Abyss released

[BONES]

Hehe, you severely underestimate my thoroughness. These were built up over a decade and I know many of them well enough to have done several demos and several more patch sets for them.

Oh, you're one of those guys. I make songs, plugins are just tools to me with little or no intrinsic value. Therefore a plugin like this, which I simply can't imagine using in a song, is worthless to me. OTOH, I had no hesitation when it came to Concept 2 or Straylight (I only bought Quanta because it was cheap and I like the GUI and I owned Pigments before they added the granular osc).

Not to knock Peter at all, but presets aren’t typically where great instruments shine. If that were the case, we’d all be discussing Nexus 3 right now…

I'll take your word for it, I've not so much as even looked at it. The thing with something like Abyss, though, is that it is hugely dependent on, constrained by, the sample content available for it so it's not like I would be confident that I could ever get what I want from it.

To each their own, but I’m seriously sorry that you get nothing out of it. It’s a fantastic VST.

... For? Because that's the thing, it has to have a purpose other than being "a fantastic VST".

[rj0]

Thanks for the interest! The topic is a bit complex ... hence the answer is a bit long:

Every single tone-colour is a spectral model. These models have been derived from natural samples. This has a couple of benefits: the models capture the fluctuations of natural sounds, hence they sound very organic and have a nice texture. At the same time they are not fixed samples, but can be modified. In the current version you can add / remove detail, add "musical" noise which is specifically tuned to the tonecolour, increase the fluctuations or make the sound static like an oscillator voice. This is just the tip of the iceberg - the models are quite flexible and other parameters may be added in later versions (if there is interest). The underlying spectral model used in Abyss is based on my own research and is in many aspects different from the usual "STFT" or harmonic+noise+residual approaches.

....

This will allow realtime modulations of the spectral model. But you can achieve this with ease in Abyss already today: simply put multiple variations of tone colours on the gradient - there is no practical limit on how many tone-colours you place on the gradient. In practice I have rarely needed more than a handful tone colours to make even the smoothest transitions.

...

A bit beyond sample-based, I gather (although, without actually playing with the various modifying parameters and modulations, easy to presume otherwise).

[zerocrossing]

What’s it like to be unable to imagine that someone else isn’t the same as you?

[c0nsilience]

Probably pretty lonely. Diversity is what keeps it interesting, even when you’re dealing with presuppositions and assumptions being thrown your direction.

[WasteLand]

well, a subjective meaning can't make a claim to be an objective judgment. (read the kritik der urteilskraft, in german, 5 times, and then we talk again. EDIT: the sentence i wrote before, isn't from that book, because it is more complex... a balanced subjective judgment, a balance between two faculties can make a claim, but only can make claim, it is not objective (yet, or never...))

that said.

curves for the main ADSR, bezier curves, because the LIFT now, ends quite abruptly. i must look how other MPE synths, with LIFT, do handle it..

but the new update is fun, even the dice, but especially more MPE control... and getting more into the complete workflow, nice sounds with one patch...

the spread, was sometimes on, i see now, i didn't see it on my laptop (well who use 15" at 1920x1080..), that the 'point' is thicker when, it is modulating someting.

o yes modulating. modulating the modulator. spread controlling via CC or Modulation wheel or MPE, would give great results.

spread is now 'static', or i do miss something.

[PetVor]

spread is now 'static', or i do miss something.

Not sure if I understand this question - but will try to answer anyways:

There is no change on spread! SPREAD works somewhat similar to the other modulators - you can spread various things. First click the parameter you want to influence, then you can dial in the amount of SPREAD between the left and the right channel. If you apply SPREAD on the POS you will see the playhead "splits" to 2 playheads, one for the left and one for the right channel.
You can also apply SPREAD eg to the CUTOFF - if you do this the left and the right audio channel will have different cutoff frequencies. It also works nice on DIRT, DETUNE, RESO or the DELAY TIME and with some care on PITCH.

The SPREAD parameter works nicely to create depth and width in the stereo field in various ways, but most of the times small amounts are sufficient. All sliders have a sensitive mode when you engage CMD (Mac) or CTRL (Win) and you can double-click to reset slider. This also works for all the modifier-sliders and helps to fine tune the amount of spread. The center-position is indicated by a slightly smaller dot.

For some parameters SPREAD is not available: LEVEL (this would actually been identical with PAN), for PAN and for most of the FX sliders.

Does this help?

[UncleAge]

I downloaded the demo last night and I really like Abyss. I could mess around with my other plugins and probably achieve similar results. However the interface on Abyss I really like. Been playing around with it for hours now and I definitely see it fitting into my setup. Easy on the eyes, easy to navigate and not too busy of an interface. I like that.

It's nice to see a dev not try to emulate another old piece of gear. Kudos to you on that and kudos to participating in this thread.

With that said I'll have to wait until the next sale before I pick it up. Tracktion had a bunch of sales last year so hopefully they'll have another between now and Black Friday. When they do I'm sure to add this one to my stash.

