FXpansion D-CAM: Synth Squad for sale now!

[Angus_FX]

... and a quick crossBUMP to the Preset Sharing and Quick Tips threads over at our own forum :-


Preset sharing thread -
http://www.fxpansion.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7572420

and all Rory's fantastic Quick Tips in one place -
http://www.fxpansion.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7572353

[filtide]

true, my memories were wrong

[Rory_FX]

I promise you, none of the coders are wasting their time making videos. That job is left for us less intelligent beings

isn't that Angus' voice?

I think it's him:

I thought I'd got away with that going unnoticed. Damn you.

[Mogular]

@michu - not impossible, but given that, to my knowledge, nobody at FXP or on the beta cycle has seen grayed out presets, I say we eliminate pilot error as first cause

I had the same issue with the 'shine on' presets, removing part of the filename (they seemed really long) made them selectable.

[Angus_FX]

Looks like they've got a double space in the filename (before "IW"), that's most likely causing that.

[Ingonator]

Looks like they've got a double space in the filename (before "IW"), that's most likely causing that.

Looks like those are my patches. No problem with Windows Vista and Ableton Live 8.0.4 here. Any kind of Mac/OSX problem ? For me it's no problem if someone changes the filename when needed. BTW the "IW" are my initals.
I don't know how a double space could cause a problem. Maybe it's the all over file/name length which causes a problem. Is there a known limit??

Ingonator, I really dig some of your patches but some are crazy loud and clipping a lot. It looks like a few have a transmod setting that's boosting the level in a wierd way. I updated that setting to fix the volume problems in the patches I downloaded, but thought I'd bring it to your attention. The lead patches were all effected.

I could not really replicate that. I used a compressor + a limiter (both free Kjaerhus Audio plugins) while programming. Without them the patches have an average or even quite low volume in Ableton Live. In the past I mostly observed clipping when the master volume or the mixer volumes of Ableton Live were set too high. Maybe other hosts use higher volumes. I don't own another DAW for comparison.

Those were only my first impressions about the name + volume problems. If i find some time i could try to check/fix those problems for optimizing future updates of my patches collection.

UPDATE:
@Funkybot's Evil Twin: So far i mostly used Strobe in Ableton Live. Now i checked the lead sounds in the standalone mode. I guess you were right that the volumes are quite high there. Means i have to adjust the volumes in the standalone mode. Good to know for future work on Strobe/Synth Squad...

[Ingonator]

Looks like they've got a double space in the filename (before "IW"), that's most likely causing that.

Looks like those are my patches. No problem with Windows Vista and Ableton Live 8.0.4 here. Any kind of Mac/OSX problem ? For me it's no problem if someone changes the filename when needed. BTW the "IW" are my initals.
I don't know how a double space could cause a problem. Maybe it's the all over file/name length which causes a problem. Is there a known limit??

Ingonator, I really dig some of your patches but some are crazy loud and clipping a lot. It looks like a few have a transmod setting that's boosting the level in a wierd way. I updated that setting to fix the volume problems in the patches I downloaded, but thought I'd bring it to your attention. The lead patches were all effected.

I could not really replicate that. I used a compressor + a limiter (both free Kjaerhus Audio plugins) while programming. Without them the patches have an average or even quite low volume in Ableton Live. In the past I mostly observed clipping when the master volume or the mixer volumes of Ableton Live were set too high. Maybe other hosts use higher volumes. I don't own another DAW for comparison.

Those were only my first impressions about the name + volume problems. If i find some time i could try to check/fix those problems for optimizing future updates of my patches collection.

UPDATE:
@Funkybot's Evil Twin: So far i mostly used Strobe in Ableton Live. Now i checked the lead sounds in the standalone mode. I guess you were right that the volumes are quite high there. Means i have to adjust the volumes in the standalone mode. Good to know for future work on Strobe/Synth Squad...

I adjusted the volumes of all patches and removed the second blank in the filenames. I hope this helps. Here's the link: http://rapidshare.com/files/283533607/I ... 9_edit.zip

BTW i removed all old files except the mp3 demo. So everyone who wants the my Strobe patches should download the new updated patches collection. I also updated the link at the FXpansion forum.

