Synapse Legend
U-he Repro
Xils Poly KB II
What new thing is a Cytomic Synth going to bring that those already haven't? New quality stomp pedals Cytomic FX like Scream are more useful IMO.
Cytomic Synthesizer
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- Banned
- 10732 posts since 17 Nov, 2015
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- Banned
- 10732 posts since 17 Nov, 2015
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- KVRian
- 821 posts since 11 Aug, 2018 from UE
The legend : we already have the arturia mini.
Repro : native instruments pro 53
Poly kb., heu, idk...
A strange logic.....
No comment.
Best
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- KVRian
- 821 posts since 11 Aug, 2018 from UE
Cytomic synth = instant buy for me, no need to demo it.
Best
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- KVRian
- 1375 posts since 6 May, 2005 from Michigan, USA
I've been eager to see the filters from The Drop incorporated into a full-on Cytomic synth ever since The Drop arrived. Definitely will be an instabuy for me.
http://www.davidvector.com
New album, Chasing Fire, out now on Amazon, iTunes, etc.
Bandcamp: https://davidvector.bandcamp.com/releases
New album, Chasing Fire, out now on Amazon, iTunes, etc.
Bandcamp: https://davidvector.bandcamp.com/releases
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gentleclockdivider gentleclockdivider https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=203660 - KVRAF
- 6104 posts since 22 Mar, 2009 from gent
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- KVRAF
- 2637 posts since 3 Dec, 2008
I designed and coded all the synths in Synth Squad. I came up with the product idea, having an SH-101 type single osc synth with sub oscillator (Strobe), a string synth (Amber) and an audio rate modulation triple oscillator synth (Cypher), and also way to combine and layer them all where you could add step sequencers and extra modulation (Fusor, which Angus coded). I did the basic GUI layout (not final graphics), synth design, DSP, and TransMod modulation system and had feedback and suggestions from the guys at FXpansion all along the way. In particular Angus had some great ideas with regards how to keep the knob count down in Cypher's oscillator section, but most of the other synths didn't need as much input.
I made the modulation system fully polyphonic, and coded support to allow each midi channel to map to an individual voice, so you could use the midi CC's on each voice, as well as regular polyphonic sources like poly aftertouch. This was before MPE existed, and there wasn't really much support for editing polyphonic note modulation back then, but Synth Squad was ready and waiting for when it came. Another thing that took quite a long time to get right was the voice stealing algorithm that would allow you to switch presets while holding down notes and adjust as smoothly as possible to a new preset including new unison voice count and voice count. This is super handy for flicking quickly through presets.
The TransMod system I based off a cross between the Nord Modular modulation system, and Surge by Vember Audio, which would allow you both to edit modulation directly on the destination control. I extended it to allow editing of both the main knob value and modulation value at once, since I thought this would be more useful. The original SH-101 Strobe had two faders next two each other which I ganged together to achieve this.
The biggest mistake I think I made with Synth Squad was insisting that each synth have no built in effects, and that effects should be added using Fusor, apart from Amber which needed a formant filter and chorus built in. I did this to more closely mimic old analog synths, and force preset designers to come up with a great sound without leaning on reverb and chorus etc. I don't think this was a good business idea, and certainly not good to sell the synths individually.
PS: FXpansion have added built in effects, and added lots of new modulation sources and increase the number of TransMod slots and made a bunch more improvements including better GUIs for Strobe2 and Cypher2, so please check them out!
Last edited by andy-cytomic on Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Glue, The Drop - www.cytomic.com
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Distorted Horizon Distorted Horizon https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=392076 - Banned
- Topic Starter
- 3882 posts since 17 Jan, 2017 from Planet of cats
This/that is so interesting 
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- KVRist
- 66 posts since 15 Jun, 2018 from England
He already has the filter and distortion modules nailed.
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- KVRAF
- 4431 posts since 15 Nov, 2006 from Hell
to this day Synth Squad is the only "proper" synth i "click" with. i gave up on trying to program my own sounds and these days mostly use Syntronik and UVI stuff for synths, but when i need a synth sound that cannot be achieved through sampled means, DCAM Synth Squad is the one i go to first. the TransMod modulation system is so simple, logical and intuitive, it pretty much explained synth modulation to me without even trying. i still suck at programming synths and really only "get" subtractive synthesis, but those are the sounds i tend to go for anyway (and for everything else, Syntronik/UVI deliver...), and with TransMod and Fusor i can animate those "same old" subtractive sounds in a cool and evolving way.
I don't know what to write here that won't be censored, as I can only speak in profanity.
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Funkybot's Evil Twin Funkybot's Evil Twin https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=116627
- KVRAF
- 11511 posts since 16 Aug, 2006
That's an interesting take to hear from a developer. I'm a big fan of synths with effects from a sheer sound design perspective. Not only does it make the synth/preset sound impressive, effects also provide context for what the preset designer was hearing in the patch. I can definitely understand how not having effects makes a synth a tougher sell, especially in a market flooded with synths with impressive sounding presets drenched in effects.andy-cytomic wrote: ↑Mon Oct 08, 2018 12:59 pm The biggest mistake I think I made with Synth Squad was insisting that each synth have no built in effects, and that effects should be added using Fusor, apart from Amber which needed a formant filter and chorus built in. I did this to more closely mimic old analog synths, and force preset designers to come up with a great sound without leaning on reverb and chorus etc. I don't think this was a good business idea, and certainly not good to sell the synths individually.
Fusor also never got much use because CPU quickly got out of hand. It was great that you could stack synths and easily add effects and global modulation, but I'm not sure if it was doing multi-core, but Fusor was a total CPU killer. As a result, I just shied away from using it and would find other ways to stack sounds and/or add effects.
I don't know if you feel this way personally, but I think another potential lesson learned from the original DCAM release should be the importance of some traditional (or "bread and butter") presets. From my perspective, the original release's presets skewed very heavily towards modern EDM and generally harsher sounds. Electric Himalaya put out some great presets after the fact, but prior to that, DCAM wasn't a product where I'd scroll through presets and find a ton of musically appealing sounds (realize my own taste is a very large factor int hat). And while the existing presets may may have done a great job of showing off the modulation capabilities of the synths and appealing to the EDM or even modular-synth crowd where audio-rate modulation is a turn on, I'm sure I wasn't the only user who was looking for more old school basses, leads, brass, and the like. The new v2 releases seem to do a better job on that front.
Still, Synth Squad has held up all these years later, and that's a great testament to the raw sound quality.
