Hi there
I was using Caustic today and a few things came up as I was using it..........take or leave any of these!
I'm so impressed with some of the demos people are doing on it now! That drum n bass stuff is great. Well done everyone. I had a go and doing some techno today and got a few things going......we shall see if it's any good!
One thing I quite like about Caustic and it's limitations is that it forces you to be creative because you only have set amount of instruments ( and one delay fx ). That is interesting as it's challenging! Limitations are exciting. Subsynth is cute...the whole program is cute
1) A transpose button on every instrument - transpose is such a key thing it would be handy to have a dedicated set of up buttons for this. Even on the pattern editor as well. I sometimes am on the pattern editor thinking 'how do I move these notes up or down quickly''
2) In the drum machine 1 tap should be velocity 25%, 2 taps 50% 3 taps 75% e.t.c. Saves having to go up to that Velocity wheel constantly. Perhaps this could be implemented in the key editor as well?
3) Should be able to be able to drag /paint a line of notes across the drum track /key editor in one go ( for hi hats ) and a randomise velocity button for each track could keep those hi hats different.
4) Change colours option. Whilst I love the Lime Acid Green ( that is the look after all) in the pattern editor I sometimes wished it were darker all over. I think the drum machine pattern track could do with some visual changes with colours. I am trying to think of a suggestion........maybe make each track a different colour or each block a different hue depending on it's velocity. It's all a bit too orange at the moment! Maybe you could have colours for velocity in the key editor as well. it's not always clear how loud a note is from looking at it.
5) maybe a Save icon on every window in the right corner. You could just press it and it saves a copy with the latest filename with 0001 added e.t.c - this could get around the undo problem. It would be really quick just to 'save' instantly.
6) When selecting new instruments from filebrowser a double tap should suffice rather than hitting an 'ok' button .
7) I am sure this has been talked about and I don't know a good way around this but deleting notes in the pattern editor could be easier.How about 2 double taps deletes the note? It's a bit cumbersome to keep hitting the 'x' button all the time. I am sure some will disagree with me here! What do other people think?
8) I liked the idea of a Electribe type pattern block sequencer thing....that was really good ( read in the forum).
9) The LFO in Subsynth cycles around quite quickly. Is there anyway of slowing it down by 2x or 4x? Even when 'Rate' is set to 0 the filter sweep I had going cycles up and down pretty quickly!
10) Randomise patch - I always loved the 'Randomise' for creating whacky patches.
11) Last one! How about a new instrument like a drum machine pad sampler that you can load samples into. Something with lots of banks. So you can chuck all your one shot samples in there.....
Even if new things come to Android down the line I am sure Caustic will grow and grow. Logic and Cubase get on fine together!
PixelBlip2 said: "11) Last one! How about a new instrument like a drum machine pad sampler that you can load samples into. Something with lots of banks. So you can chuck all your one shot samples in there....."
I'm working on something to address this one.....
1- Yes, that's coming in v2.1
2 - The drum machine is going to change to a standard piano roll editor, you'll be able to group-select notes and set their velocities.
3- I tried this a while back and it just led to unwanted notes when you touched a grid and slid away by mistake. Since this is mostly only used for HH, the decision was made to go without.
4 - Yeah, I've been craving a dark theme too. Once I get things settled a bit more with machines, I'll see about offering skins. I'm sure there'd be some user interest there too.
5- Where would you put the save icon? The bottom bar is pretty full (think small 3.5" phone screens) and there's a menu button coming that's going between the word "Caustic" and the pattern/song switch in the next release.
6- Yes, I agree. This had been suggested a while back and I forgot about it. I'll add to to the list.
7- You'll be able to group-select notes in the next version but 'll try the double-tap idea too, might be a nice shortcut for single notes.
8- Yes, but that will have to come later, or maybe in a different app that loads ".caustic" songs and lets you tweak them live.
9- The slowest LFO speed right now is one cycle every 2 bars, I can probably go lower though.
10 - This will probably be in v2.1 as well.
11 - You can already do this with the PCMSynth, although it's not a standard sampler interface. I think jblann is going to try and push multi-sample PCMSynth soon, his presets might give you ideas of how to do this with what's there already.
Thanks for the comments!
11- hang in there about a week or two I may have a demo drum kit (version 1 for a single PCMSynth module --- version 2 will involve 2 PCMSynths and I'll explain later why I do it) From the get go for any sounds/presets/setups/songtemplates I'm gonna try to have a 3 level tier setup for different type phones and tablets according to their abilities capabilities and RAM so everyone can play.
psssst.... PixelBlip2, I can show you how to get randomized pitch on your PCMSynth now....PM me later
Hi,
> 8) I liked the idea of a Electribe type pattern block sequencer thing....that was really good ( read in the forum).
In regards to this. There is a quite large project that was started many moons ago that will do this and a ton more along the lines of step sequencing and pattern/song sequencing using the current - next pattern paradigm.
