UVI Falcon - v4 = 2026 released - rumors, ads, praise, kindergarden, auto-sampling and off-topic inside!

[spnc]

You wrote that you have opened at least two tickets and you can't provide a ticket number?

No. That was a long time ago.

I meant the one where you say
I updated to 2.8.1 and it still crashes immediately when loading certain presets.
Sending the crash report to support but with not much hope.

<-- do you have that one ?

So far so good no more crashes after reinstalling from 0 the older culprit librairies/caches as described in the last post - still holding good so far. If something happens, will update with a ticket and here. Fingers crossed so far so good!

[spnc]

You wrote that you have opened at least two tickets and you can't provide a ticket number?

No. That was a long time ago.

I meant the one where you say
I updated to 2.8.1 and it still crashes immediately when loading certain presets.
Sending the crash report to support but with not much hope.

<-- do you have that one ?

Yeah. Here: https://we.tl/t-4KjNyilfOp

Appreciate.

There's like 50 search instances of the word Falcon in it. Unfortunately I don't know how to read and interpret an Ableton crash report. But you surely do as a second language!

This part sounds like something worth inspecting:

Crashed Thread: 117 AsyncCommandManager

Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000019d4187e000
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000001, 0x0000019d4187e000
Exception Note: EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFY

Termination Reason: Namespace SIGNAL, Code 11 Segmentation fault: 11
Terminating Process: exc handler [84958]

This part too:

Thread 114:: StreamingThread
0 ??? 0x7ff8966ce940 ???
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x7ff8061ff3ea __psynch_cvwait + 10
2 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x7ff806239a6f _pthread_cond_wait + 1249
3 libc++.1.dylib 0x7ff806197d02 std::__1::condition_variable::wait(std::__1::unique_lock<std::__1::mutex>&) + 18
4 Falcon 0x19b8cea9b juce::WaitableEvent::wait(int) const + 331
5 Falcon 0x19c0ff02e uvi::StreamingEngine::run() + 1630
6 Falcon 0x19b8cf63a juce::Thread::threadEntryPoint() + 282
7 Falcon 0x19b8e758a juce::threadEntryProc(void*) + 26
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x7ff8062394e1 _pthread_start + 125
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x7ff806234f6b thread_start + 15

Thread 115:: JUCE Timer
0 ??? 0x7ff8966ce940 ???
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x7ff8061ff3ea __psynch_cvwait + 10
2 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x7ff806239a6f _pthread_cond_wait + 1249
3 libc++.1.dylib 0x7ff806197d93 std::__1::condition_variable::__do_timed_wait(std::__1::unique_lock<std::__1::mutex>&, std::__1::chrono::time_point<std::__1::chrono::system_clock, std::__1::chrono::duration<long long, std::__1::ratio<1l, 1000000000l> > >) + 93
4 Falcon 0x19b8ce9d2 juce::WaitableEvent::wait(int) const + 130
5 Falcon 0x19b8fbbed juce::Timer::TimerThread::run() + 317
6 Falcon 0x19b8cf63a juce::Thread::threadEntryPoint() + 282
7 Falcon 0x19b8e758a juce::threadEntryProc(void*) + 26
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x7ff8062394e1 _pthread_start + 125
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x7ff806234f6b thread_start + 15

Thread 116:
0 runtime 0x7ff7ffdfd814 0x7ff7ffddb000 + 141332

Thread 117 Crashed:: AsyncCommandManager
0 <translation info unavailable> 0x1c478471c ???
1 <translation info unavailable> 0x11233cdf4 ???
2 Falcon 0x19c1170bb uvi::MidiWriter::SaveTracks(std::__1::vector<std::__1::vector<uvi::MidiEvent, std::__1::allocator<uvi::MidiEvent> >, std::__1::allocator<std::__1::vector<uvi::MidiEvent, std::__1::allocator<uvi::MidiEvent> > > > const&) + 75
3 Falcon 0x19c114612 uvi::MidiSequence::Save(uvi::OutputStream&) + 66
4 Falcon 0x19bcf90f5 AsyncCommandT<saveMidi(uvi::MidiSequence*, char const*, lua_State*)::$_1>::DoProcess() + 117
5 Falcon 0x19c162edc uvi::AsyncCommandManager::run() + 1580
6 Falcon 0x19b8cf63a juce::Thread::threadEntryPoint() + 282
7 Falcon 0x19b8e758a juce::threadEntryProc(void*) + 26
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x7ff8062394e1 _pthread_start + 125
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x7ff806234f6b thread_start + 15

[otristan]

Yeah. Here: https://we.tl/t-4KjNyilfOp

Appreciate.

