Elsa AUv3 arrives

ohwell

@frond Could you say more about the idea of the keyboard layout? Any tips on what it can do vs more typical layouts (or something like tardigrain?)

ExAsperis99

I can find, like, a single two-minute video. I want to believe. I do...

RUST( i )K

@Carnbot said:
Great to see this

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/e-l-s-a/id833671355

This app is a WHOLE NEW APP!

WOW

ohwell

Goodness, the update to touch sensitivity on the sides this morning makes the menus work so much better on iPhone.

eross

are there any videos on this app. i’d like to learn the different modes and the sample divider features and how to use everything.

frond

@ohwell said:
@frond Could you say more about the idea of the keyboard layout? Any tips on what it can do vs more typical layouts (or something like tardigrain?)

the keyboard layout is unusual. the developer has told me that he tends to use his own instruments exclusively. from that perspective the layout makes complete sense.

in the pic, near bottom right, i've chosen to have the hold mode on (pink line under sideways eight). i'm holding 3 notes (in white). i've chosen a 1 octave keyboard (can choose a 1 - 5 octave keyboard). arp is on, set to random and octave random. 2 octaves, arp divider 4. sample divider off (1). no compensation so that the sample plays chromatically (pitch length compensation setting). loop mode is one shot ( sample is a long note, not a single cycle waveform. but any mode can be used for different results).

the + and - symbols allow you to choose your base octave, octave range from 0 - 8.

also, you can change the base note in semitones via the waveform view (in my pic it is set to zero) - the range is + or - 48 semitones. this allows you to play (or midi cc) the arpeggiator.

if you are using the full 5 octave keyboard, it's easy to access any of the notes to play, or arpeggiate.

the top right icon (sample mode) in my pic is 'one sample set', and there are 2 other sample modes; 'one sample set per note', and 'one sample set per octave'.

to illustrate, try the following setting;

use the start preset "sabertooth'.

turn arp off.

turn all effects off.

turn all lfo's off.

set envelope attack to 0, decay appr. half, sustain to 50%, release to 1 sec.

number of octaves set to 2

octave to 5.

no compensation

loop restart mode

sample mode ' one sample set per octave'

select the lowest note on the keyboard view, bottom octave (octave 1), then select the number (probably set to -48) in the waveform view and set to -3 (or whatever you like).

now select the lowest note on the next octave of your keyboard view (octave 2), then select the number (probably set to -48) in the waveform view and set to 0 (or whatever you like).

play manually. now turn on arpeggiator, choose notes, with hold or no hold. adjust envelope to your liking.

the same can be done with the full 5 octave keyboard view.

@eross said:
i’d like to learn the different modes and the sample divider features

follow the steps above.

set the arp to 'hold mode on'. play with the dividers while the arp is playing. the sample dividers divide based on the size of the sample. if you want to undertand, turn on dividers 1-8, set bpm to 20, set arpeggio octave to 1, arpeggio divider to 1, 2, or 4 (whichever works for you), and give it a listen. try it with a drumloop and set the loop mode to 'one shot mode', change the start and end loop while arpeggiating, choose 'loop restart mode' again.

JohnnyGoodyear

@frond generous post, thank you.

Mayo

I need to see / hear a vid - so I don't impulse buy ANOTHER app

anickt

All of this devs apps are cool. Originally the interface was somewhat cryptic but a while ago he added popups which tell you what the control is and its values. For me, once that was in place I found the apps quite enjoyable.

JeffChasteen

@frond said:

@ohwell said:
@frond Could you say more about the idea of the keyboard layout? Any tips on what it can do vs more typical layouts (or something like tardigrain?)

the keyboard layout is unusual. the developer has told me that he tends to use his own instruments exclusively. from that perspective the layout makes complete sense.

in the pic, near bottom right, i've chosen to have the hold mode on (pink line under sideways eight). i'm holding 3 notes (in white). i've chosen a 1 octave keyboard (can choose a 1 - 5 octave keyboard). arp is on, set to random and octave random. 2 octaves, arp divider 4. sample divider off (1). no compensation so that the sample plays chromatically (pitch length compensation setting). loop mode is one shot ( sample is a long note, not a single cycle waveform. but any mode can be used for different results).

the + and - symbols allow you to choose your base octave, octave range from 0 - 8.

also, you can change the base note in semitones via the waveform view (in my pic it is set to zero) - the range is + or - 48 semitones. this allows you to play (or midi cc) the arpeggiator.

