Caustic 1.1 has just been pushed to the Android Market and includes a LOT of exciting new features:
Stereo Mix:
The app now outputs stereo, you can pan your instruments from the mixer. (Big thanks to Electrum's dev NikoTwenty for figuring out the secrets of stereo output without added latency)
- Control Automation:
You can record machine knob movements and have them play back in your songs.
- New "drawable" waveform type in the subsynth:
This one is pretty neat, long-press the oscillator's waveform selector to bring up the editor. Experiment by drawing your own waveforms and listening to what they sound like.
- Load samples in the Beatbox to create your own kits. This was one of the most requested features, so I'm sorry it took so long, but it's in now. Long-press the preview "play" button on an instrument line in the Beatbox to bring up a sample selector dialog. Save your custom kits from the beatbox menu.
- New "AutoWah" effect. For the tech-minded, this is a band-pass filter hooked up to an envelope follower. There's some cool uses for this one, either to add a bit of punch to percussive synths or to double-up on the Bassline units.
I also included a whole bunch of little sequencer tweaks to help workflow. I'm guilty of not spending enough time making songs in Caustic, and I know the Sequencer still has a ways to go, but I think these recent changes will make it easy to compose songs. It's a lot more forgiving with selection, multi-select and panning. You can also drag your loop sections past the edge of the screen and it will scroll to follow. You can also have the sequencer automatically stop at the end of the song or loop around again (bring up the menu from the sequencer view)
I've been testing this build for almost a month but a lot of new features went in so it's quite possible I missed something, so if you find bug, please send them in.
Here's some videos to go along with the next version.
Enjoy the new version, MIDI is next...
CAUSTIC 1.1 adds lots of new features
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- KVRist
- 185 posts since 18 Jan, 2011 from Brisbane, Australia
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- KVRist
- 31 posts since 10 Mar, 2004 from Orlando
Great videos, clear and to the point. Automation is going to be really handy, and it's nicely executed. And the ability to draw your own waveforms is a surprise bonus, well done.
Btw, which phone and Android version are you using to make the video demos? It seems like you're getting very low latency, and quick multi-touch response, esp in the subsynth video where you're holding down a C chord with one hand while moving the cutoff fader up and down with the other.
Thanks again for a great product. MIDI force be with you...
Btw, which phone and Android version are you using to make the video demos? It seems like you're getting very low latency, and quick multi-touch response, esp in the subsynth video where you're holding down a C chord with one hand while moving the cutoff fader up and down with the other.
Thanks again for a great product. MIDI force be with you...
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 185 posts since 18 Jan, 2011 from Brisbane, Australia
The super low-latency Windows XPpsionic wrote:Btw, which phone and Android version are you using to make the video demos? It seems like you're getting very low latency, and quick multi-touch response, esp in the subsynth video where you're holding down a C chord with one hand while moving the cutoff fader up and down with the other.
, sorry if I got your hopes up. I own a Nexus One, which has bad latency and an overclocked Nook Color tablet, which is actually pretty snappy, barely noticeable. Most of what we perceive as the bad latency on Android is actually from touch response, i.e. from the moment you touch the screen to the moment the app receives that event and can act on it. There is audio buffer latency too, but 45ms doesn't feel that bad if the touch event comes in right away. Which is why with only ~10ms difference, my N1 feels really dull compared to the overclocked Nook. Hope that makes sense, it really is out of our control, and I'll be impressed if the FLStudio guys can do better without shipping a different version of their app for each hardware config out there...
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- KVRist
- 31 posts since 10 Mar, 2004 from Orlando
Still learning how to use the sequencer here. This is what I've figured out so far. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
You must be in SONG mode, not pattern mode, to use the sequencer. You should have already made your patterns in the beatbox and bassline machines. For the synths, you should already have a preset called up in that machine. If your preset isn't selected in the synths, or your patterns are empty in the beatbox/basslines, you will hear silence if you try to use them in SONG mode. You tap the green box in the upper right to select which instrument/machine to work with.
For the Subsynth and the two PCM Synths, you're looking at a piano roll view where notes go up and down (about 8 octaves, C1 to G#8.). Touch and drag to the right to make notes to write melodies. Note-on info only, no velocity info yet. MIDI version in the works, hopefully with velocity (long-press note, then drag up/down to make a thinner or thicker note?)
For the beatbox and bassline machines, you enter pattern numbers at a specified measure.
