MuLab 4.1.9

[MuTools]

MuLab 4.1.9 is available at http://www.mutools.com/mulab/cedar

This is what's changed:

• Note editor: When drawing new notes, and the mouse drag ended at the left of the start point, no new note was drawn. Now things are working 100% as the preview outline shows.
• Note editor: When drawing new notes, the length indication in the bottom-right info display was not correct.
• Updated the factory New.MuSession.
• Updated the Basic Synth preset.
• MuVerb factory presets updated to MuVerb 2.
• Possible problems fixed when ending audio recording.
• Fixed various problems with the user movie recorder.
• User movie recorder now also includes indication of left/right mouse clicks.
• Internal optimizations.

[Nielzie]

MuLab 4.1.9

[*]Updated the factory New.MuSession.
[*]Updated the Basic Synth preset.

The new New.Session now opens a session with just one track with "Basic Synth" in it, on my system. Is this intended behaviour? If that's the case, may I ask why?

I mean, it makes more sense to have an emtpy session, with preferably a few empty tracks already loaded, like it was before.

The reason is that "Basic Synth" is most of the time not needed in my projects, so I'd have to manually delete it everytime and add new tracks myself again. I can imagine that this is the case for the majority of the users.

I fixed this by deleting the New.Session from my templates folder, so for me it's not a problem anymore, but I wonder if users who are new to M4 would benefit from this new New.Session instead of the old one.

[MuTools]

The new New.Session now opens a session with just one track with "Basic Synth" in it, on my system. Is this intended behaviour? If that's the case, may I ask why?

Yes because four empty racks is less making sense now with the "+" track button.

Having only a MASTER rack (or no racks) is too clean/empty, i want the initial user to immediately have something to play with.

I mean, it makes more sense to have an emtpy session, with preferably a few empty tracks already loaded, like it was before.

The reason is that "Basic Synth" is most of the time not needed in a my projects, so I'll have to manually delete it everytime and add new tracks myself again. I can imagine that this is the case for the majority of the users.

Solution: Tweak the New.MuSession as it fits perfect to you, then do "Save As Template" with name "New"

When upgrading to newer MuLabs, your New.Musession will be migrated too as it's in the User folder.

Hope this works fine for you.

[Nielzie]

I fixed this by deleting the New.Session from my templates folder, so for me it's not a problem anymore, but I wonder if users who are new to M4 would benefit from this new New.Session instead of the old one.. and besides that the "Basic Synth" patch is imho not the most useful or impressive one (dull sound, and not much to tweak) to show what MuLab is capable of, for new possible users who are checking M4 out for the first time

If youd like people to have instantly something to play with I'd suggest you welcome them with something more impressive Maybe 2 tracks with MuSynth and MuDrum?

[MuTools]

I fixed this by deleting the New.Session from my templates folder, so for me it's not a problem anymore, but I wonder if users who are new to M4 would benefit from this new New.Session instead of the old one..

It's the [+] track button that does the job.
But now there is something there when you click the keyboard at the top.
So that's a step forward, i think.

and besides that the "Basic Synth" patch is imho not the most useful or impressive one (dull sound, and not much to tweak) to show what MuLab is capable of, for new possible users who are checking M4 out for the first time

If youd like people to have instantly something to play with I'd suggest you welcome them with something more impressive Maybe 2 tracks with MuSynth and MuDrum?

I disagree that the Basic Synth is unuseful. I think it's a polyvalent sound that can be used for quick bass, melody, chords, soft, hard, ...

Maybe a piano would even be better, but that would slow down opening the New.Musession. So i chose something similarly recognizable/polyvalent.
I could add an echo though to enrich the sound a bit.
I would add max 5 parameters to that Basic Synth patch, otherwise it's not Basic anymore.


I don't want to install a MuDrum in the very New.MuSession because it loads samples and that slows down loading, and at the same time your session gets loaded too.

Note that there is a Drum-Bass-Piano-Pad template.

[AstralExistence]

new updated basic synth is much better now. nice little update. optimizations? like cpu use? im glad that sine wav is gone in the default.

[Nielzie]

Hmmm yes I understand your motivations, but let's look at it from another perspective. An important one imho, because it could directly have an influence on the sales.

So let's pretend there is a new user who is new to electronic music making and therefore is quickly checking out a few affordable hosts including MuLab 4 of course. He/she loads up M4, looks at the interface, and notices the "Basic Synth" in there. He/she very probably thinks that this must be thé MuLabs basic internal synth and probably will judge it like that too.

He/she will open the instrument (yes, he/she probably thinks that it's the whole, complete instrument not knowing yet of the modularity within) and plays the tone with the keyboard. "Hmm.. kinda "dull" sounding. Let's turn some knobs.. what, just 2 knobs on this synth?? And they hardly do anything to the sound? Hmmm. This host must be too "basic". I'll try the next one"

See what I mean?