[lagavulin16]

Thanks a ton to Angus and everyone else for helping. For those of you keeping score at home, or those of you who had the same problem...

I could use some help with presets.

1) Somehow, I screwed up my Strobe presets. All of the presets now have doubled, one with the original artist and one with artist as "undefined". I want to clean this up.

This was due to the "collections" issue Angus listed above. I think I tried marking off a single preset as a favorite and somehow did all of them, so I deleted the folder.

2) I downloaded a ton of presets. Some are greyed out (particularly the "shine on you crazy diamond' ones. This is on a mac, and I have no idea why.

All I had to do to make them all work was open a terminal and run "chmod +x *" in the folder. In Finder the ones that weren't greyed out showed up as unix executable so I thought this would do the trick, and they don't show up as grey anymore.

3) I don't know where my presets are stored or where to save them. I created a "download" folder off of Library/Audio/Presets/FXpansion/Strobe/ but every time I try to open a preset in Strobe, it defaults to trying to open on my desktop. I also seem to only be able to choose one at a time, I was hoping I could have a Collection called "download" for each synth and browse through them.

I should also add I don't see any of my factory default presets stored on my hard drive anywhere, but they show up in the synths.

Any help would be appreciated.

I was looking in the wrong place, Angus was correct as always. I moved the folders as specified and everything is right where they should be.


Thanks again for all the help!

[LiteOn]

I guess it was this DCAM thread I have asked about performance, so I report back here my very first impressions after randomly stepping through some patches of all three synths (just using some midi sequencers in the sequencer) with 2x oversampling: at first glance it appears much better than I suspected, the asio meter wasn't going wild so far*.

But man, deep exploration of these gems will take ages!

Cheers,
LiteOn

*: the i7 is a fine piece as well.

[Mattox]

Hey all,

Just bought DCAM its running fantastically on my Core 2 Duo 1.66Ghz. There are a bunch of Fusor patches that go nuts as expected.

I have a project with 4 instances of Strobe and 1 Amber, FL Studio as a VSTi with a bunch instruments loaded, all inside of Cakewalk Music Creator 5.

CPU usage is around 45% of CPU1 and 25% of CPU2.

So all in all much better than I first thought it would be!

Loving the synths so far, I'm pretty new to all making electronic music but I think DCAM is going to be my go-to for quite a long time.

[Ingonator]

Hey all,

Just bought DCAM its running fantastically on my Core 2 Duo 1.66Ghz. There are a bunch of Fusor patches that go nuts as expected.

I have a project with 4 instances of Strobe and 1 Amber, FL Studio as a VSTi with a bunch instruments loaded, all inside of Cakewalk Music Creator 5.

CPU usage is around 45% of CPU1 and 25% of CPU2.

So all in all much better than I first thought it would be!

Loving the synths so far, I'm pretty new to all making electronic music but I think DCAM is going to be my go-to for quite a long time.

Same here. No CPU problems until i try using Fusor but that's the only "bug" which i found must be solved in the future. Anyway on my Quadcore it's still possible to use Fusor.
With single instances of the synths (mostly Strobe at the moment) it's no problem using 6 or more instances as long as the oversampling is not set too high. For me 2x is mostly enough.
Don't try to increase the voices of Amber too much, that's a real CPU killer and it's still polyphonic with only 1 voice due to it's architecture.

[Megakazbek]

With the "Stack" function in the OSC section of Strobe you could layer 5 OSCs and detune them which could lead to a supersaw sound. Additional you can mix two waveforms in the main OSC and 4 waveforms in the Sub-OSCs. You could do PWM for the main OSC and the Sub-Osc separately. The modulation system is very nice and powerful too, you just have to understand it. That's complex enough for me. If that's not enough you could still use Cypher and/or Amber. The last thing is to add more modulation, a step sequencer, or layer 3 patches in Fusor.
I must admit i haven't done all of that because i'm still exploring Strobe.

