the French are at it again 🎚️🎹🎛️

[hurricane hugo]

this is new; love the keyboard version:

 

 

[Ed A.]

Nice! I'm a big fan of PM, more for unusual new instruments instead of emulating existing instruments. Hope they get it to market sooner than Expressive E did with Osmose.

[marino]

I have the Anyma Phi, it's intriguing and sounds great. The onboard interface is rather knotty, but the software editor helps a lot. I'm interested in the poly version; I'm trying to stop myself from preordering the keyboard...

[Tom Williams]

When I read the words "Physical modeling," I'm waiting to hear a clarinet go from Bb to B with a realistic break in the chalameau register.  I'm looking for a horn that gets brighter and goes up a half-step when the right hand is pushed further into the bell.  I want to hear a kettle drum whose primary sound is the second partial, with higher partials slightly sharp, and a flute that, when overblown, goes up an octave or even a twelfth, with extra points for an increase in white-noise wind.

 

I'm not looking for a digital imitation of a filtered sawtooth.

 

[stoken6]

5 hours ago, Tom Williams said:

When I read the words "Physical modeling," I'm waiting to hear a clarinet go from Bb to B with a realistic break in the chalameau register.  I'm looking for a horn that gets brighter and goes up a half-step when the right hand is pushed further into the bell.  I want to hear a kettle drum whose primary sound is the second partial, with higher partials slightly sharp, and a flute that, when overblown, goes up an octave or even a twelfth, with extra points for an increase in white-noise wind.

 

I'm not looking for a digital imitation of a filtered sawtooth.

 

This x1000. If you can do that, you can use the same technology to develop truly new sounds, not just more subtractive synths based on simple periodic waveforms.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Tusker]

Tom raises an important distinction between physical modeling and the physical modeling of instruments. The physical modeling of instruments would be a next step from the generic physical modeling of sound-producing physics. Many tools available today, model the physics of struck, blown or bowed sounds, but don't model the intricacies of specific instruments. Modal resonances for example are very rarely tuned specifically to a violin, lute or cello body. It is often up to the user to assemble these elements as best they can using external EQs and filters.

 

I am in two minds over this. I'd like to see specific emulations but also be able to deconstruct them and reconstruct them in a modular way. One of my favorite instruments was the Yamaha Floboe which claimed to be a cross between a flute and an oboe. It had the pitch stability and wide range of a flute along with some of the desirable resonances of the oboe. 

 

I've admired Aodyo as a company ever since I saw a video of Pedro Eustache controlling a Moog IIIC with their Sylphio. Good stuff!

[Al Coda]

very interesting device !

 

 

A.C.

[GovernorSilver]

Kickstarter page mentions Polyphonic Aftertouch...

 

if 160,000 Euro stretch goal is reached.  

 

[David Emm]

I've been enjoying Logic's Sculpture and AAS's Chromaphone for several years, so seeing a hardware version is of keen interest to me. Its often hard to tell how the heck an MPE gesture relates to a sound you hear, but this brings things a lot closer to Earth. It seems to have already reached its Kickstarter goal, so we'll find out in due course. Its nice to see the keyboard version coming in at a sub-$2000 price, which makes it feel like an even more inspiring choice. Its easy to see it above a DP or Prophet REV2.

 

I'd like to see touch strips become much more common. They're so organic, they almost feel like my existing favorite, a joystick. That little X-Y pad as an addition seems brilliantly creative, too.

[hurricane hugo]

15 hours ago, Tusker said:

Tom raises an important distinction between physical modeling and the physical modeling of instruments. The physical modeling of instruments would be a next step from the generic physical modeling of sound-producing physics. Many tools available today, model the physics of struck, blown or bowed sounds, but don't model the intricacies of specific instruments. Modal resonances for example are very rarely tuned specifically to a violin, lute or cello body. It is often up to the user to assemble these elements as best they can using external EQs and filters.

 

I am in two minds over this. I'd like to see specific emulations but also be able to deconstruct them and reconstruct them in a modular way. One of my favorite instruments was the Yamaha Floboe which claimed to be a cross between a flute and an oboe. It had the pitch stability and wide range of a flute along with some of the desirable resonances of the oboe. 

 

I've admired Aodyo as a company ever since I saw a video of Pedro Eustache controlling a Moog IIIC with their Sylphio. Good stuff!

