Mushroom Generator Beta Discussion

[zippy731]

NEW VERSION IS UP! Same download link. Plugin headline title should read "RC2", that's how you know you have the latest version.

All beta-tester-reported bugs should now be fixed.

You could double check to make sure it's fixed as well.

Feels more stable already. Love the built in hard clipper!

Just a bit of time tonight.. will exercise it more fully tomorrow.

[yellowmix]

Hooray!

Breakpoint 2 GUI issue is fixed!
MIDI modulations is fixed! Expression here we come!

Now to implement the patches that depend on them!

[Architeuthis]

New version sent with a ton of new presets. A few from yellowmix. If you send in presets, I'll add them.

[zippy731]

... little dialog box gets left behind, is not tethered to main plugin window.

Haha yep, sorry, I have to add that to the "will not fix" list. The modulation UI needs a complete rethinking, actually my idea would've been to have the modulation popup UI locked to the synth UI, buuuut... I don't get my way all the time.

Be mindful of the bugs listed on the first page, there's a bug that will potentially ruin any presets you make, at the moment, having to do with the modulation system. It will permanently offset your slider values, which is only apparent when switching between presets, but the effect is there from the outset. I could do a temporary fix which requires me to remove smoothing on all parameters... Yeah, maybe I should send out RC4 already with that temporary fix.

edit: Message from Soundemote: f*** really sorry, I edited this post instead of resopnidng.

[zippy731]

Here's a demo track I worked up w/ MG and PS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRqxpzl7IIc

Loving the multi-modulation capabilities!

I used it for several hours lastnight, then again this morning. Very very stable . The only time it crashed was once, when I was auditioning a patch and switched the modulation mode on an existing modulator.

[Architeuthis]

awesoooom!



Looks like a weird stick figure drawing without a head... man wouldn't it be awesome to have an "animated stick figure" synth based on this haha.

And that vocal patch that sounds like it's trying to sing lyrics is quite funny. And nice pitch drop fade out ending.

[Architeuthis]

f*** man I'm getting so many good ideas on how to make a better synth.

1. Redo the "Modulator" system (as in LFOs/ADSRs/breakpoints) and have a system where you can add an LFO, add an ADSR, choose what kind of LFO or ADSR or whathaveyou, essentially Mushroom Generator (and my future synths) become a fully WIRELESS modular.

2. To add to that, have all kinds of cool LFOs to choose from (stereo LFOs, morphable, chaos based like lorenz and others, feedback-based, weird filter-oscillator hybrids). More ADSR styles (classic / breakpoint / morphable / weird oscillator-envelope hybrids). Oh, that means you could also decide to add an arpeggiator/controller, bar sequencer, etc.

3. Allow for adding multiple instances of the synths (where each synth gets its own tabbed page) so you can do multitimbral stuff.

4. RollYourOwnGUI where you have a "performance page" to add any number of controls, X/y pads, sliders, knobs, and connect those to multiple sliders, essentially a glorified macro control page.

Those are my big high-level ideas / changes. I have smaller ideas.

5. Has anyone played with abusing the Harmonic Multiply knob? It can create little melodies... but that's not good enough, it could be taken much farther into algorithmic-melody-style sequencing using the available modulators & feedback!!! I could have a scale option where you turn on/off keys. I could add microtuning options. I could add timing/quantizing options. Ooo, modulatable timing.

6. More legato / pitch transitions styles. I want to research how the human voice transitions between pitches so we can get strange uncanny-valley type pitch modulations, or just more musical pitch modulation.

7. In addition to the modulation system, have a trigger system like any good modular synth has, where a signal may TRIGGER something to happen instead of just changing a value. Such as triggering a S&H, and who knows what mayhem could be created. Need to think more about this.

8. A preset system just for the modulation system / surrounding components of the Mushroom Generator, have mushroom generator presets separate from that / allow loading those presets across my future synths.

9. and of course all the obvious ideas: general fx, more filter types, LFOs need a visualizer, needs invert button, needs a few other things I'm not remembering at the moment. We need more informative interface in general. Show modulation ranges on the slider, yeah.... all that obvious stuff.

[zippy731]

awesoooom!



Looks like a weird stick figure drawing without a head... man wouldn't it be awesome to have an "animated stick figure" synth based on this haha.

And that vocal patch that sounds like it's trying to sing lyrics is quite funny. And nice pitch drop fade out ending.

Yeah, that little dude dancing cracked me up, and the formanty patch is good fun. There are several sweet spots in the density slider for almost-human sounds.

