Suggestions for MPowerSynth :)

[Hanz Meyzer]

Hi,

I read the very interesting interview with Vojtech and got that there must be tons of user requests, bit still, I post here some suggestions that you may consider for inspiration.

Suggestions for MPowerSynth

- IMO the unison could be improved, in particular the way of randomization. There is only a very small window for those parameters in which it sounds like analog. For example, there could be an advanced options for unison, that provides things like a slider for the way of randomized note pitch or phase spreading, from an exponential to a logarithmic curve.

- I miss some OSC instability feature, too. Something beautiful like in Diva or analogue gear like SEM V, OB-X. It's more than a simple lfo on pitch, or a chorus.

- The FM mode is nice to have, but limited. A colleague uses inline powersynth instances (in the fx section) to circumvent this limitation. That's too complicated for me, so I miss some more FM-synth like FM-matrix possibilities. Or some FM fx which hosts multiple instances easily?

- The modulators are named "LFOs" in automation list. I find that confusing. IMO it should exactly be named like it is labeled in the GUI.

- I completely miss "panning per note". So you can automate panning, but it will affect only new appearing notes and the panning for the note will stay constant. This for polyphonic play a.k.a. chords, too, please!

- A vertical line on the envelopes that shows the current position of a note (so, multiple lines for polyphony) would be awesome

- The way the filter env influences the filter is not very transparent in my opinion. I would like to have more visualization for that. Maybe some second env curve in the env graph in the background, showing the actual result would be helpful?

- MPowerSynth (and I guess all Melda plugins) is not cross-platform-DAW friendly, because it quite strangely uses "MPowerSynth.bin" as OSX executable. So songs that are composed with a cross platform DAW like Renoise, let' say on Windows won't correctly open on Renoise OSX. Same goes for Cubase Win/OSX. IMHO the executable should be named identically. Of course this is now difficult to achieve since lot of people already using it. But also renaming on OSX to "MPowerSynth" doesn't seem to work (works for most other plugins). Only renaming under Windows to MPowerSynth.bin.dll seem to work easily.

- Multiband transient shaper in fx would be mind-blowing

- Some fx or settings seem to lead into mono instability/ugly cancellation in mono, for example the reverb. From my point of view a synth/fx shouldn't offer any options that are not mono compatible. Like the chorus fx, it has various modes like haas, panning, phase. There are other VSTs that care more for stability also in these modes. The musician shouldn't have to know all those algorithms and its drawbacks in detail, neither he/she should be a DSP scientist



Thanks for your time.

[Hanz Meyzer]

wrong button

[jmg8]

Hi,

I read the very interesting interview with Vojtech and got that there must be tons of user requests, bit still, I post here some suggestions that you may consider for inspiration.

Suggestions for MPowerSynth

- IMO the unison could be improved, in particular the way of randomization. There is only a very small window for those parameters in which it sounds like analog. For example, there could be an advanced options for unison, that provides things like a slider for the way of randomized note pitch or phase spreading, from an exponential to a logarithmic curve.

- I miss some OSC instability feature, too. Something beautiful like in Diva or analogue gear like SEM V, OB-X. It's more than a simple lfo on pitch, or a chorus.

- The FM mode is nice to have, but limited. A colleague uses inline powersynth instances (in the fx section) to circumvent this limitation. That's too complicated for me, so I miss some more FM-synth like FM-matrix possibilities. Or some FM fx which hosts multiple instances easily?

- The modulators are named "LFOs" in automation list. I find that confusing. IMO it should exactly be named like it is labeled in the GUI.

- I completely miss "panning per note". So you can automate panning, but it will affect only new appearing notes and the panning for the note will stay constant. This for polyphonic play a.k.a. chords, too, please!

- A vertical line on the envelopes that shows the current position of a note (so, multiple lines for polyphony) would be awesome

- The way the filter env influences the filter is not very transparent in my opinion. I would like to have more visualization for that. Maybe some second env curve in the env graph in the background, showing the actual result would be helpful?

- MPowerSynth (and I guess all Melda plugins) is not cross-platform-DAW friendly, because it quite strangely uses "MPowerSynth.bin" as OSX executable. So songs that are composed with a cross platform DAW like Renoise, let' say on Windows won't correctly open on Renoise OSX. Same goes for Cubase Win/OSX. IMHO the executable should be named identically. Of course this is now difficult to achieve since lot of people already using it. But also renaming on OSX to "MPowerSynth" doesn't seem to work (works for most other plugins). Only renaming under Windows to MPowerSynth.bin.dll seem to work easily.

- Multiband transient shaper in fx would be mind-blowing

- Some fx or settings seem to lead into mono instability/ugly cancellation in mono, for example the reverb. From my point of view a synth/fx shouldn't offer any options that are not mono compatible. Like the chorus fx, it has various modes like haas, panning, phase. There are other VSTs that care more for stability also in these modes. The musician shouldn't have to know all those algorithms and its drawbacks in detail, neither he/she should be a DSP scientist



Thanks for your time.

