2CAudio Kaleidoscope | It's A Trip | Latest Update 1.1

[rustman]

...and to think I only bought the mere 32 bit A2010 waveforms...

Gotta try the demo.

[synzh]

very cool, trying the demo now. Took me a bit to get back to the readme and realize I had to copy that resource folder from the unzipped download, manually to somewhere I choose then locate using the plugin, but now we're off to the races.
love the sounds, very atypical, very cool using the image maps as controller data for an effect.
I have the same concern with this type of thing as I wound up having with Harmor, which is:
I have some ideas about certain kinds of image maps I'd like to create but I can't really find a good tool that allows me to quickly/easily create the image I'm thinking of, using nice mathematical, repeatable curves with z-axis (color) data, similar to what I see in the preset images of both KS and other image plugins like Harmor (I know they use the images differently, but apparently still work well with the mathematical-looking curve sweeps I'd desperately like to create on my own.)
I had gone about looking for basic programs that do this, maybe like moire patterns or something but it became very laborious trying and usually discarding programs I'd found.

[aMUSEd]

Sorry for being a dope, but I haven't managed to get a sound out of it yet (in S1). I tried applying it to a loop, I tried getting sound out of it on its own... Missing something simple here. Could someone spell out the first few steps? A little getting started?

Also, it's not loading for me in Protools getting an error saying it's not a valid 64 AAX.

Have you pointed it to the resources library? You also need transport on play and a large buffer size.

You can have transport off if you set it that way in the preferences.

Cool thanks

I take it this setting is the one that is called "Phase Lock"? Took me a while to work out which it is but this is the only one that mentions host. Not the clearest of descriptions, why not just "midi clock" or something?

[Hez]

Once the issues with parameter automation and real time knob tweaking are ironed out (assuming they're going to be - if that's an inherent limitation of the technology then I guess I'll have to rethink the way I approach it), this'll be an instant buy. Can't wait for the midi import.

Except for the wet/dry slider none of the parameters can currently be automated dynamically, so it's not a bug but a current limitation.

Ah ok, thanks. I can understand why some of the features wouldn't behave well under dynamic automation, but stuff like Soft/Damp/Feedback seems essential from my perspective to help a patch develop over time. Being able to automate tuning changes would also be pretty useful.

[TwoToneshuzz]

I'm thinking this might be interesting, so is there someone who can give a short rundown of what Kaleidoscope can do that other effects like Übermod Filterscape or Molecular can't..

I suppose I can get it to work on my i5 3.1 Ghz iMac (mid 2011)..

First look and listen is encouraging me to take a closer look...

[wasi]

Hm, it's interesting, reminds me a bit of Cosmosƒ, both in how it nukes my CPU if I'm not careful and in how I'm not able to figure out how to actually interact sensibly with it within the first hour.

Am I correct that, in a nutshell, it's a bank of up to 512 individually tunable resonators modulated by an image, where each horizontal line is tied to a resonator?

So on a 'base level' I set the tunings of the resonators in a tuning file and set the modulation of the resonators in an image file, load both of these up and adjust their interaction with incoming audio with the knobs and settings of Kaleidoscope?

Can I shift the reference frequency of the resonators with midi note input like in NI Prism? It seems to be fixed.

IMO this also needs some sort of clipboard copy/paste for the image like harmor. Or at least a 'find image on drive' and 'reload image' so you can work on the image and then reload it with changes. 'Open in Editor' for both tuning and image files would be ideal.

It seems very geared towards using what content is already there right now, rolling your own presets feels a bit like you're hacking/modding it...?

I don't mean to be critical or anything, just trying to wrap my head around it. Simon has done some great stuff with it already but we're not all Simon.

[MillerSam]

tested under Ableton 64 bit and it's glitchy :S

[Sampleconstruct]

Once the issues with parameter automation and real time knob tweaking are ironed out (assuming they're going to be - if that's an inherent limitation of the technology then I guess I'll have to rethink the way I approach it), this'll be an instant buy. Can't wait for the midi import.

Except for the wet/dry slider none of the parameters can currently be automated dynamically, so it's not a bug but a current limitation.

