silent way
Silent Way gets 10/10 in Computer Music
22/07/10 09:33 Filed in: reviews
Slightly old news, but it turns out Silent Way was reviewed
in issue 147 (January 2010) of Computer Music.
It got a score of 10/10.
Some extracts:
It got a score of 10/10.
Some extracts:
“It works beautifully. We tried it with a Minimoog, Synthesizers.com modular, Odyssey, Roland SH-101 and even the notoriously cantankerous EMS VCS3. Silent Way was able to get each one to play nicely for at least three octaves.”
“For us, Silent Way is a no-brainer. It’s considerably cheaper than the competition and Expert Sleepers are constantly updating it. It’s a truly brilliant solution to an age old problem and one that might make you reevaluate the practicalities of owning a vintage synth.”
Silent Way v1.6.0 released
29/06/10 10:05 Filed in: software
updates
Silent Way v1.6.0 is
released.
Changes in this release:
- Added support for musical scales to Silent Way Quantizer.
- Changed all the plug-in names (that appear in host UIs) from “Silent Way ...” to “SW ...”, so that more of the actual name is visible when space is limited.
- Fixed a GUI issue in Reaper on Windows.
Download now from the downloads page.
Changes in this release:
- Added support for musical scales to Silent Way Quantizer.
- Changed all the plug-in names (that appear in host UIs) from “Silent Way ...” to “SW ...”, so that more of the actual name is visible when space is limited.
- Fixed a GUI issue in Reaper on Windows.
Download now from the downloads page.
Video: CV Generator iPhone app and EMS Synthi
28/06/10 15:22 Filed in: website
This video just posted by ‘waveshaper’ shows the
Expert Sleepers CV Generator iPhone app
controlling an EMS Synthi.
Expert Sleepers ES-1 module announced
24/05/10 19:38 Filed in: hardware
updates
We’re proud to announce details of the first Expert Sleepers hardware product - the ES-1 Audio/CV Interface.
The Expert Sleepers ES-1 Audio/CV Interface is a Eurorack module designed for use with software such as Expert Sleepers Silent Way. It connects to an audio interface using standard 1/4" jack (balanced or unbalanced) or DB25 (aka DSub) connectors, and outputs CVs to your analogue synths/effects on standard 3.5mm jacks. When used with the Silent Way AC Encoder software, there is no requirement for the audio interface to be DC-coupled.
The ES-1 offers the following advantages over directly connecting an audio interface to analogue gear for CV control:
* No requirement for the interface to be DC-coupled.
* No need for special cables (e.g. TRS to TS 'floating ring' cables).
* No danger of damage to the interface - the ES-1's inputs are completely standard balanced audio inputs.
* Much greater output voltage range - up to 9x more than directly connecting a DC-coupled interface via a 'floating ring' cable.
For more details, please see the ES-1 page.
Silent Way hardware update
21/05/10 09:29 Filed in: misc
The
previously mentioned Silent Way hardware is
progressing well. Here are a couple of photos -
you can see more on the Flickr set.
Read more on the forum here.
Read more on the forum here.
Tiptop Z8000 as oscillator
18/05/10 09:23 Filed in: website
This video by wetterberg shows Silent Way controlling a
Tiptop Audio Z8000 Matrix Sequencer and
using it as an oscillator.
This is a pretty unconventional usage but it proves the point that as long as the Silent Way Voice Controller can send out a CV and get a waveform back, it can calibrate it, and doesn’t really care how that waveform was generated or controlled by the CV.
More details are here.
This is a pretty unconventional usage but it proves the point that as long as the Silent Way Voice Controller can send out a CV and get a waveform back, it can calibrate it, and doesn’t really care how that waveform was generated or controlled by the CV.
More details are here.
Video from Silent Way user: SH-101, Dark Energy
16/05/10 14:50 Filed in: website
‘phono1337’ has posted a
video on YouTube showing his
Silent Way setup. Other
gear in the video includes:
- Roland SH-101
- Dopefer A-111-5 (Dark Energy)
- Dopefer A-137-2 Wave multiplier II
- Roland MC-202
- Roland SH-101
- Dopefer A-111-5 (Dark Energy)
- Dopefer A-137-2 Wave multiplier II
- Roland MC-202
The first Expert Sleepers iPhone app
13/05/10 12:12 Filed in: misc
We’re happy to report that the first ever Expert
Sleepers iPhone app has been submitted to the App
Store, and is awaiting approval.
