Hello, I've been demoing apQualizr2 and while it's been really cool, but I feel like the modulation section is really bringing down it's potential for producers/sound designers.
Being a Bitwig user I've become really used to the ability to modulate things with sample accuracy using a variety of different types of modulators, and while the 27 or so modulators there are great to have, I believe if you guys were to add just a couple of features/adjustments it would take this plugin to a whole new level for creative uses. In my opinion, these would be the following:
1 - The lfos need some improvements. Firstly, the timeline sync is quite wonky, which makes working with them more difficult. Secondly, we need a saw option. It's just too useful to not have. Thirdly, there should be some sort of retrigger option. This could be just a midi retrigger switch so that new midi notes retrigger the lfo. Or, if we want to be really cool, we could have a third option for using other modulators to retrigger the lfo (after crossing a certain threshold). This would be cool, but if the first three things were done the lfo would be like 3x as good, honestly.
2 - An ADSR, giving the filters the ability to be used in those natural "synth-y" type modulation options we all know. Could allow apQualizer to blur the lines between EQ and synth part/timbre shaper, a huge deal.
3 - This would help out Bitwig users specifically to a huge degree more than anyone, but would still be such a great help to any sound designer: We need a sidechain input. It would be so powerful. Besides using this for cool mixing/ducking uses and lots of creative uses, If one were to put pure CV into it would create the possibility for a unicorn modulator which could be whatever we want. There are several ways to create CV in the daw to make really cool modulation sources, most significantly STFU, a breakpoint based "LFO tool" plugin with a CV option, but really it can be anything. This would change the game for sound designers/producers if properly advertised.
4 - Finally, I think the last essential modulator would be a step sequencer. for it's rhythmic, almost "melodic" nature, it's a super flexible source of modulation. Bonus points if there were also different shape options other than square.
Honestly, If I just got #3 I'd be super happy as it would satisfy a huge swathe of my personal wants in apQualizr2 with seemingly very little effort. But if a more thorough modulation system were to exist, I really believe it would take this plugin to the next level.
Thanks so much for listening.
apQualizer2 Feature Request
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 9 posts since 30 Dec, 2016
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 9 posts since 30 Dec, 2016
PS: I do want to applaud you guys for giving us the ability to modulate the phase of your lfos with another lfo. That feature is suuuper sick and opens up a whole world of different possible shapes, so great job with that. If the above were to be implemented someday, it would really make a great cherry on top for this whole thing.
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- KVRist
- 169 posts since 12 May, 2005 from Zürich
Hi Vortex1212. Thank you for the suggestions.
I very much agree with 1 and want to improve the LFO a lot in the near future. How is the timeline sync "wonky" for you?
2 - indeed yes I want to add envelopes in the future.
3 - Sidechain has been on the todo-list for the longest time. The first few years there were issues with SideChains in June (which apQualizr2 is built on). I believe were finally fixed, so I should now finally give it a go. However what is scary about adding side chains to an existing plugin is that it might cause issues with some hosts that don't support them - or cause troubles when reloading projects that have been saved without the additional inputs. If you are a Bitwig user, you could just use automation to achieve extra modulation. Most parameters are automatible in apq2 and what's especially useful is automating the "knobs" module and then use that to drive other things.
4 - Yep.. I also agree with that, but maybe it'll be combined with the envelope.
For now I'm working hard on an update that bring linear/mixed and analog phase. After that, a modulation-focussed update sounds like a great plan.
I very much agree with 1 and want to improve the LFO a lot in the near future. How is the timeline sync "wonky" for you?
2 - indeed yes I want to add envelopes in the future.
3 - Sidechain has been on the todo-list for the longest time. The first few years there were issues with SideChains in June (which apQualizr2 is built on). I believe were finally fixed, so I should now finally give it a go. However what is scary about adding side chains to an existing plugin is that it might cause issues with some hosts that don't support them - or cause troubles when reloading projects that have been saved without the additional inputs. If you are a Bitwig user, you could just use automation to achieve extra modulation. Most parameters are automatible in apq2 and what's especially useful is automating the "knobs" module and then use that to drive other things.
4 - Yep.. I also agree with that, but maybe it'll be combined with the envelope.
For now I'm working hard on an update that bring linear/mixed and analog phase. After that, a modulation-focussed update sounds like a great plan.
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 9 posts since 30 Dec, 2016
Thanks for the consideration. It really cool how you so directly respond to people regarding feature requests.
With regards to automation of the parameters, one of the main reasons having modulation sources inside the plugin is so great is because they are usually way more high fidelity than what is available via midi ccs or automation. More specifically, midi ccs tend to feel pretty janky for fine grain control and automation is really heavily smoothed. For this reason, I believe internal modulation engines always give better sound quality and more versatility, in addition to being more fluid to use.
