FREE BRAINSTORMER synth - sad news :(

[roazhondsp]

I hope you manage to build on some effects in the final version, although right now I have the freedom to put any effect on it I want, so maybe.. just leave them out... But still... a reverb, delay, eq, chorus...

For now I want to focus on the synthesis capabilities. During my recent compositions, I've massively used the synth, and I came to the conclusion that I really need theses things in a near future :
- extend LFO number from 2 to 4
- have a knob to tweak the FM deviation style : between pitched and linear FM
- add a second filter, with filters link & serial/parallel options (also slope selection would be nice)
- distortion, waveshapping, bitcrushing and ratereducing that can be put before, into, or after filter section

Well.. that's a lot to do !

[layzer]

i think the sound of Brainstormer would be greatly ehnhanced by simply adding an onboard chorus like on the Juno 106.

[sinkmusic]

Hi
Thank you for the update.

- extend LFO number from 2 to 4
- have a knob to tweak the FM deviation style : between pitched and linear FM
- add a second filter, with filters link & serial/parallel options (also slope selection would be nice)
- distortion, waveshapping, bitcrushing and ratereducing that can be put before, into, or after filter section

Great roadmap !

[roazhondsp]

Go to hear a 100% brainstormed extract

Great *

[roazhondsp]

As for the GUI, I think the original one is really neat looking, but the current menu slapped on top ruins it I'm sure it's just a matter of time 'til getting fixed, but moving the menu in the box where the synth name currently is and that moved to the upper right might look better. Anyway, the original skinner did a very, very good job

Thanks for the review

Yes the current patch manager GUI is ...ugly ! This will be integrated in a new horizontal bar on top of the synth

[Mc UB]

... Does it work if you put it at another root (D: , E: ..)?

Yes, if I change to another root, it also works. To be sure I deleted a set, and the newly chosen folder in root E: showed up in Brainstormer, minus the deleted files, so it does actually change directory.

... Probably not, I don't think it would be a must have feature, while some other improvements probably are.

Ok, no problem Keep going man, it's a beauty already. I mentioned Brainstormer in the FL forums, and found there are some more FL users in love with Brainstormer already. One of them, M4rv, is featured in Brainstormer with a set of presets (Mark de Schmidt)

- If I create my own folder in the presetfolder, it only shows up (on rescan) if I put it in either Demobanks or Factorybanks, not outside them in the root of the folder (perhaps meant to be like this, just a remark, no bug)

The synth will detect bstp files only if they are located in that kind of path : BankFolder\Bank\Category\*.bstp

This is what I mean, it does not entirely. Bankfolder=BrainStormerBank, right? And in it are two Banks: DemoBank and FactoryBank. All presets are in those two. If I create my own Bank in the root 'BrainStormerBanks' (so next to DemoBank and FactoryBank I put a UbBank) it does not get read. Only if I place my own bank inside DemoBank or FactoryBank. Nevertheless, no biggy, perhaps as intended, I just noticed it.

- What is the function of the far-right input window (the one to the right of the preset-selector with the arrows)

It's dedicated to patch author name. The idea is to have a demo bank with many categories (bass, lead, pad, drums, etc.) where patches I've received are sorted, so you can see who created them by browsing presets. In the current beta version, I've only filled the init patch as I was a bit out of time

Ah, ok, I'll give it a try. If I have some presets I'm happy with, I'll send them to you here or on email. I've got a few already, but I will want some more before I send.

- On scan, FL Studio displays Brainstormer's name in it's database as Brainstormer VST3, but in FL's wrapper settings, I see it's listed as VST 2.4

Strange thing, I'll take a look at this.

For your information: Im only using the X86.dll one, so 32-bit VST 2. No 64-bit or VST3 installed. So the name should read Brainstormer VST2. The FL Wrapper had it correct.

Go to hear a 100% brainstormed extract

Glad you like it. It's been improved upon by now. The bassdrum sounds much better now, as do the snare, hihat and lead sounds. But wait, there's more...!

I'm not a bigtime producer, although I do work as an artist (MC). Creating my own music is as much a hobby and a journey as it is a passion and a dream. Right now, I'm making a full track out of what I posted. It has grown to about 3:30 minutes already It will only feature Brainstormer for any and all sounds, plus effects in the mixer. The only other sounds in it are vocal snippets I recorded myself. If you like the effort, when it's finished you can use it to showcase Brainstormer if you want. Perhaps I'll put it in a Youtube video with a still of Brainstormer on it.

At the moment I'm running 11 Brainstormers in it, and I find adding more hardly raises CPU usage. Is it by any chance sharing resources when more then one instance is running? I estimate I'll be adding about 5 or 6 more.

regards, Frank

[roazhondsp]

Yes, if I change to another root, it also works. To be sure I deleted a set, and the newly chosen folder in root E: showed up in Brainstormer, minus the deleted files, so it does actually change directory.