The app is part of the Silent Way family, and is called the CV Generator. Read all about it here.
The app is part of the Silent Way family, and is called the CV Generator. Read all about it here.
Silent Way AC Encoder active circuit prototype
28/04/10 08:04 Filed in: misc
Please see this forum thread for news of
a prototype active circuit for use with Silent
Way AC Encoder.
Silent Way v1.5.5 released
28/04/10 08:04 Filed in: software
updates
Silent Way v1.5.5 is
released. This update extends the range of the
Silent Way LFO’s Beat Divisor parameter down to
1/128th notes. This addresses a problem with
setting up the VST versions of the plug-in to
output DIN Sync.
Download now from the downloads page.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way reviewed in Sound On Sound
23/04/10 08:41 Filed in: reviews
Silent Way has received a
glowing review from Sound On Sound magazine, in
the May 2010 issue.
You can read the full review here.“If you dream of controlling your analogue synths from within your DAW software, it may be that your audio interface will let you do just that — with a little help from this plug-in suite.”
“My time with Silent Way was quite a liberating experience.”
“Voice Controller is the star of the show for me. Slick and self-contained, this has the effect of pulling a much-loved analogue synth into the heart of your DAW, with a level of control that is usually the reserve of a virtual instrument.”
“Silent Way is a genuine alternative to a MIDI-to-CV interface, and capable of a greater level of sophistication.”
Silent Way v1.5.4 released
20/04/10 17:38 Filed in: software
updates
Silent Way v1.5.4 is
released. This update fixes a bug in the Silent
Way Quantizer plug-in that could cause the
quantized note name to be displayed incorrectly
when in ‘Calibrated’ mode.
Download now from the downloads page.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way CV Input and CV To OSC video
16/04/10 19:41 Filed in: website
Silent Way AC Encoder breakout box
08/04/10 15:18 Filed in: misc
I’ve made a small interfacing module for use with
Silent Way AC Encoder, to show how
good it can look and how simple it can be to
build.
Custom acrylic panel by ProModular. More photos on Flickr here.
Custom acrylic panel by ProModular. More photos on Flickr here.
Silent Way v1.5.3 released
29/03/10 09:17 Filed in: software
updates
Silent Way v1.5.3 is
released. This update adds a VSTi configuration
of the Mac OS X and Windows VST versions of the
Silent Way Voice Controller plug-in, so the
plug-in can now be used either as an instrument
or as an effect.
Download now from the downloads page.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way v1.5.2 released - adds AC Encoder plug-in
16/03/10 09:05 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.5.2, which
adds an important new plug-in to the suite -
Silent Way AC Encoder.
Silent Way AC Encoder removes the need for a DC coupled audio interface and lets you use Silent Way with almost any audio interface. The two requirements are
* your interface must have balanced outputs (almost all do).
* you need to make some special cables.
The cables are a very simple job, well within the scope of anyone with basic soldering skills.
Please see this page for more details.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way AC Encoder removes the need for a DC coupled audio interface and lets you use Silent Way with almost any audio interface. The two requirements are
* your interface must have balanced outputs (almost all do).
* you need to make some special cables.
The cables are a very simple job, well within the scope of anyone with basic soldering skills.
Please see this page for more details.
Download now from the downloads page.
Microtonal tuning scripts updated
03/03/10 09:37 Filed in: software
updates
The microtonal tuning
scripts for use with Silent Way Voice
Controller have been updated to support Python
2.5 (the version that ships pre-installed with
Mac OS X 10.5) as well as 2.6.
Video/tutorial: Silent Way and Numerology
03/03/10 08:53 Filed in: website
The wonderful Five12 have posted a tutorial
on using Silent Way in their application Numerology.
The tutorial is here. An excerpt follows:
The tutorial is here. An excerpt follows:
This video shows how to use Expert Sleeper's Silent Way Voice Controller with Numerology. The Silent Way group of plugins allows you to use a "DC capable" audio interface as a CV control source for analog synthesizers. There are a number of advantages to this approach:
-
Easy, reliable oscillator calibration for better tuning overall.
