Phonec 3 announced; pre-orders open

[wagtunes]

Thanks Vortifex.

Guess I’ll pass on the (paid) upgrade for now.

Here’s hoping all of the newly missing features are added back in. Not impressed, let’s just say.

I know what you mean. I'm starting to wish I had gotten Phonec 2.

[zerocrossing]

Whew, I almost missed the pre release price and had to pay a whole $15!

[cthonophonic]

Can I pay to downgrade? This thing is a crashfest.

[wagtunes]

Can I pay to downgrade? This thing is a crashfest.

Yes, I'd like to do the same.

[jmonzani1]

It’s going to be iterative improvements, presumably. It’s being rebuilt from scratch.

I'm thinking the same, hoping that Jack won't get stressed by people complaining about the current version!

I had hold on buying Phonec2 (and sticked to PhonecCM) because of the lack of VST 3 (and fixed-sized GUI and preset management). Preordering Phonec3 was my way to support Jack, hoping to get Phonec sounds in a modern way.

Let's face it, we all hopped for all Phonec 2 features and are disappointed by the outcome of the necessary refactoring.

I think that two missing things defined Phonec 2 sound:

1. Filters
I've spent a lot of time trying to recreate Phonec 2 sounds on many other synths and its filters play a big role. When I saw a generic SVF in v.3 I was like "uh-ho". Fortunately I've managed to reproduce my favorite v.2 patch with it but if you compare the Local radar factory preset between both versions, we're nowhere near. Sure it could be tweaked but it shows the difference in filters. Bringing back at least one of the original biquad filters is mandatory to get the correct sound (I know SVF are biquads too but the resonance response is totally different between v.2 and v.3)

2. Delay
We currently have a sterile sounding digital delay. Compared to v.2, it sounds harsh.

Workarounds
I've successfully managed to get "Phonec 2" vibes from other synths by using two effects, and the first one is still useful for Phonec 3:
- Deelay by Integraudio is a great delay with modulation that helps enhancing the sound and works immensely better than v.3's default delay.
- Generally speaking, MondoMelt from Jack is a great substitute for Phonec 2 and 3 Melt function that we all love. Slap it after any wavetable synth and you'll get closer to Phonec 2 territory.

On the plus side
Stopping to compare v2 and v3 is also a good thing: I'm having fun crafting new presets from scratch with v.3 and as compared to other synths, I get pleasant results quickly The addition of an external better delay helps too.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Working well here. Would like to get the external input back though.

Also - curious about melt not having circuit and tape modes anymore. Is it just circuit mode always now? I guess that wouldn’t be useful for external in anyways as I believe it’s at the voice level?

[wagtunes]

Is there any way we can buy version 2 still? From what I'm reading, 3 is worse and it doesn't even work. Starting to regret not buying 2 and then upgrading to 3. At least I'd still have 2 to use.

This sure isn't the way to win customers for other products.

[Vortifex]

Is there any way we can buy version 2 still? From what I'm reading, 3 is worse and it doesn't even work. Starting to regret not buying 2 and then upgrading to 3. At least I'd still have 2 to use.

This sure isn't the way to win customers for other products.

It's still available for sale: https://www.psychicmodulation.com/phonec.html

[wagtunes]

Is there any way we can buy version 2 still? From what I'm reading, 3 is worse and it doesn't even work. Starting to regret not buying 2 and then upgrading to 3. At least I'd still have 2 to use.

This sure isn't the way to win customers for other products.

It's still available for sale: https://www.psychicmodulation.com/phonec.html

Great. At full price. I shouldn't have to pay full price after getting version 3.

[sempondr]

Just ask for V2 as a V3 owner. I'm sure the developer will be happy to oblige, since V3 turned out to be essentially an unfinished beta version.

[wagtunes]

Just ask for V2 as a V3 owner. I'm sure the developer will be happy to oblige, since V3 turned out to be a beta version with many bugs.

I just wrote him but I'm not holding my breath.

[sempondr]

del

[jack [psychicmodulation]]

I'll try to answer everything right here.

Flstudio crashes:
I am aware and am working on resolving this right now. I'm hoping to have an update that fixes this issue very soon.

Bank Import:
This feature has not been implemented yet, but is coming soon. Currently you can import individual presets from a bank by saving them to your Phonec_2 preset folder and then accessing them in Phonec3. I know many of you want to import a full bank but this will take extra time to implement. Please be patient.

Lack of features, etc:
No features were "removed". Phonec3 has been built from scratch based on Phonec2. It was an extensive job to do this and some things may have been overlooked (less modulation waveforms for example). I am completely open to adding features and improvements as this version evolves. I do this with all my plugins. Look how many improvements we had from v2 to v2.4. I plan to do the same with Phonec3.

Emails:
I'm extremely backed up with emails and I'm sorry. I don't have a team, I work multiple jobs, I've got several pets, and I'm currently very busy with fixing some issues in Phonec3. I am not ignoring anyone. I will make an effort to respond to any messages (email, fb, instagram, kvr, etc.) today and try to catch up.

January release:
I did send out the full version to all pre-order customers, but after reports of crashes with some hosts, the public release is being delayed. I posted this on Facebook, and should have done so here as well. Hopefully it will only be a matter of days. I try to avoid release dates in general for this very reason.

Pre-orders:
If you sent in a request for a preorder upgrade, I will get back to you. Your $10 upgrade will still apply even if it's after release. As for non-customer preorders, it's still $59 until the official release. You can still use code PHONEC3PREORDER to get this discount.

Disappointment:
If you are unhappy with the new version, please let me know and I will work to fix/add/improve whatever that may be, within reason.

Current issues to be fixed in the next update:
*Crashes with some hosts
*Strange note behavior in some hosts
*LFOs modulation issues
*Envelope Curve not working correctly (Lin/Exp)
**If I left anything out, please let me know and I'll try to fit it in.

I've got a lot to deal with generally in my life, but I'm 100% committed to this plugin. Any issues you've noticed, I am on top of it, trust me. I'm barely sleeping and working overtime. Please be patient.

[vitocorleone123]

Thanks, Jack. Your plugins are something special and unique in the increasingly over-crowded market. It's easy for some people to forget that a company can be just one person that also has a life outside of doing things for the company.

I appreciate the update here (since I don't use FB). You have an excellent track record at adding features and enhancements over time. Please take care of yourself, and then your customers, in that order. If you aren't well, your customers can't be helped, either!

[jmonzani1]

Thank you Jack! Your commitment is clear and I'm sure we'll be happy with the updated version, whenever it comes out Don't burn out and take your time!