GForce Halogen FM - 2 Operator Pair FM Synth

[SebAV]

I like it, it's cheap and the random button is worth the price alone if I want to let the fates decide a sound for me

You can assign any of the randomisation controls to a CC. I'm using the mod wheel to randomise everything atm. It's like tuning in an old radio! It's the most fun I've had with a synth for a long while. This thing is a grower for sure!

Patch randomisation is the new way to go for « non pro » sound makers. Why bother tuning parameters to make average sounds, not as good as the « Factory » or « library » presets ? I find that it’s more fun to « fine tune » from a randomised sound that I like rather than starting from scratch or from an already « finished Factory preset ».

[dune_rave]

Bought it. AAfter playing 5 minutes, this caused Reaper to shut down....

[JO512]

This crashed Reaper for me too a couple of times.

[MrJubbly]

Halogen FM hasn't crashed for me yet in FL Studio (Win 11, Intel 12th gen CPU, Nvidia GPU.)

Although, I do notice the DAW framerate drops quite dramatically when the plugin is loaded. Moreso, than almost any other plugin I load into FL Studio. From a steady 60fps down to around 20fps.

The only other plugin I ever witnessed with this detrimental FPS behaviour on my device was Shaperbox 2. But Cableguys must have completely resolved that in the v3 update, because Shaperbox 3 performs at a steady 60fps.

The CPU usage on the other hand, is negligible, barely rising above 5% when intensively in use.

I therefore think, there may be some issues on certain devices or GPUs?, due to the method GForce have implemented for the waveform display in Halogen FM. Perhaps, this is also a source for the crashes some users are experiencing?

Using the Shaperbox example, it would be interesting to know the reason why the display graphics for Shaperbox 2 were so much more sluggish than Shaperbox 3.

The weird thing is, using Halogen FM at 20fps doesn't feel that sluggish to me, but I can tell from the readout in FL Studio that it does drop the FPS dramatically whenever the plugin is open.

Does anyone know the method GForce are using to draw the graphic display for Halogen FM?
And whether that might be responsible for the graphical performance issues or crashes?

[IvyBirds]

The CPU usage on the other hand, is negligible, barely rising above 5% when intensively in use.

I therefore think, there may be some issues on certain devices or GPUs?, due to the method GForce have implemented for the waveform display in Halogen FM. Perhaps, this is also a source for the crashes some users are experiencing?

I spent some time with it and actually bought it because it was pretty cheap. It works very well when you assign everything to a controller on doing so you can have all kinds of fun without even looking at the screen

I used Gig Performer for this and a Launch Control XL MKii. With Gig Performer you are not looking at the screen at all when you do this on my system the CPU is around 2% and it never crashes it's been rock solid

I have had it crash in stand alone mode on Windows 11 which crashed the entire Windows UI, and in Cubase

There is something in there my GPU doesn't like, not sure what it is, but I don't have this issue with anything else

Making random patches and then messing with the controls makes for some pretty cool things that can then be sampled and loaded into things like Dawesome Myth or the Spectral/Resynthesis engine of HALion7 for incredible things

[foosnark]

I am by no means a beginner at FM, but I find this an interesting synth and the "simplicity" is deceptive.

Note that GForce does not call this "2-op FM" anywhere. I think they made a mistake calling the two sections "OPR1" and "OPR2" -- each of those is doing 2-op FM in a sort of "waveshapey" manner that seems to be unique.

It does seem to be inspired by the Korg DS-8 but isn't an emulation. That synth had a small choice of waveshapes, a "Spectrum" parameter (FM ratio) with only 8 settings, a "Ring" parameter with only 3 settings, and a "Timbre" envelope (FM depth). The potential for modulation/expression was limited to pitch, volume and FM depth.

Here, it starts with a sine but Bright and Distortion interact interestingly with the FM to allow for much more shaping -- and they can be modulated/controlled in real time. Ring can be set to very low levels, to detune the ratios just slightly for a bit of motion, not just clangy bell sounds.

I do feel like there's a bit of lost opportunity, allowing it to go so deeply into noisy territory but then not having a way to shape that. Some interesting filtering or a resonator could have gone a long way there... I understand they wanted to keep it simple though.

I wish it was more of a standard MPE implementation. I also was getting some stuck notes and weird unexpected chords. No crash though in the little bit I used it (Windows/Bitwig).

One thing the DS-8 had that this doesn't is a monstrous Unison mode, where voices started in phase and then slid out in a "zappy" sort of way. It wasn't an effect you'd want to always use, but in its day it struck me as pretty fantastic.

Undecided about purchasing it, I'll need to demo more. Between my Eurorack setup and softsynths I do have a lot of FM, but that's because I love FM, and this offers something unique.

[Funky40]

seems there is a new release as of today_ 1.01

https://www.gforcesoftware.com/

[neverbeeninariot]

v1.0.1
- Fixes an issue that caused a crash for some users on occasional patch changes.
- Improves CPU usage during patch changes.

[Digivolt]

Seems to cause lag when dragging stuff on the transport bar in Studio One if you have the plugin open, guess there's a graphical glitch going on as mixer lags too when plugin open

Also would be cool if you could lock parameters to stop them from being randomised

[zvenx]

If you have favourited patches in 1.0, make sure you backup that folder elsewhere, at least on my system 1.01 overwrote the factory bank from 1.0.
Fortunately I had the patches saved as a backup elsewhere.
rsp

[MrJubbly]

Seems to cause lag when dragging stuff on the transport bar in Studio One if you have the plugin open, guess there's a graphical glitch going on as mixer lags too when plugin open

Also would be cool if you could lock parameters to stop them from being randomised

Does it also reduce the FPS of the DAW when the Halogen FM plugin is open in Studio One, like it does in FL Studio?

I'm wondering if there is an issue for some GPUs (NVidia?) with the method GForce are using to draw the plugin's waveform graphic.

[foosnark]

Undecided about purchasing it, I'll need to demo more. Between my Eurorack setup and softsynths I do have a lot of FM, but that's because I love FM, and this offers something unique.

After a bit more playing (and recording a cool drone with the demo) I went for it.

It's easy to underestimate based on appearances/description/assumptions, but actually play with it and patch it and it's a lot of fun. Setting MIX fully to the left and using XMOD makes it 4-OP with twists.

(I listened to exactly two presets before finding INIT and wrangling it myself, as is my custom.)

[Digivolt]

Does it also reduce the FPS of the DAW when the Halogen FM plugin is open in Studio One, like it does in FL Studio?

I'm wondering if there is an issue for some GPUs (NVidia?) with the method GForce are using to draw the plugin's waveform graphic.

Yes it does, I'm on an Nvidia GPU too with latest drivers, send a bug report to GForce hopefully they can do something

[ghostwhistler]

Does Halogen do anything Vital can't? Both are two operator/oscillators and can cross modulate.

Actually Vital has 4 operators, including the dedicated sampler

[whassup]

I like it, it's cheap and the random button is worth the price alone if I want to let the fates decide a sound for me

You can assign any of the randomisation controls to a CC. I'm using the mod wheel to randomise everything atm. It's like tuning in an old radio! It's the most fun I've had with a synth for a long while. This thing is a grower for sure!

Patch randomisation is the new way to go for « non pro » sound makers. Why bother tuning parameters to make average sounds, not as good as the « Factory » or « library » presets ? I find that it’s more fun to « fine tune » from a randomised sound that I like rather than starting from scratch or from an already « finished Factory preset ».

Same here. Random can be very inspiring. And then go from there.