-
When generating CV values for automation, you are no longer limited to the 127 steps of MIDI CC messages. This allows you to generate very smooth and accurate control values.
-
You do not have to worry about "saturating" a hardware MIDI interface by sending it too many messages at once.
As of version 2.2, Numerology provides integrated support for Silent Way by including direct hardware audio input and output routing in the module. This makes setup very quick, as you don't have to create separate I/O channels to route audio around, as you do in some other hosts.
Video shows Silent Way with MOTM/homebrew synth
01/03/10 20:12 Filed in: website
Adam Schabtach (of plug-in
developers Audio Damage) has posted a
great video showing Silent Way in
use with his modular synth. Synth modules in the
video are an MOTM-300 VCO, an MOTM-440 four-pole
LPF (both by Synthesis Technology), a CGS Wave
Multiplier, and a custom-built VCA.
Also of interest in this video is the audio interface, which is a Frontier Design Tango modified by Adam himself for DC-coupled operation. He’s documented the mod here.
Also of interest in this video is the audio interface, which is a Frontier Design Tango modified by Adam himself for DC-coupled operation. He’s documented the mod here.
Scripts for microtonal tuning with Silent Way
16/01/10 19:19 Filed in: software
updates
One of the new features of Silent Way v1.5.1 is the
ability to load and save calibration data from the
Voice Controller. By processing this data, it is easy
to retune the Voice Controller to generate arbitrary
scales instead of the standard equal tempered scale.
We’ve written some scripts to do this. More details here.
We’ve written some scripts to do this. More details here.
Silent Way v1.5.1 released - adds Quantizer and CV To MIDI plug-ins
12/01/10 19:31 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.5.1, which
adds two new plug-ins to the suite - Silent Way
Quantizer and Silent Way CV To MIDI.
Silent Way Quantizer is a CV processing plug-in that constrains the incoming (continuous) CVs to a number of discrete values. For example, it can constrain a pitch CV to exact semitone values. This is especially useful when combined with the Step LFO plug-in in order to accurately sequence musical notes, but it can also be used with e.g. the regular LFO plug-in, or with the Voice Controller plug-in to turn portamentos into discrete glissandos.
The Quantizer plug-in is capable of loading the calibration data from the Voice Controller plug-in, in order to output accurately calibrated pitches.
Silent Way CV To MIDI translates CV signals (such as those produced by Silent Way CV Input, for example) into MIDI messages. These can in turn be used to control all sorts of software and hardware devices. Used in conjunction with, say, Silent Way LFO, the CV To MIDI plug-in provides a standalone means of generating MIDI LFOs, giving Silent Way an application to musicians who have no analogue gear at all.
Other changes in v1.5.1:
* Added ‘Random Tuning’ feature to Silent Way Voice Controller.
* Added ability to save and load calibration data to Silent Way Voice Controller.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way Quantizer is a CV processing plug-in that constrains the incoming (continuous) CVs to a number of discrete values. For example, it can constrain a pitch CV to exact semitone values. This is especially useful when combined with the Step LFO plug-in in order to accurately sequence musical notes, but it can also be used with e.g. the regular LFO plug-in, or with the Voice Controller plug-in to turn portamentos into discrete glissandos.
The Quantizer plug-in is capable of loading the calibration data from the Voice Controller plug-in, in order to output accurately calibrated pitches.
Silent Way CV To MIDI translates CV signals (such as those produced by Silent Way CV Input, for example) into MIDI messages. These can in turn be used to control all sorts of software and hardware devices. Used in conjunction with, say, Silent Way LFO, the CV To MIDI plug-in provides a standalone means of generating MIDI LFOs, giving Silent Way an application to musicians who have no analogue gear at all.
Other changes in v1.5.1:
* Added ‘Random Tuning’ feature to Silent Way Voice Controller.
* Added ability to save and load calibration data to Silent Way Voice Controller.
Download now from the downloads page.
Analogue Bundle available
12/01/10 19:21 Filed in: website
In addition to the previously
mentioned bundles, the ‘Analogue Bundle’ is
now available from the store.
The Analogue Bundle combines the analogue synth controller Silent Way with two analogue-sounding delays, Augustus Loop and Little Spacey.
The bundle is priced at $90, saving $37 on the price of the plug-ins bought separately.