There's like 50 search instances of the word Falcon in it. Unfortunately I don't know how to read and interpret an Ableton crash report. But you surely do as a second language!

This part sounds like something worth inspecting:

This indeed looks like a bug which was in Program 24 and Super 7 related to MIDI DnD which was fixed in an update of those soundbank.

Thanks for the info.

[rubez]

Can I try this synth without iLOK?

What about any rent or subscribe options?

[rasmusklump]

Can I try this synth without iLOK?

What about any rent or subscribe options?

Try no
Subscription yes
Ilok yes but no dongle needed

[bmanic]

Question: How do I get the new 2.8 ARP presets to respond to Sustain pedal? As soon as I let go of the notes, the arps stop. The sustain pedal isn't taken into account in the new arpeggiator even modules. Do I have to activate it somewhere? Would be nice if there was a "hold" option somewhere that could be routed to sustain pedal input.

The old presets with the basic arpeggiator work just as expected with sustain pedal, holding the arp.

[otristan]

Question: How do I get the new 2.8 ARP presets to respond to Sustain pedal? As soon as I let go of the notes, the arps stop. The sustain pedal isn't taken into account in the new arpeggiator even modules. Do I have to activate it somewhere? Would be nice if there was a "hold" option somewhere that could be routed to sustain pedal input.

The old presets with the basic arpeggiator work just as expected with sustain pedal, holding the arp.

Indeed. We need to fix this. Thanks for the report.

[SLoec]

Hello, are there any plans to work on the UI&UX and the browser ?

For UI&UX, Pigments and Phase Plant would be great sources of inspiration. They provide impeccable visual feedback and UX : e.g. quickly identifying and editing a modulation source and its target, animated waveforms / modulation sources and targets / filters, etc..., which drastically reduces the need to navigate in endless nested menus.

Finally, navigating thousands of presets without a convenient tagging system is not as efficient as it could be : something like the browser of Zebra would be a blast.

Honestly, I would prefer that the team keeps focusing (as currently) on great innovations in terms of flexibility, oscillators, FX, etc..., but at some point a refresh of the UI&UX to bring it to the level of what some competitors do would be really welcome

Thanks !

[SLoec]

What are the possibilities of Falcon in terms of audio-rate modulation ? I.e : is it possible to use an oscillator as a modulation source for any parameter of another oscillator or FX ? E.g. : to modulate the cutoff frequency of a filter, the amplitude, phase, ... , of another oscillator ?

Thanks !

[NoriSato]

Hello, are there any plans to work on the UI&UX and the browser ?

For UI&UX, Pigments and Phase Plant would be great sources of inspiration. They provide impeccable visual feedback and UX : e.g. quickly identifying and editing a modulation source and its target, animated waveforms / modulation sources and targets / filters, etc..., which drastically reduces the need to navigate in endless nested menus.

Finally, navigating thousands of presets without a convenient tagging system is not as efficient as it could be : something like the browser of Zebra would be a blast.

Honestly, I would prefer that the team keeps focusing (as currently) on great innovations in terms of flexibility, oscillators, FX, etc..., but at some point a refresh of the UI&UX to bring it to the level of what some competitors do would be really welcome

Thanks !

Falcon is semi-modular type complex synth. It can use limitless number of modulators. Traditional matrix type GUI is not usefull. I feel that Falcon's UI is very sophiscate under the circumstances. Pigment's UI is excellent, but it is made up of a limited number of modulators.

Any knob which modulated is colored. Click it, then related modulater open in modulater line. or right click and select 'edit modulation', then modulater window pop-up. Pop-up is very useful when you modulate modulater's parameter.

All Knobs had graphical feed back of modulation amount in real-time.

And in 'tree-view', you can quickly identify all modulaters at a glance. Click any module, then modulater open in modulater line.

In MODS tab, you can adjust all modulater's knobs in same key-group. It is very usefull to adjust multiple envelopes simultaneously.

