AudioThing Gong Amp - Experimental Amplifier Plugin

[Krakatau]

You've made an amazing work with this plugin, i just regret not to have checked it out earlier...

[audiothing]

Bought and been using Gong Amp for the last couple of hours. Love it

But I have noticed one thing which may be a bug or just a limitation of the methodology used in this plugin:-

When it happens:
Reaper is playing and you have automation affecting any of Gong Amp's parameters. So, for instance, "Resonate" is being switched off or on with automation, or "STEREO" is being increased or decreased with automation.

What happens:-
Affects Reapers Arrange window. Not possible to create new automation points on any tracks, not just the one that has Gong Amp on it. Not possible to select a Region to loop it.

To be clear, this only happens during the time when the automation is actually affecting Gong Amp.

No CPU overloads, memory issues. No issues with any other AudioThing plugins.

Tried all the Gong Amp Tail Block sizes. Tried with Gong Amp GUI acceleration off and on. Tried with Gong Amp GUI open and closed. Tried Gong Amp VST2 and VST3.

Like I say, I suspect it is just a limitation of the methodology used in this plugin. But I love automation!!

Reaper v5.99
Windows 10

I'm not very familiar with automation in Reaper, but I've asked my QA guy who is using Reaper a lot and he didn't find any issue with automation. Or perhaps we didn't understand exactly the issue. Could you make a video so we can have a look?

[hesnotthemessiah]

Bought and been using Gong Amp for the last couple of hours. Love it

But I have noticed one thing which may be a bug or just a limitation of the methodology used in this plugin:-

When it happens:
Reaper is playing and you have automation affecting any of Gong Amp's parameters. So, for instance, "Resonate" is being switched off or on with automation, or "STEREO" is being increased or decreased with automation.

What happens:-
Affects Reapers Arrange window. Not possible to create new automation points on any tracks, not just the one that has Gong Amp on it. Not possible to select a Region to loop it.

To be clear, this only happens during the time when the automation is actually affecting Gong Amp.

No CPU overloads, memory issues. No issues with any other AudioThing plugins.

Tried all the Gong Amp Tail Block sizes. Tried with Gong Amp GUI acceleration off and on. Tried with Gong Amp GUI open and closed. Tried Gong Amp VST2 and VST3.

Like I say, I suspect it is just a limitation of the methodology used in this plugin. But I love automation!!

Reaper v5.99
Windows 10

I'm not very familiar with automation in Reaper, but I've asked my QA guy who is using Reaper a lot and he didn't find any issue with automation. Or perhaps we didn't understand exactly the issue. Could you make a video so we can have a look?

Sorry. I can't do a video.

1)Create a couple of bars of continuous Gong Amp "Stereo" level automation.

2)Load up any effect on any mixer channel. Select a parameter of this plugin to automate and have this parameter there on the screen ready for you to create automation data for it.

3)Loop and play the couple of bars of "Stereo" level automation that you created in 1).

4)Whilst your DAW is now playing, try and edit (create some automation points) for the parameter you selected in 2).

I find it is not possible to edit any automation data whilst any Gong Amp parameter is being automated.

I also find that I cannot click to select any regions in the arrange screen whilst any Gong Amp parameter is being automated. Gong Amp parameter automation makes Reaper's arrange screen less responsive. Like I say, just create a couple of bars of continuous Gong Amp "Stereo" level automation and play it in a loop. Now see how responsive Reaper's arrange screen is to trying to edit automation data and also how responsive Reaper's arrange screen is to selecting a region.

[audiothing]

Thanks for the detailed description. I've just tested on Reaper-ARM on a new MacBook Pro with Monterey and I can easily create automations for other plugins while Gong Amp Stereo is being automated. I'll test on Windows as soon as I can, but seems rather odd.

[hesnotthemessiah]

I just posted a video on youtube showing the issue in Reaper. Make sure you have subtitles on:-




Also posted a new thread on the Reaper forum- https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php ... ost2515175

[_al_]

Was really interested to see this, but to be honest... without the ablilty to tune the gong, this could only ever be useful for one or two tracks.
No matter what sounds you feed into it, it always resonates at the same frequencies...
I mean, yeah, I could put a pitch shifter after it, and modulate the pitch in a stepped 16ths or whatever, but then it can only be used as a send effect, which limits it even more!

