ES-4 Controller v1.7.1 released
Silent Way v1.7.1 released
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way v1.7.0 released - new Sync plug-in
* A new plug-in, Silent Way Sync, is added to the suite. This takes the DIN sync generator from the ES-4 Controller plug-in and expands on it to become a general purpose clock/trigger/sync plug-in.
* Fixes various issues with parameter automation and GUI updates.
* Fixes the ES-4 Controller plug-in’s response to MIDI channels (previously it would respond to mes- sages on any and all MIDI channels) and adds a ‘Channelise’ capability to the MIDI Out section.
Download now from the downloads page.
Augustus Loop v2.3.4 released - Windows 64 bit
Note that an updated Licence Manager is also available, which is required for activation on 64 bit systems.
Download now from the downloads page.
The horrors of USB MIDI timing
As you will see, the timing of USB MIDI isn’t particularly tight.
Silent Way v1.6.14 released
* Added a Trigger Length control to Silent Way Voice Controller and Silent Way Trigger.
* Fixed a bug in the behaviour of Newest note priority mode in Silent Way Voice Controller.
* Added Trigger Length controls to Silent Way ES-4 Controller, allowing the 40 independent gate outputs to operate as triggers instead.
Download now from the downloads page. Note that there is an updated version of the user manual for this release.
ES-4 Controller v1.6.12 released
In this version DINsync and MIDI clock generation has been largely rewritten, offering much improved behaviour. Also, an offset control has been added to each, to allow the timing to be brought forward or pushed back by a small amount, to compensate for any timing delays in the hardware being synced.
Silent Way v1.6.11 released - Lion compatible
• The AU Generator variants of the Silent Way DC, Silent Way CV Input, Silent Way LFO and Silent Way Step LFO plug-ins have been replaced by AU Instrument variants, so as to be compatible with AU validation under OS X Lion.
• Added a ‘Reset By Note’ option to Silent Way LFO, allowing the LFO to be reset by incoming MIDI note-on messages.
• Added visual feedback of the LFO’s position in its cycle to Silent Way LFO.
• Added a ‘Create ES-4 Calibration’ button to Silent Way Quantizer, removing the need to load a suitable calibration file when using the Quantizer with the ES-4 module.
• Made a slight adjustment to the ES-4 Controller’s input processing to match that in the Silent Way Voice Controller and Silent Way Quantizer.
Download now from the downloads page. Note that there is an updated version of the user manual for this release.
More ES-4 demo/tutorial videos
ES-4 & Ableton Live Drum Rack on Vimeo.
Shows how to set up a Drum Rack in Ableton Live to drive the Expert Sleepers ES-4 Gate Expander. Here the Gate Expander is triggering a selection of drum synth modules.
ES-4 & Silent Way LFOs on Vimeo.
Simple demo of using Silent Way LFOs with the Expert Sleepers ES-4 SPDIF/CV Interface.
ES-4 Audio Demo on Vimeo.
Shows how the Expert Sleepers ES-4 SPDIF/CV Interface can also be used to output audio. Here we process the audio with a modular synth's filter, modulated via an LFO also produced from the ES-4.
ES-4 now in stock at Analogue Haven
Two new ES-4 demo videos
ES-4 Controller Simple Setup on Vimeo.
A simplest-possible setup of the Expert Sleepers ES-4 SPDIF/CV Interface module and the ES-4 Controller plug-in, in Ableton Live.
ES-4 and Silent Way Voice Controller on Vimeo.
A demo of the new 'ES-4 Mode' in the Silent Way Voice Controller, making integration easier with the Expert Sleepers ES-4 SPDIF/CV Interface module.
Silent Way v1.6.10 released
- ‘ES-4 mode’, allowing direct use with the Expert Sleepers ES-4 module without routing through the ES-4 Controller plug-in.
- a transpose setting.
Download now from the downloads page. Note that there is an updated version of the user manual for this release.
ES-4 Controller v1.6.9 released
This adds the ability to route audio or CVs through the plug-in to the ES-4, allowing integration with the rest of the Silent Way suite. It is also now possible to ‘stack’ multiple ES-4 Controllers, allowing for e.g. multiple streams of output MIDI.
