Fxpansion Strobe 2 is available

[himalaya]

I absolitely love the sound of this thing. In term of sounds i preffer this over many others. But for the life of me i cant understand the mod matrix, and is not that i cant figure it, is just that its too horrible! I have to click and click and click and click and if you click in the wrong place you just mapped something you didnt want to map! I just cant take it!!!
Will there ever be a synth that sounds great and i dont have to use my mouse all the time?!?!?!?!?!

Hey,
I really feel sorry that you find the mod system in Strobe somehow not workable. When I started working with the DCAM synths back in 2009, I instantly fell in love with the way it does modulation. I really feel it's the best modulation system for a one-page GUI. For me, it also beats the current and very similar approach with drag&drop as seen in a few synths recently (many reasons for it but I won't go into it here).

In terms of assigning a modulation by mistake....I can't recall that's ever happened to me, but of course it's not an excuse if it happens to you. All I can recommend is to aim for the middle of the knob/slider to change its value. If you do assign modulation by mistake, use he right click ' reset modulation' option rather then manually do it. It's quicker.

However, coming back to the mechanics of the mod system itself...think about it....it does not separate the actual GUI into the 'parameters' that you tweak to get a sound, and a 'mod matrix' which lives separately from the main parameters, ie: the knobs an sliders...so this unified design is simply superb for very fast and intuitive modulation experiments: select a mod source and apply modulation to any and every dial and slider in front of you. Simply, one does not need to think where to apply the mod source!

This is an ingenious design. It invites experimentation in a way that a 'mod matrix' design can never achieve, since the mod matrix separates your workflow and tells you to abandon the main knobs and sliders and go on a hunting mission in a separate spreadsheat-like window to apply modulation. I think the 'mod matrix' is archaic in comparison. It follows the 1980's hardware way of working too closely and I bet it would fail any professional UX design tests today (that is, a non-synth UX designer would fail it on usability tests - I have seen it happen actually).

I'm a great believer in this 'FXpansion-mod-system' and really wish more companies would use it. I also think it's a much better system for newcomers then the mod matrix design, since you just 'point and shoot', as it were, without the need to have to decipher a long list of mod matrix entries.

Anyway, apologies for such a long post, as a 'Transmod' believer I would go up the tallest mountain to proclaim its advantages.

[zvenx]

Don't even get him started on cypher
rsp

[himalaya]

Cypher 2, that is....

[pdxindy]

Cypher 2, that is....

How are you liking Cypher 2 (assume you are testing it)? I'm keen on that one!

[zvenx]

Cypher 2, that is....

wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more say no more
rsp

[Ah_Dziz]

Cypher 2, that is....

Did they send out betas? I'm supposed to be on the list. I got to follow up on that if so.

[100F]

I absolitely love the sound of this thing. In term of sounds i preffer this over many others. But for the life of me i cant understand the mod matrix, and is not that i cant figure it, is just that its too horrible! I have to click and click and click and click and if you click in the wrong place you just mapped something you didnt want to map! I just cant take it!!!
Will there ever be a synth that sounds great and i dont have to use my mouse all the time?!?!?!?!?!

Hey,
I really feel sorry that you find the mod system in Strobe somehow not workable. When I started working with the DCAM synths back in 2009, I instantly fell in love with the way it does modulation. I really feel it's the best modulation system for a one-page GUI. For me, it also beats the current and very similar approach with drag&drop as seen in a few synths recently (many reasons for it but I won't go into it here).

In terms of assigning a modulation by mistake....I can't recall that's ever happened to me, but of course it's not an excuse if it happens to you. All I can recommend is to aim for the middle of the knob/slider to change its value. If you do assign modulation by mistake, use he right click ' reset modulation' option rather then manually do it. It's quicker.

However, coming back to the mechanics of the mod system itself...think about it....it does not separate the actual GUI into the 'parameters' that you tweak to get a sound, and a 'mod matrix' which lives separately from the main parameters, ie: the knobs an sliders...so this unified design is simply superb for very fast and intuitive modulation experiments: select a mod source and apply modulation to any and every dial and slider in front of you. Simply, one does not need to think where to apply the mod source!

This is an ingenious design. It invites experimentation in a way that a 'mod matrix' design can never achieve, since the mod matrix separates your workflow and tells you to abandon the main knobs and sliders and go on a hunting mission in a separate spreadsheat-like window to apply modulation. I think the 'mod matrix' is archaic in comparison. It follows the 1980's hardware way of working too closely and I bet it would fail any professional UX design tests today (that is, a non-synth UX designer would fail it on usability tests - I have seen it happen actually).

I'm a great believer in this 'FXpansion-mod-system' and really wish more companies would use it. I also think it's a much better system for newcomers then the mod matrix design, since you just 'point and shoot', as it were, without the need to have to decipher a long list of mod matrix entries.

Anyway, apologies for such a long post, as a 'Transmod' believer I would go up the tallest mountain to proclaim its advantages.

Hey! thank you! dont be sorry! I've actually come to peace with strobe. Im seriously considering forking out on this just on the basis of the incredible depth and fatness it can achieve. I think i honestly prefer this to diva.

Leaving the mod matrix aside, the basic synth engine is simple yet powerful enough for me. And i actually see the benefit in the transmod system, i just wished i could do all assignments via midi. See i have a custom intermediary midi program betwen ableton and my custom midi controller which features 8 endless knobs which at the press of a button change the message they send. Its scripted in javascript so is very flexible, and almost rids me of having to use my mouse at all.

