One Synth Challenge #89: Tunefish4 by Brain Control (Meakaale wins!)

[Taron]

I vote for taking a deep breath and let payne have a go at the issue. I'm sure he's done some excellent stuff during the climb to 4 and would be sad to have them not used for this perfect showcase here!

I have some minor bitching, if you don't mind?!
...seems like filters swing freely after waveform volume, leading to some difficult editing situations.(ADSR on resonances helps, but is a bit weird, because filters do not respond to panning either!)
...noise generator is not affected by panning
...release (especially on percussion/drums like a kick) will have a slight click. Consider ramps to 0 when stopping waves, I guess?!

I'm sure there's some more I've noticed and more I haven't, but those things are pretty fundamental, I think, and well worth having a look into.

Other than that, some good fun with your unique tunefish!

[rghvdberg]

I compiled a new vst from the code at github.
Cpu usage skyrockets after opening gui. Closing doesn't help. In my daw I notice that the DSP usage doesn't change that much. Dunno what that actually implies.

filed an issue (with screenshots!), here: https://github.com/paynebc/tunefish/issues/3

[Taron]

Pity, I tried a quick VS compile, but couldn't right off the bet. Though I have VS2013, v120 toolset is claimed to be missing. Not sure how or where to set the project to the right MSbuild folder. Might be just a silly thing I gotta check...or really something I'm missing. I'm still clumsy with these things.
...otherwise I would totally go in there!

I would most certainly add key tracking to the mod matrix!

[ontrackp]

Thanks for Tunefish -- it's a fun and different synth!

A few things on Mac OSX:

- the synchronization buttons for the LFO's don't seem to have any effect
- the scaling of attack and decay times in the envelopes are very coarse, they don't have much effect until almost all the way up
- there is not a way to apply a negative modulation value?
- LFO mod does not seem to work on master PAN
- When the GUI is open, other windows (like compressor or eq plugins) get funky and have trouble re-drawing.
- I have to use the Logic Save As / Load menu to store presets. It remembers the names of presets I change in the programs box but only in the instance that I enter them.

All of these can be worked around, and as I said it's a great sounding, fun synth and I hope to have an entry this month.

[liqih]

I compiled a new vst from the code at github.
Cpu usage skyrockets after opening gui. Closing doesn't help. In my daw I notice that the DSP usage doesn't change that much. Dunno what that actually implies.

filed an issue (with screenshots!), here: https://github.com/paynebc/tunefish/issues/3

Have you tried a build with startTimer (50); removed
from Tunefish4AudioProcessorEditor()
?

That was the change on Windows for avoiding GUI CPU load. From 70% to 2% here.

[bjporter]

Ok, made a note on the top of the OP. If people have issues, they should report the bug here and at github first. Secondly, they can try using Tunefish 3.

[rghvdberg]

I compiled a new vst from the code at github.
Cpu usage skyrockets after opening gui. Closing doesn't help. In my daw I notice that the DSP usage doesn't change that much. Dunno what that actually implies.

filed an issue (with screenshots!), here: https://github.com/paynebc/tunefish/issues/3

Have you tried a build with startTimer (50); removed
from Tunefish4AudioProcessorEditor()
?

That was the change on Windows for avoiding GUI CPU load. From 70% to 2% here.

will do
did you post this at github too ?

[bjporter]

Best place to put bug reports: https://github.com/paynebc/tunefish/issues

If you don't have a github, get one! Help support open source

[liqih]

I compiled a new vst from the code at github.
Cpu usage skyrockets after opening gui. Closing doesn't help. In my daw I notice that the DSP usage doesn't change that much. Dunno what that actually implies.

filed an issue (with screenshots!), here: https://github.com/paynebc/tunefish/issues/3

Have you tried a build with startTimer (50); removed
from Tunefish4AudioProcessorEditor()
?

That was the change on Windows for avoiding GUI CPU load. From 70% to 2% here.

will do
did you post this at github too ?

No, I'm not expert do deal with Github,
anyway I just commented
//startTimer (50);
in PluginEditor.cpp
BTW I think I have to ask the author what is the right
way to distribuite my builds, if anyone wants them.

[brainzistor]

BTW I think I have to ask the author what is the right
way to distribuite my builds, if anyone wants them.

I want to test it, I had that GUI/CPU problem, if you don't mind uploading it anywhere you want (google drive, mediafire, box.com or whatever you are using) for a start so that people that have the same problem can test it.
Or, maybe wait for someone's input about Github, idk...

[bjporter]

BTW I think I have to ask the author what is the right
way to distribuite my builds, if anyone wants them.

I want to test it, I had that GUI/CPU problem, if you don't mind uploading it anywhere you want (google drive, mediafire, box.com or whatever you are using) for a start so that people that have the same problem can test it.
Or, maybe wait for someone's input about Github, idk...

Yeah throw them up on a cloud drive, and linky here - good idea

[liqih]

I compiled a new vst from the code at github.
Cpu usage skyrockets after opening gui. Closing doesn't help. In my daw I notice that the DSP usage doesn't change that much. Dunno what that actually implies.

filed an issue (with screenshots!), here: https://github.com/paynebc/tunefish/issues/3

Have you tried a build with startTimer (50); removed
from Tunefish4AudioProcessorEditor()
?

That was the change on Windows for avoiding GUI CPU load. From 70% to 2% here.

will do
did you post this at github too ?

No, I'm not expert do deal with Github,
anyway I just commented
//startTimer (50);
in PluginEditor.cpp

[edit] Update! That's not right either, startTimer (50);
was redrawing the whole GUI each 50 ms! Removing that, Live doesn't crash anymore (Window 32-bit), but this way the GUI is no more updated, except if you use the mouse on controls.
The CPU load from the GUI can be lowered setting the redraw time low, like startTimer (400);
but Live still crashes, it seems that refreshUiFromSynth(); is doing something wrong.
Possibly for the waveshape and spectrum display.
So the Tunefish4 would need a rework on the GUI refresh method. [/edit]

[payne_bc]

Have you tried a build with startTimer (50); removed
from Tunefish4AudioProcessorEditor()
?

That was the change on Windows for avoiding GUI CPU load. From 70% to 2% here.

That change will make the UI stop updating completely. Don't do it, it breaks way more than it fixes. I will look into the CPU issues today and I also grabbed copies of FL Studio and Live 9 to see how it behaves with those.

EDIT: Ah I see I was too late Never mind

[payne_bc]

Hm, I cannot get Live to crash here Is there something specific I have to do? Does it crash only on a specific platform? I am on Win10-x64
Anyway, I now tried using OpenGL rendering for the UI, maybe that improves things. Also I set it to 10fps which seems really fast enough and should already cut the load in half.

[Taron]

Forgive me for suggestion/asking, but If you just check for the mouse triggers to update the graphics at change of values (and window messages?) , just how it ordinarily works...wouldn't that do the trick and you could skip constant updating?
I'm using vstgui4.0 and rely on it's update logic, which appears to be quite solid and "calm".