if you are using the full 5 octave keyboard, it's easy to access any of the notes to play, or arpeggiate.

the top right icon (sample mode) in my pic is 'one sample set', and there are 2 other sample modes; 'one sample set per note', and 'one sample set per octave'.

to illustrate, try the following setting;

use the start preset "sabertooth'.

turn arp off.

turn all effects off.

turn all lfo's off.

set envelope attack to 0, decay appr. half, sustain to 50%, release to 1 sec.

number of octaves set to 2

octave to 5.

no compensation

loop restart mode

sample mode ' one sample set per octave'

select the lowest note on the keyboard view, bottom octave (octave 1), then select the number (probably set to -48) in the waveform view and set to -3 (or whatever you like).

now select the lowest note on the next octave of your keyboard view (octave 2), then select the number (probably set to -48) in the waveform view and set to 0 (or whatever you like).

play manually. now turn on arpeggiator, choose notes, with hold or no hold. adjust envelope to your liking.

the same can be done with the full 5 octave keyboard view.

@eross said:
i’d like to learn the different modes and the sample divider features

follow the steps above.

set the arp to 'hold mode on'. play with the dividers while the arp is playing. the sample dividers divide based on the size of the sample. if you want to undertand, turn on dividers 1-8, set bpm to 20, set arpeggio octave to 1, arpeggio divider to 1, 2, or 4 (whichever works for you), and give it a listen. try it with a drumloop and set the loop mode to 'one shot mode', change the start and end loop while arpeggiating, choose 'loop restart mode' again.

Thanks for this!
Very helpful.

eross

very helpful, thanks for all the info.

peanut_gallery

Question: how do I initialize a patch in Elsa? I want to start with a sample import on a blank slate.

ohwell

@peanut_gallery Not sure if there’s a better way, but I use the presets as init.

ohwell

By the way, I didn’t realize until yesterday how good the e-l-s-a reverb is as a pseudo resonator at 2m and smaller room settings. Have folks been experimenting with this? It’s really trippy IMO! It gets especially awesome when you shrink /expand the size from those <2m settings in real time. That allows for complex shifts in behavior that make dedicated resonators like objeq blush!

Makes me wonder if there’s any chance humbletune would consider releasing an AUv3 plugin that just allows us to combine effect modules from their different apps in parallel/series and in different orders. Could be elastic effects style, allowing us to load 4x of any modules from the different filters, delays, degraders, verbs and more nutsy things like dimetrodon, and select different effect paths.

[Deleted User]

@ohwell said:
By the way, I didn’t realize until yesterday how good the e-l-s-a reverb is as a pseudo resonator at 2m and smaller room settings. Have folks been experimenting with this? It’s really trippy IMO! It gets especially awesome when you shrink /expand the size from those <2m settings in real time. That allows for complex shifts in behavior that make dedicated resonators like objeq blush!

Makes me wonder if there’s any chance humbletune would consider releasing an AUv3 plugin that just allows us to combine effect modules from their different apps in parallel/series and in different orders. Could be elastic effects style, allowing us to load 4x of any modules from the different filters, delays, degraders, verbs and more nutsy things like dimetrodon, and select different effect paths.

I guess you can already in AUM by just adding them into effect nodes?

McDtracy

@[Deleted User] said:

@ohwell said:
Makes me wonder if there’s any chance humbletune would consider releasing an AUv3 plugin that just allows us to combine effect modules from their different apps in parallel/series and in different orders.

I guess you can already in AUM by just adding them into effect nodes?

I think they allow FX use cases so you cn record samples that way but the sounds do not pass through to the speakers.

Worth checking out. I own Elsa and Tardigrain... I'll buy more if this works. I love ElasticFX to play with fast FX chains.

[Deleted User]

@McDtracy said:

@[Deleted User] said:

@ohwell said:
Makes me wonder if there’s any chance humbletune would consider releasing an AUv3 plugin that just allows us to combine effect modules from their different apps in parallel/series and in different orders.

I guess you can already in AUM by just adding them into effect nodes?

I think they allow FX use cases so you cn record samples that way but the sounds do not pass through to the speakers.

Worth checking out. I own Elsa and Tardigrain... I'll buy more if this works. I love ElasticFX to play with fast FX chains.

