#41

All of this is super useful and enough to work with, for now, for sure.

1 - touch and hold the automated cloud / param / sound and the automation record button turns into “delete automation”

This works for param automation and also moving the audio files, so it’s effectively an undo for now! Good news!

c - yep. totally asynchronous. HOWEVER, if you record a bunch of automation for one cloud, open that cloud for editing, and then double tap on the screen to duplicate the cloud, all of the automation is copied and in phase in the new cloud (including the phase of the ring mod and vibrato, which will remain in sync with the source cloud).

How does one create a new cloud without duplicating the last one?
Is there a default ‘new cloud’ setting?

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#42

More.
a - In the menu bar for grain clouds, after the envelopes, is the the ? some kind of random envelope?

b - What comes next? Is the circle with the vertical line though it for mono, vs the next LR option, which seems to mean stereo?

c - what is the next option? The arrow pointing NE, the two lines, the two ‘arrows’? - No idea…

d - what is the next - XY with arrow pointing East, X + same arrow, Y + same arrow, NO + same arrow. Sorry if this is obvious? It isn’t to me.

e - and then the # before the amp envelope. I was sort of assuming this was the semitone offset for the cloud, but I don’t see how it works…

Over to you.

#43

How does one create a new cloud without duplicating the last one?
Is there a default ‘new cloud’ setting?

Close the cloud that was being edited (double tap it again to hide the params). Then double tap the screen and a “default” cloud will be created. Eventually, I plan to add a “clouds” menu to the browser to allow saving / loading of specific cloud types. A selected cloud type would replace the “default” cloud that is normally created when you double tap the screen without other clouds open.

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#44

a - In the menu bar for grain clouds, after the envelopes, is the the ? some kind of random envelope?

? switches envelope types randomly for each consecutive triggered grain, selecting a random option from the other 4 windows.

b - What comes next? Is the circle with the vertical line though it for mono, vs the next LR option, which seems to mean stereo?

pretty close! the one with the vertical line is the “unity” button, which preserves the underlying spatialization of the sampled audio file - if a stereo file is sampled, you get the stereo mix faded in/out as it is in the actual file. if the file is mono, you get a mono grain. If both mono and stereo are sampled, you get the mono mixed with the stereo.

the L/R button ping pongs the grains back and forth between left and right channels for each consecutive grain trigger. there’s a stereo “width” control on the cloud when this option is selected (constraining the ping pong effect) and a pan control for the first option.

c - what is the next option? The arrow pointing NE, the two lines, the two ‘arrows’? - No idea…

yeah this is a funky one . normally when you throw a cloud offscreen it gets deleted. this button defines the “edge behavior” or “wrap behavior,” in which clouds thrown off screen are not deleted, but wrap around to the other side of the screen instead. this is useful for more generative applications.

the arrow with the perpendicular blocking line at the end is the default mode - cloud gets deleted when going offscreen.

the zig zag sort of arrow is a “pacman” style edge wrap - the cloud will jump straight across the screen to the opposite edge from the one where it went offscreen.

the two non-parallel lines are a sort of “projected path” jump - basically the cloud continues moving along the same linear trajectory. imagine drawing a line backwards along the heading of the cloud as it’s moving - this is the path it will follow on a loop.

this feature is mainly useful when you turn on the accelerometer (with the G button) and let the clouds drift.

d - what is the next - XY with arrow pointing East, X + same arrow, Y + same arrow, NO + same arrow. Sorry if this is obvious? It isn’t to me.

speaking of the accelerometer… these are “gravity constraints” - XY means the accelerometer applies in both X and Y directions, X applies just to the X direction (so the cloud can not drift in Y), and vice versa for the Y button. NO means this cloud opts out of any gravity input. this button doesn’t have any effect if the gravity button (g in the main menu) is off.

e - and then the # before the amp envelope. I was sort of assuming this was the semitone offset for the cloud, but I don’t see how it works

yep! semitone offset. when you toggle it on, the multiplier-style pitch parameter hides and a new semitone one appears. touch the pitch param and you’ll see you are presented with some semitone guide lines. the unit for pitch also changes to “st”

Hope this helps! Sorry for the super long winded reply!

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#45

Thanks for a really useful post.

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#46

I’m loving all of this.
Worked my way through the gravity options and it all makes sense.
Is there a Gravity strength control?
My favourite development may be the innocent enough looking amp envelope, but it’s an individual cloud MUTE button, too, isn’t it?
First suggestion - as you add more options, screen space will be at a premium. I don’t see a need for two buttons to choose between unity and stereo.

The random scene generator next to the REC.OUT button - What library does it access? Does it always take 4 files? Second suggestion - Is there room next to this button for a ‘clear all sound files’ button?

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#47

Is there a Gravity strength control?

Not currently, but nice idea for the future. I left that one out due to the limited screen real estate.

My favourite development may be the innocent enough looking amp envelope, but it’s an individual cloud MUTE button, too, isn’t it?

