New version of Synthmaker
Outsim has updated synthmaker to v1.1.6. This release adds automatic update checking so you can always be sure to have the very latest version of the software. There are also many other important fixes to improve stability and performance. There are fixes to the mouse over, corrections to the behaviour of exported exes and improvements to stability with hosts like Nuendo. Several crash situations have been resolved and there are more improvements to comply with data standards for Vista and Windows 7.
Additions and Fixes:
- New update check feature automatically checks for updates to help keep you up to date.
- Corrected a bug introduced in 1.1.5 where some modules can become locked when you move inside them or if you position elements in the extreme top left corner.
- The Maximised state is now reinstated correctly on load.
- Corrected a small graphical glitch in the Search Bar on Windows 7.
- Fixed a bug in the relink caused when selector changes as this was causing crashes in some hosts.
- When exporting you now have the option to save/load wavetables to/from disk or generate each time for the Triangle and Sawtooth oscillators.
- Fixed a Mouse Over issue which was causing overlapping windows in hosts to pass mouse messages to the SM window below.
- The Mouse Over component wasn’t updating correctly when another window overlaps and the mouse moves from the active area to that window.
- Fixed a problem with the mouse pointer getting hidden if another window appears during a drag operation.
- Fixed a bug in the Wave File component that was causing crashes when copying.
- The target folder for exported exe’s or VST plug-ins was not being recognized if it had a backslash at the end.
- Exported exes were not sizing correctly at startup and under certain conditions were leaving blank space below the front panel.
- Corrected a problem with storing of transparent images in the schematic file which was resulting in very gradual degradation of the image.
- The Poly to Graph component was giving an incorrect final entry in the array.
- The Recovery file folder has been moved to the user data area.
- Added a button in Application settings to take you to the recovery folder should you need access.
- Fixed a problem with exported effects crashing on open in Nuendo.
- Module labels were not being drawn correctly at high zoom levels.
- Moving between fit to screen and windowed modes in exported exes was leaving the window at the wrong zoom level.
- Fixed a problem in exported exes where after using the context menu in full screen mode the next mouse click gets ignored.
- Fixed a problem with exported exes where, after returning from full screen, changing the zoom level would not update the window correctly.
- Corrected an issue with mouse areas not responding to right-double-click events in exported exes.
- Moved the default exe target folder to the user app data folder.
- Fixed a bug in the disassembler that was outputting an incorrect translation for the cmpps instruction.
- Plugin delay compensation was not being sent to the host in response to changes in the schematic.
- Null terminators were not being added to VST program names when truncating to the VST spec max length of 24 characters.
SynthMaker is a graphical programming environment for creating DSP applications. With synthmaker you can design your own Digital Filters without writing any code, you can display their impulse/frequency response, perform FFTs and general Digital Signal Processing (DSP).
You can export your creations as VST effect and VST instrument plug-ins.
Remember all these old toy instruments
Toy Instruments comprises an eye-popping collection of musical toys from around the world made between the 1950s and today. Culled from author Eric Schneider’s personal collection, Toy Instruments is the first book to explore this niche of the toy industry doing so with an informative and humorous approach. With an intro from the author and a foreword from world-renown experimental electronic and hip-hop musician Paul D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid, the book collects the toy instruments you may remember from your past, and the wacky ones you’ll find hard to believe ever existed.
From the late 70s to the early 80s, the heyday of these bleeping, chirping, thrumming and keening devices, while children were busy driving their parents crazy with battery-powered sounds, adults were incorporating the unique tones into the earliest samples of electronic music and techno. And, just as dazzling as the cacophony of sounds produced by these toys are the designs of the toys, as well as their packaging. Made all over the world, the predominately gender-neutral design applied to the products and packaging is at times more fascinating than the toys.
For those of you (like me) who could not afford joining the NAMM show
Enjoy the buzz
Cheers
Soundscaper II – free VST effect
Homegrown Sounds has released SoundScaper II, a free effect plug-in for Windows and Mac.
SoundScaper is versatile and great for comb effects, reverbs and endless delays. It is has been included in most of my synths over the last couple of years.
There are only a few presets at the moment, please feel free to send me some if you come up with any good ones.
There are lots of randomizers as usual to make using SoundScaper a fun and creative experience! It is not advisable to use the plug in any active projects yet as it may change before official release, but I’d love to hear some feedback especially from Mac users.
SoundScaper II beta is available as a freeware VST effect plug-in for PC and Mac (Intel).