KVR Audio

shonky · Post by **shonky** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 10:43 am

Just been playing around with the mono version for a couple of hours and quite like what I'm hearing, certainly a lot of potential for creating some unique sounds.

Agree with skyscape above though - double-clicking, drag and drop, etc are so commonplace now that not having them seems to really slow down workflow. Also found a problem with the modulation matrix, once the visible slots are almost full, you can't access the drop down box to change from multiply to bipolar, etc (was looking at this on a fairly dark screen and couldn't see a side bar to move to see the lower modulators).

I also think that accessing the modulation is not that intuitive and I had to watch one of the tutorials to see how to access these features. I do check manuals when I get stuck and need to find out how more advanced features work but with things like the MM, it makes more sense to make these fairly accessible and logical, although admittedly it's not that difficult when you find out what you're supposed to be doing.

Like the list of options you're looking to include in the "next round" - is that the version that will be released this week or is this to be rolled out over time? Will probably pick this up at the discounted price, don't yet own a modular and I think it will be a really nice synth with the additional modulation features.

FathomSynth · Post by **FathomSynth** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 5:55 pm

Idfpower:

I'm really grateful you took a look at the Synth. I really want to get the chance to make
this the Synth you need. Is there a specific reason you don't like the sound?

Yes, its true the performance of Fathom is not as good as other synths such as Sylenth.
And I'm honest about that on the web site in the limitations section.
That's because it does not yet use SIMD Intel Vector instructions.
I will add SIMD later this year if sales provide the funds to keep the project going.

Skyscape:

On the preset browser if you hit the Preview button,
then you can mouse click or down arrow key through all the presets.
It will quickly load and preview the preset audio without having to leave the page.
It will also do this without losing the current program unless you hit load.

You are right about the stutter after dial edits.
This is because in order to be efficient during normal audio processing
Fathom must precalculate all the modulation buffers and oscillator buffers.
It has to be done at some point, so you will either have an audio drop
right after edits or lower performance during normal play.
Obviously the trade off is better just once after the edit.

Shonky:

If the mod matrix is full and you can't expand the bottom mod slat,
you can grab and drag the entire list up to make space at the bottom.
Do this by grabbing the grabber texture on the right side instead of the left.

Thanks all for your posts!

And very specific suggestions today. This is such a great help to know where to focus.
I'm really thankful to everyone here who is taking the time to test.

The list of features provided above is for 2017 in general. Some will take a lot of time.

This weekend I will make a quick start video that is shorter than the others
and covers all these basic areas so people know.

I've been coding for over 35 years. I use to write embedded firmware for Ensoniq,
and after that was a GUI developer for medical software for ten years.
Once you understand how the Fathom GUI works, you will find it incredibly efficient.

skyscape · Post by **skyscape** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:14 am

I've played with this more and I'm liking it more and more. There are certainly some quirks, but overall I think this has a lot of potential as a sound design tool. One question I have is about the additive oscillator - I've compared it to a couple of other synths Serum, Mpowersynth and Sytrus and there is certainly quite a big difference in how they operate compared to Fathom. In those other three synths when you're adding/subtracting partials the volume remains constant - it doesn't matter if there is one partial playing or 20 it will be the same volume. In Fathom, if you play one partial the volume is very low, and with each additional partial added it boosts the volume. It also seems that Fathom has less of a frequency range than these synths (which offer more in the higher end of the spectrum). Just wondering if there is a technical reason for this, or is it a design choice?

A couple more suggestions of things that would be cool in this synth (I know you already have heaps to do, but more suggestions don't hurt, right

Granular oscillator would be awesome
Padsynth algorithm would also be awesome

I haven't come across a crash yet.

Keep up the good work.

FathomSynth · Post by **FathomSynth** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 1:22 am

It's unbelievable it hasn't crashed for anyone, there must be well over 500K lines of code.
It crashed for me once last year due to an uninitialized array in the distortion table, but I fixed that.

OK, so two very good suggestions.

Yes, the additive spectrum could easily use volume compensation and that is not hard.
So I will put that in next week's release.

Yes, there is no good reason for the number of additive spectrum partials being 32.
I could easily bump that up to 64 and it would change nothing internally,
except the expanded view which has plenty of space and the sliders would
just be a bit narrower, no big deal.

I will put that in also.

This weeks release is coming out tomorrow with some requested features,
which I will post on the web site.

Eyck requested a really cool feature of being able to click on the audio objects
in the signal flow view and change them individually to either process, bypass or block,
which I just finished, and they turn red and green accordingly.
That will be in tomorrow's release.

Granular, not sure, the sound quality features must come first, but yes in the long run.
Padsynth, please direct me to a web link or example and I will examine that.