You might be very interested in this; actual demoing in the article's linked video starts 5 minutes in:

 

https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2022/11/15/soundpaint-2-0s-new-hyper-acoustic-legato-technology-will-blow-your-mind-sneak-preview/

[Al Coda]

6 hours ago, hurricane hugo said:

You might be very interested in this; actual demoing in the article's linked video starts 5 minutes in:

 

https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2022/11/15/soundpaint-2-0s-new-hyper-acoustic-legato-technology-will-blow-your-mind-sneak-preview/

 

amazing !!!

 

 

A.C.

[Tusker]

HAL seems very cool, if a tiny bit sinister. (Who can forget "Daisy" from 2001 A Space Odyssey) 

 

It seems there will always be sampling, modeling or a combination. When it comes to the two similar companies, Audio Modeling and Sample Modeling ... I have to admit I slightly prefer the sample+modeling approach of the latter over the purely mathematical SWAM models of the former.

 

Thanks for getting Soundpaint on my radar. 👍 My wallet thanks you too. It feels lighter and free-er every day. 

[GovernorSilver]

On 11/15/2022 at 5:26 PM, GovernorSilver said:

Kickstarter page mentions Polyphonic Aftertouch...

 

if 160,000 Euro stretch goal is reached.  

 

PolyAT stretch goal has been unlocked.

 

The Fatar® velocity sensitive semi-weighted synth action keybed providing mono aftertouch control will be replaced by a more advanced Fatar® model including polyphonic aftertouch. This means you will be able to get extra control on the synth engine with a per note aftertouch control.

 

New Modules stretch goal also unlocked:

 

With MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression), each note has its own MIDI channel. This allows to apply expression messages to individual notes (Pitch Bend, MIDI CC, etc.). Under the control of MPE devices (or computer) each individual note of one Anyma Omega part would be played with its own fine details.

Broaden the sound palette of the already powerful Anyma synth engine with the addition of a bunch of new models & modules:

new oscillators (OSC): new Virtual Analog vintage simulation, Frequency Modulation, Phase Distortion, new and enhanced physical models (brass, electromechanical keys, etc.)

new sound processors (SFX): comb filter, vocoder, amp simulations, tape delay

new modulators (MOD): new physics inspired modulators, looping and multistage envelope

 

Sequencer stretch goal unlocked:

 

Further enhancements and additional features for the part sequencer:

expand from 16 to 32 steps

polyphonic stepsequencer (up to 128 notes)

realtime motion sequencer (realtime or step record of any change on the built-in controllers available on the device)

ratchet, swing and probability functions

 

[marino]

On 11/15/2022 at 4:33 AM, marino said:

I'm interested in the poly version; I'm trying to stop myself from preordering the keyboard...

 

Well, now that the Poly Aftertouch keyboard has been unlocked on Kickstarter, I'm *really* struggling trying not to push that button! It's against rationality big time, and I can't really share my thoughts with my "normal" friends, even with the musicians, without being looked at in a strange way  - so I'll post them here... maybe (just maybe) to put all the elements in writing is going to help my reasoning...

 

So I have the Anyma Phi (the mono version), in fact I was one of the early adopters. I was supposed to do some testing and make a video, but my unit got stuck in the mail for two months, and when it finally arrived, I was busy and had little time to learn it. To this day, I haven't had much time to really dig into it, but I really like the sound quality and tweakability. Editing from the front panel is possible but convoluted, however the software editor is very well done and shows what's going on with clarity.

In short, the prospect of a 16-poly version with a keyboard, a larger display, more functions, poly AT, ribbon, touch pad, multitimbrality etc., sounds very attractive.
Probably, if the first Kickstarter batch at -40% hadn't gone in a few hours, I would not be writing this post. Right now, several units are left with a -30% price, which when including shipping, amounts to more that 1200 Euros.

Yes, there's the module version with a lower price, but given the configuration of my little music space, I'm not inclined to use that kind of solution. Most of my modules are either two/three-unit racks, or very small desktop units (like the Anyma Phi).

 

So what's against pushing the button?

- It would be a *very* unwise move financially. Really against any logic.

- I'm trying to 'reduce' the number of hardware instruments in my little home studio. I have very little space, and also thinking to use more software in the near future.

- I have recently bought the Waldorf Iridium. It was a big investment, and I have months of learning ahead.

 

The reasons to possibly push the button are more subtle, but in case you're still reading, bear with me:

- There are very few hardware instruments based on physical modeling; and even the software ones are usually based on reproducing acoustic instruments exactly; this one seems to take PM as a starting point for creative sound design, which is appealing to me. I loved the Yamaha VL1 that I sold several years ago - but editing it was nearly impossible. This one has a clear editing interface.

