New Beta Version : October 20th 2011

[sonigen]

This update gives you VST automation support.

VST automation works exactly like MIDI CC does. Go to the controllers menu and select AutoParam. You get a controller panel from which you can select which actual automation parameter to use, and how much to apply.

It supports 12 automation parameters. With VST 2.4 the parameter list can not change once the plugin is created, so with a modular the only way to do it is to have a fixed number at startup and let the user connect them to what they want to control.

12 seems like good number to me but it can be expanded fairly easily further down the line if people want it.

There is a file in the "Sonigen Modular Data" folder called "vstparams.txt", which you can modify to change the parameter names to whatever you like. Again these are fixed at startup, so you wont see the changes until you reload.

A Final Note:

I want to implement much better midi and automation support further down the line. I'd like to have not only more of the features automatable, but also have it more automatic in the sense that you don't have to set everything single thing up. I have quite a few ideas that i need to investigate and develop, but it's most likely to be V2.0 before any of that gets done.

Cheers,

[SoulState]

Just cheked this - and my first thought - it would be good if autoparam knob appears automatically with max mod. amount when turning knobs while recording automation is "on" in host... - then it will be working just like normal automation in most vst's. (With param's which can be "automatable", of course)
And this "amount of automation" is unique feature - i dont know any vst synth has this one, this may be very useful for little tweaks without redrawing all automation on automation track
If amount of automation knob will be also controllable from modifier (midi cc controller) - then it's be very cool feature - for example in host automation track i have complex periodic curve - with this control i can automate amount of influence this drawn curve to controller - e.g. smooth fades etc. , which very hard to write in host if host don't support such automation drawing instruments (90% of hosts, unfortunately won't support such advanced automation drawing and editing features E.g. Cubase5 has only primitive point and ramp automation drawing, and don't have any instruments for editing automation in some global way (smooth curves, fades which affects all automation points, etc.) )

And is it real to add AutoParam to modifiers list of mod. amount knobs?

[sonigen]

Hi,

An AutoParam modifier is easy to do, it's was planed but time was against me to get it into this update.

Making the amount knobs controllable via midiCC is not likely in the near future. Its a probability for V2.0 when when I try and find a more comprehensive and user friendly solution to midi CC and automation.

Thanks,

[vata44]

This is a really cool synth... I don't know if it is me, but it sounds kind of digital and thin though. Any ideas to make it a little thicker like the Urs Zebra/ACE synths? Your workflow is very nice though, I am impressed.

[SoulState]

This is a really cool synth... I don't know if it is me, but it sounds kind of digital and thin though. Any ideas to make it a little thicker like the Urs Zebra/ACE synths? Your workflow is very nice though, I am impressed.

Hah, for me Zebra sounds much more muddy than "thick"

Anyway, it is all up to your sound design skills in most situations...

But if you feel that Sonigen is too digital, then, i hope, new analog modeled filters in future solve this problem...

I have compared zebra, sylenth1 and many other vst's - Sonigen always souds better for me than all this synths - so i ended up using only Sonigen in my projects

Definitely Sonigen is a new level in soft synth's almost in all aspects (Sound, usability, features)

[sonigen]

This is a really cool synth... I don't know if it is me, but it sounds kind of digital and thin though. Any ideas to make it a little thicker like the Urs Zebra/ACE synths? Your workflow is very nice though, I am impressed.

There will be a more gritty filter coming at some point, and a overdrive / distortion and likely a speaker/cab emulation.

Later down the line I intend to look into adding customizable noise / drift across the whole synth.

So there will be more options for warming up the sound later on in development.

[soapform]

Is there a reason the parameter values aren't being saved? E.g. when I save and load a song the parameter value is reset to 0.

Also, it would be nice to have a row of 12 knobs somewhere, for example in a special module, to tweak the autoparam values with Sonigen's knobs. It would be nice to see where all the params are at any given time. (and see them moving when automated by the host!)

[sonigen]

Is there a reason the parameter values aren't being saved? E.g. when I save and load a song the parameter value is reset to 0.

Also, it would be nice to have a row of 12 knobs somewhere, for example in a special module, to tweak the autoparam values with Sonigen's knobs. It would be nice to see where all the params are at any given time. (and see them moving when automated by the host!)

The first is error on my part, I forgot.

The second is in progress. It's most of the way done, but I haven't started work on sending automation movements to the host.

Thanks,

[sonigen]

Correction:

I forgot that I actually decided to not save them on purpose. The core of the problem is that they are not tied directly to a front panel control, so they don't directly control a patch parameter. So whereas in fixed function synths automation would actualy alter the patch parameters, in Sonigen Modular they act more like pitch bend or mod wheel, so it doesnt really sit well to save them with the patch. The act more like midi controllers than typical automation.

To be honest I'm not very happy with the way the MidiCC or Automation works. I think there's a reason why most other modulars dont do VST automation.

I need to think about this more. Hopefully it works well enough for the OSC, i'd like to not do any more updates except bug fixes before that is over. But if it becomes clear its a problem for people i'll look at changing it.

Thanks,

[soapform]

Correction:

I forgot that I actually decided to not save them on purpose. The core of the problem is that they are not tied directly to a front panel control, so they don't directly control a patch parameter. So whereas in fixed function synths automation would actualy alter the patch parameters, in Sonigen Modular they act more like pitch bend or mod wheel, so it doesnt really sit well to save them with the patch. The act more like midi controllers than typical automation.

To be honest I'm not very happy with the way the MidiCC or Automation works. I think there's a reason why most other modulars dont do VST automation.

I need to think about this more. Hopefully it works well enough for the OSC, i'd like to not do any more updates except bug fixes before that is over. But if it becomes clear its a problem for people i'll look at changing it.

Thanks,

Hmhm, I was afraid there could be some kind of philosophy like that behind it. But I also thought it would be a good idea to tie them to a front panel control, via a control module, anyway.

Think of it from the standpoint of the UI also, you could control multiple knobs with one knob. And the amount of these knobs would be fixed within a patch, thus being possible to be automated.

If it's done via a module, the module would have to be unique, so that creating it would gray out it from the selection menu. I suppose the module would always be "running behind the scenes", creating it would just show it in the UI.

I dunno, what do you think?

[sonigen]

Think of it from the standpoint of the UI also, you could control multiple knobs with one knob. And the amount of these knobs would be fixed within a patch, thus being possible to be automated.

If it's done via a module, the module would have to be unique, so that creating it would gray out it from the selection menu. I suppose the module would always be "running behind the scenes", creating it would just show it in the UI.

I dunno, what do you think?

The problem is basically that the foundations are wrong, so anything you build on them just compounds the problem. And I'm reluctant to go any further down this path until I'm sure its the only way. (At least for V1.0)

It might end up being the only way to do it without major overhaul. But I need some time to think about it and consider other solutions. I have about 4 or 5 embryonic ideas at the moment. And it took about 6 or 7 prototypes for the Controllers/Modifiers feature before i was happy with that. So I just need some time to work on it / chew things over.

Thanks,

Chris