This is all very cool, except that all these things have nothing to do with analog synths.
There are already tons of other VSTis that can make nice sounds, supersaws, complex modulations, etc, etc. But there aren't any that capture the unique character of true analog synths. I was hoping that D-CAM would be such synth, but so far it isn't.

If you care to try it next time, could you try setting filter drive to like say -12 dB for a start, also (that's a shot in the dark) please try it with oversampling set to 1x...

It's somewhat surprising, but setting oversampling to 1x helped quite a bit. The sound become less "harsh", but I can't say that it's close to analog. After reducing amp and filter drive the sound is close to some early hardware VA synths (which is not a bad thing), but again - it's supposed to be the ultimate analog emulation, not another VA.

I hear what you're saying and I agree totally. And I also think the synth squad synths are those kinds of synths that you can open up and get a sound you're very happy with in seconds of opening the INIT patch. They are the types of synths where the oscillators on their own sound great.

I don't find Synth Squad oscillators great sounding. To me they sound "annoying" (for the lack of better term).

I just made an extremely pretty sounding square pad in Strobe. So not only can it can be done, it's not hard. What I did to get it: I used the LP12 filter and backed the drive off a bit (-13db), then I setup a single square osc, then I set Unison to 2 and used the "hidden oscillator" feature to create a different osc for that second voice, then I set the pitch to that 2nd voice up, added some triangle on it, and set the envelopes and master level. I then used the P1/P2 controls to add some S+H movement to the filter for when I need it and it sounds amazing.

Again, the problem is that what you're doing is getting away as much as possible from traditional analog synth programming concepts. This is the opposite of what I expect from something claimed to "deliver the satisfaction of playing real analogue instruments" and "carefully reconstruct the soul of dusty vintage circuits". On an analog synth, I can use, for example, just one PWM osc, one filter, filter&amp envs and maybe an LFO to produce lots and lots of amazing, beautiful pad sounds. If I can't do the same in Synth Squad (and I can't) then all those claims about its analog sounding are bullshit. And I don't care if it's possible to make Synth Squad sound pretty with complex programming tricks and features specific to SS - it doesn't make SS anything special, there are dozens of other synths that can sound pretty if programmed properly, it isn't an exclusive achievement of Synth Squad.

You have to know how to program Strobe (and Cypher) and you could get almost every sound, either smooth or harsh.

I don't have to know how to program a specific analog synth to instantly get hundreds of amazing sounds from it. Knowing general analog synth concepts is enough for programming analogs. If it's not for Strobe/Cypher then it's their fault, not mine.

In answer to questions about cleaner sounds from Synth Squad: ...

Okay, all these recommendations help to get a cleaner sound, yes. But still they don't help to make SS sound like analog, it still sounds like an average VA. I doesn't deliver the claimed "unmatched vibe of hardware" like which I get from synths like Minimoog Voyager or, Prophet V, or Prophet '08, or Matrix-1000, etc. And it's not just my perception - for example, this thread proves that a lot of people can really easily tell real analog from Synth Squad.

[lagavulin16]

With the "Stack" function in the OSC section of Strobe you could layer 5 OSCs and detune them which could lead to a supersaw sound. Additional you can mix two waveforms in the main OSC and 4 waveforms in the Sub-OSCs. You could do PWM for the main OSC and the Sub-Osc separately. The modulation system is very nice and powerful too, you just have to understand it. That's complex enough for me. If that's not enough you could still use Cypher and/or Amber. The last thing is to add more modulation, a step sequencer, or layer 3 patches in Fusor.
I must admit i haven't done all of that because i'm still exploring Strobe.

This is all very cool, except that all these things have nothing to do with analog synths.
There are already tons of other VSTis that can make nice sounds, supersaws, complex modulations, etc, etc. But there aren't any that capture the unique character of true analog synths. I was hoping that D-CAM would be such synth, but so far it isn't.

If you care to try it next time, could you try setting filter drive to like say -12 dB for a start, also (that's a shot in the dark) please try it with oversampling set to 1x...