[WasteLand]

spread is now 'static', or i do miss something.

Not sure if I understand this question - but will try to answer anyways:

There is no change on spread! SPREAD works somewhat similar to the other modulators - you can spread various things. First click the parameter you want to influence, then you can dial in the amount of SPREAD between the left and the right channel. If you apply SPREAD on the POS you will see the playhead "splits" to 2 playheads, one for the left and one for the right channel.
You can also apply SPREAD eg to the CUTOFF - if you do this the left and the right audio channel will have different cutoff frequencies. It also works nice on DIRT, DETUNE, RESO or the DELAY TIME and with some care on PITCH.

The SPREAD parameter works nicely to create depth and width in the stereo field in various ways, but most of the times small amounts are sufficient. All sliders have a sensitive mode when you engage CMD (Mac) or CTRL (Win) and you can double-click to reset slider. This also works for all the modifier-sliders and helps to fine tune the amount of spread. The center-position is indicated by a slightly smaller dot.

For some parameters SPREAD is not available: LEVEL (this would actually been identical with PAN), for PAN and for most of the FX sliders.

Does this help?

yes i understand. and already use it that way. so thanks for taking time to explain it, perhaps other users will have some user for it... the dot i found out later, on a bigger screen. i worked today with Abyss, with great pleasure. also with LIFT, on TUNE. release quickly, and WOW, per voice..

i wasn't clear. SPREAD is static, i mean, you set the slider for each source. ok.

but it wouldn't be nice that SPREAD could be controlled, as a 'source'.

you can modulate modulators, i mean in general.

SPREAD, via pressure, for instance, widens the stereo field with POSITION, i use it already, also with DIRT, etc.. CUTOFF..

but to modulate, by Modwheel, CC, or PRESS etc SPREAD would create a more rich texture...

am i clear now?

it would mean that SPREAD will be per voice.. of course, imagine, that with one key(wave) you widen the stereo field, with another not... well, i think you get it now.

i will reread my post, because i wasn't clear...

yes i want to able to change the spread range, while playing...

[PetVor]

*** snip ***
it would mean that SPREAD will be per voice.. of course, imagine, that with one key(wave) you widen the stereo field, with another not... well, i think you get it now.

Ah, I see. Are you mainly interested in the SPREAD working on POS (so adding one slider for this that then can be modulated by any modulator) or do you suggest this for ALL of the SPREAD sliders (the one for DIRT, the one for CUTOFF etc) ... which would mean to add 9 or 10 sliders to the interface?

[WasteLand]

*** snip ***
it would mean that SPREAD will be per voice.. of course, imagine, that with one key(wave) you widen the stereo field, with another not... well, i think you get it now.

Ah, I see. Are you mainly interested in the SPREAD working on POS (so adding one slider for this that then can be modulated by any modulator) or do you suggest this for ALL of the SPREAD sliders (the one for DIRT, the one for CUTOFF etc) ... which would mean to add 9 or 10 sliders to the interface?

o don't confuse me!

SPREAD is not per voice. it seems? like CC of course, or Modwheel (which is also a CC)..

was working, again with Abyss, SPREAD is a source, but can made into a destination also of course.

within the realm of Abyss, you don't have to introduce sliders. one slider, for example Pressure, the first one, you can set for several destinations, why not spread as a destination.
problem of course, spread is a source, with several destinations...

i am not a developer! o well, i work with someone, and also influence the layout..

but this isn't my day. i thought it would be a nice idea... glide to SPREAD...

but Abyss has a minimalistic approach, and it is very powerfull, the patch i made today, yes one patch, tweaked at detail, and played with detail, MPE of course, with LIFT...
great sound...

modulation matrix is always the solution. but if it falls within the boundaries of the realm of Abyss?

but if it is possible, and you like the idea, POSITION only would me thinks, gives the most control, although DIRT with SPREAD... me like..

[WasteLand]

interesting to watch; to learn how the synths works, under the hood, and gives you some ideas;

question and answer with the developer Peter V..

https://youtu.be/67sS77RhfIQ

[databroth]

https://youtu.be/C773n_hWxgE

[PetVor]

Today Cameron from Venus Theory will make a stream about Abyss ...
(CET: midnight 0:00 // BST: 11pm // PST: 3pm // EST: 6 pm )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIWIeC- ... enusTheory

[Echoes in the Attic]

Is there a changelog for 1.1?

[PetVor]

Is there a changelog for 1.1?

* two more CC modulators
* LIFT modulator (release-off-velocity)
* a new sample & hold modulator (a new random value for each note played)
* LFOs can be switched to uni-polar
* LFOs show zero-line when editing and they are bi-polar
* Draw straight lines in the LFOs by using SHIFT+click and draw
* Randomisation of gradient (uses the settings on the edit page, keeps everything else untouched)
* typos fixed in tooltips, minor changes in the manual

I will add a changelog from next version onwards as part of installation.