A summary of all the currently available bundles and pricing is here.
The Analogue Bundle combines the analogue synth controller Silent Way with two analogue-sounding delays, Augustus Loop and Little Spacey.
The bundle is priced at $90, saving $37 on the price of the plug-ins bought separately.
A summary of all the currently available bundles and pricing is here.
Silent Way sample Live sets updated
09/12/09 09:28 Filed in: website
The sample Ableton Live sets on the Silent Way
Tutorials page were
woefully out of date. They have been updated.
Silent Way v1.5.0 released - adds Step LFO plug-in
12/11/09 21:46 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.5.0, which
adds a new plug-in to the suite - Silent Way
Step LFO.
Silent Way Step LFO is a combination step sequencer and LFO generator. It shares many of the features of the LFO plug-in, but rather than generating waveforms based on simple sine, triangle etc. waves it generates a waveform that the user draws in the GUI. When the waveform is interpreted as a series of discrete values, rather than as a continuous wave- form, then the output is that of a traditional analogue step sequencer.
Other changes in v1.5.0:
* The Smooth control on all plug-ins is now calibrated in milliseconds, and has a much larger range.
* All Mac OS X versions now require Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way Step LFO is a combination step sequencer and LFO generator. It shares many of the features of the LFO plug-in, but rather than generating waveforms based on simple sine, triangle etc. waves it generates a waveform that the user draws in the GUI. When the waveform is interpreted as a series of discrete values, rather than as a continuous wave- form, then the output is that of a traditional analogue step sequencer.
Other changes in v1.5.0:
* The Smooth control on all plug-ins is now calibrated in milliseconds, and has a much larger range.
* All Mac OS X versions now require Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way mentions on other sites
27/10/09 09:53 Filed in: website
Silent Way has received
mentions on some other blogs recently:
* OSCulator blog - In A Silent Way
* Navs Modular Lab - three posts, here
Thanks to Camille and Navs.
PotD - Analog Heart, Digital Mind by navs
* OSCulator blog - In A Silent Way
* Navs Modular Lab - three posts, here
Thanks to Camille and Navs.
PotD - Analog Heart, Digital Mind by navs
More Silent Way demo videos - CV Input and CV To OSC
16/10/09 16:14 Filed in: website
Some new videos of Silent Way CV Input and
Silent Way CV To OSC, now with the final
released versions (the previous videos used
early prototypes).
The final one is particularly fun - driving software on an iPhone from a modular synth CV.
The final one is particularly fun - driving software on an iPhone from a modular synth CV.
Silent Way v1.4.4 released - adds CV To OSC plug-in
15/10/09 21:02 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.4.4, which
adds a new plug-in to the suite - Silent Way CV
To OSC.
Silent Way CV To OSC translates CV signals (such as those produced by Silent Way CV Input, for example) into OSC messages. These can in turn be used to control all sorts of software and hardware devices. See the Expert Sleepers YouTube channel for some ideas.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way CV To OSC translates CV signals (such as those produced by Silent Way CV Input, for example) into OSC messages. These can in turn be used to control all sorts of software and hardware devices. See the Expert Sleepers YouTube channel for some ideas.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way v1.4.3 released - adds CV Input plug-in
05/10/09 21:30 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.4.3, which
adds a new plug-in to the suite - Silent Way CV
Input.
Silent Way CV Input is something of a breakthrough in audio interface-based computer/CV interaction, since it lets you get your CVs back into the computer (most other CV-generation software focusses entirely on generating CVs). Moreover this plug-in has no special requirements on the audio interface, and so is not just usable by those with DC-coupled interfaces.
This release also fixes an issue with the AU Generator versions of Silent Way DC & LFO (added in v1.4.1) when loaded as mono plug-ins.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way CV Input is something of a breakthrough in audio interface-based computer/CV interaction, since it lets you get your CVs back into the computer (most other CV-generation software focusses entirely on generating CVs). Moreover this plug-in has no special requirements on the audio interface, and so is not just usable by those with DC-coupled interfaces.
This release also fixes an issue with the AU Generator versions of Silent Way DC & LFO (added in v1.4.1) when loaded as mono plug-ins.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way (Mac OS X VST) v1.4.2 released
01/10/09 20:36 Filed in: software
updates
The Mac OS X VST versions of the Silent Way plug-ins have
been updated to v1.4.2.
