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Low Hanging Fruit Fixes & Improvements

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Posts: 1715
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Unison "Macro"... onscreen Switch?

For AWM2 Parts a "Unison" builder/switch and settings for amount of detune Controller Assigned, and volume differentials, with Cycle, Random and Constant the options.

Getting tired of building these myself and having to do a lot of back and forth to calibrate the detune amounts.

 
Posted : 04/05/2022 1:02 pm
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Probably the lowest of all Low Hanging Fruit:

AWM2 Parts, element settings:

Amplitude > Level/Pan > Level/Key

Let us set the "Centre Key C3" to ANY key, just like it is for just about anything else in the OS that has this split.

And give us in/out curves for these, too.

There's three empty boxes around this graph, one for Key, and two for In and Out curves and their "strength" selection/setting.

 
Posted : 06/05/2022 3:51 am
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Allow part LFO to modulate FM-X parameters. Presently the part LFO can only modulate insert effect parameters on FM-X parts. The less powerful "2nd LFO" is the only LFO that can modulate FM-X parameters.

 
Posted : 09/05/2022 1:15 pm
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Absolutely agree @Kevin. Run into this issue daily, where wanting to do something just a little better... and can't, have to go build a Motion Sequence, etc...

-- Another very Low Hanging UI/UX behaviour FIX --

Part Solo/Mute/Select Overlay Touch Dismissal:

When the Part/Solo button has been activated, revealing the Part Select/Solo/Mute Panel, ensure that any first screen touches outside this overlaying Panel ONLY dismiss the Panel, and do not select or otherwise activate anything on the screen

ie. keep same screen selection state and ONLY consider that first touch outside the overlay panel as a dismissal of the overlay.

 
Posted : 10/05/2022 2:28 pm
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FIX: Scenes - State - Workflow

If I'm "in" a Scene, and modifying various aspects of it that are stored in that Scene, but have not yet saved the Scene's changes, pressing the Performance > Scene button SHOULD NOT reset the state of the current Scene, it should only show me the Scene Parameters, so I can ascertain if I've got all the right settings for saving/restoring... Scenes!

Just as an experience, this is utterly jarring and flow state destructive, especially if Arps and/or a Pattern is playing.

Worse, if you've made a lot of little changes, and been tinkering for a while, this reset of Scene state cannot be undone, all work that is reset by the "recall" of the Scene's settings are lost.

 
Posted : 11/05/2022 7:18 am
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ADD: Insert Effect EQ Mix Switch:

Many of the Insert Effects have primitive EQ settings.

As it stands now, mostly the EQ seems to be operating on both the Part and the Insert Effect, kind of in post.

It would be wonderful if there was a switch that permitted ONLY applying these EQ settings to the effect, not also the dry portion of a Part's audio.

 
Posted : 11/05/2022 7:40 am
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Make FEG Depth parameter dynamically immediate in its responsiveness.

It's currently only changing (when Motion controlled) in between note activations, rather than during the current cycle of an actively playing note.

It's an odd one, in that most of the bottom row of Filter features can't be modulated. But it's an incredibly useful one, as it absolutely alters the character of the Filter's effect(iveness).

If this could be ramped (down especially) during the playback of a note, it would provide an excellent means to modulate Filters.

 
Posted : 21/05/2022 5:03 pm
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Soloing an Operator that's a Modulator of a Carrier should also add a "solo-ing" of the Carrier AND this Modulator, so we can hear the thing!

Pressing an Operator tab at the bottom of the screen subsequent to it being the active tab should cycle between Form/Freq and Level screens so we don't have to obscure the screen and move our hand to do this quickly.

 
Posted : 22/05/2022 4:43 am
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Add Improvement:

Attack and Release envelopes for Assignable Switches 1 & 2 :: On and Off States :: so can control rates of smoothly (or not) moving between their states.

Not so low hanging fruit: similar envelopes for Scene switching, if possible. Would be dreamy.

 
Posted : 23/05/2022 2:14 pm
Jason
Posts: 8259
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Soloing an Operator that's a Modulator of a Carrier should also add a "solo-ing" of the Carrier AND this Modulator, so we can hear the thing!

Although not as good as an intelligent solo button (like [SHIFT]+[SOLO] say for FM-X - or maybe [SHIFT]+[SOLO] to solo only the selected operator under FM-X and have the default unshifted [SOLO] have both the modulator(s) and carrier sound together) - still, muting is better than solo. Also I'm most familiar with Montage that has buttons galore for mute and solo. I'd have to reference a MODX image to see what isn't there in terms of physical buttons and I don't have the greatest sense of the touchscreen replacements.

But for now use mute and mute all carriers except the stack you're interested in. This is how I preserve the level of the carrier while "solo'ing" a particular stack. If I know the carriers are set at 99 volume then it's easier to use the sliders on the carriers to solo. At least for me with 8 sliders. However, volume tricks are often used (non 99) to shape the correct resulting waveform.

Current Yamaha Synthesizers: Montage Classic 7, Motif XF6, S90XS, MO6, EX5R

 
Posted : 23/05/2022 4:12 pm
Posts: 1715
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[quotePost id=116905]

Attack and Release envelopes for Assignable Switches 1 & 2 :: On and Off States :: so can control rates of smoothly (or not) moving between their states.

Perhaps you meant you want them replaced with sliders/knobs/adjustable things'? Like a light 'dimmer' knob?

Perhaps you meant to say 'replace AS 1 & 2 with sliders/knobs/adjustable things'?

You can't 'replace' them and still be backward compatible with everything that came before.

It would make more sense all around to add NEW functionality to do what you ask and leave the old alone.