- At this moment in my life, I'm trying to define the instruments that I'm going to use in the next several years, namely in my old age. I love class instruments with a lot of possibilities, and this promises to be one.

- Prices of everything electronic seem to go up, and there's no sign of that slowing down. In the long run, buying the Anyma Omega with such a strong discount could be a wise move after all.

- If I do the crazy move and get it, it will arrive next summer, and by that time, I hope to have gained a decent knowledge of the Iridium - so not too much overlap between two complex instruments.

 

To sum it all up: I have a bad case of GAS.  🙃

 

To the few masochists who have read this until the end, thanks for listening... and I would really appreciate your considerations. Insults are accepted!

 

 

 

 

[DrSynth]

On 11/18/2022 at 8:02 AM, marino said:

 

Well, now that the Poly Aftertouch keyboard has been unlocked on Kickstarter, I'm *really* struggling trying not to push that button! It's against rationality big time, and I can't really share my thoughts with my "normal" friends, even with the musicians, without being looked at in a strange way  - so I'll post them here... maybe (just maybe) to put all the elements in writing is going to help my reasoning...

 

So I have the Anyma Phi (the mono version), in fact I was one of the early adopters. I was supposed to do some testing and make a video, but my unit got stuck in the mail for two months, and when it finally arrived, I was busy and had little time to learn it. To this day, I haven't had much time to really dig into it, but I really like the sound quality and tweakability. Editing from the front panel is possible but convoluted, however the software editor is very well done and shows what's going on with clarity.

In short, the prospect of a 16-poly version with a keyboard, a larger display, more functions, poly AT, ribbon, touch pad, multitimbrality etc., sounds very attractive.
Probably, if the first Kickstarter batch at -40% hadn't gone in a few hours, I would not be writing this post. Right now, several units are left with a -30% price, which when including shipping, amounts to more that 1200 Euros.

Yes, there's the module version with a lower price, but given the configuration of my little music space, I'm not inclined to use that kind of solution. Most of my modules are either two/three-unit racks, or very small desktop units (like the Anyma Phi).

 

So what's against pushing the button?

- It would be a *very* unwise move financially. Really against any logic.

- I'm trying to 'reduce' the number of hardware instruments in my little home studio. I have very little space, and also thinking to use more software in the near future.

- I have recently bought the Waldorf Iridium. It was a big investment, and I have months of learning ahead.

 

The reasons to possibly push the button are more subtle, but in case you're still reading, bear with me:

- There are very few hardware instruments based on physical modeling; and even the software ones are usually based on reproducing acoustic instruments exactly; this one seems to take PM as a starting point for creative sound design, which is appealing to me. I loved the Yamaha VL1 that I sold several years ago - but editing it was nearly impossible. This one has a clear editing interface.

- At this moment in my life, I'm trying to define the instruments that I'm going to use in the next several years, namely in my old age. I love class instruments with a lot of possibilities, and this promises to be one.

- Prices of everything electronic seem to go up, and there's no sign of that slowing down. In the long run, buying the Anyma Omega with such a strong discount could be a wise move after all.

- If I do the crazy move and get it, it will arrive next summer, and by that time, I hope to have gained a decent knowledge of the Iridium - so not too much overlap between two complex instruments.

 

To sum it all up: I have a bad case of GAS.  🙃

 

To the few masochists who have read this until the end, thanks for listening... and I would really appreciate your considerations. Insults are accepted!

 

 

 

 

Just DO it... I've still got an Osmose coming (...eventually...) and at this 30% off for 16 note PAT advanced digital synth it's a no brainer !  I also have the Iridium, no real overlap.  GAS doesn't require logic!

 

Manny

[marino]

6 hours ago, DrSynth said:

Just DO it... I've still got an Osmose coming (...eventually...) and at this 30% off for 16 note PAT advanced digital synth it's a no brainer !  I also have the Iridium, no real overlap.  GAS doesn't require logic!

 

Thanks Manny. Sort of.

I think that eventually, here's what I'm going to do: Since sales of the 30% segment seem to progress slowly, I should still have a few days to think about it. In this time, I'll try to spend some time with the Anyma Phi to help making up my mind.

In the meantime, more considerations, encouragements, slaps in the face, headsup, insults, calls to reason etc. are welcome. 🙃 😉

 

[Tusker]

Not to detract from the conversation but to help frame my questions, last week I purchased a copy of the soft-synth Imagine, also by a brilliant French company, which I am triggering with a combination of Touche and a keyboard. You can immediately see the parallels and the differences with Anyma Omega. Having a poor person's version of Anyma Omega has made me focus on what I would really want.

