After a long while we're announcing another update for SynthMaster: v2.8.6
With this update a longstanding feature request has been addressed: MIDI program change / bank change support. Now you can easily assign the current listed presets to a MIDI bank and send MIDI bank change/program change messages to SynthMaster to change the current preset: We also added 2 new skins: Aside from those new features we fixed the following issues:
1. Voice allocation kills only playing voices in release state
2. License key file dialog is not displayed on some versions
3. When saving global midi mappings, mappings there were removed recently are still saved in the config file
4. When hold pedal is released, wrong channel number is sent causing hangs
5. Arpeggiator view crashes/slows down SynthMaster when the control is paging through steps
6. Arpeggiator view doesn't reset scrollbar when a new preset is loaded
7. Added new "record note duration" option while recording arp sequences
This is gonna be our last update for SynthMaster until we release SynthMaster One in January
Enjoy!
Bulent
The below is our v2.8 announcement:
Hi everyone! We are glad to announce the official release of SynthMaster 2.8, which brings major improvements for the filters, modulation matrix workflow, layer effects layout, envelopes, LFOs and the arpeggiator/sequencer. Check out the following video prepared by Computer Music Magazine, it summarizes very well what's new in this major update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB69dov8sHk
The list of new features in this update are:
- 4 new filter categories: Ladder, Diode Ladder, Bite and State Variable filters all based on "zero delay feedback" (ZDF) topology. All the new filter categories also have an Acid button. When turned on, this couples the resonance to the cutoff frequency so that resonance decreases with decreasing cutoff frequency.
- Analog ADSR envelope type: This new envelope type is modeled after a well known analog synth's envelopes. The attack/decay durations are between 1 milloseconds - 9 seconds.
- Dual LFO type: In this new LFO type, you can choose two waveforms and crossfade between them to create a variable shaped LFO. There's also bitcrush and sample&hold available in this mode.
- Drag-n-drop modulation: Now you can create modulation matrix entries by dragging a modulation source displayed on the new modulation sources tab and dragging it onto any know on the user interface. When you click on any knob, the modulation matrix is filtered to show only entries for that target. Similarly, when you click on any modulation source on the modulation source tab, only targets for that source are displayed and modulation amounts for targets are drawn as rings around the knobs.
- Layer Effects on a single tab: Prior to v2.8, layer effects were scattered in 3 different tabs. Now in v2.8, they are displayed on a single tab in the order they are inserted. The ordering of the insert effects can be easily changed by dragging an insert effect and dropping it onto another one.
- Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression (MPE) support: Starting with v2.8, SynthMaster now supports multichannel MIDI input. New generation keyboard like the ROLI Seaboard generate MIDI messages in different MIDI channels for each key pressed, allowing each key to have separate modwheel, pitch bend, etc. values. To suppor ROLI further, we also added a new global parameter called "Map CC74 to CC1" so that the CC74 messages generated by Roli can be change to CC1 to take advantage of presets using CC1 modulation.
- New Drum Kit: Our first factory drum kit, recorded at Mars Productions / Professional Recording Studios by Mehmet Uğur Memiş and Atalay Ant is finally available in this update. The drum kit features percussion instruments with multiple velocity regions. Our product manager Gercek Dorman (who also happens to be a multi-percussionist!) created 50 drum patterns/presets as factory presets in this update.
- DrumKit Mode for the Arpeggiator: A new mode called "DrumKit" has been added to the arpeggiator. In this mode, you can easily write drum patterns for a selected drum kit. Drum kits can be created in plain text files, where percussion instruments are mapped to specific MIDI notes. Each drum kit can have up to 16 percussion instruments defined.
- Recording Mono/Poly (Chord) Sequences directly from MIDI:Starting with v2.8, now it's possible to record mono or poly (chord) into the arpeggiator in "Sequence" mode.
- New Factory Presets: We added 150 new factory presets in this update. Arksun, who is a well known sound designer amongst KVR users, has contributed to our factory library with 50 awesome presets!
- Standalone Format: On Windows we bring back the standalone version of SynthMaster, and also SynthMaster Player!
Demo and free player version of SynthMaster can be downloaded at KV331 Audio's downloads page.
For existing SynthMaster users, this update is free and can be downloaded at KV331 Audio's user downloads page.