The speaker on the right menu is a mute button, which also currently doubles as a solo function. (touch the cloud(s) you want to solo while pressing the mute button). Eventually will separate that functionality into two buttons, but this was another quick last min addition while I was working on demo vids.

There’s also the ADSR envelope button next to the semitone mode btn - this adds a trigger pad to the selected cloud and a second page of params for adjusting attack, decay, sustain, and release.

First suggestion - as you add more options, screen space will be at a premium. I don’t see a need for two buttons to choose between unity and stereo.

Good point! Really should be a toggle. I’ve been thinking recently about how to massively condense that menu as I prepare to adapt the UI for iphone. Most recent thought is to group windows, directionality, spatialization, filter, and “generative” (gravity constraints and wrap / edge modes) functionality under a single sub menu page / popover menu, accessible via one button up top. The additional buttons that show/hide various parameters (modulation, semitone pitch, sync) would still be visible up top next to this other menu button.

The random scene generator next to the REC.OUT button - What library does it access? Does it always take 4 files?

This is actually just a randomize sound positions button. It takes the existing sounds on screen and picks a random scale, rotation, and position for each. I’m moving this button to the “settings menu” in this coming update so it’s not as easy to bump it accidentally (a real pain when this happens as there’s currently no undo stack in the app!)

Second suggestion - Is there room next to this button for a ‘clear all sound files’ button?

Couple ways to accomplish this - hold the trash button down for 3 sec (downside being this clears all clouds too).

Touch multiple sounds when you tap the trash button to quickly delete multiples. Anything touched gets deleted

Throw sounds offscreen (this is kinda cumbersome though and only frees up memory if you have the “delete offscreen sounds” option checked in settings.

Keep the questions coming! :slight_smile:

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#48

Happy to hear this because I wasn’t able to make this function work.

Please don’t prioritize iPhone functionality over iPad. The app/synth makes sense on the iPad and to function of the phone, surely phone users would accept reduced functionality. Trying to make complex music on your phone… well, that’s your call, I guess.

“This is actually just a randomize sound positions button. It takes the existing sounds on screen and picks a random scale, rotation, and position for each.”

It’s not working as such. When I take my preset ‘Empty File’ and open it - blank screen - then I hit this, I get 4 files randomly distributed. Not a problem, because I don’t use it as an essential tool, just FYI.

Trashing files - understood, now. Great!

#49

Your empty file preset likely has the original default files sitting offscreen. Did you throw them offscreen rather than deleting them prior to saving your scene? Try opening that preset, toggling the “delete offscreen sounds” setting (main menu, gear icon, toggle…), and resaving the scene.

Totally hear you re: iPhone - that’s why the app has been iPad-only for the past 9 years - the large screen is really integral to the design… but I was encouraged after testing briefly on my iphone se last year. The app performs really well (I think I managed something like 300 simultaneous grain clouds / 2000 grains before hearing glitches) - the primary challenge is the surrounding UI, which would of course need to be refactored / adjusted. The iPad will be the primary focus and will continue to emphasize the broad open canvas, but I think it’s really nice to have the option of using the app on the go or having an extra copy without having to buy another iPad. You could create complicated scenes on an iPad with lots of automation / real time input processing, load em onto the iPhone, and plop it down on a table and use it like a little granular stompbox / aux send…

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#50

Can you get this on the iPhone? I don’t have an iPad, but I’d love to use with my phone if possible.

#51

It’s on the roadmap for him, but not done yet. If/when you see the app, there’s a lot that needs to be done on the UI front to make this really work in a substantially smaller screen. But we do look forward to it!

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#53

iPhone is much hoped for…

At some point I realized that I’m carrying around a pretty advanced studio in my shirt pocket! I can make amazing music literally anywhere…

With Patterning now available, it’s getting insanely great. Borderlands would be a dream addition…

And glad to have Chris in the community!

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#54

Nothing to add just wanted to say thanks, Chris - this thread is absolutely fantastic & hugely appreciated!

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#55

thanks all :slight_smile: very happy to answer questions and help in any way i can! someday soon i’ll get around to making a proper manual and set of tutorials.

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#56

If there were ever a music community more adept at assisting and contributing to documentation than lines, I haven’t heard of it.

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#57

Thanks! This worked.
One thing in the main menu options is it’s not clear to those of us who are bit dyslexic which is chosen, or not, with the white circle L or R. I’m going to assume that to the R is selected, now.

#58

Love this idea.

I saw on your website a photo (I was hoping it was a video) of a performance of yours using 3 instances on Borderlands. I assume that this meant 3 iOS devices… Is there a multiple instance (for example in AUM) on one device possible in the future?

#59

the L|R circle is just a single mode - it’s both L and R in that the grains alternate playback between left and right channels when that mode is selected.

#60

Not what I was talking about. Apologies. I was attempting (failing) to discuss the selection system in the Settings and Info menu.

#61

Ahhhhh yes. I’m relying on apple’s built in toggles there. I agree, it’s confusing. They recently changed the default look and feel of those for iOS 13. i’m still developing on older OS versions, but from what I remember it’s even uglier in iOS 13.

in the mean time, you are correct in assuming right is on!

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