You can create a more analogue style using the randomize phase option in advanced settings.
Also each osc has a pitch envelope. Each of these envelopes has a tremolo with random start phase per note also you can use a random mod to change the rate. This gives great sounding osc drift.

FM matrix will no doubt come to MYYY. For now you might have to put up with the FX work around. Why not use a preset from your work colleague.

I agree about the fact that they are labeled as lfo in the list when they are actually a lot more than just lfo. They should be labelled as modulators.

I also would love to see a vertical line in the envelopes. Just the same as it is implimented in the lfo. It's nice to have the visual feedback. I also like your suggestion of having multiple lines for polyphonic too!.

[Hanz Meyzer]

Thanks, yes, I already tried random phase in advanced options, also random in unison mode. But for example, in my option it often randomly sounds too near to the base frequency, so too much phaser like stuff. With such curves, I suggested, you could prevent it. For phase and pitch.

[jmg8]

Well I'm not even sure that random in unison mode affects pitch at all. I thought it was just a panning option for each unison voice. I think the detune of the voices is fixed. Maybe Vojtech could clarify this?
Even so you can randomly pitch all voices with the tremolo in pitch envelope.
Have you tried this? It makes a nice sounding osc drift

[Tagirijus]

Hi,

Hi.

- The modulators are named "LFOs" in automation list. I find that confusing. IMO it should exactly be named like it is labeled in the GUI.

I agree on this one.

- I completely miss "panning per note". So you can automate panning, but it will affect only new appearing notes and the panning for the note will stay constant. This for polyphonic play a.k.a. chords, too, please!

This sounds like an interesting idea.

- A vertical line on the envelopes that shows the current position of a note (so, multiple lines for polyphony) would be awesome

Basically the idea is for every envelope, which is started by MIDI notes, right? I also would like this one.

- Multiband transient shaper in fx would be mind-blowing

You can set up your own multiband unit with the "Crossover" module. Either in the FX matrix or even "compressed" inside a new "Modular" matrix:

crossover_multiband_transient.jpg

To some other points you mentioned: I assume that many new things will come into MYYY.

[Hanz Meyzer]

Oh oO nice

Did not use the cross device. Thanks for the tipp!

[MeldaProduction]

Ok so , that's quite a long post :

- Unison - could you get me some audio examples for a simple saw wave? I mean, you said it could sound better, so the best would be to actually hear it.

- Instability, FM matrix - noted for MYYY.

- LFO - I know, but for sake of backward compatibility it needs to stay this way.

- Pan per note - we'll see.

- Envelope locator - we'll see.

- Filter visualisation - sorry, no. After all, for polyphonic stuff it cannot be done.

- MPowersynth.bin.dll - That's an absolute NO and doesn't make sense in any way. If you use VST2/VST3 plugin in cubase, it will work on both OSX and Windows, I have tested that myself. If you have a host, that cares about the name of the actual executable, then you should probably stop using it .

- Mono stability - I don't follow. Just unison is not mono-compatible for obvious reasons. These things just do happen, any 2 signals are NOT mono compatible unless it's just mono or don't have a single frequency in common. That's just how it is.

[jmg8]

Great thanks for looking Into these things!

If I could just add a small one?
In the modulation destinations list (where it reads lfo)
Could we please have it collapsed for lfos and multiparameters. I almost always want the parameters at the bottom of the list and have to scroll.

[vectorwarrior]

Just to add a plus one, I'd love to see a visualisation of the envelope. This is also an issue in MWobbler. As a result, I like to use the global modulators directly on the parameter rather than the built in envelope, that way you can see the change. But I agree, having a visualisation would make the built-in envelope way more useful.

[MeldaProduction]

jmg8: Hmmm, I'm lost, what do you mean by that? Do you have 9.16?

vectorwarrior: What kind of problem with MWobbler?

[jmg8]

[quote="MeldaProduction"]jmg8: Hmmm, I'm lost, what do you mean by that? Do you have 9.16?

Of course I have 9.16 haha

I mean when you click to open the list of available parameters to learn to a mod or a multiparameter
We are presented with a tree, this is where the mods are labelled as LFOs.
I was hoping you could make the LFOs and Multiparameters collapsed as when they are open it fills the box and I almost always need something from the bottom of the list and have to scroll.

[MeldaProduction]

That's what I don't understand - they ARE collapsed How about a screenshot?

[jmg8]

Here

The list reads LFO 1, LFO 2 etc then the same for multiparameters too. This makes the list (in MXXX) 32 lines long.
At the bottom of the list (off screen) is band 1 which usually contains the parameters I wish to modulate, like the FX in the modules.

I suggest just having it collapsed to LFOs and Multiparameters. That's just 2 lines and then you can click on them to open up all 16.

Sorry about the image, I screenshot both monitors! haha

[MeldaProduction]

Aaaaaaha! Well, I'll check, but there could be a problem with backwards compatibility, in which case...