Cycle v1.3 - updated interface, infinite unison, new mod matrix

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Hello KVRtists, Cycle is updated to version 1.3 and there are some exciting new things to play with.

Unified Interface:

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- everything available on one screen if you have the space (the plugin must be 720px and higher)
- new vertex cube visualization shows it's range in the morphing space and which of its vertices are selected
- updated widgets and controls
- panels show their name when you mouse over


Modulation Matrix

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The modulation matrix lets you assign a multitude of controller inputs to the different red/blue morphing positions of individual layers. Uhh... still with me?

Here's an example, if the volume envelope morphs from staccato to legato along the red range, you can assign MIDI cc #X to it's red position; and if the envelope morphs to a tremolo shape along the blue range, you can assign a different MIDI cc #Y to its blue position. Now CC's X and Y are mapped to high-level aspects of the sound.

Spectral magnitude/phase layers, waveshape layers, and envelopes have 2 free morphing ranges named red and blue. Each morphing range of each layer of each of these domains can be mapped to a different controller.
In effect, you can now map inputs to high-level aspects of the voice that are built into the preset, like breathiness, vibrato, snappiness, and so on.
Each CC number up to 100 and regular modulation inputs (note velocity, key scale, mod wheel, etc) can be used to control one or many things.

This audio clip demonstrates how using the matrix and automating different MIDI CC's from the host changes between staccato and legato notes, breathiness and smoothness, tremolo strength, and different accents in the voice.

http://www.amaranthaudio.com/data/audio/ModMatrix.mp3


Unlimited Voice Unison

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The unison unit now has two modes: group and single. Group mode is the conventional state with controls that change the unison voices in ensemble.

Single mode lets you set the pan, phase, and detune of each individual voice, and the number of possible voices is limitless (in theory, your computer will die at some point).
Here's an audio clip with a 36-voice saw-tooth followed by a 15-voice string preset:

http://www.amaranthaudio.com/data/audio/Unison.mp3


Deformer Random Offset

This feature is another slider on the deformer window and it is used to add a random DC offset to the deformer path.

In practice, depending on where the deformer is assigned, you can make random things happen like wave-shapes changing in shape slightly, harmonic phases shifting, or filters moving up or down in frequency.

Each time a note is triggered the offset is randomised. This is important to deal with the "machine-gun" effect that plagues some types of sounds.
This is an example of the difference on a guitar preset -- the MIDI score is unchanged in the first and second part:

http://www.amaranthaudio.com/data/audio/MachineGun.mp3




And finally, just for fun here are two tracks I'm working on using Cycle in a mixed setting
http://www.amaranthaudio.com/data/audio/Cosmium.mp3 (nb: pad is a sample in this one)
http://www.amaranthaudio.com/data/audio/Serrated2.mp3
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Oh my. Unified interface = :love: Need to read the rest again to take it all in, but plenty of exciting news. :tu: Downloading in a a few secs. :wheee:

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It's still awfully dark and without contrasts . . :(

Could you please take into account that there are (older) people with 'less than perfect' eyesight??

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Nominated to ugliest interface of the year! :tu:

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And that's a shame because sonically it is a very interesting synth! :shrug:

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I would love to get this, but a) I'm not sure I understand how it works, and b) I think it is a little too expensive. Are there ever sales on this synth?

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bharris22 wrote:I would love to get this, but a) I'm not sure I understand how it works, and b) I think it is a little too expensive. Are there ever sales on this synth?
Hi Bharris, I've updated the online help recently which should aid in understanding it. Also there's a few introduction videos on youtube here.

No I don't plan on any sales for the foreseeable future. Looking at the competition, or any metric, I think it's quite a bargain. But what we're looking for in a synth is always subjective to our styles and needs so if it's not that valuable to you that's ok.
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DavenH wrote:Hi Bharris, I've updated the online help recently which should aid in understanding it. Also there's a few introduction videos on youtube here.
Wow! Thanks for all the hard work on this.I still have a good feeling about Cycle's potential, but the rather logarithmic learning curve isn't for everyone. Looking forward to reaching a functional plateau... ;)

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if I want to see what the new version is like will it overwrite the old version or provide a 2nd version to use.

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There seems to be a problem with two pages in the new docs: on the User Interface and Workflow pages, the right column covers the the right end of the left column. FYI...

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Breeze wrote:There seems to be a problem with two pages in the new docs: on the User Interface and Workflow pages, the right column covers the the right end of the left column. FYI...
Thanks I'll fix that. Is that Firefox?

yessongs wrote:if I want to see what the new version is like will it overwrite the old version or provide a 2nd version to use.
It will overwrite if you install into the same folders as you did before. If you want to keep the current version you'll need to specify different folders for the plugin and standalone in the installer. Note that the uninstaller (either new or old) will only remove the files from the latest installation. In any event if you don't like it you can use the v1.2 installer to overwrite it again.
Maybe I should I put a date on the installers like CycleInstallerMay17.exe so users can keep track?
Slarti wrote:.
It's still awfully dark and without contrasts . . :(

Could you please take into account that there are (older) people with 'less than perfect' eyesight??
Which parts of the interface have too little contrast? Generally, small text is something like html #a5a5a5 on a #232323 background, which is pretty bright. Bigger text, like on the effects title, is less contrast but bolder so is it not legible? Might be that my monitor just renders greys differently.
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DavenH wrote:Thanks I'll fix that. Is that Firefox?
Yup. PC. W7-64.

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I can confirm that the UI is very dark without much contrast.

It currently looks like this:
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But on my screen it would look better like this:
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You might have set your monitor brightness and contrast settings very hight for a rather bright environment but actually work in a not so bright environment?
Last edited by helium on Sun May 18, 2014 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Slarti wrote:.
It's still awfully dark and without contrasts . . :(
Slarti wrote:.
And that's a shame because sonically it is a very interesting synth! :shrug:
+1 for both statements..

...my 55 years old eyes are suffering, unfortunately !

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helium wrote:I can confirm that the UI is very dark without much contrast.

It currently looks like this:
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But on my screen it would look better like this:
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Ditto. The above "preference" is quite profoundly less straining/fatiguing, for me as well. I personally love the GUI {waveforms!}, and that *wow factor* is not lost, with the above change.

:tu:
Last edited by Shabdahbriah on Sun May 18, 2014 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'm not a musician, but I've designed sounds that others use to make music. http://soundcloud.com/obsidiananvil

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