Xhun Audio LittleOne : version 4.x Released

[kylie]

hi bruno,

what about a small update? really looking forward to number three!

[xhunaudio]

hi bruno,

what about a small update? really looking forward to number three!

Hi kylie,

everything proceeds fine here, thank you for your interest.

Following this summer betatesting, I'm making some fixes and improvements on both gui and dsp sides. This is almost complete now.

I'm really making of my best to render a true analogue synth experience for this release. Prevoius LittleOne (version 1.x and 2.x) was created to be a nice sounding synthesizer with a certain degree of accuracy and with an attention to CPU impact, multi-voices (8) polyphony (see NI Pro53).

LittleOne version 3.0 is a totally new synth, totally rewritten from the ground up in all its aspects, the starting point for any future product I will make. Also if it is CPU optimized, accuracy is in the first place rather than "the CPU-hit". As with its analogue hardware counterpart, it's based on the concept of a performance synth (with sound design possibilities that go beyond minimoog's) and it will feature 4-voices true analogue polyphony (the same as linking toghether 4 "Phatties"). I spent the last 3 years to build a solid, future-proof development platform for this and any further product. I'm really doing of my best to take care of any aspect, so this is the reason of the extended waiting time.

[kylie]

hi bruno,

I like the idea of the quadruple phatty. did I mention I would pay for an upgrade that involves the slim phatty skin?
(maybe for a 3.1 upgrade. right now, keep your focus on 3.0 and what you planned for it.)

-kylie-

ps: thanks for the forum update, much appreciated!

[xhunaudio]

Hi kylie,

a further 3.1 update will bring a multi resolution gui (LittleOne version 3.0 will have a 1000px wide one, non-resizable, at the release - something more than sufficient in the 99% of the cases), by the way I don't think that the 'slim' will be involved...

From your posts here I understand how much do you love it, sometimes it is so difficoult to say "no"...

[kylie]

hi bruno,



seems I have a hard time convincing anyone else to simulate a demand for it, then...
(most probably) I will love LO3 anyway. but I will always wonder how much more I'd love it if you did include it

-kylie-

[xhunaudio]

(most probably) I will love LO3 anyway

I wish so !

I think I'll post a short "analogue filter nonlinearities" audio demo soon...

[xhunaudio]

Sneak Preview : GUI and Presets !

https://www.facebook.com/XhunAudio/phot ... =3&theater

[kylie]

OK, I want everybody to raise his (or her) hand to vote for a SlimOne faceplate edition

Fun aside, looks great already.
Bruno, you did not change your development environment to Juce by any chance (for a Linux port) ?
And did you make plans for the release party already? If so, what date to be blocked in my schedule?

-kylie-

[xhunaudio]

Hi,
currently LittleOne version 3.0 is based on WDL/IPlug. A VERY solid system, on par with JUCE. In the future I may switch to JUCE btw, it has a more solid support and also an automatic gui-resizing, very useful feature.

About the party , it would be great to make it in time for LittleOne anniversary (Feb 15th). But in the first place there's accuracy and "do not rush" is THE rule. I can provide more infos in the next weeks...

[Echoes in the Attic]

Just came across this and it suonds lovely but I'm confused about the GUI. We have to press a different button for each of the A/D/S/R controls? Or to access Cutoff or Res? This is taking tabs to the extreme! Is there an option to show all the controls at once? I don't think I could put up with this much button pressing.

I don't really get it. I know the hardware is built this way (for cost saving, less knobs), but doesn't make sense in software. And strict authenticity doesn't really make sense since you went and made it polyphonic, which the original doesn't have. So it seems strange to adhere to the worst feature of the hardware yet improve other things...

Again, sounds lovely though.

[JerGoertz]

WHEN WHEN WHEN WHEN

[xhunaudio]

Just came across this and it suonds lovely but I'm confused about the GUI. We have to press a different button for each of the A/D/S/R controls? Or to access Cutoff or Res? This is taking tabs to the extreme! Is there an option to show all the controls at once? I don't think I could put up with this much button pressing.

I don't really get it. I know the hardware is built this way (for cost saving, less knobs), but doesn't make sense in software. And strict authenticity doesn't really make sense since you went and made it polyphonic, which the original doesn't have. So it seems strange to adhere to the worst feature of the hardware yet improve other things...

Again, sounds lovely though.

Hi,
well, the point (from my perspective) is to re-propose *everything as it is* of a "performance-oriented" synth design. The DSP accuracy (at first), the look and the feel.

Pre-Note : you can accede ALL parameters/knobs at the same time using a MIDI controller and/or the Host automation. "The single knob matter" is a GUI only feature.

Pre-Note 2 : I will try to show just my viewpoint, I'm aware at the end of my post some people will not agree to my words, but below are my personal thoughts and reasons

Other people, also in this thread, moved your same objection about "why you don't fill the gui with knobs, if knobs in software have zero cost ?"
Well, I took this way since the very first release of LittleOne because I noticed that from a practical, day-by-day perspective, during the presets making/modify via GUI, the workload fluidity is not affected after all.

The cons are : I have to press the corresponding button if the knob destination I want is not already selected.

The pros are : a very authentic and vintage look and feel and I truly believe your "experience of use" gets enriched by that. Like I stated in a previous post, I remember the times when the industry was different, when hardware synths had a central role in music production and - by interacting with hardware - often some features were under the hood and/or knobs on the panel were not enough to control EVERYTHING at the same time.

Yes, ok ok, I'm a romantic but I really think that dealing with this kind of things is not an issue at all but a feature I can't believe today we're too busy to press a button om the GUI instead of having always all knobs at same time in front of us.

Note : the Minimoog also has an "ADSD/(R)" envelope with 3 knobs that can theoretically limit sound design capabilities. But I strongly appreciate the fact this "cheap" design has been preserved in almost all software simulations/emulations. This is something strongly related to the Minimoog and having that exact look and feel I think it is a very positive thing.

Then, the Little Phatty is (*was* - today it is out of production) monophonic BUT if you had more Phatties, you can chain them together using the USB port to achieve polyphony (1synth=1voice , 2synths=2voices, etc...). It was all expected in the original hardware specifications.
Polyphony in LittleOne version 3.0 is built entirely upon this concept and 100% mimics this architecture. You can manually tune the 4synths(voices) independently. My aim is really to give a full-360° analogue synth experience. Obviously I dedicated 99% of my time during the last years to its DSP side, but also the GUI is built with the same full-authentic / no-easy-shortcuts approach in my mind.

[xhunaudio]

WHEN WHEN WHEN WHEN

Hi Jeremiah,

MAYBEFEBRUARY MAYBEFEBRUARY MAYBEFEBRUARY MAYBEFEBRUARY

[JerGoertz]

Fair enough

[kylie]

No, not until he says what year

I smell a distant !Epoch scent here... (it was in it's "final development stage" this may, wasn't it? Although I want it as great as it can get, I would not exactly call this a rush )