It is different from other synths, so learning curve is steap. But once you get used to it, nothing is easier to use. I can't think of a specific way to make it any easier to operate.

Yes, browser is not nice, very primitive. I completely agree that there are many things that could be improved.

[NoriSato]

What are the possibilities of Falcon in terms of audio-rate modulation ? I.e : is it possible to use an oscillator as a modulation source for any parameter of another oscillator or FX ? E.g. : to modulate the cutoff frequency of a filter, the amplitude, phase, ... , of another oscillator ?

Thanks !

Audio-rate modulation is biggest weakness of Falcon, I think. It has only two function. One is FM oscirater, and another is simple FM in wavetable oscirator. No modulation between various oscirators, and no modulation to filter cutoff. FM oscirater is primitive, in that only sine waves can be used. The multi-envelope can be set to a very fast period, so it can be used subterfugally in audio-rate modulation, but its use is limited.

When I want to use flexible type of audio-rate modulation, I use Phase-plant. It is "King of audio-rate modulation".

[chagzuki]

Besides audio rate modulation and some UI issues, if I had to pinpoint a weakness in Falcon it would be the distortion algorithms. I don't have a theoretical grasp of this area, but I've always felt that the large variety of distortion modules sound much like a simple saturator, and the parameters associated with grit don't really add the sort of roughness and texture that allows for aggressive bite. The result is a tendency for things to sound a touch subdued, despite all the subtle variation that can be added at the keygroup level to add a liveliness.
There may be some modulation techniques I haven't figured out yet to add more grit to the distortions... I should try some new experiments.

[spnc]

Yeah. Here: https://we.tl/t-4KjNyilfOp

Appreciate.

There's like 50 search instances of the word Falcon in it. Unfortunately I don't know how to read and interpret an Ableton crash report. But you surely do as a second language!

This part sounds like something worth inspecting:

This indeed looks like a bug which was in Program 24 and Super 7 related to MIDI DnD which was fixed in an update of those soundbank.

Thanks for the info.

Thanks, good to know I'm not crazy and this is in indeed bugs.

1. What is Midi 'Dnd'? Didn't find any definition for this term online, some explanation/context would help to understand
2. Why are you referring to the past ('was') when the bugs are still present as per the bug report I sent? Which fixes/versions are you referring to for these 2 soundbanks? Because when I wrote this 2 weeks ago on October 14, I was up-to-date (I always keep up-to-day on a daily basis), today October 28 I just opened UVI Portal, and still no update for these 2 librairies (my last modified date in > SoundBanks for these 2 is 12 october, but I think this is when I reinstalled them one more time date)

So just to be certain, could please tell me precisely on which day UVI released the 1.0.3 version for both Program 24 and Super 7, because if it's october 2022 that's probably with the right bug fixes, but if it's before it's not fixed for me.

Super 7 - 1.0.3 ------ - Fix: Rhythm section synchronization
Program 24 - 1.0.3 ------ - Fix: Possible bug in MIDI Player - CPU optimization

[spnc]

fyi everyone I installed macOS Ventura official release on M1 and looks fine so far, I still have to re-test UVI banks in Ableton one by one to make sure they are perfectly running though.

[spnc]

Hello, are there any plans to work on the UI&UX and the browser ?

For UI&UX, Pigments and Phase Plant would be great sources of inspiration. They provide impeccable visual feedback and UX : e.g. quickly identifying and editing a modulation source and its target, animated waveforms / modulation sources and targets / filters, etc..., which drastically reduces the need to navigate in endless nested menus.

Finally, navigating thousands of presets without a convenient tagging system is not as efficient as it could be : something like the browser of Zebra would be a blast.

Honestly, I would prefer that the team keeps focusing (as currently) on great innovations in terms of flexibility, oscillators, FX, etc..., but at some point a refresh of the UI&UX to bring it to the level of what some competitors do would be really welcome

Thanks !

Perfect summary on improving UX based on these amazing competitor plugins - +1 to this.

Bazille is also worth mentionning, perhaps the best sounding synth from u-he to me (semi-modular). Pigments amazing visually yeah. Less menu diving would take Falcon to another level. Phase Plant I need to get into it, looks great as well, and very much straight-to-the-point interface.

Very interesting talks you had on improving modulation too, I'm not even using 10% of it with Falcon because I think visually it's just not flowing well enough.