It's somewhat surprising, but setting oversampling to 1x helped quite a bit. The sound become less "harsh", but I can't say that it's close to analog. After reducing amp and filter drive the sound is close to some early hardware VA synths (which is not a bad thing), but again - it's supposed to be the ultimate analog emulation, not another VA.

I hear what you're saying and I agree totally. And I also think the synth squad synths are those kinds of synths that you can open up and get a sound you're very happy with in seconds of opening the INIT patch. They are the types of synths where the oscillators on their own sound great.

I don't find Synth Squad oscillators great sounding. To me they sound "annoying" (for the lack of better term).

I just made an extremely pretty sounding square pad in Strobe. So not only can it can be done, it's not hard. What I did to get it: I used the LP12 filter and backed the drive off a bit (-13db), then I setup a single square osc, then I set Unison to 2 and used the "hidden oscillator" feature to create a different osc for that second voice, then I set the pitch to that 2nd voice up, added some triangle on it, and set the envelopes and master level. I then used the P1/P2 controls to add some S+H movement to the filter for when I need it and it sounds amazing.

Again, the problem is that what you're doing is getting away as much as possible from traditional analog synth programming concepts. This is the opposite of what I expect from something claimed to "deliver the satisfaction of playing real analogue instruments" and "carefully reconstruct the soul of dusty vintage circuits". On an analog synth, I can use, for example, just one PWM osc, one filter, filter&amp envs and maybe an LFO to produce lots and lots of amazing, beautiful pad sounds. If I can't do the same in Synth Squad (and I can't) then all those claims about its analog sounding are bullshit. And I don't care if it's possible to make Synth Squad sound pretty with complex programming tricks and features specific to SS - it doesn't make SS anything special, there are dozens of other synths that can sound pretty if programmed properly, it isn't an exclusive achievement of Synth Squad.

You have to know how to program Strobe (and Cypher) and you could get almost every sound, either smooth or harsh.

I don't have to know how to program a specific analog synth to instantly get hundreds of amazing sounds from it. Knowing general analog synth concepts is enough for programming analogs. If it's not for Strobe/Cypher then it's their fault, not mine.

In answer to questions about cleaner sounds from Synth Squad: ...

Okay, all these recommendations help to get a cleaner sound, yes. But still they don't help to make SS sound like analog, it still sounds like an average VA. I doesn't deliver the claimed "unmatched vibe of hardware" like which I get from synths like Minimoog Voyager or, Prophet V, or Prophet '08, or Matrix-1000, etc. And it's not just my perception - for example, this thread proves that a lot of people can really easily tell real analog from Synth Squad.

How much time have you spent with Amber? To me, it's the real gem of SS.

[djanthonyw]

With the "Stack" function in the OSC section of Strobe you could layer 5 OSCs and detune them which could lead to a supersaw sound. Additional you can mix two waveforms in the main OSC and 4 waveforms in the Sub-OSCs. You could do PWM for the main OSC and the Sub-Osc separately. The modulation system is very nice and powerful too, you just have to understand it. That's complex enough for me. If that's not enough you could still use Cypher and/or Amber. The last thing is to add more modulation, a step sequencer, or layer 3 patches in Fusor.
I must admit i haven't done all of that because i'm still exploring Strobe.

This is all very cool, except that all these things have nothing to do with analog synths.
There are already tons of other VSTis that can make nice sounds, supersaws, complex modulations, etc, etc. But there aren't any that capture the unique character of true analog synths. I was hoping that D-CAM would be such synth, but so far it isn't.

If you care to try it next time, could you try setting filter drive to like say -12 dB for a start, also (that's a shot in the dark) please try it with oversampling set to 1x...

It's somewhat surprising, but setting oversampling to 1x helped quite a bit. The sound become less "harsh", but I can't say that it's close to analog. After reducing amp and filter drive the sound is close to some early hardware VA synths (which is not a bad thing), but again - it's supposed to be the ultimate analog emulation, not another VA.

I hear what you're saying and I agree totally. And I also think the synth squad synths are those kinds of synths that you can open up and get a sound you're very happy with in seconds of opening the INIT patch. They are the types of synths where the oscillators on their own sound great.

