MSF beta

[werzel]

Is it appropriate to discuss thoughts and ask questions about the beta here?

[jmg8]

Yes mate. Fill your boots.

[werzel]

OPINION: I think that the Matrix(es) take up too much space in the GUI. They could be reduced by half and still visually display the routing effectively. And that saved space could be put to use in other ways.

FR1: Modulation is extremely important for sound design projects and MSF has us covered! What I would like to see is fewer popups and a more direct route to seeing and adjusting the modulators. I have grown fond of nodes which can be grabbed and moved as a form of adjusting parts of envelopes and LFOs within their graphic displays. I just don't enjoy digging for them!

Q1: The per-voice modulation tabs have an arrow which does not respond to mouse clicks. (rc1) What are they for?

OPINION: I find the default setting of many effects to be quite overwhelming.
Resonance in the filter set at 40% by default creates an immediate impact upon the sound when adjusting a cutoff frequency. It should begin at 0% for a more accurate picture of what the cutoff is doing to the sound and then adjusted from there.
It would also be nice to see the distortion module default settings all on 0s with the amp and EQ off to begin with a neutral effect.

FR2: Could we have a Replace option added to the Matrix menu? I've had many times that I've wanted to change something instead of delete it.

Q2: Is there a default mixer for the Matrix lanes or do we need to add a mixer to the matrix in order to determine the amount that each lane outputs?

[werzel]

Q: The per-voice modulations can be combined using multiply, add, subtract, minimum and maximum,
a) How do those functions affect the modulators?
b) Why is there no divide?
c) Would more maths provide interesting/ usable results?

Bonus: How do the A, B, C and D banks within the modulators combine their modulations?

[DarkStar]

If by "matrix" you mean the Modular grids, each one can be collapsed, using the Collapse button beneath it.

A1: The per-voice modulation tabs have an arrow: drag it onto any Modulation button to assign that Mod source to that target parameter quickly.

FR2: I would like a plug-in "Replace" too, but am not sure how it could be done.

Q2: Is there a default mixer? Nope, it's do-it-yourself. It would be handy, though.

Note that the "6out" edition routes the 6 streams from the FX grid to separate plug-in outputs so you can apply separate FX outside MSF.

Qa: the operators do not affect the Modulators, they affect the target parameter. The tinted bars show the net effect of the modulators and operators. The net effect can also be seen in the vertical meter on the Modulation button.

Qb: maybe a divide would lead to overflow?

Qc: Maybe.

Bonus Q: once an ABCD row has been evaluated, it is added to the output of the previous row. Note the + between the rows. The final result is shown by the green bar below the Depth parameter at the top of the window.

[werzel]

Thanks DarkStar!
I am aware that the Modular matrix can be collapsed, I just think its a bit large.

I tried F1 and did not notice anything referencing the arrows on the modulation tabs. Drag and drop is one thing that I hadn't tried.

Perhaps "Replace" could call up the Select Plugin menu.

Now that we have the modulation and ?range? controls, I was thinking that a vertical slider could be used to control the % that each Modular matrix lane outputs. Perhaps an idea for the future.

Hmmm, you have confused me. By calling the modulators in the per-voice modulation panel 'operators' I immediately began to picture the modulation system as FM! Until someone can create some graphics to demonstrate the combining I'll have to experiment and see what happens.

[dmbaer]

FR2: I would like a plug-in "Replace" too, but am not sure how it could be done.

When you left click you get a window to do things including delete. Just add another button to the right of Delete that says Replace. Clicking Replace would bring up the module selection window. That would save one mouse click and a little mouse movement, so not that big a gain, but useful nonetheless.

[Tagirijus]

b) Why is there no divide?

I am not sure if I am right, but: multiplying by 0.xxx is more CPU friendly instead of dividing. Correct?

(so instead of 4/2 you can do 4*0.5, instead of 10/6 you can do 10*0,16667, etc.)

[werzel]

Tagirijus, if we use two numbers, (4 and 2), we then have 4*2, 4+2, 4-2, min and max. I was wondering where 4/2 was...and by default where 4^2 and others were as well.

I was looking at the Math module and wondering if there was a reason that others were left out.
And, in mentioning it, I now wonder why each line of modulators (A,B,C,D) which have 4 modulators to them, couldn't be applied to written formulas.

[DarkStar]

Hmmm, you have confused me. By calling the modulators in the per-voice modulation panel 'operators' I immediately began to picture the modulation system as FM! Until someone can create some graphics to demonstrate the combining I'll have to experiment and see what happens.

Sorry about that . Modulators are modulators, operators are the mathematical operations that combine them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operator_ ... ogramming)

Experimenting will be the best way - slow down the LFOs so that you can watch the various value bars move.

Modulation editor lets you control the way the parameter value is modulated for each instrument voice. The modulation signal is produced from a set of up to 16 mapped modulation sources. For a greater flexibility, the values of the sources on each row are processed in order depending on the operator selected, and the row values are then added together to get to a final modulation value. The result is then processed using the Transformation (if enabled) and finally multiplied by the Depth, which therefore controls the overall amount of modulation.

As well as the internal sources shown in the Modulation Sources panel, there are several MIDI CC, MIDI Note and Special sources. Click any of the active or "Off" buttons to select the source. Click the Editor button (if enabled) alongside the name to open the editor for that modulation source.

Each of these sources has its own draggable Depth control parameter immediately below the source button. The blue bar underneath shows the value of the modulation source (at the point when a key is pressed) and the red bar shows the product of the values on that row. Finally, underneath the Depth control, the green bar shows the eventual modulation value (after the Depth parameter has been applied, as a final multiplier).