This update addresses an issue where the GUIs would appear in slightly the wrong place in Cubase.
Download now from the downloads page.
This update addresses an issue where the GUIs would appear in slightly the wrong place in Cubase.
Download now from the downloads page.
Forthcoming Silent Way features - CV input & OSC
30/09/09 21:26 Filed in: roadmap
A couple of videos of what's cooking in the Expert
Sleepers lab for future release:
Silent Way DC & LFO v1.4.1 released - adds AU Generators for Logic
28/09/09 19:51 Filed in: software
updates
The Audio Unit versions of the two Silent Way plug-ins
Silent Way DC and Silent Way LFO have been
updated to v1.4.1.
The new versions add an 'AU Generator' variant to each plug-in, which can be used in Logic on software instrument tracks at the start of the signal chain.
Download now from the downloads page.
The new versions add an 'AU Generator' variant to each plug-in, which can be used in Logic on software instrument tracks at the start of the signal chain.
Download now from the downloads page.
Further Silent Way compatibility updates
28/09/09 09:10 Filed in: website
More additions to the Silent Way device compatibility
page, including the interesting news that
the Behringer ADA8000 ADAT
expander appears to work - adding a low-cost
option for those with non-MOTU interfaces
looking to get hooked up to their synths.
Edit: oops, false positive - the ADA8000 does not work after all. Sorry if you were getting excited.
Edit: oops, false positive - the ADA8000 does not work after all. Sorry if you were getting excited.
Silent Way v1.4.0 released - adds Trigger plug-in, portamento, and swing
25/09/09 17:12 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.4.0.
Changes and additions in this release:
* Added Silent Way Trigger plug-in.
* Added smoothing option on all outputs of all plug-ins.
* Added ‘swing’ feature to Silent Way LFO.
* Added portamento feature to the Voice Controller.
* Fixed a bug that would very occasionally cause the GUIs to be corrupted.
Silent Way Trigger is a simple plug-in for generating a gate or envelope in response to an incoming MIDI note. A typical application would be for triggering drum sounds, where you might have a number of different sounds mapped to different notes.
Download now from the downloads page.
Changes and additions in this release:
* Added Silent Way Trigger plug-in.
* Added smoothing option on all outputs of all plug-ins.
* Added ‘swing’ feature to Silent Way LFO.
* Added portamento feature to the Voice Controller.
* Fixed a bug that would very occasionally cause the GUIs to be corrupted.
Silent Way Trigger is a simple plug-in for generating a gate or envelope in response to an incoming MIDI note. A typical application would be for triggering drum sounds, where you might have a number of different sounds mapped to different notes.
Download now from the downloads page.
More modules added to Silent Way compatibility page
23/09/09 17:19 Filed in: website
Thanks to 'Navs' on the muffwiggler.com forum for
testing a number of modules with Silent Way. Read the list
here.
Silent Way polyphonic setup demo videos
04/09/09 18:05 Filed in: website
Some videos have been added to the tutorials page showing
polyphonic setup in Live 8, Logic 9 and DP 6.
Silent Way v1.3.0 released - adds polyphonic mode
04/09/09 16:42 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.3.0.
The major new feature in this release is a polyphonic mode for the Voice Controller. Other changes:
* Added a per-envelope Reset To Zero control, which controls whether the envelopes always start from zero when triggered, or whether they start from their current value (which is the common behaviour in hardware envelope generators).
* Updated all plug-ins for the font changes in OS X 10.6 (see below).
Download now from the downloads page.
The major new feature in this release is a polyphonic mode for the Voice Controller. Other changes:
* Added a per-envelope Reset To Zero control, which controls whether the envelopes always start from zero when triggered, or whether they start from their current value (which is the common behaviour in hardware envelope generators).
* Updated all plug-ins for the font changes in OS X 10.6 (see below).
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way v1.2.0 released - adds LFO plug-in
26/08/09 09:09 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.2.0.
This release adds a new plug-in to the Silent Way suite - Silent Way LFO. As you might guess from the name, this plug-in is a low frequency oscillator device. It offers a variety of waveforms, tempo sync, and can be combined with the control outputs (e.g. envelopes, velocity) of the Voice Controller plug-in to achieve effects such as vibrato that fades in during each note.
