MPowerSynth improvements & feature requests

[abstractcats]

Just got a bit go go over MPowersynth... I know the "get it free" part is over, but since I've got 28 days left, I'm making a bank, anyway Probably about 30 presets.

Thanks, Melda!

[dmbaer]

Analyze sample - well, this one is kind of tricky. For storage purposes the engine doesn't save the audio. It could probably save the custom harmonics. Anyway it gets very CPU intensive, because it analyzes the audio every time, so it is not usable for modulation of the generator. I'll check what could be done about it.

Well, even if the modulation efficiency issue gets sorted out, this remains a very confusing feature. Again, the implication of the documentation is that one should only use this for one's own presets. I still don't know what to make of the warning in the documentation about the file needing to be present on the preset user's machine.

Would it not be far better in general to extract the cycle of interest from the audio clip (using some external audio editor program) and use that with the load custom sample feature in Normal oscillator mode, convert that to Harmonic mode? That would be safe for sound designers to create shared content, would it not?

[CableChannel]

Three bad things about the otherwise great random preset generator:

- For OSC3 it nearly always sets the pulse width to 99%, thats odd
- Many times it puts LFOs on Global Gain which is terrible
- It seems to look up multiparams from my other presets and puts them into the new preset. Most of the time these make no sense at all since the destination is not there (effect params, filter params, osc params)

Not urgent, but if you have time some time...

[Halma]

Analyze sample - well, this one is kind of tricky. For storage purposes the engine doesn't save the audio. It could probably save the custom harmonics. Anyway it gets very CPU intensive, because it analyzes the audio every time, so it is not usable for modulation of the generator. I'll check what could be done about it.

Well, even if the modulation efficiency issue gets sorted out, this remains a very confusing feature. Again, the implication of the documentation is that one should only use this for one's own presets. I still don't know what to make of the warning in the documentation about the file needing to be present on the preset user's machine.

Would it not be far better in general to extract the cycle of interest from the audio clip (using some external audio editor program) and use that with the load custom sample feature in Normal oscillator mode, convert that to Harmonic mode? That would be safe for sound designers to create shared content, would it not?

Regarding the analyze sample feature: I use it quite often right now. Gives me awesome osc waveforms. I have tried it with some RAW osillator waveforms I have sampled from a friend of mine (I sampled his MOOG some years ago) and it works perfectly.

If I understand it correctly the waveform that has been "extracted" via the analyze feature COULD be shared because it is not the sampled itself so only harmonics will be shared. But it might still be a shady field because of copyright infringement.

Cheers
Sebastain

[CableChannel]

I can't imagine that harmonics can be copyrighted, so there should be no problem.

[Halma]

And I wanna add that I spent some time yesterday with your "Modulation Concept" like drawing steps & curves into the graph, dragging the points and handles and I am astonished how much thought has been put into this (tried it with the Rhythmizer).

This is my first Melda product and you always state how unique your approach is. Well, I am pretty amazed how comfortable it works. Eg your step function (dragging the point/handle to get more/less steps). I have not seen anything like this before. Did I mention that it is always in sync? Kudos for that.

And your ABCDEF plus Morph...bloody fun. Copy and paste everywhere, on screen Keyboard, mousewheel support, the ability to save patches nearly everywhere...

Some feature requests...

- it sometimes happened that I accidently LOAD A NEW PATCH (via dbl click) while working on another. This is indeed a handy feature (dbl click load) if you wanna cycle/step fast through all your patches but I lost some work due this. It would be cool to have an option that can be toggled on /off that opens a COMFIRMATION window ("Wanna really load new patch? All previous work will be lost..."). I know that while searching for a patch this might be hindering but it´s a nice safety feature for us dumb and "hands faster than brain" sound designers. So a optional dedicated "Safe Mode" would be cool.

- a LOCK feature for all eight multi parameters on the bottom that prevents the "assign window" from opening automatically each time I miss the slider. Sometimes I wanna test a parameter and click onto it but miss it by a few pixels and the window pops up which can become a little bit annoying. Eg make smal "LOCK" symbol somewhere (like in Photoshop where you can lock layers). A global one (which toggles all on/off) would be cool and fast enough. I don´t need a dedicated one on each.

