Phonec has been updated to v1.2

Here's what's new in this version:

-Improved Melt function with two modes: Circuit(internal oscillator based modulation) and Tape(post-delay outboard pitch-shifter based effect)
-Phonec can now be used as an FX unit, allowing external audio to pass through the Melt effect as well as the Echoshifter
-Added Jump and Buffer controls to Melt panel
-Melt Amp can now go to 0 to turn off
-Updated patch system: click patch name to rename for easier creation of patch banks
-Added new X-wave function to Oscillator Combiner
-Added new waveforms: Peak, Organ and Cluster
-Added post-highpass filter after main filter
-Fixed Oscillator Sync not working properly
-Fixed cpu spikes when using Echoshifter
-Volume control is now linear
-Sub Osc now goes to 12
-Osc1/2 levels now default to 8
-Various GUI updates
-Various small bug fixes

Read more about phonec and download a demo version here:
http://www.psychicmodulation.com/phonec.html

Existing customers:
If you have not received an email regarding the new version, send me a PM and I'll get it to you.
Last edited by jack [psychicmodulation] on Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:12 am; edited 1 time in total

Thanks for the great update service with mail and everything, and for still improving Phonec at all Other developers throw their synths onto the market and then leave them there for years without any updates, like, hey, what do you want, it has been perfect from the very start
I appreciate the changes you made, especially the additional HP filter comes in handy.
The cluster waveform I already know from CK's synths. Will test the new features tomorrow...

Um, regarding the FX thingy, should Phonec also show up in my DAW's effect VST list? It doesn't as far as I can see...

Your welcome


No, it's still a VSTi, but has the ability to act as an effect by routing audio into it's inputs. Check out this tutorial I just posted:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=370330

A few teeny tiny itsy bitsy little things I noticed:

The Random setting in the sequencer doesn't seem to work.

There seems to be a big volume drop when switching Melt from Circuit to Tape mode.

When using the arpeggiator with the Gate at 100% patches with percussion style envelopes (e.g. sustain at 0 and decay and release set the same) tend to go silent after the first "arp." This is actually not a bug at all, but it can be confusing. Maybe there could be a setting so the arpeggiator always re-triggers the note?

Thanks.

Well you're right about the Random setting on the sequencer, but I'm not experiencing any of the other problems. I don't notice any volume change at all when switching melt modes, and just played several arps with full gate and no sustain. All retriggered just fine, even when switching from poly to mono to legato. What patch were you using? Also, what host?

Thanks for the input.

After some more testing the arp thing seems to be very specific to legato with envelopes like I described earlier. As I said though, it's not really a bug, in fact it's doing exactly what it's made to do. It's just that the arp is playing at the sustain point over and over and when that's at zero it just stays there waiting for a note on signal to come.

The volume difference in Melt modes I can't explain, but it is there for me at least. I also noticed the Echoshifter sounds quieter and threre's a slight comb filter tone to both of them. Maybe some change in the delay had a weird side effect?

I put together a small audio demo that might help:

http://soundcloud.com/joe_m/phonec-testing

The first bit is just a repeated note with the same midi velocity switching between Circuit and Tape modes with the Melt setting at 0 (results were the same with it at 50%). The second part is one sustained chord with the Gate alternating between 90 and 100.

Hosts used were VSTHost and Reaper, patches just some crap I threw together.

Hope that's useful.

Thanks.
Last edited by jPod on Mon Jan 14, 2013 5:11 pm; edited 1 time in total

I did not download your file, seems a nasty site. Why don't you upload it to Soundcloud? That seems a more serious site, just saying...


Anyway, I don't notice any volume difference between Tape and Circuit or Echoshifter on my DAW (Mixcraft) Nor can I detect a comb filter effect Maybe you perceive the deliberate sound manipulation as such a filter effect

My only issue is the GUI, too small, the six sliders in the Melt section are so small I can hardly hit the blue dots.
And the column layout is kind of screwed up, some areas are wider, some narrower, looks a bit sloppy for such a clever synth

PS: I just switched from speakers to headphones and on them I do notice a volume difference between the two melt modes, Circuit is a bit louder. But it's not wild. At first I did not notice the difference, I guess because on the speakers I had kept the volume at max. But when I turned the volume down because of the headphones, I heard the difference. But it disappears when turning the volume to max again. Maybe it has to do with the scale, linear vs whatever... The lower the patch volume in the Master section, the bigger the volume difference between Circuit and Tape.

I also noticed that when sliding all six melt parameters to zero, and turning the melt knob on, there still is the effect to a certain extent. Shouldn't the whole melt section be switched off in that case? I mean, what is being manipulated if not those six parameters set to zero?

Mediafire? I've never had any problems with them as far as malware or anything. I use Firefox with AdBlock Plus installed and pop-up blocking on so I miss a lot of the crap some sites throw at you.



Thanks, I forgot I have a Souncloud account!



I don't think so, I'm using my own init patch with no effects or modulation engaged.

As far as the volume drop, you can actually see it in the recorded waveform. It may be something that only shows up in some confingurations or with specific settings -- I don't know why it happens for me, but it does.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'll have to mess around with this some more and see what I can do.


What you are hearing is the pitch shifter. There is one on the Echoshifter, and I use another for Tape Melt mode. It's the noise that comes along with the pitch shifting effect. It can be somewhat controlled using the 'buffer' slider in the hidden panel.


That's definitely useful. I do hear it, but have yet to recreate it.

Yeah, I had to widen some of them to fit the new controls. Trust me, it was painful. But a sacrifice I had to make. Now those sliders I've had a few complaints about already, so I'll see what I can do.


Ok, I think I just figured it out. I have amp modulation routed differently for each mode. And that's because Circuit is Pre-delay while Tape is Post-delay, in other words Circuit mode modulates the amp before the delay, and Tape after the delay. This would explain the weird volume differences depending on volume level.


This is because these controls are meant to be a subtle extension to the Melt control. Meaning they slightly adjust the given parameters rather than extreme settings that would lose the entire melt effect. I wanted to keep them close in range without straying off too far. I did make the amp slider able to go to 0 (far left) because I could see how that would be desirable to turn off in some instances.

You can have my test patches if that'd help.

Thanks for the explanation.
I am surprised to hear it is so difficult to design the GUI within SE, though Sooner or later I suppose you might have to redesign the already quite crowded interface. I never quite understood why the basic patch aspects like filter and amp envelope are separated from the oscillators by the effects column. Maybe it would make more sense to arrange the various sections according to signal flow. So, the patch manager would go in upper left corner, then come the oscillators, etc.
The Phonec and PM logos consume a lot of precious space. Maybe you could combine them into one logo, Phonec by PM.
Just thoughts and suggestions

By the way, is it possible to add an on/off swith for the arp, in line with the echo shifter and sequencer? Would be more consistent and intuitive

It would be more intuitive. But if I changed it, it would affect patches, unless I can figure a way around any issues. I've achieved this with quite a few other updates so far. The reason it doesn't have a switch like the others is because during beta it was part of the sequencer, I had the two combined and eventually separated them. And I guess I just never got around to making an arp power switch. Anyhow I'll add it to the list.

Ah, ok, that explains it. Since updating while maintaining compatibility might always be a challenge, I am surprised there is no adapter module for SE. A module which adjusts/translates changed existing parameters and adds neutral default values for new controls, etc.