Download now from the downloads page.
This release adds a new plug-in to the Silent Way suite - Silent Way LFO. As you might guess from the name, this plug-in is a low frequency oscillator device. It offers a variety of waveforms, tempo sync, and can be combined with the control outputs (e.g. envelopes, velocity) of the Voice Controller plug-in to achieve effects such as vibrato that fades in during each note.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way LFO plug-in coming soon
19/08/09 15:00 Filed in: roadmap
I've long promised that more Silent Way plug-ins would
eventually join the initial two (Voice
Controller and DC). So this is to let you all
know that a third plug-in will soon be released,
and it's going to be an LFO/trigger/clock
generator.
There's a thread on the muffwiggler forum here where I've asked for some input on what features people would like this thing to have. So if you have any thoughts, please hop over there and leave your two penn'orth.
There's a thread on the muffwiggler forum here where I've asked for some input on what features people would like this thing to have. So if you have any thoughts, please hop over there and leave your two penn'orth.
Silent Way working with Yamaha CS-30 (Hz/V)
10/08/09 11:35 Filed in: website
Another video from Captain Proton, this time showing
Silent Way controlling a
Yamaha CS-30 synth. This is using the new Hz/V
calibration mode added in v1.1.0.
Silent Way Digital Performer tutorial video added
30/07/09 09:55 Filed in: website
Silent Way v1.1.0 released
29/07/09 20:55 Filed in: software
updates
We're happy to announce the release of Silent Way v1.1.0 (all platforms & formats).
This is primarily an update to the Voice Controller plug-in, though the DC plug-in also benefits from the OSC enhancements.
The full list of changes in this version is as follows:
• The Voice Controller AU now has an effect variant so it will work in Digital Performer.
• Added new OSC commands (registerOSCPathForParameter() and registerOSCPathForParameterNormalized()) added, primarily for compatibility with TouchOSC.
• Output configuration changed from a set of drop-down menus to a full matrix of knobs.
• Envelope scale parameters removed, since the same functionality is now offered by the output matrix.
• Added new 'velocity' output.
• Added velocity-based scaling of envelopes.
• Added Hz/V calibration mode.
• Areas of the full MIDI note range note covered during calibration are now filled with ‘wrapped around’ values from octaves that are covered.
• Added note priority modes (last/low/high) and retrigger modes (on/off).
• Added ‘panic’ button.
• Fixed some incorrect envelope triggering behaviours.
• The ‘trigger’ output is now slightly longer than before (it was previously a single audio sample).
NB the reworking of the output configuration unfortunately means that v1.1.0 of the Voice Controller is not preset-compatible with earlier versions. If you install this version and then load up a song that already uses the Voice Controller, some of the settings (notably the envelopes) will be wrong. This is something we usually go to great lengths to avoid in Expert Sleepers plug-ins, but we felt it was acceptable in this case as most workflows will involve using Silent Way to control a synth which is then recorded as audio before moving on - so to some extent storing presets is irrelevant, since you can't store the state of the synth along with it.
Get the update from the downloads page.
Silent Way and TouchOSC
27/07/09 20:58 Filed in: roadmap
A demo of the enhanced OSC implementation in the
forthcoming new version of Silent Way, here
integrating with TouchOSC:
This functionality will make it into the OSC implementations of other Expert Sleepers plug-ins in due course.
This functionality will make it into the OSC implementations of other Expert Sleepers plug-ins in due course.
Silent Way v1.1 progress report
21/07/09 08:50 Filed in: roadmap
As those who've been following me on Twitter
(@expertsleepers) will know,
I've been making some progress on the Silent Way v1.1 update.
This update is currently entirely focussed on
the Voice Controller.
Changes so far:
* AU version has an effect variant so it will work in Digital Performer.
* New OSC command added for compatibility with TouchOSC.
* New 'velocity' output.
* Velocity-based scaling of envelopes.
* Hz/V tuning mode.
* Note priority modes (last/low/high).
I have some more stuff to add in, then this will probably be released in the next week or so.
After that, I really must add an LFO plug-in.
Changes so far:
* AU version has an effect variant so it will work in Digital Performer.
* New OSC command added for compatibility with TouchOSC.
* New 'velocity' output.
