Fathom Synth Development Thread

[FathomSynth]

Onerob, Thanks for using Fathom!

1) I've been thinking of having the Delete button light up when something is selected which can be deleted.
Is that what you had in mind?

2) The next release will have forward/backward browse buttons on the top tool bar.
Many requests for this, and it should help make presets simpler.

[onerob]

Thanks. It would help having the button highlight, but maybe there could be a way to delete within the the list itself -- perhaps an extra item in the modulation type list?

[FathomSynth]

Yes, that would be a lot simpler, I'll see what I can do.

[yellowmix]

sample and hold

Depends on how what it's sampling is implemented. Does it have its own random oscillator or can it accept input from any extant oscillator or sound source? I defer to your decisions especially regarding CPU efficiency when things don't have to be fully modular.

As for smoothing, it would be nice if it could glide the values with a variable speed. Another option would be to add a lag processor and let us do it ourselves. But depending on your glide algorithm, it may provide more precise control and be more efficient.

[dnelson1971]

In most applications, moving the mouse wheel toward you will scroll things up, not down. I will change that for the next release. Someone will certainly complain, “now its wrong” but its better to be consistant with the rest of the planet.

The funny thing is, the more I think about it, the more insights show up.

If you see the 'column' as a sheet of paper on your desk, the natural observation is: If you push it upwards with your hand (=scrolling the mousewheel away from you), it disappears towards the top of the field of vision. If you drag it downwards, it moves to the bottom and eventually disappears there.

So, you were right in first place and the 'browser people' are actually wrong... but the planet did not recognize it.

Ha, cool, who thought a new synth would gain such kind of consideration.

This is correct. However, if you were to place a fixed roller between your finger and and the paper, this movement is reversed exactly like the controls we are all used to.

[FathomSynth]

To be honest, the same thing happens to me also, every time I scroll in Fathom it moves the opposite of what I instinctively expect, because when I first programmed it I made the lists go down when you move the wheel toward you.

But for every other program like word processors, if you move the wheel torward you the list goes up. (Your view of the window goes down). You can try it with this web page as well, same thing.

The model is, I think, that you simply place the wheel between your finger and a piece of paper on a table and it will go up when the top of the wheel moves toward you and the bottom moves away from you. (As Dnelson has pointed out).

So that is how it will be in the next release.

Yellowmix, glad to see you are still here. The new mod will have its own random number generator. And I think it will have a smoothing dial for the amount of smoothing. The smoothing shape will be either linear or sin wave edges, with perhaps a toggle control for that.

Also the mod will work at both the macro song and note level and the audio level using cycles and even samples as the time unit. My goal is to make the mod perfect for both old school synth S&H effects and even at the audio level for distortion effects.

[elassi]

Thanks guys, the roller example absolutely convinced me.

And thanks for changing it in future.

[FathomSynth]

The new Random Sample and Hold modulator which will be in the next release.

Also there will be a new Bezier wave segment type, the "Sin Accelerator",
which can be used to emulate analog voltage ring.

Analog Voltage Ring.jpg

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

Man its been a long time since I thought about a voltage ring.......I think it had to do with radio transmissions.

On another note. the pitch wheel range is from 0-.999 in .010 step increments. The pitch note dial is +/- 12. This creates an issue when trying to get the pitch bend to exact semitones. ie, 1 semitone = .083, 2 =.166 and so on. On a 2 semitone bend it leaves me a few cents short. Of course 12 semitones would be no problem. Not really a big deal on a quick bend. But could create some pulsing on a bend and hold situation. Kinda neat in a way that its probably a lot closer than any old analog pitch bend thus leaving us with a built in vintage feature.

[FathomSynth]

So, I'm a few cents short of a semitone?

I will check the range for this release, it should be -1.0 not -0.999.
Also, are you saying you want the dial range so that each 1/12 of the dial
aligns with the tonal semitones, not exactly mathematical 1/12th?

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

So, I'm a few cents short of a semitone?

I will check the range for this release, it should be -1.0 not -0.999.
Also, are you saying you want the dial range so that each 1/12 of the dial
aligns with the tonal semitones, not exactly mathematical 1/12th?

Thats funny,
It does go to 1.0 . Incorrect assumption on my part. I myself am a few cents short of alot of things.

I noticed also today that Fathom does allow you to dial in the thousandth position. Its just very hard to do with a mouse.

Is it difficult to add a fine adjustment mouse modifier or to allow the value to be typed in?

I would say having 12 steps up and 12 steps down would be better but those folks that want to set up micro tuning would be affected.


I really maybe just splitting hairs here. I actually notced this when I wanted to set up a 2 semitone pitch bend. I used a software tuner to set my pitch both up and down. I couldnt get it dead on. (using the mouse click wheel ) I never checked it in a tune or with another track.

[FathomSynth]

OK, I'll take a look at that for this release.
I may be able to increase the resolution of the dial and/or make it divisible by 12.

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

OK, I'll take a look at that for this release.
I may be able to increase the resolution of the dial and/or make it divisible by 12.

Actually, the resolution is fine just difficult to dial in with a mouse with out a fine adjustment modifier Example. Shift-click drag or shift-mouse wheel.

[FathomSynth]

Sorry, the secret is you can always click just above and below the dial knob
and you will increment or decriment by the finest resolution.

For example a 0.0-10.0 dial mouse wheel goes by 0.25
and click above and below goes by 0.01

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

Fantastic,

Thats brilliant. Much better than a mouse modifier that takes two hands. Let me quess....this is in the manual.