- an option that disables or even hides the small RANDOMIZE feature on each tab. Nice feature for people who like random stuff but I constantly hit them while I just wanna enable/disable a tab and have UNDO it to get back to my previous setup.

Cheers
Sebastian

[Halma]

I can't imagine that harmonics can be copyrighted, so there should be no problem.

I don´t think so either. And they are not 100% identical. But close enough. I already have a small "Vintage Waveform Folder" whith some nice harmonically extracted "Copies".

I don´t talk about Foliage or Real Instruments but Saw and Pulsewaves here from Vintage Hardware. I also have a nice "analogue" Sinewave already with more than the Fundamental frequency.

Cheers
Sebastian

[MeldaProduction]

Thank you folks!

abstractcats - well, I'm afraid it is really over . But well, you can sell your preset collection. CableChannel seems to go for it . I'll probably put some link to 3rd party preset designers to the main website, so let me know then. I cannot guarantee anything of course

Osc1/2/3 randomizer pulse width - damn, bug, fixed .

Global gain to LFO randomizer - hmmm, I tried many times and it doesn't seem to do that. I even tried checking the code and it looks like it shouldn't be doing that...

Randomizer taking multiparameters from other presets - ha, good point! I actually received some weird presets from some "creators" and was thinking what the f*** is this? It is doing nothing... Now this is the answer! That should be fixed .

Analyze sample in harmonic generator - it will be fixed, so that it will work even if the sample is not there anymore and it will be able to modulate without glitches. About copyright - I wouldn't care. After all, people can sample anything, this is even "less" than sampling, it just analyzes some properties. If that would be illegal, we would probably have to ban piano and guitar

Load patch enable - hmmm, how on earth this could happen? I mean if you go to a preset window, you are probably going to load some presets right? If not, you add, which doesn't touch presets at all, or replace, there could be a problem, but double-clicking instead of clicking in that? I mean probably, but...

Lock multiparameters - hmmm, I'll check

Randomizer tab buttons - it will be further away from the enable button .

[Halma]

Load patch enable - hmmm, how on earth this could happen? I mean if you go to a preset window, you are probably going to load some presets right? If not, you add, which doesn't touch presets at all, or replace, there could be a problem, but double-clicking instead of clicking in that? I mean probably, but...

As I already wrote...dumb, old and "faster with hands then brain".

Nah, don´t worry then. It´s maybe only me.

[MeldaProduction]

Actually having ultra-fast hands sound like a big advantage . Definitely for a musician .

[CableChannel]

Osc1/2/3 randomizer pulse width - damn, bug, fixed .

Another Guiness Record, this time bug fixing

Global gain to LFO randomizer - hmmm, I tried many times and it doesn't seem to do that. I even tried checking the code and it looks like it shouldn't be doing that...

So, if the randomizer kind of "learns" from what you already created (like it does with the multiparams), it might have learned LFOing the global gain because I once did that by accident or so? Anyway, could you specifically exclude the global gain as a target for any LFO within the randomizing?

[MeldaProduction]

Global gain to LFO randomizer - hmmm, I tried many times and it doesn't seem to do that. I even tried checking the code and it looks like it shouldn't be doing that...

So, if the randomizer kind of "learns" from what you already created (like it does with the multiparams), it might have learned LFOing the global gain because I once did that by accident or so? Anyway, could you specifically exclude the global gain as a target for any LFO within the randomizing?

That could be the case, but the thing is, it shouldn't actually learn from your presets. How often does this happen?

[CableChannel]

Sometimes very often in a row, sometimes not.

Maybe it's because some inactive LFO sit there with deactivated "Global Gain" as target parameter (that seemed to be some predefined value?), and the randomizer just activates LFOs and sets random ranges without actually changing the target parameter?

[MeldaProduction]

I actually just simulated some rather weird behaviour. But it didn't ever enable Gain modulation. But the thing is, the global randomizer should not enable modulators at all!

[CableChannel]

I actually just simulated some rather weird behaviour. But it didn't ever enable Gain modulation. But the thing is, the global randomizer should not enable modulators at all!

Hmmmmmmm so there is a voodoo ghost in my MPS

OK I will observe this further and try to see when it happens.