To clarify what I mean by the "wonky timeline sync" in the LFOs: the timeline sync just straight up doesn't work with Bitwig in cycle mode. Each time the playhead loops back to the start, the lfos lose their sync. Also, if I start playback on not an exact beat division (say, beat 2.4 or so) the LFOs consider this to be beat 1 and loop accordingly, causing strange timing issues. I've only experienced these issues with one other company (unfiltered audio) which is kind of known for it's jankiness, otherwise apQualizr is the only other plugin I've had this issue with.
...Also, I have some final additions to recommend now that we're talking a bit about a possible modulation update that I've come up with. Firstly, a Serum-style MSEG/LFO would be absolutely awesome to have in apQualizr. Honestly, MSEGs are the king of modulators in the modern day. The ability to draw your own shapes really makes them unparalleled in their versatility, and even more so if there are ADSR style loop points involved. I didn't mention it because it seems like an exponentially bigger deal to handle compared to the other requests I made, and if we have the sidechain input option it would kind of bypass the need to build one from scratch as using something like Gatekeeper or STFU is not a terrible workaround. If choosing to build this would siginificantly delay the update, I don't think that would be worth it, I imagine this would best be part of an even later update. But, if one were available in the apQualizer ecosystem... this thing would truly be up there with the higher echelons of powerhouse EQ plugins (not even Pro Q 3 has a proper MSEG
)
Further, I think there are some other cool utilities which could be added. Firstly A maths module would of course be very useful.
A modulation delay could also be cool for unique routing options, especially it would be really cool to subtract a slightly delayed signal from the original signal for a kind of "change detecter". If this were it's own module itself that would also be pretty sick, but it's not quite necessary, would just make the process a bit easier.
Also, I think it'd be useful to allow modulators to multiply together/run through eachother. Say you could run a tremolo-speed LFO though an ADSR for a swelling tremolo effect, Or bleeps and bloops from a step sequencer through the "change detector" configured maths module (|__|_|___) into some sort of dynamic AD trigger (|\__|\_|\___).
A modulation remap (like a waveshaper for the modulations) would also be really cool.
I'm sure there are other things to come up with, probably through exploration of existing modular systems like Bitwig's grid, or through asking modular system power users for ideas on what would be cool to have in here.
Sorry for all of this hyper dense and heavy requesting, I hope it's not too much to take. I just figured I might as well give you the best of my ideas/wishes since you guys are so awesome to listen to your users directly. Of course, I don't expect you to take my requests one way or the other, I realize how big some of them are, I just want to put them out there for the potential benifit of something sounding like a good idea to you.
With regards to automation of the parameters, one of the main reasons having modulation sources inside the plugin is so great is because they are usually way more high fidelity than what is available via midi ccs or automation. More specifically, midi ccs tend to feel pretty janky for fine grain control and automation is really heavily smoothed. For this reason, I believe internal modulation engines always give better sound quality and more versatility, in addition to being more fluid to use.
To clarify what I mean by the "wonky timeline sync" in the LFOs: the timeline sync just straight up doesn't work with Bitwig in cycle mode. Each time the playhead loops back to the start, the lfos lose their sync. Also, if I start playback on not an exact beat division (say, beat 2.4 or so) the LFOs consider this to be beat 1 and loop accordingly, causing strange timing issues. I've only experienced these issues with one other company (unfiltered audio) which is kind of known for it's jankiness, otherwise apQualizr is the only other plugin I've had this issue with.
...Also, I have some final additions to recommend now that we're talking a bit about a possible modulation update that I've come up with. Firstly, a Serum-style MSEG/LFO would be absolutely awesome to have in apQualizr. Honestly, MSEGs are the king of modulators in the modern day. The ability to draw your own shapes really makes them unparalleled in their versatility, and even more so if there are ADSR style loop points involved. I didn't mention it because it seems like an exponentially bigger deal to handle compared to the other requests I made, and if we have the sidechain input option it would kind of bypass the need to build one from scratch as using something like Gatekeeper or STFU is not a terrible workaround. If choosing to build this would siginificantly delay the update, I don't think that would be worth it, I imagine this would best be part of an even later update. But, if one were available in the apQualizer ecosystem... this thing would truly be up there with the higher echelons of powerhouse EQ plugins (not even Pro Q 3 has a proper MSEG
)Further, I think there are some other cool utilities which could be added. Firstly A maths module would of course be very useful.
A modulation delay could also be cool for unique routing options, especially it would be really cool to subtract a slightly delayed signal from the original signal for a kind of "change detecter". If this were it's own module itself that would also be pretty sick, but it's not quite necessary, would just make the process a bit easier.