OK.. I tested the x86 dll on Win 7 with the last FL version, and it worked. So I still need to investigate.. I'll maybe send you a version producing debug traces if I can't find it. You're right about the wrong dll synth name, I hardcoded "BrainStormer VST3" as the synth name

Ok, no problem Keep going man, it's a beauty already. I mentioned Brainstormer in the FL forums, and found there are some more FL users in love with Brainstormer already. One of them, M4rv, is featured in Brainstormer with a set of presets (Mark de Schmidt)

Always great to see that people are enjoying it Yes, this guy sent some really nice presets.

This is what I mean, it does not entirely. Bankfolder=BrainStormerBank, right? And in it are two Banks: DemoBank and FactoryBank. All presets are in those two. If I create my own Bank in the root 'BrainStormerBanks' (so next to DemoBank and FactoryBank I put a UbBank) it does not get read. Only if I place my own bank inside DemoBank or FactoryBank. Nevertheless, no biggy, perhaps as intended, I just noticed it.

Bankfolder=BrainStormerBanks in the zip archive, but you can rename this folder to whatever you want (as long as the path is properly given to the synth when it asks for). Inside this folder, you can put how many banks you want, these banks should have at least one category. A category contains the bstp files.
So BrainStormerBanks\MyBank\MyBestPatchesCategory\MyPreset.bstp is correct but BrainStormerBanks\MyBank\MyPreset.bstp is not.

Ah, ok, I'll give it a try. If I have some presets I'm happy with, I'll send them to you here or on email. I've got a few already, but I will want some more before I send.

Yes send them ! It's not too late !

At the moment I'm running 11 Brainstormers in it, and I find adding more hardly raises CPU usage. Is it by any chance sharing resources when more then one instance is running? I estimate I'll be adding about 5 or 6 more.

Instances are not sharing anything (but windows does not fully load X times the plugin into memory since it's a shared library). I could make them sharing some precomputed stuff to save memory, but that's efforts for no new feature. The only thing you can do is freezing some instances (preferably those who are running many voices at the same time).

Looking forward you track

[Mc UB]

Hi Olivier,

I just sent you 23 preset, on your gmail hope you like them! Most of them are used in the track I'm working on.

I'm ok if you want to send me a debug version if you need, glad to help out if I can.

And ah, ok, I needed another folder to match the path formula for my presets to show up. It works now, thanks for the tip.

And I think you misunderstood me: I wasn't saying Brainstormer is hard on my CPU, quite the contrary: it's very easy on my CPU: I've now got 18 instances running (ok not all at one time) and still got CPU to spare, so no problems! It surprised me how well I can stack them, so I thought maybe they share stuff.

A quick tip for the preset-manager: make a confirmation dialogue on the 'save' function. I think I already by accident overwrote some of the demo presets.

Another confirmation if you tweaked something, didn't save and select another preset would be nice as well, to save from losing tweaked work. Now it just loads the newly selected preset and my work on the previous one is gone.

Also, if I create a preset, and use 'Save as' to save it to my own folder, it should update Brainstormer. Now the name of the previously selected preset stays in the manager, although it was modified and saved under a different name. At least, in many cases it does I think...

So far so good!! I hope to finish my track tomorrow. Don't expect the next Beatport chartbreaker, but it's kind of nice I think. I let myself be inspired by Beach and summer but also a bit of a vintage analogue sound. So far, I'm using 18 Brainstormer instances to create all the sounds in it, from drums to bass, to fx, to leads. The only other sounds are my own vocal snippets. I also didn't use automation, but want all modulations to be done inside Brainstormer. But perhaps I will need a little automation. There are also no audio-mangling fx added. I'm using EQ and compression mostly, with only a few reverb/delay/phaser FX. Risers, drops, filter modulation is all done with Brainstormers LFO's and envelopes.

I'm now adding some fx and filler sounds, so perhaps a few more Brainstormers will come in.

About the envelopes: would it be possible to extend attack/sustain/decay times? Currently it maxes out on 4 seconds. Any risers I program can't exceed 4 seconds (I would have to use automation). Perhaps it's possible to give them a sync mode, like the timing in the LFO's, so you can sync attack time to beats (16 beats to 1/64 beats or so?)

And a question: can you explain how the FM knobs work? Not how FM works, but what do the knobs do? I see 'FM2 AMT', 'FM3 AMT' and 'FM3 01/2'. I figured 'FM2 AMT' is OSC 2 modulating OSC 1 and 'FM3 AMT' is OSC 3 modulating OSC 2? But what about FM3 01/2?

regards, Frank

[Mc UB]

Ok, it took me a day longer to finish, because Image-Line had the utter brutality of releasing FL Studio 12.1 yesterday. This track was started in FL 12.1 beta, carried over to beta 2 and finished in the final 12.1 version of FL.