PLAY/STOP/Record
PLAY button plays or resumes play. STOP stops. Long-press STOP to go back to the beginning. See Singlecell's video earlier in this post for tips on using the new Record button (version 1.1) Now motion tweaks to EQ, FX level, pan, and volume can all be independently recorded in the Mixer!
Zoom magnifiers (+ and -)
Maximum zoom in is two measures (8 beats). From there, clicking on the zoom out (-) zooms out twice the view: 4 measures, then 8, then 16, 32, up to 64 measures maximum zoom out.
Timeline
Horizontal bar at the bottom of the sequencer page. Every four measures are numbered (1, 5, 9, 13...) Black vertical bar moves when sequencer is playing. Once stopped, this is where play will resume from again. Unless you press somewhere in the timeline while playback is stopped, in which case the orange vertical bar moves to this new start point.
You can press and drag in the timeline to define your loop points. Remember to zoom out if you want to loop a large number of measures.
Pencil tool icon
Select it, then draw (musical notes for the synths) or add pattern number (for beatbox). Draw notes by touching and dragging to the right. Adjust note length by clicking the tail end of the note and moving left or right. Once drawn, notes can also be dragged up/down (pitch) or left/right (time).
When the pencil tool is selected for the beatbox and bassline instruments, which are pattern-based machines, touching a measure opens up a screen which asks you which pattern number you want to put at that measure.
De-select pencil tool, and you can once again drag/scroll thru the timeline to different measures. You can also drag patterns around to different measures when pencil is de-selected.
Three orange bars icon
Multi-select: you can select multiple notes when this icon is enabled. Selected notes turn orange. These notes all become grouped together, and can then be moved or copy/pasted as a group. Great way to make a melody then copy it to use again at different places in the song.
(Note to Singlecell: would be great to copy to a global buffer, so that you can paste those notes onto a different synth track, like say, a PCM piano line gets copied then pasted to be repeated by the Subsynth. Read: for future MIDI use, this could also mean saving a note group as an independent melody that could then be saved/loaded as a musical MIDI pattern. Arps and motifs, anyone? How about custom pre-made drumbeats?)
The X icon
Use it to erase already drawn notes. First, select the note or group of notes, then press X to remove the selected notes. Also can be used to clear ERROR BOX (red box lower left corner if you have errors). Errors usually happen for me when accidentally writing notes onto notes that are already written (doubled up notes).
Copy/paste icons
First select a note or group of notes. Then press COPY (double paper icon). Then touch somewhere on the timeline to move the orange vertical bar to a new measure. When you press the PASTE icon, a copy of your note(s) or pattern(s) are pasted at the new location. Can be used repeatedly to quickly paste groups of notes/patterns multiple times. Super easy once you get it.
I think that's about it. Anything else I missed?
You must be in SONG mode, not pattern mode, to use the sequencer. You should have already made your patterns in the beatbox and bassline machines. For the synths, you should already have a preset called up in that machine. If your preset isn't selected in the synths, or your patterns are empty in the beatbox/basslines, you will hear silence if you try to use them in SONG mode. You tap the green box in the upper right to select which instrument/machine to work with.
For the Subsynth and the two PCM Synths, you're looking at a piano roll view where notes go up and down (about 8 octaves, C1 to G#8.). Touch and drag to the right to make notes to write melodies. Note-on info only, no velocity info yet. MIDI version in the works, hopefully with velocity (long-press note, then drag up/down to make a thinner or thicker note?)
For the beatbox and bassline machines, you enter pattern numbers at a specified measure.
PLAY/STOP/Record
PLAY button plays or resumes play. STOP stops. Long-press STOP to go back to the beginning. See Singlecell's video earlier in this post for tips on using the new Record button (version 1.1) Now motion tweaks to EQ, FX level, pan, and volume can all be independently recorded in the Mixer!
Zoom magnifiers (+ and -)
Maximum zoom in is two measures (8 beats). From there, clicking on the zoom out (-) zooms out twice the view: 4 measures, then 8, then 16, 32, up to 64 measures maximum zoom out.
Timeline
Horizontal bar at the bottom of the sequencer page. Every four measures are numbered (1, 5, 9, 13...) Black vertical bar moves when sequencer is playing. Once stopped, this is where play will resume from again. Unless you press somewhere in the timeline while playback is stopped, in which case the orange vertical bar moves to this new start point.
You can press and drag in the timeline to define your loop points. Remember to zoom out if you want to loop a large number of measures.
Pencil tool icon
Select it, then draw (musical notes for the synths) or add pattern number (for beatbox). Draw notes by touching and dragging to the right. Adjust note length by clicking the tail end of the note and moving left or right. Once drawn, notes can also be dragged up/down (pitch) or left/right (time).