Ah ok, thanks. I can understand why some of the features wouldn't behave well under dynamic automation, but stuff like Soft/Damp/Feedback seems essential from my perspective to help a patch develop over time. Being able to automate tuning changes would also be pretty useful.

I agree with you and I am sure, this will all be possible in the future, this is only version 1.0, only the beginning of something very interesting and sonically rewarding. When KS becomes a real instrument which can be modulated and automated in real time, jeeez...

[lnikj]

Once the issues with parameter automation and real time knob tweaking are ironed out (assuming they're going to be - if that's an inherent limitation of the technology then I guess I'll have to rethink the way I approach it), this'll be an instant buy. Can't wait for the midi import.

Except for the wet/dry slider none of the parameters can currently be automated dynamically, so it's not a bug but a current limitation.

Ah ok, thanks. I can understand why some of the features wouldn't behave well under dynamic automation, but stuff like Soft/Damp/Feedback seems essential from my perspective to help a patch develop over time. Being able to automate tuning changes would also be pretty useful.

I agree with you and I am sure, this will all be possible in the future, this is only version 1.0, only the beginning of something very interesting and sonically rewarding. When KS becomes a real instrument which can be modulated and automated in real time, jeeez...

With a 24 core 5Ghz computer perhaps

[Sampleconstruct]

With a 24 core 5Ghz computer perhaps

And/or with an optimization of the existing code.

[RichN]

Although I'm running a surface scan of one of my external backup HD's right now (which I guess consumes quite some much needed CPU cycles), I was so eager to try KS that I gave the demo a spin anyway.

Unfortunately, the demo causes so many crackles right now in Bitwig (even with the highest buffer sizes in Bitwig and KS) that it's just not usable. Closing the plugin window does seems to help a bit though.

When the surface scan is finished (in about 16 hours ) I'm going to try it again. Fingers crossed. But I'm not hopeful, seeing the experiences in this thread of other Bitwig users. Man, I'm so ready to pull out my credit card for this thing, but not when it's unusable in Bitwig...

How long will the intro offer be running?

[jc_vt]

What's the intro offer?

[RichN]

200 USD for KS, and 250 USD with the Architecture Vol 1 expansion included.

[Andrew Souter]

Intro offer will be until March 1 to give everyone time to explore it, and give us time for any little hot fix things that need to be done for any various host/etc issues that pop up...

this is 1.0.0 (even though it is built 371 for us!!)

when something completely new like KS that uses many new ideas both in sound/audio-dsp and in coding (multi-threading, variable buffer size etc) reaches tons of people with tons of different systems we are bound to find some kind of new info... We are actively listening and will explore everything/anything that is reported.

As you have seen in the past with our verbs we are very quick to act on initial releases and get everything as perfect as possible quickly.

This will be the start of a VERY long term platform for us and we are VERY committed to it. This idea will still be interesting in one or many decades and we hope to be there continuing to evolve it. 1.0.0 is just the start. That's why we have stuff like intro offers.

[Klangtueftler]

I had quite a few problems getting the plugin to work, here for anybody who is lost as I was:
1) Transport/Play -> Preferences -> Phase Lock a) "to host" : Host starts / stops plugin b) "internal": Plugin plays endless
Sometimes after loading plugin and switching to "Internal", it is working but no sound.
Loading a different preset helps. Sometimes after loading it produces sound although UI looks empty / Buttons off/disabled then it takes a while to load preset graphics etc.
2) Had massive jitter, crackle etc Played with buffers of host and plugin: Only if buffers of host daw and kaleidoscope are equal in size it produces clear pristine sound. (tested in Logic Pro X , Bitwig, Live 9 with buffer sizes of 256/512/1024 and where possible 2048)
3) In Bigwig the UI of the plugin is flickering every now and then

System load with one instance of Kaleidoscope running its internal sounds is around 50%.
My system: Mac Pro 2008 /w 32 GB RAM, AMD5870, OS X Yosemite on SSD

Absolute fascinating, you get so easily lost, somehow hypnotic, some sounds even after an hour endless loop do not become boring ...