Blok

[Zephod]

ok.. I've added legato-notestack, aftertouch and modwheel.

here follows the changelog for the next version (so far, still not fully happy with the new gui lib..)

Code: Select all

r301 - Crossplatform Windowing migration stage 1 (does not work yet, but does not break anything either)
r302 - more migration
r303 - Massive GUI-replacement effort underway. Featureparity almost reached.
     - Small Buzz notebug fix
     - Buzz version uses new gui library now
     - New standalone version uses new gui library now too.
     - VST still does NOT use the new gui library.
r304 - Vertical and horizontal scrollwheel messages implemented in CP-lib.
     - Hitarea optimization in CP-lib.
     - Small font-rendering fix.
r305 - Unified stroking/filling of paths for the vector drawing commands.
     - Added dashes for line markers.
r306 - CP Gui gfx: hatching works!
r307 - Blok VST converted to new GUI lib.
     - New TextBox control.
     - Scroll calculations changed
     - Added user-messages to GUI lib (to facilitate patch-changes)
     - Rootcontrol extended to allow for popups and childwindows as well as main windows.
     - Custom Envelope gui animation fix
r308 - Legato mode now keeps track of notestack with lifo queue. (IE -> it will glide 
       back to your previous note if you still have another pressed down)
     - New textbox code for CPGui lib. (vst patch name)
     - Changed text-entry method for vst.
     - Added better platform neutral key definitions.
     - Better invalidate for patch name in main vst edit window.
     - Aftertouch block.
     - Modwheel block.
     - String measuring improved.
- Small visual fix for connection dragging (connections no longer cut off)

[Ingonator]

ok.. I've added legato-notestack, aftertouch and modwheel.

here follows the changelog for the next version (so far, still not fully happy with the new gui lib..)

Code: Select all

r301 - Crossplatform Windowing migration stage 1 (does not work yet, but does not break anything either)
r302 - more migration
r303 - Massive GUI-replacement effort underway. Featureparity almost reached.
     - Small Buzz notebug fix
     - Buzz version uses new gui library now
     - New standalone version uses new gui library now too.
     - VST still does NOT use the new gui library.
r304 - Vertical and horizontal scrollwheel messages implemented in CP-lib.
     - Hitarea optimization in CP-lib.
     - Small font-rendering fix.
r305 - Unified stroking/filling of paths for the vector drawing commands.
     - Added dashes for line markers.
r306 - CP Gui gfx: hatching works!
r307 - Blok VST converted to new GUI lib.
     - New TextBox control.
     - Scroll calculations changed
     - Added user-messages to GUI lib (to facilitate patch-changes)
     - Rootcontrol extended to allow for popups and childwindows as well as main windows.
     - Custom Envelope gui animation fix
r308 - Legato mode now keeps track of notestack with lifo queue. (IE -> it will glide 
       back to your previous note if you still have another pressed down)
     - New textbox code for CPGui lib. (vst patch name)
     - Changed text-entry method for vst.
     - Added better platform neutral key definitions.
     - Better invalidate for patch name in main vst edit window.
     - Aftertouch block.
     - Modwheel block.
     - String measuring improved.
- Small visual fix for connection dragging (connections no longer cut off)

Nice.

[Zephod]

For the guy that asked about the mac version - getting rid of GDI+ is the main hurdle for the mac version as well, so maybe things might happen sooner than I think they would.

Thanks, that's good news.
I'm sure you'd be able to get over 300 mac users. It's got a great price point too btw.
I'll try the demo out on my windows unit for now.
(my pc is too old for any kind of music production, so...)

I have no idea.. so far the PC version has been selling very very badly. Bad as in - 2 days of my regular consulting earns me more than the entire Blok revenue.

[KungKrille]

For the guy that asked about the mac version - getting rid of GDI+ is the main hurdle for the mac version as well, so maybe things might happen sooner than I think they would.

Thanks, that's good news.
I'm sure you'd be able to get over 300 mac users. It's got a great price point too btw.
I'll try the demo out on my windows unit for now.
(my pc is too old for any kind of music production, so...)

I have no idea.. so far the PC version has been selling very very badly. Bad as in - 2 days of my regular consulting earns me more than the entire Blok revenue.