When the pencil tool is selected for the beatbox and bassline instruments, which are pattern-based machines, touching a measure opens up a screen which asks you which pattern number you want to put at that measure.
De-select pencil tool, and you can once again drag/scroll thru the timeline to different measures. You can also drag patterns around to different measures when pencil is de-selected.
Three orange bars icon
Multi-select: you can select multiple notes when this icon is enabled. Selected notes turn orange. These notes all become grouped together, and can then be moved or copy/pasted as a group. Great way to make a melody then copy it to use again at different places in the song.
(Note to Singlecell: would be great to copy to a global buffer, so that you can paste those notes onto a different synth track, like say, a PCM piano line gets copied then pasted to be repeated by the Subsynth. Read: for future MIDI use, this could also mean saving a note group as an independent melody that could then be saved/loaded as a musical MIDI pattern. Arps and motifs, anyone? How about custom pre-made drumbeats?)
The X icon
Use it to erase already drawn notes. First, select the note or group of notes, then press X to remove the selected notes. Also can be used to clear ERROR BOX (red box lower left corner if you have errors). Errors usually happen for me when accidentally writing notes onto notes that are already written (doubled up notes).
Copy/paste icons
First select a note or group of notes. Then press COPY (double paper icon). Then touch somewhere on the timeline to move the orange vertical bar to a new measure. When you press the PASTE icon, a copy of your note(s) or pattern(s) are pasted at the new location. Can be used repeatedly to quickly paste groups of notes/patterns multiple times. Super easy once you get it.
I think that's about it. Anything else I missed?
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- KVRist
- 31 posts since 10 Mar, 2004 from Orlando
Aha, super snappy Windows XP. That explains a lot.
I have a Galaxy S, and Caustic runs smoothly with no problem. It's still on Eclair, so there is noticeable latency playing the keyboard on the synths. I can even run Jasuto on it, which is a fantastic if complicated app, although it does have a lot of audio clicks and pops on too-complicated scenes. Hopefully when I get around to updating to Froyo, those problems will go away.
And about the audio latency with Android overall... yep, it's a shame. I've looked over a few developer threads and looks like there's a ways to go yet. Perhaps newer versions of Android coupled with faster dual processors will reduce audible latency issues with audio and touch response by this time next year.
I am encouraged by the actual possibility of MIDI, though. I was letdown when Google removed built-in MIDI capabilities from what, Android 0.9? But looking over the Android market tonight, there's actually almost a dozen music apps with MIDI, MIDI over WiFI, rtpMIDI, and MIDI via OSC. There was hardly anything MIDI-capable last September.
Anyways, thanks for the 1.1 update. The automation features alone are a huge step forward! Fun and very musically useful.
And I thought drawing your own waveforms was a bit gimmicky, but man was I wrong. My first drawn waveform sounds like a PPG wave! Amazing. I guess it's time us users started making a bunch of synth presets, so we can share them with the community and expand Caustic's repertoire... (where/how would we upload/share those anyway?)
I have a Galaxy S, and Caustic runs smoothly with no problem. It's still on Eclair, so there is noticeable latency playing the keyboard on the synths. I can even run Jasuto on it, which is a fantastic if complicated app, although it does have a lot of audio clicks and pops on too-complicated scenes. Hopefully when I get around to updating to Froyo, those problems will go away.
And about the audio latency with Android overall... yep, it's a shame. I've looked over a few developer threads and looks like there's a ways to go yet. Perhaps newer versions of Android coupled with faster dual processors will reduce audible latency issues with audio and touch response by this time next year.
I am encouraged by the actual possibility of MIDI, though. I was letdown when Google removed built-in MIDI capabilities from what, Android 0.9? But looking over the Android market tonight, there's actually almost a dozen music apps with MIDI, MIDI over WiFI, rtpMIDI, and MIDI via OSC. There was hardly anything MIDI-capable last September.
Anyways, thanks for the 1.1 update. The automation features alone are a huge step forward! Fun and very musically useful.
And I thought drawing your own waveforms was a bit gimmicky, but man was I wrong. My first drawn waveform sounds like a PPG wave! Amazing. I guess it's time us users started making a bunch of synth presets, so we can share them with the community and expand Caustic's repertoire... (where/how would we upload/share those anyway?)
