase SL and Minihost driving an Alesis ION and a JD-800 - my only hardware-synths left btw. MIDI-Out for the parts is not dependant on Ext/Int setting - the notes are always sent.

whoa! really cool! are the MIDI-out notes sent to distinct MIDI channels? like bass -> ch. 1, solo- to ch. 2, and pad-part to ch. 3?

i'm sorry if you explain that in your manual. i haven't been able to check out this lovely piece you've created, cuz my notebook is broken (), but i am really interested in algorithmic tools, especially when they are so flexible like yours (which with midi out, your synth-jukebox would really be)!

thanks so much for making it available!

Quote:

whoa! really cool! are the MIDI-out notes sent to distinct MIDI channels? like bass -> ch. 1, solo- to ch. 2, and pad-part to ch. 3?

yep, these are the channels for MIDI-out. I had to preselect these channels as having 3 more selectors scattered somewhere on the gui seemed to be a lot more unappropriate.

cheers
Fortune

Fortune wrote:

yep, these are the channels for MIDI-out. I had to preselect these channels as having 3 more selectors scattered somewhere on the gui seemed to be a lot more unappropriate.

argh. i really want to spin that wheel now! f'ing acer notebook to die on me after less than a month.

question: what are your plans for the commercial version? i think at least, it was indicated somewhere in this thread that there is one in the works?



edits: two edits to get my quotes straight... argh, why am i too lazy to press "preview"

blixa wrote:

Fortune wrote: Hi all, as the author of X-WoF I'd like to answer a few questions. could one use it to just channel the midi data (that WOF probably internally generates) to *other* synths? sorry if that's a stupid question, seeing i won't be able to download and check it out until i get home...

Yes works nicely with Energy XT - just uncheck the audio out and route the midi out to the midi in of another VSTi, then connect it's audio out. So far the sound has been interesting but a bit limited with simple VSTi's but I must try this later using Reaktor and some more complex sounds or beats. Might be interesting to use a sampler too.

aMUSEd wrote:

Yes works nicely with Energy XT - just uncheck the audio out and route the midi out to the midi in of another VSTi, then connect it's audio out. So far the sound has been interesting but a bit limited with simple VSTi's but I must try this later using Reaktor and some more complex sounds or beats. Might be interesting to use a sampler too.

As there are only "monophonic" synths working inside of X-WoF there are only quite a few notes on MIDI-Out. The special and "full" sound within X-WoF is mostly caused by the "tricky" delay-settings.

cheers
Fortune

As a fan of the original WoF I like what you've done. Its a shame Ugo doesn't have the time - but I think it'd be quite worth it to make a new interface that better organizes the pieces of XWof as they associate with each other. If you have the interface graphics for the original available AND Ugo would offer his permission, perhaps I could take a crack at putting it over XWof? I'd be more than happy to. Thanks

krhen wrote:

As a fan of the original WoF I like what you've done. Its a shame Ugo doesn't have the time - but I think it'd be quite worth it to make a new interface that better organizes the pieces of XWof as they associate with each other. If you have the interface graphics for the original available AND Ugo would offer his permission, perhaps I could take a crack at putting it over XWof? I'd be more than happy to. Thanks

If using the graphics from the former WoF you'd have to double the screensize.
And I don't think many would like to switch each synth-part seperately onscreen in a common area for editing. This would have been the alternative consequence.

cheers
Fortune

No I don't think so. I'd keep it the same size more or less. Idea would be the wheel in the middle with the parts around it. I think it could work (but won't know unless I try

krhen wrote:

No I don't think so. I'd keep it the same size more or less. Idea would be the wheel in the middle with the parts around it. I think it could work (but won't know unless I try

Each of former WoF's skin knobs is 32x32 pixel, the current have only 21x21 pixel, sliders use even more space onscreen due to heigth. Now You may do a calculation. Or use a screenshot of the former WoF, cut out elements needed and try to do a gui within a graphics prog. You'd surely exceed the measures (width & heigth) of X-WoF.

cheers
Fortune

Quote:

Now You may do a calculation

Or I might shrink whatever components need to be shrinked. Maybe I will mock one up from the screenscrape of the original...

Killer-app!!!

Last night I've played around with it in chainer, clicking extensively the random-button, till I heard something I like (almost after every third click ), tweaked it a bit and recorded it. Then I put the wavs in my beloved MAGIX CLEANING LAB DELUXE 2004 (great low-cost mastering tool, don't be fooled by the fancy GUI), started chainer within (in chainer : first effect ambiance (subtile settings), second one EnergizeII, export the wav and burned it as an audioCD.

Amount of time : 3hrs.
Result : Absolute professional sounding CD with musical textures, ready for using as soundtrack or backgroundmusic or chillout or whatever... (maybe I should sell this as a sample-CD... ).

Not bad....

Lovely! I really like this one. This is the kind of vsti that runs alone for itself. Its plain fun just listening to its constantly evolving soundscapes.

Keep up the great work!

BMX

Thanks for the great response to X-Wheel of Fortune.
Let me know what features You'd like to see in the ProVersion.

Thanks
Fortune

Fortune wrote:

Thanks for the great response to X-Wheel of Fortune. Let me know what features You'd like to see in the ProVersion. Thanks Fortune

How about seperate outputs for Bass, Solo, Pad and Perc?

copy

specify sequence length w/save as .mid w/separate .mid tracks ...

Hi,
- separate out for each part is already on the list.

- Specifying length is something I have in mind as well, but I'm still pondering on a solution for integrating this userfriendly so there won't be 1001 buttons on the gui.

- Saving as MIDI-file will not be possible as there is no such module within SE. But anyway one can record the MIDI out into a different track, save as format 0 an reimport to be split by channel. Most sequencers can do this.

cheers
Fortune

Fortune wrote:

Hi, - separate out for each part is already on the list.

Thanks!

Wow, this looks and sounds pretty intersting

Nice one Tim and DrA

JIm

I'd just like to remind users of X-WoF to send me patches, so we can build new banks for free download.

Thanx
Fortune

X-Wheel of Fortune Pro is getting nearer. You can check the first details on my updated Algorithmic VSTi website
www.flomo-art.de/se

comments are welcome - as it has a new skin also.

cheers
H.G. Fortune

btw. I'll be out till sunday night (GMT-1)

Personally, I'd rather de-code the Human Genome with a can opener & tweezers than try & program this monster..I don't know how those great presets were made in the Algo release; I would have had a nervous breakdown way before I came to terms with it, but it's one of the more amazing creations I have come across & I am most definately instrested in the Pro version.

Congrats on a true mind-bender!

Great work, I really enjoy the presets! Thanks!

sickle666 wrote:

Personally, I'd rather de-code the Human Genome with a can opener & tweezers than try & program this monster..I don't know how those great presets were made in the Algo release; I would have had a nervous breakdown way before I came to terms with it, but it's one of the more amazing creations I have come across & I am most definately instrested in the Pro version. Congrats on a true mind-bender!

thanx ... well, to me it has been only at times a rather difficult part/task to find certain solutions having that machine the way it works. If one has found out some specific basic clues it is mostly a matter of evolution and eg. one feature gives ideas to new ones. Looking back it started with a quite simple machine although a larger structure was already behind that one ... the development was interrupted for several reasons then but about 8 weeks ago I was able to catch up again and the flux was there as well ... I need that continous flux for taht kind of work


cheers
Fortune