Well, you are at least 35€ richer now. Just bought it

[deleted]

DELETED

[audington]

I only heard of Blok last night reading the recent modular plugin thread. Downloaded the demo this morning and bought the full version within 5 minutes. You definitely need to find a way of plugging this synth and getting more people aware of it!

[Ingonator]

For the guy that asked about the mac version - getting rid of GDI+ is the main hurdle for the mac version as well, so maybe things might happen sooner than I think they would.

Thanks, that's good news.
I'm sure you'd be able to get over 300 mac users. It's got a great price point too btw.
I'll try the demo out on my windows unit for now.
(my pc is too old for any kind of music production, so...)

I have no idea.. so far the PC version has been selling very very badly. Bad as in - 2 days of my regular consulting earns me more than the entire Blok revenue.

I decided that as soon as possible i want to do a full free soundbank for Blok since i really like it. since a Blok soundbank is currently "only" 32 patches maybe it's more than one bank. I already started with some patches which with some changes could be "templates" for some others.
The time is not sure since I am currently finishing my Blofeld soundbank and am still involved in beta testing for PPG Wave 3.V but let's see.

The last factory sounds i made were for Tactile Sounds Substance:
http://tactilesounds.blogspot.com/p/ts-substance.html

The factory bank of Substance doesn't contain all of my patches but a zip file with the full 96 patches soundbank is available below the download for the plugin. Substance is Donationware BTW but the download version has no limitations like e.g. a nag screen.

Direct downloads:
http://www.mediafire.com/?p8ulokc34u5aa9d
http://www.mediafire.com/?5ojb9bfsppj4aq7



About modular synths: I made some synths for AAS Tassman 4 (with the username "IngoWeidner") some time ago:
http://community.applied-acoustics.com/ ... h_list.php



Some more patches are here:
http://www.kvraudio.com/banks.php?s=author&id=176645
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... sc&start=0
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=279237

[KungKrille]

BLOK can sound "digital" too

Bell

[zerocrossing]

For the guy that asked about the mac version - getting rid of GDI+ is the main hurdle for the mac version as well, so maybe things might happen sooner than I think they would.

Thanks, that's good news.
I'm sure you'd be able to get over 300 mac users. It's got a great price point too btw.
I'll try the demo out on my windows unit for now.
(my pc is too old for any kind of music production, so...)

I have no idea.. so far the PC version has been selling very very badly. Bad as in - 2 days of my regular consulting earns me more than the entire Blok revenue.

I can see why it's not doing well. Not a lot of chatter here and when I go to the site there's next to no audio demos (one plays for a little bit and then I get an error). Even links on the forum seem to be not working. Sorry but in today's world before I spend time with any plug in I want to hear some audio demos and read a healthy amount of posts about it.

[Ingonator]

BLOK can sound "digital" too

Bell

I already recognized that... :

http://rapidshare.com/files/420125758/F ... W.jpg.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/420502496/B ... W.jpg.html


others:
http://rapidshare.com/files/420105571/U ... W.jpg.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/419737122/3 ... W.jpg.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/419659658/H ... W.jpg.html

BTW today i added the polyphony module to all those patches (version 300).
I'll post the single/bank files when i finished my free soundbank for Blok.
For that the upcoming aftertouch/modwheel modulation and the last note priority for the legato mode will be helpful (see the changelog fom Zephod above...).

I can see why it's not doing well. Not a lot of chatter here and when I go to the site there's next to no audio demos (one plays for a little bit and then I get an error). Even links on the forum seem to be not working. Sorry but in today's world before I spend time with any plug in I want to hear some audio demos and read a healthy amount of posts about it.

There was long time no response to this thread (since February) before i purchased Blok and "restarted" posting here. What has happened in that short time (a few days) in terms of updates is incredible.
BTW why do you need an audio demo if you could try the demo version of the program? I bought Blok after playing 15-20 minutes with the demo and others here wrote that they did the same after 5 minutes...

BTW there are audio demos on the lower right side of the website and at the links posted below them: http://www.blokmodular.com/

[Zephod]

I do realise that I have to work a lot on the marketing material, but for me that has been put on a "after early bird is over" schedule.

More audiodemos, some tutorial videos, some patch area.

The forum mostly got swamped with spammers and most of the blok users were either here or on buzzchurch.com.. which has been my main communication outlet.