* Velocity-based scaling of envelopes.
* Hz/V tuning mode.
* Note priority modes (last/low/high).
I have some more stuff to add in, then this will probably be released in the next week or so.
After that, I really must add an LFO plug-in.
New video shows Silent Way, Cubase, Pro-One, ARP Odyssey
17/07/09 22:03 Filed in: website
Thanks to Captain Proton for this one.
Expert Sleepers Running Sequential Pro-1 and Arp Odyssey in Cubase 5
Silent Way working with Alesis IO/26 and SH-101
08/07/09 08:32 Filed in: website
Brandon Daniel has posted a
video of Silent Way working with his Alesis
IO/26 interface and his Roland SH-101 synth.
Special offers reminder
03/07/09 21:52 Filed in: special
offers
Just a reminder that we have two special offers still
running:
* Silent Way testers' bounty
* Little Spacey for $5
* Silent Way testers' bounty
* Little Spacey for $5
Silent Way VST updated to v1.0.2
03/07/09 17:50 Filed in: software
updates
The VST versions (Mac and Windows) of Silent Way have
been updated to v1.0.2.
These are identical except now the Voice Controller plug-in is no longer a VSTi. This makes it possible to use in Cubase, since Cubase has problems routing audio to virtual instruments.
NB if you were successfully using v1.0.1 (e.g. in Live) you may find you need to slightly reconfigure your song files to take account of this change. We apologise for the inconvenience.
The AU version is unchanged, and remains a virtual instrument.
A new tutorial showing how to set up the Voice Controller VST from scratch in Live has been added to the tutorials page.
These are identical except now the Voice Controller plug-in is no longer a VSTi. This makes it possible to use in Cubase, since Cubase has problems routing audio to virtual instruments.
NB if you were successfully using v1.0.1 (e.g. in Live) you may find you need to slightly reconfigure your song files to take account of this change. We apologise for the inconvenience.
The AU version is unchanged, and remains a virtual instrument.
A new tutorial showing how to set up the Voice Controller VST from scratch in Live has been added to the tutorials page.
Silent Way compatibility chart updated
03/07/09 11:53 Filed in: website
The Silent Way compatibility
chart has been expanded with some classic
old synths including the Minimoog Model-D and
EMS VCS3, courtesy of Scot Solida.
Update: also added TipTop Z3000, Plan B Model 15 and Doepfer A-111, courtesy of KVR user deastman.
Update 2: added Sequential Circuits Pro-One, courtesy of KVR user WMP.
Update: also added TipTop Z3000, Plan B Model 15 and Doepfer A-111, courtesy of KVR user deastman.
Update 2: added Sequential Circuits Pro-One, courtesy of KVR user WMP.
Example Live sets added to the Silent Way tutorials page
03/07/09 09:15 Filed in: website
See the tutorials page.
Silent Way now available in VST (Mac/Windows) format
02/07/09 14:04 Filed in: software
updates
No changes since the v1.0.1 version - just now
available for Windows and Mac OS X VST.
Silent Way works with Doepfer A-110
01/07/09 11:17 Filed in: website
justin3am has posted another
video showing Silent Way working with a Doepfer
A-110 VCO.
Silent Way is running from within Ableton Live to control the pitch of my Doepfer A-110 oscillator and trigger my Doepfer A-140 ADSR via a Motu 828. The pattern at the end is generated by Numerology.
Silent Way works with Livewire AFG and MOTU 828
01/07/09 11:05 Filed in: website
justin3am has posted a video
showing Silent Way working with his Livewire AFG
oscillator and MOTU 828 (original version)
interface.
Silent Way is running from within Ableton Live to control the pitch of my Livewire AFG oscillator and trigger my Doepfer A-140 ADSR via a Motu 828. The pattern at the end is generated by Numerology.
Silent Way v1.0.1 released
30/06/09 11:58 Filed in: software
updates
Silent Way v1.0.1 contains an update to the Voice
Controller plug-in allowing it to be used in Logic
Pro.
Bounty offered for Silent Way testers
29/06/09 22:53 Filed in: special
offers
Since there are far more audio interfaces and synth
modules in the world than any one person or even
company is ever likely to own, it seems unlikely that
Expert Sleepers will personally be able to test every
combination.