ES-4 direct orders now being taken
ES-4 now available
The first release of the Silent Way ES-4 Controller plug-in is also now available from the downloads page.
Crossfade Loop Synth v3.2.0 released
Crossfade Loop Synth has been updated to v3.2.0.
There are two main changes:
- The Mac OS X AU & VST versions now support 64 bit operation.
- The timing of note playback is much improved in the synth versions of the plug-in (now sample accurate).
This version also fixes a minor bug which would cause the plug-in to attempt to load an empty filename when loading a song in Plogue Bidule.
Download now from the downloads page.
Mac OS X Lion compatibility
So far, we have only one reported problem, which is that the AudioUnit validation tool in Lion is objecting to the few Silent Way plug-ins classed as ‘AU Generators’, resulting in Logic objecting to loading them. The plug-ins themselves work fine - it’s just a detail of the validation process that is tripping things up, which is arguably a bug, and we’ve reported it to Apple as such.
So if you use Silent Way and Logic, there seems to be reason to hold off upgrading to Lion. If you use our other plug-ins, or other DAWs, there are no known problems as of now.
Expert Sleepers modules coming soon to Australia
New-look Expert Sleepers Newsletter
You can read the July 2011 newsletter here, and you can sign up to the mailing list here.
ES-2-2 back in stock / new stock at SchneidersBuero
DINsync from the ES-4
DIN sync from the ES-4 from Andrew Ostler on Vimeo.
This video shows how the Expert Sleepers ES-4 SPDIF/CV module can also be used to send DIN sync, via a simple cable adaptor and using features of Expert Sleepers' Silent Way software.
Because the DIN sync is being sent via an audio interface, it is sample-accurate with the audio.
Silent Way & ES modules reviewed in Synthesizer Magazin
Expert Sleepers modules arrive in Canada
MIDI from the ES-4
This video shows how the Expert Sleepers ES-4 SPDIF/CV module can also be used to send MIDI, via a simple cable adaptor and using features of Expert Sleepers' Silent Way software.
Because the MIDI is being sent via an audio interface, it is sample-accurate with the audio and free from the timing jitter normally associated with USB MIDI interfaces.
CV Generator v2.0.0 released
Silent Way & ES-3 reviewed by Sonic State
“I rarely get to review stuff which I feel is almost flawless, but I think this is one of those occasions”
ES-3 back in stock - new orange aluminium version
A new panel option is now available - orange aluminium, to match the ES-1 and ES-2-2 orange aluminium designs.
More ES-4 details - Gate Expander announced
Silent Way live videos
Preliminary ES-4 details announced
New Augustus Loop skin posted
Silent Way v1.6.7 released
Download now from the downloads page. Note that there is an updated version of the user manual for this release.
Silent Way reviewed in Future Music magazine
“Incredible options for controlling modular synths”
“Silent Way is a no-brainer”
“Silent Way opens up sound design options that'd be expensive, difficult or impossible any other way. It's a fantastic new approach to controlling analogue Control Voltage hardware.”
“... one of the most friendly plug-and-play pieces of hardware you'll ever have the pleasure to use.”
ES-1 modules back in stock
Replacement aluminium panels are also available for existing owners of the acrylic-panelled ES-1.
Expert Sleepers on the Sonic State podcast
Crossfade Loop Synth v3.1.4 released
This release fixes a rare crash that could occur when automating parameters in Cubase, using the 64 bit version of Cubase and the 32 bit plug-in bridge.
Download now from the downloads page.
Video and photos from the Musikmesse
sonicstate.com did a very nice video interview with me, in which I explain the ES-3, Silent Way, and show the ES-2-2 in action, which is not something you often see - if you’re still unclear on what this module does, this video should help. You can watch it here.
This is a little video tour of the Schneidersbuero booth, starting from the Expert Sleepers area:
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And here are a few photos:
Expert Sleepers at the Musikmesse Frankfurt 2011
I will be demonstrating Expert Sleepers hardware and software on the Schneidersbuero ‘Superbooth’ (Hall 5.1 Stand C70).
If you use the Musikmesse’s iPhone or Android app’s ‘Buddy Finder’ you should find me under ‘Andrew Ostler’ or os at expert-sleepers.co.uk.