 

I was advised to get Imagine rather than Noisy (also by Expressive E) because although Noisy has a virtual analog component, Imagine's resonances are more sophisticated and varied, drawing on AAS's extensive work with Chromaphone. I think it was the right decision, but I cannot tell you how much I miss having a VA component along with the PM! Anyma Omega has both VA and PM. 👍

 

Using Imagine as a PM source is expressive but the architecture is intentionally limited. Two PM sources run through the same effects, forcing you to go outside the synth if you want the two layers to have widely different roles in the sound. This video shows that Anyma Omega has four sound sources and intriguingly says that you can layer, split or even "chain"  sources. Wow. I'd love to know more about what "chain" means in a PM context.

 

Secondly, while Imagine is very timbrally expressive, the PM sources in imagine are carefully "pitch-constrained" if I can call it that. The model returns a perfect equal temperament pitch in contrast to (for example) the Yamaha VL model or Reaktor's Prism or even a comb filter. I can understand why Expressive E chose to make Imagine "safer" than some other implementations of PM. The Yamaha VL model was safe-guard free and could go off the rails if you tortured it, sometimes not even returning a sound. The reward is that (for example) you could pitch-bend with overblow. It sounds so organic when you hear the model straining to achieve the bent pitch. The audience hears the struggle and are drawn to it.

 

I would love it if the Anyma Omega has at least a little bit more of the "training wheels off" PM which will have more risks and rewards for tweakers. Does it?

 

Imagine has 4 morph modulators which in turn can be controlled by Midi ccs, MSEGS and dual arpeggiators. This allows easy control of the physical model itself. In the Anyma Omega, what is the modulation environment? What do we know about the types of PM and resonances that are being offered? 

 

Thanks in advance for any light you might shed. 

 

Of course the hardware environment of Anyma Omega looks inviting in it's own right with the physical controllers and poly AT. The ribbon controller is sick! What a neat centerpiece for a hardware rig.

[Steve Nathan]

Not to derail the main convo here, but I was not aware of Soundpaint either, and if nothing else, that Tenor for 30 bucks sounds pretty dang good. Thx

[DrSynth]

On 11/20/2022 at 1:10 AM, marino said:

 

Thanks Manny. Sort of.

I think that eventually, here's what I'm going to do: Since sales of the 30% segment seem to progress slowly, I should still have a few days to think about it. In this time, I'll try to spend some time with the Anyma Phi to help making up my mind.

In the meantime, more considerations, encouragements, slaps in the face, headsup, insults, calls to reason etc. are welcome. 🙃 😉

 

Not that this makes it easier -- they hit the threshold for all the CV ins/out as well, so now you need to think how versatile the Omega will be as a controller in addition to the sound engine.  

 

Manny

[marino]

On 11/24/2022 at 6:21 PM, DrSynth said:

Not that this makes it easier -- they hit the threshold for all the CV ins/out as well, so now you need to think how versatile the Omega will be as a controller in addition to the sound engine. 

 

Well, thanks for the headsup. However, I've almost made a final decision not to buy the Anyma Omega, for a whole bunch of reasons - money is scarce, space is missing, and the editing from the panel wouldn't be as comfortable as with the software editor; it would really need a bigger screen. Also I discovered some software that I didn't know, and that looks really interesting for creative sound design, using the principles of PM as a starting point. Kaivo, for example, combines physical modeling with granular processing. It's a totally different concept from the Aodyo approach: The Anyma instruments offer a lot of different oscillator models, while Kaivo has a few basic structures, but then you can mangle the sound in a myriad of ways. On the other hand, Kaivo looks horribly complicated (not that the Anyma is simple...).
Two things that I will be missing for sure from the Omega, would be the ribbon controller and touch pad - as the Iridium is a bit scarce in assignable controls for realtime modulations. So it could still happen that during the next couple of weeks, one day I'll wake up in a silly mood and do the illogical thing... 🙃
And of course, I still have the Anyma Phi.

[marino]

 From the other, recent thread...

 

On 12/24/2022 at 12:44 AM, marino said:

Ok, I'll confess.
After all the reasoning, self-debating, self-arguments and "final" decision made not to do it, I have preordered the Aodyo Anyma Omega.

 

So since I have the Omega on pre-order, I've made a little video with the Anyma Phi. I'm going to sell it in the near future, so it's my goodbye to this fine instrument. It includes sounds based on the new 1.1.0 OS.