This plugin has made me do some experimentation with percussion samples (gongs, cymbals, bongos) loaded into an impulse response verb.
Getting some nice results, but this plugin seems to give cleaner metallic tones (so far), so I'm gonna keep an eye on it, as I know a lot of people are asking for tuning

[DJErmac]

Well, you CAN tune the gong, but you only have three choices : low, normal or high.
I absolutely love the low pitch mode btw.
I’d also like an option to be able to fine tune the gong please, it would make the plugin plain perfect. This is my new favourite toy.

[vurt]

as i told hainbach, on pootube, love it on fuzzed up guitar

[Tj Shredder]

Was really interested to see this, but to be honest... without the ablilty to tune the gong, this could only ever be useful for one or two tracks.
No matter what sounds you feed into it, it always resonates at the same frequencies...
I mean, yeah, I could put a pitch shifter after it, and modulate the pitch in a stepped 16ths or whatever, but then it can only be used as a send effect, which limits it even more!

This plugin has made me do some experimentation with percussion samples (gongs, cymbals, bongos) loaded into an impulse response verb.
Getting some nice results, but this plugin seems to give cleaner metallic tones (so far), so I'm gonna keep an eye on it, as I know a lot of people are asking for tuning

The real thing couldn’t be tuned either. You need to adapt the music to the space, not the other way round…
But if you think of it as inspiration as you did, by experimenting with IRs, record an IR of the Gong Amp and time stretch it… Or use the Objeq Delay by AAS instead, that one you can tune in a million different aspects…
I find Hainbachs ideas and their implementation is a wonderful inspiration to do things differently. Things Motor, which I bought, inspired me to do an 8-sources version in the Grid…
In most of these cases there is an emulation aspect, the real thing, and a principle aspect the fun part. I would not be able to do the precise emulation by myself, but the principle, the fun part is easy with all these tools at our hands…

[whyterabbyt]

Was really interested to see this, but to be honest... without the ablilty to tune the gong, this could only ever be useful for one or two tracks.
No matter what sounds you feed into it, it always resonates at the same frequencies...

yeah, that's usually the case for physical objects used as resonators. eg with acoustic instruments, the resonances of the guitar or piano body etc

[audiothing]

I just posted a video on youtube showing the issue in Reaper. Make sure you have subtitles on:-

Thanks for posting the video. We have tried to replicate the issue but here (both Mac and PC) we can create automation without issues. If you want I can take a look at the Reaper project, perhaps there's some odd setting or something.

[audiothing]

Was really interested to see this, but to be honest... without the ablilty to tune the gong, this could only ever be useful for one or two tracks.

Well, as others have said, that's how the hardware works
That being said, since there's quite a bit of interest in the Pitch control, we'll consider adding a secondary Pitch control in a future update.

[hesnotthemessiah]

I just posted a video on youtube showing the issue in Reaper. Make sure you have subtitles on:-

Thanks for posting the video. We have tried to replicate the issue but here (both Mac and PC) we can create automation without issues. If you want I can take a look at the Reaper project, perhaps there's some odd setting or something.

If you could PM me an email address I will send the Reaper project to you. It is a totally empty project apart from the Gong Amp plugin.

I am a complete plugin junkie, I have bought all of your plugins and have never come across this issue before. Very strange.

The only thing that is definite is that the issue always occurs when Gong Amp is changing a parameter setting due to receiving automation data. This is very important to make clear. Create a lane for automation of the "Stereo" parameter. Set the value to change from 64 to 99. Play back this automation section. Whilst the project is playing back and the value alters from 64 to 99, the issue occurs.

I have also started a thread on the KVR forum https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=261754

[audiothing]

If you could PM me an email address I will send the Reaper project to you. It is a totally empty project apart from the Gong Amp plugin.

Sorry for the delay, just sent you the PM.

[epiphaneia]

Was really interested to see this, but to be honest... without the ablilty to tune the gong, this could only ever be useful for one or two tracks.

Well, as others have said, that's how the hardware works
That being said, since there's quite a bit of interest in the Pitch control, we'll consider adding a secondary Pitch control in a future update.

Yes, please!