apShaper – why no love?

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Kazi7 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 8:33 pm
noiseresearch wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:21 pm
It's kinda similar quite different yet. For me Driveshaper is more like a straight effect type of distortion especially since it lacks a proper filter section and I'm not a big fan of the GUI since it focus on the effect part.

On the other hand for me the strength of apShaper lies not only in the wave shaping of high quality but also in the the hq filter as well. This way apShaper is able to deliver a vast range of sounds apart from being a extraordinary wave-shaper.
Driveshaper actually has a filter (called "tone" which acts as a state variable filter). It also has "grip" setting to only affect the loud part of the signal, leaving the quieter parts unaffected. Even better: it has multiband mode with three completely independent bands. This is combination with the drawable LFO shapes and the envelope follower, which works both in the positive, as well as the negative domain, there is really a huge range of sounds that can be greated with it.

I actually don't understand your statement about Driveshaper's GUI being to focussed on the effect part. Obviously you would want the UI to offer parameters to influence the effect, right? It's not a filter effect, there is the Filtershaper module for that, which can handily be combined with Driveshaper and many more available modules.

Let me explain further. Driveshaper has a tone control yes, but not three filters which can be applied at different points within the signal chain. And a tone control is useful but not more. I also think that the shaping algorithms are a bit better in apShaper and definitely more flexible. Where Driveshaper is ahead is of things is the fact that you can filter the signal before the envelope follower. But still I think the whole layout (focus on LFO, MIDI capabilities), plus the multiband thing, plus that it is a part of a effect environment makes Driveshaper for more an effect than a tone shaping tool. My own wording but by that I mean I would treat a drum loop with Driveshaper any time but I never would use it to spice up one of my analog synthesizer or guitars unless I want to be.... well effect-y.
It refuses description, allowing only the vague approach of adjectives: dark, light, raw, angelic. Who or what is making these noises? Where are they coming from and what do they point to? What kind of entity can leave such a troubling sonic remnant?
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noiseresearch wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 3:37 pm My own wording but by that I mean I would treat a drum loop with Driveshaper any time but I never would use it to spice up one of my analog synthesizer or guitars unless I want to be.... well effect-y.
Driveshaper has multiband capacity, which is highly superior to any filter when it comes to influencing which part of the frequency spectrum will be saturated (= shaping the sound). Actually, using filters for that purpose is the trivial way, multiband is the sophisticated way.

And while Driveshaper has all this great drawable LFO at it's core, you can literally just use it without even drawing any LFO curve or touching that part of the UI. You can set a fixed amount of drive (as in any other saturation / waveshaper plugin) and on top of it use the envelope follower to make it dynamic - again without touching the whole drawable curve section. Maybe try Driveshaper again, I have the feeling that you haven't really explored it's possibilities and are too fixated on the fact that it offers this drawable LFO shape, which again, you don't have to use at all if it doesn't suite your workflow.
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Kazi7 wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 4:33 pm
noiseresearch wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 3:37 pm My own wording but by that I mean I would treat a drum loop with Driveshaper any time but I never would use it to spice up one of my analog synthesizer or guitars unless I want to be.... well effect-y.
Driveshaper has multiband capacity, which is highly superior to any filter when it comes to influencing which part of the frequency spectrum will be saturated (= shaping the sound). Actually, using filters for that purpose is the trivial way, multiband is the sophisticated way.

And while Driveshaper has all this great drawable LFO at it's core, you can literally just use it without even drawing any LFO curve or touching that part of the UI. You can set a fixed amount of drive (as in any other saturation / waveshaper plugin) and on top of it use the envelope follower to make it dynamic - again without touching the whole drawable curve section. Maybe try Driveshaper again, I have the feeling that you haven't really explored it's possibilities and are too fixated on the fact that it offers this drawable LFO shape, which again, you don't have to use at all if it doesn't suite your workflow.
I use Driveshaper quite often. That wasn't my point. I just said both are wave shaper with dynamic capabilities and that I have different use cases for them. However, I would be interested why do you think multiband is the more sophisticated way? Care to elaborate on your knowledge of filter vs filter and what makes the one trivial and the other one sophisticated. I wonder about this nonsense.
It refuses description, allowing only the vague approach of adjectives: dark, light, raw, angelic. Who or what is making these noises? Where are they coming from and what do they point to? What kind of entity can leave such a troubling sonic remnant?
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You seem argumentative. I have no issue with your preference for apShaper, but Driveshaper is objectively the superior plugin, not only in UX and UI design, but also in function. To answer your less than genuine question: the multiband in Driveshaper allows you to treat three bands of the frequency spectrum completely independent. You can leave the bass unaffected for example while totally crushing elements in the mid band and soft-clipping the treble for example.