Re: Harmonic Multiply.. I played with that a bit, but really was focused on learning how the mod stuff worked. I plan to get back in and play with that, as well as the feedback modes, to exercise this thing more.

Your ideas on synthbuilding are original and intriguing.. keep the good stuff coming!

[Architeuthis]

next update will contain a patch that implements my "abusing harmonic multiply for melodies" idea while also creating a nice beat. Multitimbral patches FTW!

[zippy731]

Nice dancing wave!

MOD Bug:
Right click mod target, select source LFO1 Sine
Change LFO1 to SQr
Mod source still says LFO1 Sine, is not updated with correct mod source LFO type.
-------------------------------
Potential Tempo Bug:
Building a tempo sync rhythmic patch
in FL Studio, changed DAW tempo to Half Speed
.. patch still plays at original tempo
Return DAW to full speed
.. now patch plays at DOUBLE tempo. Entertaining, but probably not correct.

I wasn't able to reproduce this one every time. Not sure what else might be going on.
-------------------------------



As I'm playing with MG this morning, I realize that I'm tripping over my lack of definition on various "units" in the various mod windows.

As an example, using Density as a target:

1) The Density slider goes from .1 to 500
2) Right-click density to set up modulations, and the Min/Max shows as -1e+100 to 1e+100, which I interpret as -inf to +inf
2.1) I update the range to .1 to 500, to match the actual valid range of Density.

3) Within Density Modulations, I select ADSR1 as modulator, and now I have a slider with default of 1, and range -500 to +500. Is that 500%?
3.1) If I select zero or a negative value on the modulation amount, nothing happens.
3.2) if I select a positive value on ADSR mod amount, I get an envelope modulation. It seems that a high value results in a slower (longer?) ADSR envelope. ?

I don't mind playing around, but it's pretty unintuitive what's happening under the hood. Maybe a brief description in Help as to what the various units refer to...

---------------------

[Architeuthis]

I need a better help page to fit more information. I would love to not have a manual and put all the info you need easily accessible from the interface.



If you set Min to .1 and send a Sine LFO, you are clipping off half the waveform. It gets clipped since a Sine LFO goes from -1 to +1. To fix this you can set your Sine LFO to unipolar, or leave the min modulation as -1 with 100 zeros after it. This is not infinite. Infinite would cause the plugin to die.

If you set ADSR slider negative, you've now inverted the ADSR signal. If you set the Sine LFO negative, nothing happens because it's a bipolar signal... unless you've set it to unipolar.

The modulation value is multiplying the input in this case. 500 is 500 times the input value. A signal that goes from -1 to +1 will be boosted up to -500 to +500. And the final density value is that + the slider density value.

I have a handful of ideas to make this easier and make more sense off the bat. But I can't do it for this release.

[Architeuthis]

Beta testing is essentially over as all the major bugs have been discovered and I'm waiting on fixes. As soon as the major bugs are fixed I will release. I will still accept presets, but going from RC3 to RC4 will cause presets will not play back the same due to bugs in RC3. But thankfully I also have enough presets. You can either wait until I send a new beta or release version to do presets, or... you can make presets and will have to readjust the settings after the update.

Next beta test product, all these bugs will have been solved, things will be lot smoother in round 2.

[zippy731]

I would love to not have a manual and put all the info you need easily accessible from the interface

....

I have a handful of ideas to make this easier and make more sense off the bat. But I can't do it for this release.

Yes, inside the plugin seems the best place, if you can make it happen.

A description of the key variables & math, plus some basic flow information and a few examples, would probably help clarify. That, plus the debug page you mentioned earlier would go a long ways toward understanding & leveraging.

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Oh, the mod'able Master Rate slider is brilliant! Here are a couple of rhythmic patches, second one is using the Master Rate with tempo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hKAumqD8Cw

[zippy731]

Beta testing is essentially over as all the major bugs have been discovered and I'm waiting on fixes. As soon as the major bugs are fixed I will release. I will still accept presets, but going from RC3 to RC4 will cause presets will not play back the same due to bugs in RC3. But thankfully I also have enough presets. You can either wait until I send a new beta or release version to do presets, or... you can make presets and will have to readjust the settings after the update.

Roger that. Thx for letting us into the sandbox!

[Architeuthis]

Check out this video clip made by our new marketing and operations manager Alejandro

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba2dmILl-jb ... soundemote

It is using a preset I designed for "abusing the harmonic multiply parameter". You can hear the glitchy melody it produces.