Silent Way v1.6.6 released - CV Input fix
Download now from the downloads page.
Augustus Loop v2.3.3 (OS X) released
* Fixed an issue introduced in v2.2.0 which would cause unpleasant audio artefacts at certain pitch settings.
Download now from the downloads page.
Augustus Loop v2.3.2 (AU) released
* Fixed an issue with keyboard handling that could interfere with shortcuts in the host application when the Augustus Loop UI was open.
Download now from the downloads page.
Silent Way reviewed in Tape Op magazine
ES-3s now available
Audio processing with the ES-3
Modular audio processing with Expert Sleepers Silent Way and ES-3 on Vimeo.
A real-time demo of processing audio samples using Expert Sleepers Silent Way and a modular synth, connected via the Expert Sleepers ES-3 Lightpipe/CV interface.
A drum loop is processed first with a phase shifter controlled by Silent Way LFO, and then with a VCF controlled by Silent Way Step LFO.
Escape From Noise to sell Expert Sleepers modules
Silent Way/ES-3/modular demo video
Modular patching with Expert Sleepers Silent Way and ES-3 on Vimeo.
A real-time demo of using Expert Sleepers Silent Way and a modular synth, connected via the Expert Sleepers ES-3 Lightpipe/CV interface.
First the oscillator is connected and calibrated using the Silent Way Voice Controller plug-in. Then a simple patch is made using a VCA and an envelope generator, triggered by a gate signal from Silent Way.
Other modulation options are then explored, using another envelope from the Voice Controller, the Silent Way Step LFO plug-in, and the Silent Way LFO plug-in.
Silent Way v1.6.5 released - new SMUX plug-in
This release adds a new plug-in: Silent Way SMUX.
Silent Way SMUX provides a hack to workaround the reduction in channel count over ADAT connections when running the audio system at 88.1/96kHz.
When using an audio interface to produce your CVs that is connected via ADAT (for example, the Expert Sleepers ES-3 Lightpipe/CV Interface), and when the audio system is being run at a ‘double speed’ rate (typically 96kHz), the number of audio channels that can be sent down the ADAT connection is reduced from the usual 8 down to 4. The 4 double-speed channels are multiplexed onto the 8 ADAT channels - this system is usually referred to as ‘S/MUX’, or sample multiplexing.
The Silent Way SMUX plug-in gets around this reduction in channel count by providing a complementary multiplexing scheme, which takes 4 channels of CVs and combines them onto 2 channels of the double-speed audio stream. When the ADAT output is then decoded by a normal-speed interface (such as the ES-3 mentioned above), the channels are demultiplexed, and so you get your 4 channels of CV back again.
Download now from the downloads page.
Spectral Conquest v1.0.2 (VST) released
Changes in this version:
- Fixed reporting of plug-in latency to host.
- Fixed GUI issues in REAPER on Windows.
- Mac VST version now supports native 64 bit usage.
Download now from the downloads page.
Coming soon - the ES-3 Lightpipe/CV Interface
The ES-3 is a Eurorack format module which converts eight channels of ADAT Lightpipe input to DC coupled outputs on 3.5mm jacks, for the ultimate convenience in connection of a DAW directly to analogue synthesizers.
The outputs can be used as control voltages (CVs), for example with software such as Expert Sleepers Silent Way, and can also be used as audio outputs at high, modular synth-compatible levels.
With the ES-3, a single optical cable is all that is need to bring direct CV control from your DAW right into the heart of a modular system.
The ES-3 is expected to be available from February 2011. Pricing TBD.
Darkroom - Ahead Finitely
Here are some videos that my band Darkroom recently produced. You can see and hear Silent Way in action fairly prominently.
Enjoy!
Ahead Finitely from Andrew Ostler on Vimeo.
The Making of 'Ahead Finitely' from Andrew Ostler on Vimeo.
Crossfade Loop Synth v3.1.3 released
This release fixes a bug in the plug-in’s response to a MIDI All Notes Off message. In Plogue Bidule, this could cause a problem with the drones not reactivating when a plug-in was switched in and out of Bypass mode.
Download now from the downloads page.