An eq filter allows you to to just that: eq the signal and then apply the shaping on the entire eq'd signal, without pinpointing certain elements or allowing different elements to be treated differently. This is primitive and I can use any generic EQ / filter plugin in front or post a generic waveshaper plugin to achieve the exact same end result, which you are trying to sell as a revelation to us. In fact, it seems that apShaper does not even cover the crucial envelope follower functions found in Driveshaper. Not to mention an equivalent to the Grip parameter. How would you justify your claim of apShaper being superior in light of these facts?
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Kazi7 wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 5:14 pm You seem argumentative. I have no issue with your preference for apShaper, but Driveshaper is objectively the superior plugin, not only in UX and UI design, but also in function. To answer your less than genuine question: the multiband in Driveshaper allows you to treat three bands of the frequency spectrum completely independent. You can leave the bass unaffected for example while totally crushing elements in the mid band and soft-clipping the treble for example.

An eq filter allows you to to just that: eq the signal and then apply the shaping on the entire eq'd signal, without pinpointing certain elements or allowing different elements to be treated differently. This is primitive and I can use any generic EQ / filter plugin in front or post a generic waveshaper plugin to achieve the exact same end result, which you are trying to sell as a revelation to us. In fact, it seems that apShaper does not even cover the crucial envelope follower functions found in Driveshaper. Not to mention an equivalent to the Grip parameter. How would you justify your claim of apShaper being superior in light of these facts?
First I never claimed than one is superior to the other one. I talked about strength and weakness. I claimed I have - because of the concept of the plugins - different user cases for them. Nothing more nothing less.
But good to know that Driveshaper is "objectively the superior" 😂

And don't confuse frequency splitting with different approaches of EQing. What you think how multiband is done? And frequency splitting is as "primitive" as everything else and also easily done as EQing in a lot of modern DAW's.
It refuses description, allowing only the vague approach of adjectives: dark, light, raw, angelic. Who or what is making these noises? Where are they coming from and what do they point to? What kind of entity can leave such a troubling sonic remnant?
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Just finished a couple of tracks and used apShaper a lot. Fantastic tool. Best purchase since a while.
The color schemes where a bit off for my taste. So I adjusted them to taste.
Just copy the code and save it as xml file and place it to the ColorSchemes folder

Dark scheme: owl

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<colorscheme>

  <!-- Background colors //-->
  <color id="backgroundbottommost" r="140" g="140" b="140" a="255"/> <!-- 128 - 0x80 //-->
  <color id="backgroundbottom" r="35" g="35" b="35" a="255"/> <!-- 170 - 0xaa //-->
  <color id="backgroundmiddle" r="35" g="35" b="35" a="255"/> <!-- 204 - 0xcc //-->
  <color id="backgroundtop" r="80" g="80" b="80" a="255"/> <!-- 231 - 0xe7 //-->
  <color id="backgroundtopmost" r="140" g="140" b="140" a="255"/> <!-- 255 - 0xff //-->
 
  <!-- Main foreground colors //-->
  <color id="handle" r="230" g="230" b="230" a="255"/>
  <color id="buttoncontent" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="calloutoutline" r="230" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="scrollbarhandle" r="180" g="180" b="180" a="255"/>
  <color id="scrollbarhandleselected" r="200" g="100" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="scrollbarinternal" r="0" g="255" b="0" a="0"/>
  <color id="scrollbarrail" r="25" g="25" b="25" a="255"/>
  
  <color id="selectionmain" r="249" g="210" b="108" a="255"/>
  <color id="selectionglow" r="89" g="139" b="148" a="0"/>
  <color id="selectiondisabled" r="110" g="110" b="110" a="100"/>
  