I will start a full development blog soon, and re-integrate the twitter feed on the main page to show people I am still alive and working on stuff.

(it doesnt help that I have to do contractwork to pay for the bills inbetween.. there are months where I have barely any time left to do much more than bugfixes. Ive got some spare weeks for now though, so expect quite a few feature updates )

So... thanks for all the support so far

I'll make sure to make it all worthwhile for the customers, I've got about a decade worth of synthcode to port to Blok, and tons of concepts/ideas I still want to add as well!

Also - is 32 patches per bank really that low? I was thinking of maybe adding 1 extra level of abstraction - allowing presets inside the patches. That way you can build 1 setup and store several interesting sounds made with that setup in that patch. This is long term though.. after I added more important stuff like the advanced envelope, custom wavecycle generators etc etc... (and the long promised effect version)

[KungKrille]

Don't make it too advanced though. What makes BLOK different is how easy it is to patch up a new synth. You don't have to mess so much with ins and outs. You want reverb? Just throw in a node and you are done. Chorus? The same. A sequencer? Ditto. Some might see that as a weakness but I see it as it's strength. You start up BLOK and almost immediately it generates a sound. You get an instant feedback for everything you put in and that's inspiring and fun I don't mind new units but please keep it easy to program.

If it puts away too many potential (hardcore) users maybe you could let some effects like the arpeggiator be hardwired like it is today as default but have the ability to connect to other nodes if needed. It should be the same for for midi and audio in(?)

[Ingonator]

Also - is 32 patches per bank really that low? I was thinking of maybe adding 1 extra level of abstraction - allowing presets inside the patches. That way you can build 1 setup and store several interesting sounds made with that setup in that patch. This is long term though.. after I added more important stuff like the advanced envelope, custom wavecycle generators etc etc... (and the long promised effect version)

No, it's no real problem. I just mentioned it because if i talk about doing a soundbank for Blok it will be maybe more than one bank which means more than 32 patches. I'll include all the single files anyway.

[Madrayken]

Don't make it too advanced though. What makes BLOK different is how easy it is to patch up a new synth. You don't have to mess so much with ins and outs. You want reverb? Just throw in a node and you are done. Chorus? The same. A sequencer? Ditto. Some might see that as a weakness but I see it as it's strength. You start up BLOK and almost immediately it generates a sound. You get an instant feedback for everything you put in and that's inspiring and fun I don't mind new units but please keep it easy to program.

If it puts away too many potential (hardcore) users maybe you could let some effects like the arpeggiator be hardwired like it is today as default but have the ability to connect to other nodes if needed. It should be the same for for midi and audio in(?)

Agreed - a small number of modules that have a lot of nuances (and potential for abuse) is better than loads of modules. I have a hard time remembering what half of the nodes in Reaktor when I don't see it for a month.

It seems to me the real strength of Blok should be what it offers in terms of unusual patching (audio-rate modulation etc) rather than just the usual 'You can make a nice sounding bass-patch'. I see it as 'ACE if it were designed by Apple'. IMHO, of course.

[Ingonator]

Don't make it too advanced though. What makes BLOK different is how easy it is to patch up a new synth. You don't have to mess so much with ins and outs. You want reverb? Just throw in a node and you are done. Chorus? The same. A sequencer? Ditto. Some might see that as a weakness but I see it as it's strength. You start up BLOK and almost immediately it generates a sound. You get an instant feedback for everything you put in and that's inspiring and fun I don't mind new units but please keep it easy to program.

If it puts away too many potential (hardcore) users maybe you could let some effects like the arpeggiator be hardwired like it is today as default but have the ability to connect to other nodes if needed. It should be the same for for midi and audio in(?)

Agreed - a small number of modules that have a lot of nuances (and potential for abuse) is better than loads of modules. I have a hard time remembering what half of the nodes in Reaktor when I don't see it for a month.

It seems to me the real strength of Blok should be what it offers in terms of unusual patching (audio-rate modulation etc) rather than just the usual 'You can make a nice sounding bass-patch'. I see it as 'ACE if it were designed by Apple'. IMHO, of course.

I agree too. If the changes which Zephod planned for the next version are done it should be enough for the moment. Maybe some small changes in existing modules could be done in the future. Which ones i will discover when i made more patches with Blok.