Also, I think it'd be useful to allow modulators to multiply together/run through eachother. Say you could run a tremolo-speed LFO though an ADSR for a swelling tremolo effect, Or bleeps and bloops from a step sequencer through the "change detector" configured maths module (|__|_|___) into some sort of dynamic AD trigger (|\__|\_|\___).
A modulation remap (like a waveshaper for the modulations) would also be really cool.
I'm sure there are other things to come up with, probably through exploration of existing modular systems like Bitwig's grid, or through asking modular system power users for ideas on what would be cool to have in here.
Sorry for all of this hyper dense and heavy requesting, I hope it's not too much to take. I just figured I might as well give you the best of my ideas/wishes since you guys are so awesome to listen to your users directly. Of course, I don't expect you to take my requests one way or the other, I realize how big some of them are, I just want to put them out there for the potential benifit of something sounding like a good idea to you.
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- KVRer
- 23 posts since 4 May, 2021
I love the ideas and the passion, it makes me even more excited for my already favorite EQ!
Both Vital and Surge have MSEGs (I especially love Vital's workflow) and both are open source. I don't know how much of their implementation of them are bound up in specifics which might not apply here, but the code is available.
Both Vital and Surge have MSEGs (I especially love Vital's workflow) and both are open source. I don't know how much of their implementation of them are bound up in specifics which might not apply here, but the code is available.
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- KVRist
- 169 posts since 12 May, 2005 from Zürich
I already have code for that from apTrigga3. Copying code from open source projects for a commercial plugin is out of the question anyway.
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- KVRer
- 23 posts since 4 May, 2021
Depends on how it was licensed, but I understand your point for sure! I didn't mean wholesale, just as a reference for possible styles of implementation.
Thanks for even entertaining our ideas for the development roadmap, it's very cool to be able to talk to the dev. <3
Thanks for even entertaining our ideas for the development roadmap, it's very cool to be able to talk to the dev. <3
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- KVRist
- 169 posts since 12 May, 2005 from Zürich
btw. @Vortex1212. Did you try the "lfo timeline sync" setting on the preferences/about panel? Maybe it solves the wonkiness. I added that for some hosts, but I don't remember which ones 
.. I didn't feel confident enough about it to just enable it by default and for all hosts, but maybe I should have.
.. I didn't feel confident enough about it to just enable it by default and for all hosts, but maybe I should have.-
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 9 posts since 30 Dec, 2016
@Pflugshaupt I have tried the "LFO timeline sync" setting on the preferences/about panel. Still doesn't quite work. When enabled, It seems to play in time (if playback is started from the beginning of the beat, if you start the playhead somewhere that is not a whole beat, like beat 1.7, it is still off this first cycle), then when it loops back, the lfo's get out of phase by like 20%, and then they stay slowly get more out of phase with each repeat.
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- KVRist
- 169 posts since 12 May, 2005 from Zürich
thanks for checking. ..very weird.. I'll have to debug this inside BitWig.
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spoontechnique spoontechnique https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=418750
- KVRist
- 470 posts since 7 May, 2018
UVI Shade does have an MSEG, so that's one EQ that has a built-in MSEG.
I'd actually more prefer a dedicated noise/random/S&H modifier with options for smoothing, retrigger, etc. A unipolar option for the LFO would also be huge.
Small request I had: The add module window could be sorted into categories (Filter, Modulator, Utility) for visual clarity.
I'd actually more prefer a dedicated noise/random/S&H modifier with options for smoothing, retrigger, etc. A unipolar option for the LFO would also be huge.
Small request I had: The add module window could be sorted into categories (Filter, Modulator, Utility) for visual clarity.
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- KVRist
- 169 posts since 12 May, 2005 from Zürich
@Vortex1212: I finally fixed (I hope) the LFO timeline sync problem this morning. It was indeed mathematically broken in quite an embarassing way. It applied some wrong offset based on the current bpm. D'oh, what was I thinking!
It'll be part of the 2.5.0 apQualizr2 update which focuses on "Phase" - hopefully out soon - just fixing some bugs now. This took a lot longer than I hoped, but various phase modes was the number 1 request I got.. followedg by having a sidechain which I'll try next and hopefully I can merge that into a "Modulation" update including a new LFO.
It'll be part of the 2.5.0 apQualizr2 update which focuses on "Phase" - hopefully out soon - just fixing some bugs now. This took a lot longer than I hoped, but various phase modes was the number 1 request I got.. followedg by having a sidechain which I'll try next and hopefully I can merge that into a "Modulation" update including a new LFO.
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- KVRer
- 23 posts since 4 May, 2021
This is so exciting!