  <color id="texttitle" r="230" g="230" b="230" a="255"/>
  <color id="textmain" r="230" g="230" b="230" a="255"/>
  <color id="presetbackground" r="100" g="100" b="100" a="255"/>
  <color id="presettext" r="230" g="230" b="230" a="255"/>
  <color id="mouseguidebackground" r="230" g="230" b="230" a="255"/>
  <color id="mouseguideforeground" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="popupbackground" r="230" g="230" b="230" a="255"/>
  <color id="popuptext" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="selectionlist" r="180" g="180" b="180" a="255"/>
  <color id="sliderhandlearea" r="230" g="230" b="230" a="120"/>
  <color id="tooltipbackground" r="200" g="200" b="200" a="255"/>
  <color id="tooltiptext" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>

  <!-- Signals Displays (analyzer/waveform) //-->
  <color id="dispbackground" r="25" g="25" b="25" a="255"/>
  <color id="disphinttext" r="255" g="255" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="dispsignal" r="255" g="25" b="60" a="255"/>
  <color id="dispruler" r="230" g="230" b="230" a="255"/>
  <color id="signalenv" r="200" g="200" b="200" a="255"/>
  <color id="signalin" r="90" g="217" b="241" a="190"/>
  <color id="signalinout" r="255" g="165" b="0" a="220"/>
  <color id="signalout" r="255" g="57" b="102" a="130"/>
  <color id="badsignalarea" r="50" g="50" b="50" a="255"/>
  
  <!-- Filter colors //-->
  <color id="bandwidthfill" r="128" g="128" b="128" a="35"/>
  <color id="bandwithfilldisabled" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="10"/>
  <color id="filterdirect" r="0" g="220" b="110" a="255"/>
  <color id="filterinput" r="90" g="217" b="241" a="255"/>
  <color id="filteroutput" r="180" g="180" b="180" a="255"/>
  <color id="filtershaperin" r="254" g="136" b="163" a="255"/>
  <color id="filtershaperout" r="255" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
 
  <!-- Gain Meter //-->
  <color id="gainmeterhigh" r="252" g="47" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="gainmeterlow" r="126" g="249" b="64" a="255"/>
  <color id="gainmetermed" r="250" g="178" b="0" a="255"/>

  <!-- Label Markers //-->
  <color id="labelmarkerdirect" r="0" g="100" b="240" a="0"/>
  <color id="labelmarkerinput" r="0" g="200" b="0" a="0"/>
  <color id="labelmarkeroutput" r="255" g="40" b="0" a="0"/>
  
  <!-- Dynamics XFade //-->
  <color id="xfadearea" r="255" g="255" b="0" a="255"/>

</colorscheme>
Light scheme: noise

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<colorscheme>

  <!-- Background colors //-->
  <color id="backgroundbottommost" r="120" g="120" b="120" a="255"/> <!-- 128 - 0x80 //-->
  <color id="backgroundbottom" r="158" g="158" b="158" a="255"/> <!-- 170 - 0xaa //-->
  <color id="backgroundmiddle" r="190" g="190" b="190" a="255"/> <!-- 204 - 0xcc //-->
  <color id="backgroundtop" r="220" g="220" b="220" a="255"/> <!-- 231 - 0xe7 //-->
  <color id="backgroundtopmost" r="180" g="180" b="180" a="255"/> <!-- 255 - 0xff //-->
 
  <!-- Main foreground colors //-->
  <color id="handle" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="buttoncontent" r="20" g="20" b="20" a="255"/>
  <color id="calloutoutline" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="63"/>
  <color id="scrollbarhandle" r="63" g="63" b="63" a="255"/>
  <color id="scrollbarhandleselected" r="200" g="100" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="scrollbarinternal" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="63"/>
  <color id="scrollbarrail" r="200" g="200" b="200" a="255"/>
  
  <color id="selectionmain" r="249" g="210" b="108" a="255"/>
  <color id="selectionglow" r="90" g="217" b="241" a="0"/>
  <color id="selectiondisabled" r="110" g="110" b="110" a="100"/>
  