Therefore we're offering a bounty for people who buy and use Silent Way with their setup and document the results. To qualify, you need to do the following:
* buy Silent Way (you don't qualify if you use the demo version to do the below).
* send us the details of your system (computer, host application, audio interface, synth modules).
* put up a video on YouTube demonstrating that Silent Way works with your stuff.
The offer is:
* a coupon for $25, good for one purchase from the Expert Sleepers store, if you do the above, or
* a coupon for $50, good for one purchase from the Expert Sleepers store, if you do the above and you're the first to document the successful use of Silent Way with a particular audio interface or synth module.
This offer will run for a limited time only, so get testing!
Therefore we're offering a bounty for people who buy and use Silent Way with their setup and document the results. To qualify, you need to do the following:
* buy Silent Way (you don't qualify if you use the demo version to do the below).
* send us the details of your system (computer, host application, audio interface, synth modules).
* put up a video on YouTube demonstrating that Silent Way works with your stuff.
The offer is:
* a coupon for $25, good for one purchase from the Expert Sleepers store, if you do the above, or
* a coupon for $50, good for one purchase from the Expert Sleepers store, if you do the above and you're the first to document the successful use of Silent Way with a particular audio interface or synth module.
This offer will run for a limited time only, so get testing!
Silent Way v1.0.0 released - new modular synth controller plug-ins
29/06/09 22:34 Filed in: software
updates
We're proud to announce the release of Silent Way, a suite of
plug-ins designed for use as part of a modular
analogue synthesiser system. The plug-ins
produce no sound themselves, nor do they process
sound - rather, they generate signals to be used
as control voltages (CVs), which can be patched
into the control inputs of oscillators, filters,
VCAs etc. of an analogue system.
There are currently two plug-ins in the Silent Way suite - Silent Way DC and Silent Way Voice Controller. These are described in more detail below. It is anticipated that more plug-ins will be added to the suite in the future - watch the website for product announcements.
All plug-ins also feature
* full MIDI and OSC control.
* MIDI/OSC scriptability.
* sample-accurate handling of MIDI note messages.
Silent Way DC
Silent Way DC is a simple plug-in that generates constant output signals. It is intended to be used in conjunction with parameter automation (via MIDI or directly by the host application) to generate varying signals. For example, you could use it as an LFO where you draw out the LFO waveform in your host’s parameter automation GUI.
Silent Way Voice Controller
Silent Way Voice Controller is a virtual instrument plug-in designed to directly control an analogue synthesiser by generating the appropriate CV and gate signals via an appropriate audio interface.
By listening to the synthesiser’s output signal, the plug-in is able to calibrate itself to generate the appropriate pitch CV for the incoming MIDI notes.
As well as the basic pitch and gate signals, the plug-in can generate three multi-stage envelope CVs which you can feed to VCAs, VCFs etc. in your synth.
Pricing and availability
Silent Way is available immediately in Mac OS X Audio Unit format, priced at $49. Mac and Windows VST formats to follow.
Read more here; download the demo here.
There are currently two plug-ins in the Silent Way suite - Silent Way DC and Silent Way Voice Controller. These are described in more detail below. It is anticipated that more plug-ins will be added to the suite in the future - watch the website for product announcements.
All plug-ins also feature
* full MIDI and OSC control.
* MIDI/OSC scriptability.
* sample-accurate handling of MIDI note messages.
Silent Way DC
Silent Way DC is a simple plug-in that generates constant output signals. It is intended to be used in conjunction with parameter automation (via MIDI or directly by the host application) to generate varying signals. For example, you could use it as an LFO where you draw out the LFO waveform in your host’s parameter automation GUI.
Silent Way Voice Controller
Silent Way Voice Controller is a virtual instrument plug-in designed to directly control an analogue synthesiser by generating the appropriate CV and gate signals via an appropriate audio interface.
By listening to the synthesiser’s output signal, the plug-in is able to calibrate itself to generate the appropriate pitch CV for the incoming MIDI notes.
As well as the basic pitch and gate signals, the plug-in can generate three multi-stage envelope CVs which you can feed to VCAs, VCFs etc. in your synth.
Pricing and availability
Silent Way is available immediately in Mac OS X Audio Unit format, priced at $49. Mac and Windows VST formats to follow.
Read more here; download the demo here.