Anukari 3D Physics Synthesizer: Beta Released

[anukari-music]

Hey everyone, I've been hard at work on improving macOS performance, among other things. I have some extremely promising results to share in the 0.9.6 pre-release available at https://anukari.com/download. Note that 0.9.6 is NOT the default version, you need to choose it in the little drop-down menu.

In my testing, this version is finally working flawlessly on the powerful M4 Max, and performance on my M1 Pro is much more reliable (although running a bunch of Anukari plugins in parallel on the M1 Pro is still a bit iffy).

I hesitate to say this, but... it may even be possible to use smaller buffer sizes on the M4. At a buffer size of 512 in Logic Pro I am running 6 instances of Anukari with heavy presets, flawlessly.

The 0.9.6 version has some big changes, so I'd like to get a fair amount of feedback from testers before I make it the default download. For anyone who's had performance issues, it's worth a try!

[tq]

This one is really good, no performance issues on my M4 Pro (at least after some initial testing). Excellent - thanks so much!

[Funky40]

I just played with that newest version right now. M4studio-max, 40core GPU

crackling was mostly or completly gonne. Can´t be more precise right now. I´d say i heard nothing disturbing (my environment was not exactly hush)

i checked buffers: 512, 128, 256, 512, 128 ( that order)
I had NO feel that 128 samples has been anything a problem. looks good to me in that regard.

Drawback now, fresh again:
high amounts of audio engine shut downs.
Depends on the sound i play. With one of my sounds its only shuting down when i play notes above B5. Another sound it´s shuting down when i move the CC/host automation fader.
Both sounds/patches were running fine with the previous version of anukari.
Too much Audio engine shutdowns ! I checked vs. that vs. buffer sizes. As mentioned above.

[anukari-music]

Thanks for the feedback, folks!

@Funky40: I'll PM you about the audio engine shut downs.

[v1md]

Drawback now, fresh again:
high amounts of audio engine shut downs.

Same here (on Apple Silicon M2). I get fewer circuit breaks when running the project at 88 or 96 kHz, but the crackling comes back.

[Funky40]

Drawback now, fresh again:
high amounts of audio engine shut downs.

Same here (on Apple Silicon M2). I get fewer circuit breaks when running the project at 88 or 96 kHz, but the crackling comes back.

I had yesterday a 2nd session. Same setup, same host, same sounds.
The result was different. I had (way) less audio engine shut downs, but slight crackling. ( this time under hush conditions and beeing under head phones, though).
Not tested other sampling rates than 48khz.

i´v e sent btw. my log file by mail @Anukari-Music

[anukari-music]

It's been a while since I updated this thread! I have made some huge improvements in performance and stability, which has taken up a lot of time. But also I have finally gotten to start working on features to make it easier to use Anukari. One thing that's been requested in this thread is drag-and-drop modulation + macros, and now Anukari has that!

Also for anyone who thinks that Anukari is innovative, I'd like to mention that the public voting period for the 2025 MIDI Innovation Awards ends tomorrow, and your vote would help Anukari gain exposure, which ultimately will help me keep working full-time to make it better.

To vote, you go to https://voting.broadjam.com/vote/midi.php#, enter your email, and then navigate to the "Software Prototypes/Non-Commercial Products" category. You have to choose 3 entrants to vote on. I hope Anukari might be one of them!

Here's a video demonstrating the new drag-and-drop modulation feature:

[veloheinz]

Can I sell the license ?

[Funky40]

I just loaded a GP (host) project where i also have my first Anukari patch.
I would say it loaded with a different soundpreset then i saved it with. at least do i not remember that i ever saw that one.
so i went thru some more sound presets. There are many new ones.........
I´ve update anukari several times, but only played it in my main Anukari project with my own sounds. so i never looked again at factory presets.


Dude, Ewan, there are - - - awesome - - - presets ! I just played with three so far. I´m mind blown !
This things sounds now what i envisioned it should be able to do. Probably even already better.
My patch in GP (host) has 4 midi controls mapped (1-4). They just work now in any preset.

So no work for me, i can jam, and it is insanely good. With manual jam manipulation, it´s completly new territory. I´ve NEVER heard ANY Synth doing such sounds, ...manually performed. It´s for my taste insanely good !
I can´t even repeat that enough , the live "playability" is that good.


I like it so so SO much !
It´s now what it hoped it would be one day.
I´d expected it would take much much longer. ....Even years, to get there.

congratulations, i´m seriously impressed now !
It´s ***exactly*** where i´m at home.....on the quest of "these" live-play, live performable sounds.
Sounds, that make a keyboard + the synthesizer instrument as playable, as vivid, as "real" Instruments are.


It´s insaningly good Evan.
again: congratulations.
It´s so impressive, so inpsiring,...so fresh to me.
It´s not just the timbres, it´s the whole behave. It´s how you can shape the sound, the vividity how it reacts.