  <color id="texttitle" r="32" g="32" b="32" a="255"/>
  <color id="textmain" r="20" g="20" b="20" a="255"/>
  <color id="presetbackground" r="200" g="200" b="200" a="255"/>
  <color id="presettext" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="mouseguidebackground" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="mouseguideforeground" r="255" g="255" b="255" a="255"/>
  <color id="popupbackground" r="255" g="255" b="255" a="255"/>
  <color id="popuptext" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="selectionlist" r="180" g="180" b="180" a="255"/>
  <color id="sliderhandlearea" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="51"/>
  <color id="tooltipbackground" r="200" g="200" b="200" a="255"/>
  <color id="tooltiptext" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>

  <!-- Signals Displays (analyzer/waveform) //-->
  <color id="dispbackground" r="255" g="255" b="255" a="255"/>
  <color id="disphinttext" r="0" g="255" b="255" a="255"/>
  <color id="dispsignal" r="255" g="57" b="102" a="255"/>
  <color id="dispruler" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="signalenv" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="signalin" r="90" g="217" b="241" a="190"/>
  <color id="signalinout" r="255" g="165" b="0" a="80"/>
  <color id="signalout" r="255" g="0" b="0" a="80"/>
  <color id="badsignalarea" r="240" g="240" b="240" a="255"/>
  
  <!-- Filter colors //-->
  <color id="bandwidthfill" r="25" g="25" b="25" a="35"/>
  <color id="bandwithfilldisabled" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="10"/>
  <color id="filterdirect" r="0" g="220" b="110" a="255"/>
  <color id="filterinput" r="90" g="217" b="241" a="255"/>
  <color id="filteroutput" r="0" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="filtershaperin" r="254" g="136" b="163" a="255"/>
  <color id="filtershaperout" r="255" g="0" b="0" a="255"/>
 
  <!-- Gain Meter //-->
  <color id="gainmeterhigh" r="252" g="47" b="0" a="255"/>
  <color id="gainmeterlow" r="126" g="249" b="64" a="255"/>
  <color id="gainmetermed" r="250" g="178" b="0" a="255"/>

  <!-- Label Markers //-->
  <color id="labelmarkerdirect" r="0" g="100" b="240" a="0"/>
  <color id="labelmarkerinput" r="0" g="200" b="0" a="0"/>
  <color id="labelmarkeroutput" r="255" g="40" b="0" a="0"/>

  <!-- Dynamics XFade //-->
  <color id="xfadearea" r="255" g="255" b="0" a="255"/>

</colorscheme>
It refuses description, allowing only the vague approach of adjectives: dark, light, raw, angelic. Who or what is making these noises? Where are they coming from and what do they point to? What kind of entity can leave such a troubling sonic remnant?
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Oh yeah, the dark theme is perfect, thanks mate! The default dark theme was alright but this ought to do it here on out. Good day-
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Does the above theme work for all their products?
Orion Platinum, Muzys 2
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v1o wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 11:41 am Does the above theme work for all their products?
You can't try it out. I'm sure it will cause no harm :D
I demo apQualizr since a couple of days and consider to buy it. I will make an appropriate theme then as well. In the meanwhile check this: viewtopic.php?f=283&t=571124
It refuses description, allowing only the vague approach of adjectives: dark, light, raw, angelic. Who or what is making these noises? Where are they coming from and what do they point to? What kind of entity can leave such a troubling sonic remnant?
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noiseresearch wrote: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:45 pm Just finished a couple of tracks and used apShaper a lot. Fantastic tool. Best purchase since a while.
The color schemes where a bit off for my taste. So I adjusted them to taste.
Tnx, going to check them out. I find myself coming back to it. Don´t care much multiband as gentle saturator on busses messes with transients, filters and their working mechanism on phase shift. As modern hiQ tubey effect and saturator i can´t find anything as satisfying in my fav company Softube catalog.
Love the envelope follower so loduest elements get harder drive or vice versa. Wish gui were moveable modules, my brain is wired like that.
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the UI with light theme is great for me
aliasing plugin owner
:?
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Would love a tutorial for this. I can understand some of the easier ways to use it but I would like to understand it better.
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yeah, not enough videos on youtube, so underrated
aliasing plugin owner
:?
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i use apShaper ALL the time.. it's my go to for Sat/drive of all kinds.
I EQ with i a lot.. filtersweeps and also use it as a clipper quite often.

One stop shop for so many uses. And kind to the CPU.

ALSO .. the OScilloscope and Spectrum Analyser are very valuable 😻

Exxelent tool.
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Any good at tutorial videos 😆
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