Those first 5-10 minutes when trying new software programs, hosts, synths, etc. are VERY important because a lot of people make up their first "feeling" about it and decision to explore further or not.

[robenestobenz]

One thing about the update packages. I once overwrote my shortcuts updating (and I really take advantage of MuLab's power in the shortcut department). I had a backup fortunately, and I always remember to delete Shortcuts.xml and the favourite folders file from the archive before extracting now, but I'm not sure including it them in the upgrade packages is a good thing.

Has anyone else accidentally overwritten their settings before?

[MuTools]

Hmmm yes I understand your motivations, but let's look at it from another perspective. An important one imho, because it could directly have an influence on the sales.

So let's pretend there is a new user who is new to electronic music making and therefore is quickly checking out a few affordable hosts including MuLab 4 of course. He/she loads up M4, looks at the interface, and notices the "Basic Synth" in there. He/she very probably thinks that this must be thé MuLabs basic internal synth and probably will judge it like that too.

He/she will open the instrument (yes, he/she probably thinks that it's the whole, complete instrument not knowing yet of the modularity within) and plays the tone with the keyboard. "Hmm.. kinda "dull" sounding. Let's turn some knobs.. what, just 2 knobs on this synth?? And they hardly do anything to the sound? Hmmm. This host must be too "basic". I'll try the next one"

See what I mean?

Euh, the synth is called "Basic Synth".
If someone then thinks that that's the top synth in the package, i can't help.
Also: When opening the editor, you got the preset list at the top, revealing all other presets, simple and complex ones.
Also: There are the demo sessions that demonstrate the deeper sides of Mu.
Also, there is the intro movie that touches almost every aspect in a 5.5 minutes demo.

Well, it's always about that balance between an simple & easy at first, but at the same time impress the user, but not too much (overload).

Those first 5-10 minutes when trying new software programs, hosts, synths, etc. are VERY important because a lot of people make up their first "feeling" about it and decision to explore further or not.

I agree.

[robenestobenz]

//edit: Nevermind, my PC playing up.

[MuTools]

One thing about the update packages. I once overwrote my shortcuts updating (and I really take advantage of MuLab's power in the shortcut department). I had a backup fortunately, and I always remember to delete Shortcuts.xml and the favourite folders file from the archive before extracting now, but I'm not sure including it them in the upgrade packages is a good thing.
Has anyone else accidentally overwritten their settings before?

Two humble thoughts:

1) If you follow the tips about updating your MuLab, things should be ok. See http://www.mutools.com/mulab/docs/installation.html

2) Regular backups is always a good thing, whatever computer work you do.

[robenestobenz]

1) If you follow the tips about updating your MuLab, things should be ok. See http://www.mutools.com/mulab/docs/installation.html

Ah, fair enough. It does seem to me like it requires more work on the user's part than there needs to be, and unfortunately there'll always be the ignorant people like me who barrel on expecting an update behaviour rather than an install behaviour!

2) Regular backups is always a good thing, whatever computer work you do.

Amen! Once you learn it the hard way a few times, it's not something you ever forget.

[MuTools]

1) If you follow the tips about updating your MuLab, things should be ok. See http://www.mutools.com/mulab/docs/installation.html

Ah, fair enough. It does seem to me like it requires more work on the user's part than there needs to be, and unfortunately there'll always be the ignorant people like me who barrel on expecting an update behaviour rather than an install behaviour!

I understand. I wish i could automate the process more. It's on the wishlist, but did not yet found the right solution.

2) Regular backups is always a good thing, whatever computer work you do.

Amen! Once you learn it the hard way a few times, it's not something you ever forget.

+1

[robenestobenz]

1) If you follow the tips about updating your MuLab, things should be ok. See http://www.mutools.com/mulab/docs/installation.html

Ah, fair enough. It does seem to me like it requires more work on the user's part than there needs to be, and unfortunately there'll always be the ignorant people like me who barrel on expecting an update behaviour rather than an install behaviour!

I understand. I wish i could automate the process more. It's on the wishlist, but did not yet found the right solution.

As well as that, I guess a nice updater is nice, but it's essentially development time that isn't related to helping people make music and at the end of the day that's what we all like about Mulab!

Any advice on the input/output issue I mentioned? I did a totally fresh install of 4.19 to test if it was something with my installation, but I had the same problem.

[MuTools]

I disagree that the Basic Synth is unuseful. I think it's a polyvalent sound that can be used for quick bass, melody, chords, soft, hard, ...

Maybe a piano would even be better, but that would slow down opening the New.Musession. So i chose something similarly recognizable/polyvalent.
I could add an echo though to enrich the sound a bit.
I would add max 5 parameters to that Basic Synth patch, otherwise it's not Basic anymore.

Well i further finetuned that preset, here it is:

http://www.mutools.com/temp1049/Basic%20Synth.Mux

Right-click and save it somewhere eg on your desktop, then drop it on a rack.

I assume that's an even better "Basic Synth" and it's still basic enough.

Right?