SQ80 emulating VSTi available

[DuX]

So how would you deal with one stereo output in a mix, having SQ8X playing a bassline, a string and a lead? Currently I have to deal with Rapture by rendering different parts... now if that's not messy I don't know what is .

If we get those multiple outs, all you have to do is - don't use them if you really don't need them. Simple as that. Many other people would find them extremely useful when mixing sounds in real time, for EQ, compressors, reverbs, saturators and whatnot and as I said, multitimbral instruments with multiple outputs are extremely rare [Komplexer, PPG, Tera, VAZ Modular AFAIK], this could be a big plus for SQ8X so you don't have to load multiple instances and waste resources for nothing. The only VSTi synths [samplers and drum machines are a different story] that are working fully multitimbrally and have a separate output per program are actually just Tera and VAZ... that's a big shame if you ask me. I would really like to see more multitimbral/multioutput VST's like Tera.

No wonder I was always buying module versions of synths instead of keyboards, purely because of multiple outputs on modules so I'm kinda used to having those... it's a must for a trouble free mix with lots of sounds.

Cheers!

[AdmiralQuality]

Why not just load a separate instrument instance for each sound? Each sound usually has it's own MIDI track anyway.

The only instruments where I really understand the need for multiple outs are drum machines. Or maybe an orchestral ensemble or something like that. Or a sample player. Cases where there's some reason to have disparate instrument sounds coming from the same plug-in. But there's no need to make most software instruments multi-timbral. They already are simply by loading more instances.

Same with splits or layers. In hardware they're vital. In software, that should be in the realm of your host, not the plug-ins.

I suppose there's one argument for poly-timbral software instruments, to save memory of loading separate instances. But for a .dll thats less than a megabyte in size, who really cares? You have THOUSANDS of megabytes of RAM in your DAW.

*********

One more request: Parameter Inc/Dec buttons like the originals had. Sometimes it's easier to step through discreet values rather than trying to get the slider (or now, knobs) in just the right position.

[audiojunkie]

Why not just load a separate instrument instance for each sound? Each sound usually has it's own MIDI track anyway.

The only instruments where I really understand the need for multiple outs are drum machines. Or maybe an orchestral ensemble or something like that. Or a sample player. Cases where there's some reason to have disparate instrument sounds coming from the same plug-in. But there's no need to make most software instruments multi-timbral. They already are simply by loading more instances.

Same with splits or layers. In hardware they're vital. In software, that should be in the realm of your host, not the plug-ins.

I suppose there's one argument for poly-timbral software instruments, to save memory of loading separate instances. But for a .dll thats less than a megabyte in size, who really cares? You have THOUSANDS of megabytes of RAM in your DAW.

*********

One more request: Parameter Inc/Dec buttons like the originals had. Sometimes it's easier to step through discreet values rather than trying to get the slider (or now, knobs) in just the right position.

Hey Admiral,

It sounds to me that you are not only a software developer, but a user and a fan of VSTs too. I think that's cool!

--Sean

We now return to our regularly scheduled topic.

[AdmiralQuality]

Hey Admiral,

It sounds to me that you are not only a software developer, but a user and a fan of VSTs too. I think that's cool!

--Sean

Yup, I'm a user first. Been playing synths since I was 14 in the early 80s. I've probably been designing Poly-Ana's voice architecture in my head since then too.

That's why I made Poly-Ana. For MYSELF. Not because somebody hired me to.

My programming career before Admiral Quality was mostly graphics and image processing oriented. Film/video, multimedia, and eventually Web applications. I'm not formally qualified in any way to be writing DSP code, and frankly I didn't think I had enough math to code something like a filter. Then one day, bored and out of work, just for fun I sat down with the VST SDK to see if I could code a simple low pass filter. 2 days later I had the Naive LPF/SCAMP filter design and it sounded better to my ears than any other vintage filter emulation plug-in. So I figured, the filter is the only hard part of a synth, I'll just fill in the remaining 10%! (That remaining 10% took the rest of a year to get to the first Beta release! And 6 months more to version 1.0 That's what happens when your "ultimate" synth architecutre turns out to have over 185 controls. )

But to your point, yes, this is one of the problems with many of the "big boy" companies. The designers aren't programmers, and the programmers don't know anything about music or the instruments they're emulating. So a lot gets lost in translation between them.

Most of the small companies though are probably a lot like me. We're musicians ourselves, actually use the products we make, and do it for love of music, not because our boss told us to. I'm sure Sigi is in that camp too.

And, while I was certainly inspired by many of the existing products, I wasn't a "fan" of many (I'm a prick like that, that's why I'm Admiral Quality and not Commander Mediocre). But I'm a big fan of SQ8-L for sure. Was giddy with laughter the first time I played it, it just sounded SO much like my ESQ-1.