For tardigrain as an example you can turn on monitor and the effected audio is heard through the speakers. So you can use the reverb etc as an effect.

frond

I don't think the AU fx extension is working properly. It's something I didn't test during the beta. I'll contact the developer and let everyone know what I find out.

I assumed that a user would be able to process through the built in fx. Serial, parallel, etc. More than one elsa AU fx at the same time.

There isn't an initialise built in. Create your own init and save as a preset.

[Deleted User]

@frond said:
I don't think the AU fx extension is working properly. It's something I didn't test during the beta. I'll contact the developer and let everyone know what I find out.

I assumed that a user would be able to process through the built in fx. Serial, parallel, etc. More than one elsa AU fx at the same time.

There isn't an initialise built in. Create your own init and save as a preset.

Is there a monitor in function on Elsa?

ohwell

Oh yeah it’s possible to use it in fx slot I’ve done that. I think it’s only mono though, not sure. I wasn’t suggesting a humblesound modular effect app because it’s not possible to use the auv3 in the fx slot, more because it would make for a powerful tool with a nice workflow.

[Deleted User]

@ohwell said:
Oh yeah it’s possible to use it in fx slot I’ve done that. I think it’s only mono though, not sure. I wasn’t suggesting a humblesound modular effect app because it’s not possible to use the auv3 in the fx slot, more because it would make for a powerful tool with a nice workflow.

Good point about if it is mono or stereo. I’m not sure about that, would be nice to know.

ExAsperis99

Again, I say this app does not exist because there is no video!

frond

@[Deleted User]
@ohwell
@McDtracy

Sorry. I thought that the fx weren't working, but they are. As Trevor said, the monitor in ( microphone symbol ). Just tested a few parallel instances of elsa AUv3 fx and it works as expected.

I get what you're saying ohwell. It would be nice to have humbletune effects completely separate so that the processing order could be controlled. I'll request this again ;-)

As Trevor mentions, you can have something close by combining AUM and elsa. Multiple elsa AU fx, parallel or series, with tardigrain AU fx, nils, maybe even shapesynths fx ( I've not tried that one - wonder if it works? ).

I suspect it's a matter of time before the rest of humbletunes apps becomes AU. I hope.

I'll ask the mono/stereo question and return.

@ExAsperis99 said:
Again, I say this app does not exist because there is no video!

I understand. Definitely no proper vid. I know that you want to believe ;-)

frond

@[Deleted User]
@ohwell

elsa is mono.

tardigrain records sample in mono. after the sample everything becomes stereo.

humbletunes response regarding separate effects; ERik likes the idea of something complete, for users that don't use the apps as an AU plugin. so, the current apps will stay as they are. I'm not sure that i communicated the use of separate effects in a manner that he understood. i will try again.

ERik did say that he will likely make more effects apps in the future, as well as more synth apps.

[Deleted User]

@frond said:
@[Deleted User]
@ohwell

elsa is mono.

tardigrain records sample in mono. after the sample everything becomes stereo.

humbletunes response regarding separate effects; ERik likes the idea of something complete, for users that don't use the apps as an AU plugin. so, the current apps will stay as they are. I'm not sure that i communicated the use of separate effects in a manner that he understood. i will try again.

ERik did say that he will likely make more effects apps in the future, as well as more synth apps.

thanks for the intel :-)

McDtracy

@frond said:
@[Deleted User]
@ohwell

elsa is mono.

tardigrain records sample in mono. after the sample everything becomes stereo.

humbletunes response regarding separate effects; ERik likes the idea of something complete, for users that don't use the apps as an AU plugin. so, the current apps will stay as they are. I'm not sure that i communicated the use of separate effects in a manner that he understood. i will try again.

ERik did say that he will likely make more effects apps in the future, as well as more synth apps.

@VirSyn has an Effects product and also uses their effects code in many of their Sampling and Synth products using the same GUI interface.

They package: a Multi-effect Audioprocessor with Seven studio quality effect modules for live usage with AU/IAA/AB3 support:

1. Chorus
2. Delay
3. Drive
4. ParaEQ
5. Flanger
6. Phaser
7. Reverb

I think Erik's FX do more audio mangling than traditional FX channel strips and could make it a viable product. The Amazing Noises folks make some great non-traditional FX and Turnado takes this approach even further based on videos I've seen.

ohwell

@frond said:
elsa is mono.

tardigrain records sample in mono. after the sample everything becomes stereo.

humbletunes response regarding separate effects; ERik likes the idea of something complete, for users that don't use the apps as an AU plugin. so, the current apps will stay as they are. I'm not sure that i communicated the use of separate effects in a manner that he understood. i will try again.

