FXpansion releases Cypher2

[Niowiad]

Yup, this release reminded of how bad I'd like to have a Seaboard and also of how broke I am

With that said I already make this mistake and I'm not buying anything with less than 37 keys ever again, so no Seaboard Block for me unfortunately.
The Seaboard RISE 49 seems like the one to have IMHO. I'm saving up so I can hopefully get one by 2028

[yellowmix]

That memory hog thing is a bit crap. What were the beta testers doing to miss such a huge bug?

You need to load many, many presets before this makes a noticeable impact. OS memory management is very good these days and it will accommodate it. I had to load ALL the presets for Windows to start swapping to the file system and even then it is negligible. These presets were not available to beta testers until about a week before release. But yes, looking at memory consumption is definitely something to examine in the future. I know I will.

I just watched the preset video with the 5D controls. It looks and sounds pretty impressive...enough so to make me want one of those Roli keyboards....BUT...I can openly admit this...I am WAYYYYY too uncoordinated to be able to do this sort of thing.

You and me, buddy. But this type of instrument control is new to everyone. And since it saves one from having to reach over to a wheel or ribbon, does play more naturally. The movements aren't foreign either and it helps a lot. Play with the virtual 5D keyboard to get a sense of it (it obviously can't capture pressure and lift but it can handle glide vertically and horizontally; strike=velocity here). Some of the 5D presets also look at release speed (particularly the mallets) so do a quick mouse click.

And you can always automate them. The transmod system itself allows for deep expression whether or not an MPE device is sending signals.

[JerGoertz]

The sound is starting to grow on me. Loaded some legacy presets and I couldn't tell the difference. Those filters still got some bite.

[Aliens]

You need to load many, many presets before this makes a noticeable impact. OS memory management is very good these days and it will accommodate it. I had to load ALL the presets for Windows to start swapping to the file system and even then it is negligible. These presets were not available to beta testers until about a week before release. But yes, looking at memory consumption is definitely something to examine in the future. I know I will.

I used the demo on my 4gb test machine and three times in a row it gave me a low ram warning after about 12 minutes each time.
From what I heard so far, it's all right sounding and looks interesting despite all the roli stuff I wouldn't have a use for, but before I splash out $200, I'll wait until they fix it and re demo it then.
Still should have been picked up on before release.

[martinjuenke]

Yup, this release reminded of how bad I'd like to have a Seaboard and also of how broke I am

With that said I already make this mistake and I'm not buying anything with less than 37 keys ever again, so no Seaboard Block for me unfortunately.
The Seaboard RISE 49 seems like the one to have IMHO. I'm saving up so I can hopefully get one by 2028

Buy two Seaboard Blocks an link them...

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Yup, this release reminded of how bad I'd like to have a Seaboard and also of how broke I am

With that said I already make this mistake and I'm not buying anything with less than 37 keys ever again, so no Seaboard Block for me unfortunately.
The Seaboard RISE 49 seems like the one to have IMHO. I'm saving up so I can hopefully get one by 2028

Buy two Seaboard Blocks an link them...

Apart from losing the controls on the side, and a likely more comfortable playing experience, size-wise, you also cannot slide continuously over the mid/join point (or maybe the've managed to compensate somehow in the software)

If you don't need portability, the '49' can often be had on a large discount from Amazon.

[bbtr]

I just watched the preset video with the 5D controls. It looks and sounds pretty impressive...enough so to make me want one of those Roli keyboards....BUT...I can openly admit this...I am WAYYYYY too uncoordinated to be able to do this sort of thing.

So for now, I'll probably just pass because what is left of my addled brain is now focussed on mastering riding a motorbike and that coordination will (hopefully) stop me from killing myself.

Pssst....., you can not kill yourself with a Roli.......

Just a hint!

[Cinebient]

I just watched the preset video with the 5D controls. It looks and sounds pretty impressive...enough so to make me want one of those Roli keyboards....BUT...I can openly admit this...I am WAYYYYY too uncoordinated to be able to do this sort of thing.

So for now, I'll probably just pass because what is left of my addled brain is now focussed on mastering riding a motorbike and that coordination will (hopefully) stop me from killing myself.

Pssst....., you can not kill yourself with a Roli.......

Just a hint!

Sure, it´s build like a tank (at least the Rise i own). So if it falls down on your head....
But really, it´s build quality is superb but i find the software a bit too limited.
Roli is really slow with updates and i find they focus now too much on consumerism.....perfect match for Apple. I like my Rise but i hoped there was already a V2 right now instead of these blocks and tons of blocks videos and how great the blocks are.
Ah, sorry off topic.
Cypher 2 is really nice. The DSP isn´t too stunning for me but as expressive synth to perform it is for sure one of the best.
I´m just not sure if it will give me enough beside Equator and Strobe 2.
I might try to bypass the FX complete and see how that works for me.
And yes, that it also support velocity release is really nice. Most synth (even if they say they support MPE) doesn´t.
This synth is really great to perform some expressive melodies or interesting moving textures over an existing idea.
I´m still trying to like the GUI and often all these pop-ups are hurting me.
I like to do my own presets but it´s hard to get the fun with this here.
I wonder if it´s possible to make custom skins.

