Xhip Synthesizer v8.1 (alpha & RC)

VST, AU, AAX, CLAP, etc. Plugin Virtual Instruments Discussion
Post Reply New Topic
RELATED
PRODUCTS
Xhip Effects Xhip Synthesizer

Post

I'll be using this thread to post news about the ongoing development of Xhip Synthesizer as it goes through the RC testing stage and is finally released.

See the alpha page (linked below) for the latest version(s). Note that the alpha page may contain other software and that for example the newest releases as of this post are xhip_8_windows_xxbit_alpha_r1112.7z (v8.0 alpha r1112)

Please read the Xhip Manual pdf included on the alpha page for details about many non-intuitive features as well as an important "getting started" chapter. I will likely be adding anything that gets asked on a regular basis to the manual.

At the moment the manual still doesn't contain absolutely everything so I'm sure there are plenty of questions to be asked. You are welcome to ask anything and I'll be happy to help answer those questions especially those that aren't yet in the manual. Hearing such questions is extremely helpful to me in figuring out what still needs to be added or improved.

Image
http://xhip.net/alpha/

There are some remaining to-dos but the major new features are:
  • Preset/bank library accessible to load banks from the menu
  • Embedded banks (factory + synth drums 1)
  • Init state is automatically generated so you have presets immediately upon a new install
  • The factory bank has been tweaked and improved slightly (new synth drums 1 pending)
  • Most bitmaps have been eliminated and most of the GUI is now drawn directly
  • New Linux and MacOS versions are available and will be released along with v8.1 (MacOS GUI pending)
  • More scaling ratios for the GUI
  • Improved effect GUIs in the "effects" page in the synthesizer
  • New "round robin" switch allocates voices differently for new pending "route" features like voice pitch randomization and drift
  • New improved dialog handling, windows still uses native dialogs but these are now threaded
  • Various minor bug fixes too
Short version:

Embedded banks + Linux and MacOS + Improved GUI. That's why 8.1 and not 9.0.

I'm interested in knowing whether it works correctly or not. It is (should be, if not for unknown bugs) fully compatible with v8.
Last edited by aciddose on Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:54 am, edited 8 times in total.
Free plug-ins for Windows, MacOS and Linux. Xhip Synthesizer v8.0 and Xhip Effects Bundle v6.7.
The coder's credo: We believe our work is neither clever nor difficult; it is done because we thought it would be easy.
Work less; get more done.

Post

Thank You, Will test this weekend.

Post

Knobs look like the are too close to LEDs in the env/mod section

Good to see a new version tho

Post

The LEDs could be shifted around but it really depends upon which knobs are used. At the moment this represents an in-between version without skinning support.

I've replaced the bitmap knob strips (they were huge, >1mb) with "2d" knobs that the code can draw directly. So they're generated knob strips rather than installed.

These knobs are just slightly bigger... technically they're the same size but most of the size of the widget is taken up directly rather than having extra space for the shadow. So since the "3d" knobs have that shadow that overlaps the LEDs it looks "right", but when the knob body itself overlaps as in this case it looks "wrong".

Unfortunately however since both knobs are the same size (33x33 px at scale=1) if I were to change the LED offset to fit these knobs it would no longer fit correctly with the 3d knobs.

So ultimately this is going to be a feature of the skinning system and perhaps the knobs and switches will have associated data like "text offset" or "LED offset" to allow different widgets to position those sub-elements differently so it always looks best.

Good point though, this is definitely something I'm still working on and the skinning system is a long way from being finished. If the next RC version (8.1) is released with these knobs without changes I will change the default LED offset to match them.
Free plug-ins for Windows, MacOS and Linux. Xhip Synthesizer v8.0 and Xhip Effects Bundle v6.7.
The coder's credo: We believe our work is neither clever nor difficult; it is done because we thought it would be easy.
Work less; get more done.

Post

xhip, the skittles edition! :party: :clap:
HW SYNTHS [KORG T2EX - AKAI AX80 - YAMAHA SY77 - ENSONIQ VFX]
HW MODULES [OBi M1000 - ROLAND MKS-50 - ROLAND JV880 - KURZ 1000PX]
SW [CHARLATAN - OBXD - OXE - ELEKTRO - MICROTERA - M1 - SURGE - RMiV]
DAW [ENERGY XT2/1U RACK WINXP / MAUDIO 1010LT PCI]

Post

thank you!

Post

layzer wrote:xhip, the skittles edition! :party: :clap:

Thank you.

And thank you Acid dose. Will test later today on Win 7 Reaper.and Mulab.
We jumped the fence because it was a fence not be cause the grass was greener.
https://scrubbingmonkeys.bandcamp.com/
https://sites.google.com/view/scrubbing-monkeys

Post

Thanks. Will download right away. :)
EnergyXT3 - LMMS - FL Studio | Roland SH201 - Waldorf Rocket | SoundCloud - Bandcamp

Post

This looks good, thank you!!
No band limits, aliasing is the noise of freedom!

Post

This is definitely starting to become one of my favorite free synths, keep up the good work.

Post

Thank you for your generosity. Xhip sounds very nice. :tu:

Is there an empty bank available (or is there a way to make our own) ? I'd like to do some patches and share them. :)

EDIT: I'm making an empty bank by Menu>Load>Init>Preset but it's coming out looking like this:
Xhip-1.png
EDIT 2: Ok here's an empty bank for Xhip but all the categories are named Init:

Xhip Empty Bank

EDIT 3: I get it now. You have to name the category and the patch. Let me see if I can do an empty bank with all Init patches but with categories named.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by Teksonik on Thu May 03, 2018 2:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Post

Sorry for having a running dialog with myself here but since this is an Alpha I'm sure you're interested in feedback.

The background color and size is not remembered (saving a custom state file didn't work) and it's not possible to use capital letters in patch or bank names.

The init.xhipstate file is in App Data>Roaming>xhip>synth but has not been written to since installation.

The Unison settings don't seem to be recalled in a Preset either. I'll work on it further.

This is on Win 10 Pro 64 bit in FL Studio and Reaper 64 bit. :)

Try this patch. The Unison settings are not recalled. They were set to 7 voices 50 cents. All the other parameters in the patch were recalled but that only included Osc waveforms, Osc B Course and Env A Release.

Unison Test
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Post

Just a suggestion : could we have a white on black menu instead of black on white ?

I'm pretty sure that it doesn't matter for all the persons who don't have any visual impairment but it would be much nicer for those like me who have one. So... it would not remove any user but it would certainly add yet others.
:hug:

Very clever idea, this "round-robin" switch allocating voices differently for new pending "route" features like voice pitch randomization and drift. Excellent !
:tu:
Build your life everyday as if you would live for a thousand years. Marvel at the Life everyday as if you would die tomorrow.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.

Post

Sounding and looking good here.

One little bug(?) I've found; the background of the control section is missing but only at a GUI size of 5/4...

Image
 

Post

GaryG wrote:One little bug(?) I've found; the background of the control section is missing but only at a GUI size of 5/4...
The way the background is handled is identical to v8, so this is some kind of system-specific bug. I still need to eliminate the bitmaps used there though so once that is done it shouldn't be a problem anymore.
Free plug-ins for Windows, MacOS and Linux. Xhip Synthesizer v8.0 and Xhip Effects Bundle v6.7.
The coder's credo: We believe our work is neither clever nor difficult; it is done because we thought it would be easy.
Work less; get more done.

Post Reply

Return to “Instruments”