Thanks!
Everett

DJErmac · Post by **DJErmac** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:00 am

I've played with it a little more, and here are the few things I note :

- to me it's obvious that the global sound engine is way too dull. Maybe this is all about it. I have added an EQ with a +10dB (!!!!!!!!) hi-shelf above 7k and start to really like what I'm hearing. I do not have a crappy monitoring system, I use a pair of Event Opal. Maybe you could propose a global high frequencies control, just like some synth already do, so everybody can control quickly the overall brightness (ElectraX for example) ?

- I really think this is a real problem that a double-click doesn't load the preset in the browser list. Clicking on "load" is a big big waste of time.

- When I want to check every bass preset, I have to sort the bass presets, then load the first one, then re-sort them, then load the second one, then sort them again, and again, and again. Could the browser remember the sorting after you load a preset ?

If you make that crazy price offer for the KVR members I'll take it for sure, this synth has potential, and you seem to be a very reactive and promising developper. For such a price everybody should take it. By the way : the GUI is quite nice.

EDIT : found another suggestion if you allow me to :
- in the left column Audio Components, we should be able to scroll down when all the lines are used. At first contact, I simply thought there was nothing left to show when I couldn't browse anything more, until i guessed I have to close a subfolder first before I can open another one then.

FathomSynth · Post by **FathomSynth** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:56 am

Ok, Got it. Great list of Features:

1) Global EQ HF Bump:
Fathom has a high shelf filter, but yes it needs this globally. I will add a partials balance control on all oscillators with partials. This will achieve exactly what you want without adding an internal filter which injects phase delay. Should do the trick.

2) Browser Double Click Load: I agree, I will make double click load the preset.
3) Browser Sort: My thoughts also, I will make the browser remember the sort.
4) Price and GUI: Thanks!
5) Audio Component List Scroll: Yes, it should have been there, on mouse wheel, I will add that.

These are relatively easy. They should go into next weeks release also.
Everett

skyscape · Post by **skyscape** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 3:47 am

Fathomsynth, there is info on the padsynth algorithm I mentioned here: http://www.paulnasca.com/algorithms-created-by-me

There are some free and commercial synths that implement it. Def worth a look, I'm always surprised at how few synths implement it as I think it's great.

skyscape · Post by **skyscape** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:34 am

There seems to be an intermittent bug with the additive spectrum oscillator - if you load the synth up and then put just the additive spectrum oscillator in - more often than not it's polyphonic. All the other oscillators lock it to mono, and sometimes this one does too - but more often than not you can play chords etc.

murnau · Post by **murnau** » Fri Apr 14, 2017 5:04 am

Looks interesting and the special KvR price is very fair! Hope you can keep the development running. Good luck!

FathomSynth · Post by **FathomSynth** » Sat Apr 15, 2017 9:35 pm

Version 1.0.1 is now available and includes several requested features.

Also, the Fathom Pro Poly version has now been released, and is available to KVR members as promised for $11.00.

At the end of the company website click on the Members page and enter the code: kvrpro

The Versions page has a complete list of the additional features.

Murnau, Thanks!

Skyscape, OK, I will checkout the padsynth feature.

Thanks all for your help, I will continue implementing features requested during the latest build.
Everett

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Sat Apr 15, 2017 9:53 pm

FathomSynth wrote:Version 1.0.1 is now available and includes several requested features.

Also, the Fathom Pro Poly version has now been released, and is available to KVR members as promised for $11.00.

At the end of the company website click on the Members page and enter the code: kvrpro

The Versions page has a complete list of the additional features.

Murnau, Thanks!

Skyscape, OK, I will checkout the padsynth feature.

Thanks all for your help, I will continue implementing features requested during the latest build.
Everett

Hi,

A little issue on the "purchase page"... It's been currently looping now for more than five minutes on the message "Adding..." in the black framed rectangle.

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Sat Apr 15, 2017 9:56 pm

BlackWinny wrote:Hi,

A little issue on the "purchase page"... It's been currently looping now for more than five minutes on the message "Adding..." in the black framed rectangle.

Now ten minutes...

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:00 pm

Yessss !

Got it after a refresh of the page a reclick on the message "Purchase" in the rectangle. All is perfect now...

DJErmac · Post by **DJErmac** » Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:06 pm

Purchased ! Thank you very much for this update, for adding the requested features and for this price !!

BlackWinny · Post by **BlackWinny** » Sat Apr 15, 2017 10:20 pm

I very like that kind of modular products. It is really funny to make one's own "synths" in real modular structures.

That's the main reason why I love so much such products like MUX, Synthmaker, Synthedit, etc. Even Synthmaker and Synthedit... not only for their ability to export as VST's but also and in priority simply for the pleasure to build totally personal structures with the most basic elements linked by virtual cables even without any GUI.

Fathom Synth Development Thread