 

 

[RABid]

Could this be the biggest musical French export since Ohm Force Fromage? I like a good, interesting desktop unit. Especially when it is not just another FM.

[marino]

21 hours ago, RABid said:

Could this be the biggest musical French export since Ohm Force Fromage? I like a good, interesting desktop unit. Especially when it is not just another FM.

 

Well, the French are quite active in this time frame... Arturia with Polybrute, Minifreak, Pigments and all the software clones; Baloran with The River and The Pool; Expressive E with Osmose, Touché and their software stuff; Aodyo with Sylphyo, Anyma Phi and now Anyma Omega. Also, many of these instruments are interesting and innovative. I'd say that the French Electronic Instrument industry is rather healthy, and adapting quickly to the new economic setups.

[Mighty Motif Max]

4 hours ago, marino said:

 From the other, recent thread...

 

 

So since I have the Omega on pre-order, I've made a little video with the Anyma Phi. I'm going to sell it in the near future, so it's my goodbye to this fine instrument. It includes sounds based on the new 1.1.0 OS.

 

 

I noticed that the reverb unit in both the Anyma Phi and the incoming Anyma Omega are both mono - how's that been working? I suppose I could use an external fx box if I wanted stereo reverb, but how's it sound overall for a mono 'verb?

[Delaware Dave]

On 11/14/2022 at 10:43 PM, Tom Williams said:

When I read the words "Physical modeling," I'm waiting to hear a clarinet go from Bb to B with a realistic break in the chalameau register.  I'm looking for a horn that gets brighter and goes up a half-step when the right hand is pushed further into the bell.  I want to hear a kettle drum whose primary sound is the second partial, with higher partials slightly sharp, and a flute that, when overblown, goes up an octave or even a twelfth, with extra points for an increase in white-noise wind.

 

I'm not looking for a digital imitation of a filtered sawtooth.

 

Those are called the 'details'.  This is why I like Guido's Gemini product.  When he physically models an instrument he pays attention to getting all of the details realistic to the analog instrument.  He even includes the imperfections which some people push back on but he is trying to make the instrument sound and respond like the analog brethren.

[marino]

18 hours ago, Mighty Motif Max said:

I noticed that the reverb unit in both the Anyma Phi and the incoming Anyma Omega are both mono - how's that been working? I suppose I could use an external fx box if I wanted stereo reverb, but how's it sound overall for a mono 'verb?

 

Well, yes, the reverb is mono, although most other effects are stereo. A bizarre choice indeed. In other instruments (like the Pro 3, for example), the opposite is true: The voice channel output is mono, and you can only achieve a stereo image by applying effects.

Btw the reverb on the Anyma instruments sounds rich and full despite being mono. And there's a simple trick to obtain a stereo ambient: Just precede the reverb with a bit of stereo delay. This will do wonders to stereoize the overall soundscape.

[Mighty Motif Max]

56 minutes ago, marino said:

 

Well, yes, the reverb is mono, although most other effects are stereo. A bizarre choice indeed. In other instruments (like the Pro 3, for example), the opposite is true: The voice channel output is mono, and you can only achieve a stereo image by applying effects.

Btw the reverb on the Anyma instruments sounds rich and full despite being mono. And there's a simple trick to obtain a stereo ambient: Just precede the reverb with a bit of stereo delay. This will do wonders to stereoize the overall soundscape.

Thanks! So the reverb functions as a send effect, vs an insert, so it doesn't collapse the stereo image to mono when used after stereo effects?

[marino]

14 hours ago, Mighty Motif Max said:

Thanks! So the reverb functions as a send effect, vs an insert, so it doesn't collapse the stereo image to mono when used after stereo effects?

 

It sounded like it to me, but frankly, I'm not sure, and my Anyma Phi is in storage at the moment - the idea was to make the video, then forget about it for some time, while I'm busy doing 5000 other things. For the video, I just tweaked a few presets, and when I used the trick with the delay, it seemed to impart a nice depth to the overall sound. Of course, the reverb has a "send" parameter, but I can't be 100% sure that the final output was still stereo.

[hurricane hugo]

Different French:   https://www.gearnews.com/kiviak-instruments-wofi-new-sampler-keyboard-on-the-way/?fbclid=IwAR1PLdF4-3zVqtZsyyVtO66EW240bnou_lts86B7NWwOYUnGlhCuR3ZQwDk

[hurricane hugo]

The maker of this says it's not going to go into production because it would be too expensive  💔💔💔💔💔