[DuX]

Was giddy with laughter the first time I played it, it just sounded SO much like my ESQ-1.

That's exactly what happened to me, too. I couldn't believe my ears .

And no fiddling with cables... yay!

[audiojunkie]

Yeah, I have to admit I've been pretty darn impressed with SQ8L. If the price is right, I may be moving on up to the SQ8X.

Sigi,

Any idea what the price of the full version will be?

--Sean

[Shy]

I hope SQ8X will have some funky resonant filter character added. The filtering in SQ8L is really very nice already, among the very best in either free or payware software synths. I just want even better sound. Looking forward to it, I love it.

[MitchK1989]

hrm, both SQ8X AND Poly-Ana are beasts I really hope will have a mac AU version so I can buy them and use them in logic. I loved my SQ80 before I had to sell it...

[MarsHottentot]

OMG!
Any Day (Moment?) Now!!!
Someone Change My Diaper!!!

[sigikull]

FM actually is a special case of PM and I will implement it as PM.

Rainer already suggested filter FM. But I'm not yet sure about this because I'll certainly run into problems with filter stability.

This isn't the first time I'm discussing why instruments should or shouldn't have effects. I think for almost all instruments it make sense to have built-in effects because only then the effects really become part of the sound design process and can be saved with the sound in a library.
For similar reasons I believe that a nice combination mode (=split/layer) can't be substituted with using multiple plugin instances. Using many instances is just not comfortable and the results can't be saved in the sound library for future reuse.

About copyrights:
I'm not really sure what's going to happen if we start selling the SQ8X. I wouldn't be too surprised if Creative would try to intervene. But as mentioned Creative didn't seem to be very interested in the SQ80 in the past.
What I actually DO use from the original is the waverom which could be regarded as copyright infringement. But then again the waverom data has been freely available on Rainer's site for years and no one ever complained.

The SQ8X will have multiple outputs for the multi mode. I'm not sure yet if a combination sound will support multiple outputs (efficiency reasons).
A single sound will only support one output.

[AdmiralQuality]

About copyrights:
I'm not really sure what's going to happen if we start selling the SQ8X. I wouldn't be too surprised if Creative would try to intervene. But as mentioned Creative didn't seem to be very interested in the SQ80 in the past.
What I actually DO use from the original is the waverom which could be regarded as copyright infringement. But then again the waverom data has been freely available on Rainer's site for years and no one ever complained.

Oh dear. I was hoping you had an agreement with them.

Consider that you may be on their radar already, but that they're waiting for you to actually go commercial before they send their lawyers after you. (Sorry to be so cynical, but you really want to know your status here before you proceed. Why not just send them a nice letter asking permission?)

And, while I see your points, I still don't agree about effects and splits/layers. To me it's far easier to know how to do something in one host, that works with any instrument you're using. Rather than to having to have a whole different set of working methods, effects, etc for each and every instrument.

I feel the same way about arpeggiators and sequencers. They have no business being in an instrument plugin, they're event processors that should be in the realm of your host. Then you can use your arpeggiator with ALL your synths, rather than having different capabilities in each.

The one exception is the step sequencers in some classic modular synthesizers. But check out Poly-Ana to see what I did there. You can use your HOST'S sequencer (which you don't have to re-learn) and pipe it in, on additional MIDI channels, as a modulation source that can be routed anywhere. Provides all the functionality of a built-in sequencer, while letting you use the interface that you (presumably) prefer and already know how to use. As well it can be step, real time, and any length or complexity you want -- only limited by your host's capability.

That said, I'm probably going to add effects to Poly-Ana when it hits version 2.x. But I'm justifying it to myself by Poly-Ana being internally oversampled, so her effects can exist in the oversampled domain too. The only way to get the oversampled audio stream into the effect is to have them integral to the instrument plugin. (And, it'll do a lot for marketing too, for the kids these days who don't understand classic synths didn't come with delay/chorus/flangers and phasers in them.)

[dirty oscillators]

i agree, i'd rather see the filter get nailed 100% then to see splitting/layers or built in fx.

[Liquidclear]

If we're talking additional features...how about the about to load in custom 8-bit waveforms? (ok, that would be a very big request)

BTW, I love this emu and loading my old ESQ patches in it! I'm certainly looking forward to the new version.

[Jake Jackson]

I think Creative should HIRE you to create software emulations of all the great Ensoniq instruments--the ZR-76 that they've somehow managed not to resurrect, for example. The TS-12, the KS-32?

[AdmiralQuality]

I think Creative should HIRE you to create software emulations of all the great Ensoniq instruments--the ZR-76 that they've somehow managed not to resurrect, for example. The TS-12, the KS-32?

+1