All sounds you hear -except the vocals obviously- are made by the Brainstormer: 22 instances of it! From the kick, to hihat, clap, bass, leads, noise swooshes, risers, 'glass rain'-fx. No other instrument or sample was used.

Effectwise I've used only EQ, compression, reverb and delay. Apart from a little volume automation no automation was applied to any Brainstormer. All modulation you hear is programmed with the envelopes and LFO's of Brainstormer.

Probably no Beatport chartbreaker, but nonetheless a tribute to Brainstormer. Hence the name.. "Brainstorm"

https://soundcloud.com/unbeliever/brainstorm-preview2

Regards, Frank

[ccDuckett]

All sounds you hear -except the vocals obviously- are made by the Brainstormer: 22 instances of it! From the kick, to hihat, clap, bass, leads, noise swooshes, risers, 'glass rain'-fx. No other instrument or sample was used.

Effectwise I've used only EQ, compression, reverb and delay. Apart from a little volume automation no automation was applied to any Brainstormer. All modulation you hear is programmed with the envelopes and LFO's of Brainstormer.

Wow- someone wanted to make sure they were the first entry when a Brainstormer OSC happens

[Mc UB]

Actually it was more of a challenge for myself. When contests happen I usually find out too late :p

Now I've got this 1-synth-only project, I'm thinking perhaps I will create a few different versions of this, each with only one (different) synth in it. To challenge myself and learn to master various different synths and techniques.

But Brainstormer really got me going, it's really a very intuitive synth to work with, I could get my ideas on sounds down quite easily

regards, Frank

[Pyrotek45]

any plans for unison?

[layzer]

any plans for unison?

although unison is a nice option on any VA, i think the warm sounding oscillators in Brainstormer are better suited for pads.
the mod matrix that allows for alot of movement in the sound contributes to this a well. it kind of reminds
me of my alpha juno2 with the chorus off.

btw, this is my personal skin for this synth, if Oliver decides to make it skinnable, i'll share it.

[roazhondsp]

Hi Olivier,

And I think you misunderstood me: I wasn't saying Brainstormer is hard on my CPU, quite the contrary: it's very easy on my CPU: I've now got 18 instances running (ok not all at one time) and still got CPU to spare, so no problems! It surprised me how well I can stack them, so I thought maybe they share stuff.

Oops, my English is not perfect.. a French habit The instances do not share anything regarding cpu ressources, but I've spent many efforts in optimizing the code (many processing parts use SIMD instructions).

A quick tip for the preset-manager: make a confirmation dialogue on the 'save' function. I think I already by accident overwrote some of the demo presets.

Another confirmation if you tweaked something, didn't save and select another preset would be nice as well, to save from losing tweaked work. Now it just loads the newly selected preset and my work on the previous one is gone.

I'm one of those who think that there's enough confirmation windows everywhere, but yeah it could safer to do like this.

Also, if I create a preset, and use 'Save as' to save it to my own folder, it should update Brainstormer. Now the name of the previously selected preset stays in the manager, although it was modified and saved under a different name. At least, in many cases it does I think...

"Save as" does not "move to", but there's indeed a missed refreshing after saving as.

About the envelopes: would it be possible to extend attack/sustain/decay times? Currently it maxes out on 4 seconds. Any risers I program can't exceed 4 seconds (I would have to use automation). Perhaps it's possible to give them a sync mode, like the timing in the LFO's, so you can sync attack time to beats (16 beats to 1/64 beats or so?)

If I change the current ADSR times, patches from the previous versions will not be compatible. Maybe you can use a very low freq LFO?

And a question: can you explain how the FM knobs work? Not how FM works, but what do the knobs do? I see 'FM2 AMT', 'FM3 AMT' and 'FM3 01/2'. I figured 'FM2 AMT' is OSC 2 modulating OSC 1 and 'FM3 AMT' is OSC 3 modulating OSC 2? But what about FM3 01/2?

Hope this will help :
http://roazhondsp.storm-mastering.com/w ... mplete.jpg

Also as you sent me some kick presets, here is a little trick to make some snappy kicks : by summing OSCx and OSC PITCH in the modulation area, you can double the freq sweep range. Another trick is to change the curve of the pitch envelope with some recursive modulation...

Your track is a very good challenge I think you're the first one making a 100% brainstormed track

[roazhondsp]

any plans for unison?

although unison is a nice option on any VA, i think the warm sounding oscillators in Brainstormer are better suited for pads.
the mod matrix that allows for alot of movement in the sound contributes to this a well. it kind of reminds
me of my alpha juno2 with the chorus off.

It would be really nice.. I first have to find a great algorithm

btw, this is my personal skin for this synth, if Oliver decides to make it skinnable, i'll share it.

What do you mean by skinnable - having pictures out of the binary? You can share the modified binary, no prob What about not taking any of the colors of the original skin (orange & green)?