So, IMO, this doesn't qualify as 'low hanging fruit' nor do I consider it to be an 'improvement' in the sense that it can't be added to the current MODX via a software update.

Adding new physical components can only be done when introducing a new instrument version and, by definition, the 'new' elements would be incompatible with the old.

[/quotePost]

Somehow you've got this all wrong.

Probably my description of it. Sorry.

When jumping between states of AS1 and 2 ON/OFF, it's rapid. Immediate, in fact.

I'm suggesting adding an envelope as a "virtual slider" that defaults to 0 duration attack and 0 duration release so all existing patches are still compatible and behave as they did before adding these envelopes.

But now, with this envelope, it's possible to ease in and out of AS1 and 2 states, by stipulating a time and curve type for Attack and Release, in and out of states.

Making sense?

The Novation Summit has this kind of thing. That's where I'm nicking this idea from. Added in the latest firmware. Wasn't there until a month ago.

add: found a crusty demo of it. The Animate buttons on the Summit are basically Novation's take on Assignable Switches:

https://youtu.be/5WQeRLEAYK4?t=485

 
Posted : 23/05/2022 6:43 pm
Posts: 1715
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Topic starter
 

[quotePost id=116904]

Soloing an Operator that's a Modulator of a Carrier should also add a "solo-ing" of the Carrier AND this Modulator, so we can hear the thing!

Although not as good as an intelligent solo button (like [SHIFT]+[SOLO] say for FM-X - or maybe [SHIFT]+[SOLO] to solo only the selected operator under FM-X and have the default unshifted [SOLO] have both the modulator(s) and carrier sound together) - still, muting is better than solo. Also I'm most familiar with Montage that has buttons galore for mute and solo. I'd have to reference a MODX image to see what isn't there in terms of physical buttons and I don't have the greatest sense of the touchscreen replacements.

But for now use mute and mute all carriers except the stack you're interested in. This is how I preserve the level of the carrier while "solo'ing" a particular stack. If I know the carriers are set at 99 volume then it's easier to use the sliders on the carriers to solo. At least for me with 8 sliders. However, volume tricks are often used (non 99) to shape the correct resulting waveform.[/quotePost]

This is what I do now. I'm sick of doing it.

Also sick of having the soloing and mute status reset when coming out to the Performance level view.

 
Posted : 23/05/2022 6:44 pm
Posts: 1715
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Hi Andrew

I feel your frustration on this. Maybe make a low hanging update request on Ideascale. I dont know if Yamaha will ever address many of the feature requests for the Montage/Modx line. There are many many many, They have done a few small ones I placed on ideascale. However, the last update over 1 year ago was just a bug fix for the pitch wheel.

 
Posted : 23/05/2022 7:04 pm
Jason
Posts: 8259
Illustrious Member
 

@Bill,

What's requested is not a button on/off limitation. The request is for the button to trigger not an instantaneous combinatorial change but a state change. Where pressing the button triggers a process which runs through a set a values setup elsewhere that dictate the button trigger curve and speed.

Just like on many cars the door switch is a simple on/off but when you shut the door that button triggers an event to first wait some number of seconds then start ramping down the cabin light slowly. The fact that the switch is a simple on/off didn't limit the response to the trigger event.

The model is less the result of the Control/Assign source/destination model (where the assignable switches assume but 2 values - one for on and one for off) but more the model of the motion sequence trigger button where a lane (curve) will run through a sequence of values triggered by a single button press.

Current Yamaha Synthesizers: Montage Classic 7, Motif XF6, S90XS, MO6, EX5R

 
Posted : 23/05/2022 10:17 pm
Posts: 1715
Noble Member
Topic starter
 

[quotePost id=116909]

But now, with this envelope, it's possible to ease in and out of AS1 and 2 states, by stipulating a time and curve type for Attack and Release, in and out of states.

Making sense?

I believe I understand what it is you want to be able to do.

But AS1 and 2 are physical, momemtary-contact switches. They are OFF when not depressed, ON when depressed fully and return to the OFF position automatically when pressure is released.

The change from OFF to ON is abrupt due to the physical nature of the switch - you can't 'smooth' it out.

So my point is that it doesn't make sense to try to use AS1 ans 2 to do what you want to do.

[/quotePost]

argh... I see some perspective differences. From yours, yes, you are right. And for most folks with most sounds replicating real instruments, this is also true.

eg. Guitar presets provide muted playing and harmonics via depression of AS1 and AS2. If playing a guitar and the AS1 produces harmonics (string taps by left hand over fret vs fully depression), and AS2 plays a muted stylisation - then there's no need or interest in what I'm suggestion, hence adding it as a feature involves it always defaulting to 0 time in and 0 time out, so things operate exactly as they do now, unless duration in and out is changed.

In many synth sounds, Latching is used, of AS1 and AS2, to change all sorts of parameters, in all sorts of ways. The most common of these is to increase/decrease Effect wetness/dryness, big changes to cutoff and other values.

In each of these cases, "ratios" are used to set an amount of change that's usually a fake "switch" by virtue of the mathematical operation done when the AS1 or AS2 is ON, versus what it was when they were OFF.

These value changes ramped (both in and out) would make for wonderful animation opportunities, for synth sounds in particular.

I'm making mostly synth sounds, and only edit the existing replication sounds when daughter needs them. I never set out to design replicants of physical instruments, so am interested in as much motion and dynamics as possible, for fun and expression.

Because this is an operation to perform on changes in values, it's just linear maths, or bezier/hermites if we're lucky, so that changes can be ramped in and out at rates/slopes that are fun and highly expressive.

 
Posted : 24/05/2022 12:53 am
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