Thats why i feel certain displeasure when having to reach for the mouse for things like this. It would be AWESOME if any of the top tier synths out there allowed for total midi control, including things like this.

Take MASSIVE for an instance which does allow a great deal of midi control, but lacks midi assignment for waveshape selection, and whats worse, does not allow to change the current view (chosing which envelope, lfo etc page is shown). Another one is Dune, which allows for maping of all the synth parameters except for the modulaiton matrix. I could go on and on about this for i have spent a great deal of time trying lots and lots of synths with various levels of satisfaction. So far, my favorite one in terms of usability is Synth1, which sports a decent sound engine, but i wish i could use someting bigger like strobe.

I just cant believe no devs think of usability strategies when it comes to their plugins, a lot could be achieved. A greater user experience, easier sound design, more creative sound design.. etc and you as a dev dont have to do an awful lot more to allow for this.

When you set up the things in the way you like and you dont have to waste time and deviate your attention to pointing the mouse, creativity flurishes! Think of hardware synths, its not always their sound engine what hooks you up, but how easy it is to operate them.

I can design stuff in synth1 with my eyes closed now, but like i said, i need something that sounds better.


Thanks for taking the time to reply. I hope you have a good day.

[100F]

Don't even get him started on cypher
rsp

FM isnt really my cuppa tea. XD too much knobbin around.

[Uncle E]

Did they send out betas?

Yes

[Ah_Dziz]

Did they send out betas?

Yes

[himalaya]

Don't even get him started on cypher
rsp

FM isnt really my cuppa tea. XD too much knobbin around.

It's only one knob (for FM) with Cypher! Very easy but so good sounding!

Although, it can get much more elaborate with TransMod which allows to use every oscillator for FM.

[Benjamin923]

Around when did they send betas out? Is it still getting regularly updated?

[masterhiggins]

Around when did they send betas out? Is it still getting regularly updated?

February 2016 I believe. At least that's when I got my first beta e-mail.

[pdxindy]

I just cant believe no devs think of usability strategies when it comes to their plugins, a lot could be achieved. A greater user experience, easier sound design, more creative sound design.. etc and you as a dev dont have to do an awful lot more to allow for this.

When you set up the things in the way you like and you dont have to waste time and deviate your attention to pointing the mouse, creativity flurishes! Think of hardware synths, its not always their sound engine what hooks you up, but how easy it is to operate them.

Just because they come to different conclusions than you do, does not mean no devs think of usability strategies.

I find 8 knobs for controlling softsynths awful and far prefer the mouse. Having 20, 30, 40 or more pages of 8 parameters is a terrible workflow imo. I find the mouse 10x faster than that. Plus lots of synths allow user drawn waveforms, lfo shapes etc. Some knobs cannot accomplish that at all.

Likewise, if a hardware synth had only 8 knobs, it would not be appealing for sound design. The easiest to use hardware has or comes close to having knob per parameter interfaces. For example, the upcoming Waldorf Quantum has roughly 75 knobs, 35 buttons plus a good sized touch screen for the stuff the knobs cannot do. It looks really enticing as a synth interface. If it had 8 parameter knobs with lots of pages to scroll through, I would never even think about it as a purchase.

[100F]

I just cant believe no devs think of usability strategies when it comes to their plugins, a lot could be achieved. A greater user experience, easier sound design, more creative sound design.. etc and you as a dev dont have to do an awful lot more to allow for this.

When you set up the things in the way you like and you dont have to waste time and deviate your attention to pointing the mouse, creativity flurishes! Think of hardware synths, its not always their sound engine what hooks you up, but how easy it is to operate them.

Just because they come to different conclusions than you do, does not mean no devs think of usability strategies.

I find 8 knobs for controlling softsynths awful and far prefer the mouse. Having 20, 30, 40 or more pages of 8 parameters is a terrible workflow imo. I find the mouse 10x faster than that. Plus lots of synths allow user drawn waveforms, lfo shapes etc. Some knobs cannot accomplish that at all.

Likewise, if a hardware synth had only 8 knobs, it would not be appealing for sound design. The easiest to use hardware has or comes close to having knob per parameter interfaces. For example, the upcoming Waldorf Quantum has roughly 75 knobs, 35 buttons plus a good sized touch screen for the stuff the knobs cannot do. It looks really enticing as a synth interface. If it had 8 parameter knobs with lots of pages to scroll through, I would never even think about it as a purchase.

Well the way i've approached this is using high resolution rotary encoders and i actually have two sets of 5 which makes ten. one above the other.

each of these sets can change banks independently, so the top row can edit the filter freq, res, env amt, trackint etc.. while the other set does the filter envelope, but if you press one of the buttons to change banks it changes to amp env while the other set remains locked to filter settings.

one knob per parameter isnt always the best, cause it takes a lot of space. And sometimes having to actually scan across the interfase for a particular knob takes more time than it should.

I will probably upload a video of my conceptual controller once i give it a nice looking case, since its basically too ugly (but useful) in its current state. I made it with arduino.

Im really interested in pushing a new paradigm of usability for vsts, i think we're already there in terms of sound, there are tons of great sounding plugins out there, but the user experience is still lacking.

cheers!