[bbtr]

Still.. things modeled at this degree of fidelity require a lot of brute force.

Since Fxpansion cannot write a proper uninstaller, or Authorization Manager, or make their first major release in years without introducing such a stupid bug as a memory leak, I'm highly skeptical about the 'degree' and the 'fidelity'.

Let me explain:
When run from the Control Panel, the uninstaller hangs, does not delete the files and you have to remove them manually. When run from it's folder in Program Files (x86) - one time uninstalled them properly, one time partially and got hung. Strange! All Registry info is left there to mess you up later - just in case you install again.

The Authorization Manager has had bugs for years, which made a proper crack possible only 2 days after official release of Cypher 2. They didn't fix it, or change the protection - just to slow down the dark forces.

The memory leak is a noob's error that should have been caught by the developer, but didn't. And by the beta testers, but didn't.

Other fxpansion products have been known to have bugs for years, including the recently discontinued ones. Didn't get fixed.

So can you verify your claim about 'things modeled at this degree of fidelity', or you're just repeating what you read in the manual? Any bugs there that we couldn't possibly find, but which affect the end result? How could we know?!

I totally agree about the brute force - vector UI, oversampling, very high resolution of audio processes, but does all this take it there? And my machine is too slow for this??? For brute forcing things! Compare with top of the line synths that barely register on my CPU meter, or behave reasonably well.

[moshimoshi]

Still.. things modeled at this degree of fidelity require a lot of brute force.

Since Fxpansion cannot write a proper uninstaller, or Authorization Manager, or make their first major release in years without introducing such a stupid bug as a memory leak, I'm highly skeptical about the 'degree' and the 'fidelity'.

Let me explain:
When run from the Control Panel, the uninstaller hangs, does not delete the files and you have to remove them manually. When run from it's folder in Program Files (x86) - one time uninstalled them properly, one time partially and got hung. Strange! All Registry info is left there to mess you up later - just in case you install again.

The Authorization Manager has had bugs for years, which made a proper crack possible only 2 days after official release of Cypher 2. They didn't fix it, or change the protection - just to slow down the dark forces.

The memory leak is a noob's error that should have been caught by the developer, but didn't. And by the beta testers, but didn't.

Other fxpansion products have been known to have bugs for years, including the recently discontinued ones. Didn't get fixed.

So can you verify your claim about 'things modeled at this degree of fidelity', or you're just repeating what you read in the manual? Any bugs there that we couldn't possibly find, but which affect the end result? How could we know?!

I totally agree about the brute force - vector UI, oversampling, very high resolution of audio processes, but does all this take it there? And my machine is too slow for this??? For brute forcing things! Compare with top of the line synths that barely register on my CPU meter, or behave reasonably well.

This is honestly one of the most bizarre posts I've read on here, and that's saying something (this is KVR after all)

bbtr you seem to me like a troll, or a bitter competitor out to sabotage. Whatever the truth of your weird vibe, the spitting venom of your posts is just uncalled for imo.

This company doesn't owe your or your piss-poor CPU anything.

[digitalboytn]

bbtr is not a troll...

Some of the points he raises are valid criticisms and there have been quite a few bugs in some of the FXpansion products over the years...

I think that many of the problems could possibly be caused by the "over" protection that FXpansion builds into their software...

Many companies are guilty of this,but all it does is slow the software down...

But it doesn't slow down the pirates...

There is something refreshing about a name and a serial number

[moshimoshi]

OK, because if there's anything this thread needed more than the already 21 pages of 95% bullshit, is a discussion on software protection. Great, can't wait for the ensuing discussion.

Do you actually have any proof that this 'overprotection' slows down their apps? Or are you just idly speculating?

[zvenx]

.........

Do you actually have any proof that this 'overprotection' slows down their apps? Or are you just idly speculating?

Crickets

@digitalboytn, did you not see @bbtr's wonderful discourse on zebra not having real oscillators because they had issues with music at 15bpm? For which not only did he provide zero evidence, when asked to by a few people, but when Urs took time out to investigate it and proved he was writing bollocks, his response? Nvm.....



rsp

[fisherKing]

.........

Do you actually have any proof that this 'overprotection' slows down their apps? Or are you just idly speculating?

Crickets

@digitalboytn, did you not see @bbtr's wonderful discourse on zebra not having real oscillators because they had issues with music at 15bpm? For which not only did he provide zero evidence, when asked to by a few people, but when Urs took time out to investigate it and proved he was writing bollocks, his response? Nvm.....



rsp

saying something is proof enough. meanwhile, cypher2 is running well here (logic X, mojave beta)... and am getting into it, and will add it to my arsenal.

[digitalboytn]

I didn't see his post regarding the Zebra oscillators...

That claim is a little absurd...