Phonec 3 announced; pre-orders open

[RichN]

So, I have a question. Phonec seems to have quite a lot of fans. I've watched some videos (of the old versions) and I get that this is a synth for people who are into the sound of old, detuned, defective analogue synths. Something that definitely appeals to me. A lot.

However, isn't this something that would be easily achievable with any analogue emulation nowadays? It's not uncommon nowadays for vst synths to have a knob to dial in that old, defective circuit effect. And these kind of effects can easily be achieved with plugin effects. So what sets Phonec apart these days?

Don't get me wrong, I'm effectively looking for an excuse to take advantage of the pre-sale.

[kraster]

So, I have a question. Phonec seems to have quite a lot of fans. I've watched some videos (of the old versions) and I get that this is a synth for people who are into the sound of old, detuned, defective analogue synths. Something that definitely appeals to me. A lot.

However, isn't this something that would be easily achievable with any analogue emulation nowadays? It's not uncommon nowadays for vst synths to have a knob to dial in that old, defective circuit effect. And these kind of effects can easily be achieved with plugin effects. So what sets Phonec apart these days?

Don't get me wrong, I'm effectively looking for an excuse to take advantage of the pre-sale.

It's a great question and I think the answer is that its trickier than it looks to achieve those sounds

You could use Serum and modulate various parameters like osc FM and filter FM with noise, use a kind of destabilised LFO on oscillator pitch and run everything through some kind of saturator.

You will get something approximating the kind of wobbly old VHS tape instability that is the aesthetic here.

The thing is that that kind of lo-fi sound is quite popular and broader than just making one bespoke preset with the kind of setup outlined above.

Phonec is naturally disposed to that kind of sound. I think a lot of time has gone into things like the melt parameter. That gives you near instantaneous lofi wobbly vibes. So you have more scope to change other parameters without losing that core aesthetic.

I think there's a lot to be said for tools that excel in one department so when I'm looking for a boards of Canada style synth sound I'll be reaching for Phonec over something more general.

[RichN]

Thanks for the explanation. I'm convinced, so I ordered it.

[Vortifex]

Phonec is more than the Melt effect. It has an innate subtle lofi character that's different to other VAs, like there's a sharpness missing from the top end but in a good way. Plus with all the waveforms and oscillator modes it can make a diverse range of sounds. Just a really cool synth. (Mostly talking about Phonec2 here as I'm waiting for version 3 to be fixed).

[tlvid]

Any news, Jack?

I'd like to hear, well, anything. Disappointed by the complete lack of communication.

The guy really needs help marketing and communicating. It would increase sales so much and ensure the longevity of the company.

[vitocorleone123]

Any news, Jack?

I'd like to hear, well, anything. Disappointed by the complete lack of communication.

The guy really needs help marketing and communicating. It would increase sales so much and ensure the longevity of the company.

What is there to market if there’s no product yet? I’d rather the one person spend time on the product than the marketing.

[tlvid]

Any news, Jack?

I'd like to hear, well, anything. Disappointed by the complete lack of communication.

The guy really needs help marketing and communicating. It would increase sales so much and ensure the longevity of the company.

What is there to market if there’s no product yet? I’d rather the one person spend time on the product than the marketing.

My point exactly. He needs help. There has been zero communication since nearly three weeks ago when he said "a few more days", which means people who were planning to buy once released are getting cold feet, and those who pre-ordered are just annoyed at the failed launch and lack of updates.

[jmonzani1]

I have been able to test Jack's ongoing work and I can assure you that stability issues and filter changes have been addressed. I don't want to say more because I don't know if I'm allowed to but I wanted to reassure you that these main points previously raised have been taken care of.

Jack is obviously doing as fast as he can while making sure that the next release won't have issues. He's really dedicated to his tool.

Sure I can understand the frustration and "customer" and "market" point of view. But we're talking about a single person here who is dedicated to something he loves and trying to make it as good as he can, so thinking about the human component here is essential.

[kraster]

Also Psychic modulation is not some major corporation with a lot of staff, it's essentially a one man operation.

With smaller or single person developers you should always allow a lot more leeway since if something happens in life there is nobody to pick up the slack.

The upside is that we get more esoteric tools and instruments that the market research people would never greenlight if it were a megabucks corporation.

[JonSolo]

Yes indeed...this requires some patience! One man gig! Can't wait to play with the working version!

[tlvid]

I realise I came across a bit harsh so my apologies to Jack if he reads this. My posts were solely from a position of concern for the longevity of the company rather than annoyance at him. I'm pleased to hear he's actively working on it.

Phonec 3 is working for me, and I'm enjoying it very much.

[seangm]

New update out today, it's working great for me in Cubase 12/Windows 10 now. Thanks to the dev for making the fixes.

[wagtunes]

Wow, what a difference. Seems pretty solid so far. And sounds great. No synth I own sounds quite like this.

[Vortifex]

Working fine so far in FL Studio, thanks for the update

Just one thing. The Melt modulation seems to be unipolar, i.e. the pitch modulation only goes above the played note and never below. I don't think it works like that on Phonec2.

[RichN]

Where did you guys download this?? I pre-ordered Phonec 3 last weekend, but I haven't received a download link or anything like it.