I don't know but I think Rej has a lot on his plate for this type of functionality, it would be really useful in a separate app that could load a caustic file and be a "player" of patterns/songs already created in Caustic. I know I am a huge fan of the Electribe (I have two of them) and Roland's groovebox type sequencers.
Keep your eyes open for some announcements in the future and if you know any Android Java developers, this relates to them.
Mike
Heh,
Just rereading Rej's comment on #8, I didn't notice he was talking about the same thing I was. I'm going to talk to him about this. As of now, I would be the one that would make the application if we could swing it.
Trust me, if Rej gives me a way to read the casutic file, we could have a community app for this in a couple months at the most.
Mike
Thanks for your replies all. It sounds like exciting stuff is just around the corner. Summer is here and hopefully lots of jamming around on Caustic v 2.1!
Since Mike has been hangin around on this thread throwing around ideas... perhaps I could sweet-talk him into at least considering a Wav-audio editor? there is currently no android app that really does this (no I'm not interested in cheapo mp3 trimmers)
The ability to use such an app in a mobile sense and take my work with me on travel would be totally awesome --- I can't even think about bugging Rej about it, poor guy is probably not even sleeping at night working on our ten page wish list already...
Hey jblann,
Actually hanging is more like a Caustic developer. I have been with Rej since last year planning a really kewl framework that is going to open the doors wide open for the Caustic audio API.
In a couple months or so you will see a whole new section on this web site that I will be leading, (I put this site together for Rej so a community could grow like it is now).
Anyway, I will be looking for Java developers to start beta testing once I get APIs finalized. As far a a wave editor, that's not really my cup of tea. Down the road you will see where my home will be. :)
Ironically, I have heard Rej get really excited about the prospect of himself making a wave editor, but I think he was in his head when saying it. Seems like if a good editor hasn't been released yet, that means it's complicated on the programing end which is time I don't have.
Mike
BTW, I admin and create modules on the site, if you have any ideas for new areas of the site let Rej or I know, I wrote the simple preset modules in about 2 days.
Mike said "I admin and create modules on the site......preset modules in two days"
Caustic synth modules or website forum modules?
Well the website is what I was talking about but I also am creating Caustic things... Rej does low level signal stuff and I am creating a mid tier API for Java developers to create an unlimited amount of audio application possibilities with the Caustic core, Caustic itself is just built on the core.
I have already made some really crazy Caustic core instruments with the core audio/sequencers. I think people like you with experience and ideas will have a heyday when you realize you can give ideas for mini applications or different types of instruments/samplers/sequencers in the future.
I also think this is another reason Rej has been holding off on "all the other" possibilities and has not jammed them into one application (Caustic).
Mike
Cor Mike that sounds so enticing......wish we could all peek into that core instrument workshop of yours to see what is bubbling away...fingers crossed for a retro 8 bit instrument to satisfy us oldies!
As a C/C++/OpenGL programmer who's done java in the past, I'm very excited at the prospect of being able to develop for caustic!
Well from what Im hearing here, Ill hafta keep in touch with some of you..... soundpack goodies Im working on, I hope I make future-proof in a way, to be able to efficiently and easily adapt to new instrument modules coming in the future...
@bojeroo My programming has been middle tier for over 10 years so I do Java and other languages such as web etc. So it was kind of natural of me to use Java with Android.
We use OSC messaging to communicate with the core, eventually their will be nothing stopping you from using the NDK from Android to create music apps with the caustic core (OpenGL, I might actually get into C++ and OpenGL down the road). I am just using the application layer and Java graphics on android work well for me, everything else is in C++ on Rej's side so the audio performance has nothing to do with Java, which is great. That is Rej's deal.
And really, the framework I have been creating is a decorator composition framework for the commands. There would be nothing stopping someone down the line to use nothing I have written and just use raw OSC commands as they see fit. I have a feeling a lot of devs will just enjoy having an interface to program to which is tight and well documented.
Mike
Oh Yeah, for those interested in the frameworks. I am also creating reusable UI components most used in audio applications like sliders, knobs, x/y controls, step sequencers, keyboards, digital displays etc, you get the idea. These components all support multitouch out of the box, which android as you know only has cheesy controls that don't do well with audio.
I have created ui components for years, I love them. So the caustic core project will benefit from a huge library of Java components to get devs started.
The other framework I have that sits on top of this is based on RoboGuice and IoC. It's an application framework layer that GREATLY speeds up application dev by using the mediator/view pattern for wrapping even higher level composite components such as an ADSR Filter component with sliders, labels etc. That is an example.
On the plus side I am committed to getting this thing into the hands of some developers that want to make music and applications but just don't have the time to learn signal processing and C++ like myself. :)
Mike
Time lo learn java me thinks!
I just posted something pertaining to the caustic core and an image of a prototype application tone matrix, I will leave the link here since I don't know which forum it should be in as of yet. :)
http://www.singlecellsoftware.com/node/341
Mike