NOW IT´S ALIVE



to notes:
i run heavily dynamic EQing. it makes a difference.
it can help to bring these small vibrations out to live.

Thanks ALOTS for that work ! You got it !
seriously impressed with whoever was involved in the creation of these presets



edit: i should add, i also run a EQ morph, it´s controlled by just one fader.
it´s literally a LP-BP-HP Filter morph, just created with an EQ. plus there is a 2nd morph active on same EQ for the high feq region. I can adjust tme timbres this way very quickly.
some sounds have quite pinchy highs otherwise, i just recognised.
That whole EQ morph things amkes also that whole thing (patch/sound) way way more jammable and adjustable. It´s both in one. though i say that for those who would think, uhh, wait, what ?....i see nothing special I DO

[pekbro]

For me, still more of a novelty than anything. Likely because my PC is nowhere near capable of running it well enough. I thought about grabbing it anyway, banking on acquiring a sufficient computer sooner or later, even then farting around with the Rube Goldberg-Esque mechanics, doesn't really do much for me personally. YMMV

*I am wondering if it's made with Unity or not. Unity in an audio plugin doesn't sit well with me for some reason. It just seems inefficient to incorporate an entire 3D engine just to facilitate some
fancy graphics.

[zerocrossing]

It's a really ballsy synth.

[anukari-music]

NOW IT´S ALIVE

Thanks for continuing to try out the newest versions, Funky40! Appreciate the feedback.

*I am wondering if it's made with Unity or not. Unity in an audio plugin doesn't sit well with me for some reason. It just seems inefficient to incorporate an entire 3D engine just to facilitate some
fancy graphics.

Definitely does not use Unity. It does not use any game engine at all, actually. For the 3D graphics it uses a lightweight rendering library that only does one thing: rendering. All the physics, GUI interactions, etc, are completely homebrew.

[v1md]

For me, still more of a novelty than anything.

I’d actually say the novelty angle is also questionable, at least to some extent. Anukari shines in the user–synth interaction — the patch builder is slick, and I think it really sets a new standard for softsynths — but under the hood, the audio engine feels unpolished, and those recurring “circuit breaks” are a red flag that the core design isn’t stable, an outstanding omission given that the whole synth is marketed as a 3D physics simulator. Stability has been a core issue since pretty much the beginning of audio DSP, and the fact that this synth isn't stable really puts things into a different perspective for me.

The marketing spin that “no other commercial synth does this” is also kind of annoying. Atoms and similar synths have been exploring the same idea for a while, and they’re even backed by published research. Anyone seen this from Baby Audio? https://www.dafx.de/paper-archive/2023/ ... aper_8.pdf.

[anukari-music]

For me, still more of a novelty than anything.

I’d actually say the novelty angle is also questionable, at least to some extent. Anukari shines in the user–synth interaction — the patch builder is slick, and I think it really sets a new standard for softsynths — but under the hood, the audio engine feels unpolished, and those recurring “circuit breaks” are a red flag that the core design isn’t stable, an outstanding omission given that the whole synth is marketed as a 3D physics simulator. Stability has been a core issue since pretty much the beginning of audio DSP, and the fact that this synth isn't stable really puts things into a different perspective for me.

The marketing spin that “no other commercial synth does this” is also kind of annoying. Atoms and similar synths have been exploring the same idea for a while, and they’re even backed by published research. Anyone seen this from Baby Audio? https://www.dafx.de/paper-archive/2023/ ... aper_8.pdf.

Regarding your concerns about marketing spin, I do remember that there was something on the website that you objected to over a year ago. As I recall, I ended up responding to your feedback by changing the text on the website.

If you'd be so kind as to bring to my attention a current piece of marketing material that annoys you I'd be interested to improve it. Anukari builds on the shoulders of giants and I have no desire to downplay any of the amazing work that has come before. (But... it is still something very new, and I will reflect that in my writing!)

Also, Baby Audio is great! I highly encourage people to check out their work. If someone likes how it sounds/plays better than Anukari, they should use that instead. I don't want money from anyone that doesn't enjoy Anukari.

[v1md]

If you'd be so kind as to bring to my attention a current piece of marketing material that annoys you I'd be interested to improve it. Anukari builds on the shoulders of giants and I have no desire to downplay any of the amazing work that has come before. (But... it is still something very new, and I will reflect that in my writing!)

Well, I took a look at the MIDI.org page since it was posted here. Quoting from the pitch:

"This kind of 3D physics simulation for audio has been done academically in the past, with projects like GENESIS, mi-gen, Tao, and others, but it has always been very experimental and not a commercially available product." This pretty much omits anything that has been done in the past 10 years, academically or commercially.

"As far as I’m aware, there is no other commercially-available synthesizer out there that’s really anything like Anukari." See above.