@frond thanks so much for sharing the info back and forth between us and Erik!

Re multieffects idea: perhaps the simplest way to put the idea is to compare what I had in mind to elastic effects: Where we could load up to 4 effects at once (including multiple instances of the same effect) and control the routing of the effect chain. Everything stereo.

Re updates to rest of the line: can’t wait for phase and strng auv3!! Also, I’m sure I’m not the only user who would be happy to pay for the upgrade..

frond

@ohwell
@[Deleted User]

ERik is cool with sharing the info.

i'm also hoping that his phase distortion synth will be released on ios.

i'm happy to pay as well. his apps are underpriced imo.

after some sleep i refined my effects questions. he understands now and seems interested....

@McDtracy

thank you for the suggestion. i have a few of the virsyn effects and find they are high quality. i really enjoy the four algo's for overdrive (audioeffx), and tap delay is reminiscent of some tape echo's i've used.

StudioES

Copying frond's helpful post from the Squaresynth 2 discussion about using Wavetables in elsa.
Epic! Thank you so much!

@ocelot said:
It would neato if more waves could be added (to Squaresynth 2) and turn it into the early wavetable VCO by Richter, Grosse, Blacet...That would make a rad new synth called 'SuperWaveformCitySynth'

@frond said:
With your own waveforms e-l-s-a is very much like the waveform city. e-l-s-a is missing the 'play' the wavetable with external waveforms/samples, process voltages, wavetable lfo's, and the sound of its low fi DAC, but the rest of it's there. Import a wavetable and modulate the start and end, single cycle waveforms, etc.

Create waveforms with Gross's Single Cycle Waveform Editor, Galbanum waveforms, etc.

For the processing component of the waveform city, try audio damage grind. subtle or extreme, it's deep. I wish It was capable of waveforms import, and use as a wavetable synth. ( also made the request to audio damage ).

@ocelot said:
Is the 'piano' preset using 'one sample set per octave' the way to do that? Or at least a good starting point?
The 'Sample mode' I haven't explored yet.
Having too much fun with the arp + sample-playback divider, and Rozeta LFOs.

@frond said:
IME the easiest starting point was the keyboard icon ('one sample set' - top right corner).

open in stand alone mode.

import a wavetable, single cycle waveform, longer sample, etc. or sample with the mic icon.

select 'loop restart mode'. if using a wavetable (or longer sample), you will want to adjust your 'start' and 'stop' points to taste.

select 'no compensation'.

turn arp on and 'arpeggio up'. 'arpeggio octaves' set to 1 or 2. 'arpeggio divider' set to 4 ( choice depends on the bpm, or what you are trying to achieve with the arp). i usually start at appr. 60 bpm.

select the arrow (below the + and - signs). select hold (symbol that looks like an 8 on its side).

'nr. of octaves' 1.

adjust envelope to taste. i typically start by dragging A, D, S, R to the bottom.

all effects off. divider set to 1 only.

press a single key on the elsa keyboard.

adjust decay to taste.

play with the plus and minus symbols (octave).

experiment with arp settings, dividers, effects, envelopes, start and stop, bpm, etc.

when that makes sense, choose the preset called 'a humdrum sin()'. and follow the steps above again.

while your arp is playing, tap the icon in the top right to choose different sample mapping types.

change the loop type; one shot mode, loop restart mode(loop), loop reverse mode (ping pong, i think - haven't visually tested).

then instantiate in AUM, audiobus, etc. modulate/sequence with rozeta, quantum, midiSTEPs, midiLFOs, oscillab, different drummer, etc.

as much fun as a Wiard modular IME. more flexible that the waveform city, in that it's easier to import your own samples than it is to burn a custom eprom. plus, you can sample with elsa!

slicetwo

Just picked this up today in the humble bundle the dev offers. I'm a bit confused by a few things.

1. I made some cool presets in the standalone that don't show up in the AU in AUM. Is that on purpose?
2. I can't seem to load my own samples into the app in AUM, and when I do the paste thing from the standalone, it only pastes the sample and not the actual settings.

I peeped the "manual" but it's pretty much just the tool tips from the app. Anyone know of any specific videos that are more in depth?