Last edited by psionic on Mon Jul 11, 2011 6:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 185 posts since 18 Jan, 2011 from Brisbane, Australia
Wow!, thanks for writing the sequencer's user manual! I'll copy that into my work-in-progress manual if you don't mind.psionic wrote:Still learning how to use the sequencer here. This is what I've figured out so far. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Everything is correct except for a few minor corrections:
The stop button:
Pressing once stops playback, twice goes back to the start of your loop if you have one set up, or the start of your song if no loop, three times if you have a loop. But nothing on long-press. (my wording sucks compared to yours)
Setting loops:
You don't necessarily have to zoom out to create long loops, just drag the loop marker close to the edge of the screen and it will auto-scroll.
About the copy/paste across synths... I'm pretty sure I had that working at one time, sounds like a bug.
It sounds like your understanding of the sequencer is pretty complete, and I realize there's some weirdness with having some instruments have pattern mode and some use piano roll. As user McUB suggested, I will be adding patterns to the synths, but there's still some unanswered questions there. Anyone interested in helping figure this out is welcome to PM me and I'll give you the rundown of where I'm at with the design so far and what issues still need to be figured out. (I'm looking at you psionic
)Cheers, and thanks again.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 185 posts since 18 Jan, 2011 from Brisbane, Australia
Best thing to do is to zip'em up when you've got a few and send them my way through to causticapp@gmail.compsionic wrote:I guess it's time us users started making a bunch of synth presets, so we can share them with the community and expand Caustic's repertoire... (where/how would we upload/share those anyway?)
A few people have sent in some synth presets so I'll probably get around to creating the first "community sample pack" soon, I'd estimate I have ~50 so far. I don't have a lot of PCM sounds or drums yet though... I guess with samples, it's hard to not fall into copyright territory.
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- KVRist
- 314 posts since 30 Jun, 2003
Yeah!SingleCell wrote:Caustic 1.1 has just been pushed to the Android Market and includes a LOT of exciting new features:
.... You can also have the sequencer automatically stop at the end of the song or loop around again (bring up the menu from the sequencer view)
...
Thank you!Actually there are a lot of nice tweaks in this! Excellent work!
Dave
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- KVRist
- 31 posts since 10 Mar, 2004 from Orlando
PM sent. Glad to help out however I can.As user McUB suggested, I will be adding patterns to the synths, but there's still some unanswered questions there. Anyone interested in helping figure this out is welcome to PM me and I'll give you the rundown of where I'm at with the design so far and what issues still need to be figured out. (I'm looking at you psionic )
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- KVRian
- 1498 posts since 21 Nov, 2005 from The Netherlands
My friend has a Galaxy S 2, but when he tries Caustic demo he gets the same latency as i have on my Galaxy S.psionic wrote: Perhaps newer versions of Android coupled with faster dual processors will reduce audible latency issues with audio and touch response by this time next year.
About 93ms latency, so it's not due to the hardware..but android itself.
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Psychedelic Cowboy Psychedelic Cowboy https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=9199
- KVRer
- 14 posts since 23 Sep, 2003 from LA CA USA
I just wanted to drop in and tell you how much I love this app. I discovered it via your other thread here at KVR last week and purchased it a couple of days ago.
Nice work! I had been searching for something like this since I got my first android phone last July.
Nice work! I had been searching for something like this since I got my first android phone last July.
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- KVRist
- 186 posts since 21 Apr, 2008 from Perth
Latency is 93ms on my Galaxy Tab as well.
I thought that the Gingerbread update was supposed to allow for lower latencies, still waiting for my carrier to send out the 2.3 update.
I thought that the Gingerbread update was supposed to allow for lower latencies, still waiting for my carrier to send out the 2.3 update.
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- KVRer
- 5 posts since 17 May, 2010 from Sunny San Diego
I'm glad I found this thread today. After downloading the app and playing with it for a bit, I had to purchase it. It's a no brainer. Great work.
I'm looking forward to see how this program develops.
By the way, running on a Thunderbolt, and it's reporting 55ms latency.
I'm looking forward to see how this program develops.
By the way, running on a Thunderbolt, and it's reporting 55ms latency.
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- KVRian
- 538 posts since 23 Jan, 2008 from Hamburg, Germany
My original HTC Desire reports 70ms of latency with Android 2.2 so I'm still waiting for Gingerbread too.
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- KVRer
- 2 posts since 7 Jul, 2011 from Prague, Czech Republic
What about simple feature COPY SELECTED LOOP and save it to PATTERN. You can recall it back on timeline wherever you need it.SingleCell wrote:As user McUB suggested, I will be adding patterns to the synths, but there's still some unanswered questions there.