I 'm curious about the update price.Hi Solaris owners!
Many of you know I am working on my first hardware synth - a 5-octave keyboard version of the Solaris (if unfamiliar, you can read more about it on http://www.johnbowen.com). While work in Germany (where it will be built) continues, I have also been working with an update of the software version here, to be released soon as v5.0.
One of the great things about the Scope Development system is that it allows me to test and try out things in real time, not waiting for dsp code updates (as I have to do with the hardware prototype). While the coming changes in v5 were originally meant as 'explorations' for the hardware, I decided there was no reason not to offer them in a software update, so I've been taking some time to prepare for that.
Here are some of the changes for forthcoming Solaris v5.0:
1) Mixer Effects
You have a selection of effects (Bit Chop, Decimator, Soft & Hard Distortion, simple (1 pole) Lowpass and Highpass filters, short Delay (416.7 ms maximum), and Rectifier. These have a choice of pre- or post-filter position, on a per mixer basis. The Decimator, LP and HP filters, and Delay have a Modulation Source as well. Finally, there is a dry/wet panning to mix in just the right amount of FX.
2) MIDI Time control of EGs (Envelope Generators) - All envelopes, including the Looping Env (and excepting the Amp ADSR) can be switched to MIDI-related clock values. No Segment Modulation is allowed when under MIDI Clocks.
3) There is a selectable Mod Source for the Amp now, instead of being permanently tied to the Amp ADSR. Sources can be any of the EGs, Envelope Follower, Shaper, SMO, lfo-a through -c, and 1-4 of a new multiplier module, called xPower.
4) xPower- taken from the module I released for Creamware Modular use, this allows you to multiply an input signal by itself a number of times (like 2 to the power of 4 would be equal to 16). The design was originally created to process envelopes, giving an ability to have some 'hyper' sloped shapes, but it can also produce some interesting results on audio signals (a sine wave, for example, will produce additional octaves). You have a Source, a Multiply power of 0-5, and a Pan between "dry and wet", to give you more control over the envelope shapes or final blended output.
5) Noise now separate - Instead of having to 'sacrifice' a MM Oscillator to produce noise, now there are 3 separate noise sources available in mixer and mod list menus. White, Pink, and Bandpass noise. The BP Noise Frequency has a standard Modulation path as well.
6) SSM and Minimax Filters included - Giving even more filter variety, each of the four Filter sections add these 2 types. One thing to know, however - the inputs are quite a bit 'hotter' for these filters, so it's very easy to overdrive them, sometimes in undesirable ways. The MM Oscs are particularly 'loud', so it's wise to lower them in the Mixer to a value of 16-20. An upside to this - the CEM oscillators, which normally produce a lower signal output, are perfect for full level into these 2 filters.
7) Vibrato LFO ModWheel Scaling - I added a sub-page tab to control the taper or scaling of the Mod Wheel signal to this LFO. It's the same type of control as the VelTab (Velocity Table) in the Global section.
Individual Oscillator Glide - Long ago, when I started at Moog, one of the things I liked most on their Sonic 6 synth was that you could have glide on just one of the oscillators, giving this wonderful sound of one osc 'following' after the other. Recently, Dave Smith's new (hardware) Prophet '08 also featured separate glide per oscillator, and so I decided to see if I come get around the standard Scope SDK system of Portamento (which is set to work on an All-Voices method). What I came up with gives me the result I wanted, but the panel for it is a bit crowded (unlike the Prophet '08, there are 14 sound sources to affect, instead of
9) Filter Keytrack Amounts all visible - I moved the Filter Keytrack Amounts to the Global pack, and separated them for independent control. They are all visible at the same time.
10) Free Filter Bank added to output FX - If you've used my RD series II modules the Free Filter Bank, you are already familiar with this. A set of 16 Bandpass filters, they can be arranged in Series (Mono) or Parallel (stereo pairs of
11) 2 more External Inputs - by request, Ext 3 and Ext 4 inputs added, so that you can use the Rotors or VS Mixers with all external sound sources.
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Whew!! That's it....so far. You would think that's enough, but I do have another set of scaling functions I'm thinking to add. The problem is, I want to remove a section to make space for these, so...I have a question for you - does anyone make use of the 8 RD Modulation Slots in the Global page (added in v4.1)?
Originally I designed these for very specific applications, using either the included v4.1 Key Level.dev or WAV Osc II.dev (see README for these in your v4_1 .zip file).
The problem is, the Key Level display screen (the same object as the MultiSegment ADSRs, and others) does not 'recall' any preset values correctly. There's been a fairly well-known bug in there for some Modular modules using these, but for some reason, it went overlooked by me for a while.
Anyway - the Key Level becomes more or less useless in recalling presets (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't - very frustrating), and the only other use for these RD Mod slots was as hosts to the WAV Osc II, acting like additional oscillators.
HOWEVER...if no one is using, or has used these, I'd like to remove them and replace them with something else....so, if you have a quick moment, please respond if you want the RD Mod slots to remain. Otherwise....bye - bye to them.
Thanks very much for your time,
John B.
BTW great news, John!
Thanks!
) so i really need to try this. Just the portamento effect sounds cool to me, even without the other features.