I don't find Synth Squad oscillators great sounding. To me they sound "annoying" (for the lack of better term).

I just made an extremely pretty sounding square pad in Strobe. So not only can it can be done, it's not hard. What I did to get it: I used the LP12 filter and backed the drive off a bit (-13db), then I setup a single square osc, then I set Unison to 2 and used the "hidden oscillator" feature to create a different osc for that second voice, then I set the pitch to that 2nd voice up, added some triangle on it, and set the envelopes and master level. I then used the P1/P2 controls to add some S+H movement to the filter for when I need it and it sounds amazing.

Again, the problem is that what you're doing is getting away as much as possible from traditional analog synth programming concepts. This is the opposite of what I expect from something claimed to "deliver the satisfaction of playing real analogue instruments" and "carefully reconstruct the soul of dusty vintage circuits". On an analog synth, I can use, for example, just one PWM osc, one filter, filter&amp envs and maybe an LFO to produce lots and lots of amazing, beautiful pad sounds. If I can't do the same in Synth Squad (and I can't) then all those claims about its analog sounding are bullshit. And I don't care if it's possible to make Synth Squad sound pretty with complex programming tricks and features specific to SS - it doesn't make SS anything special, there are dozens of other synths that can sound pretty if programmed properly, it isn't an exclusive achievement of Synth Squad.

You have to know how to program Strobe (and Cypher) and you could get almost every sound, either smooth or harsh.

I don't have to know how to program a specific analog synth to instantly get hundreds of amazing sounds from it. Knowing general analog synth concepts is enough for programming analogs. If it's not for Strobe/Cypher then it's their fault, not mine.

In answer to questions about cleaner sounds from Synth Squad: ...

Okay, all these recommendations help to get a cleaner sound, yes. But still they don't help to make SS sound like analog, it still sounds like an average VA. I doesn't deliver the claimed "unmatched vibe of hardware" like which I get from synths like Minimoog Voyager or, Prophet V, or Prophet '08, or Matrix-1000, etc. And it's not just my perception - for example, this thread proves that a lot of people can really easily tell real analog from Synth Squad.

Are you using these monitors? It doesn't sound like the 'Squad is for you.

[Ingonator]

I don't have to know how to program a specific analog synth to instantly get hundreds of amazing sounds from it. Knowing general analog synth concepts is enough for programming analogs. If it's not for Strobe/Cypher then it's their fault, not mine.

It's not my style to say that but what you say is total bull***t. You can't tell me that there is ANY synth out there that doesn't need some/specific programming skills to get nice sounds. I used some real analog synths like Jupiter 8, MKS-80 or Minimoog and the results at the beginning were far from being perfect.

Programming Strobe and Cypher is not much different from hardware analog synths, you just have additional features which is not bad. So far i made more than 50 patches for Strobe, mostly based on vintage patches. Others used additional features like Sub-OSCs which is not "bad". Many of the patches were recreated from the OP-X Pro softsynth and they don't sound worse, they sound better IMHO. For recreating those patches you don't need all features of Strobe but who cares about how many features are used in a specific patch?

If you ask how to use more than one OSC in Strobe there are 3 main possibilities:

1.) easy: using the Sub-OSCs

2.) using the "Stack" and corresponding "detune" knobs. If set the stack to 2.0 and detune around 0.6 to 0.12 semitones i hear almost no difference to using 2 "discrete" OSCs.

No secret, this function is described in the manual. Doing smooth or warm sounds is no problem with this.

3.) with some tweaks using the modulation system you could turn the Sub-OSCs into a "normal" oscillator. This is no secret, it's shown in the tutorial video "Quick Tip 01 Strobe's Hidden Oscillator":
http://www.fxpansion.com/index.php?page=94&tab=257

On the other side if i find that some patches could not be done in Strobe i still could try to do them in Cypher or Amber.

Coming back to the beginning my opinion is that Synth Squad IS the most analog sounding softsynth but others like e.g. Sylenth1, OP-X Pro or VAZ Modular 3 are not far away in that respect.
Finally, if you decided you don't like Synth Squad you are free to play your hardware analog synths or other softsynths.