New SpinCAD Designer release with major usability improvements

A comment about the new Faust Compressors. I had been looking at this article at the Spin Knowledge Base:

Spin Semiconductor - Programming the FV-1

Spin Semiconductor designs and markets specialized mixed signal integrated circuits for the consumer music and audio industries
spinsemi.com spinsemi.com

I pointed Claude at this and said "make a block and show me its response". It was nothing like what you'd expect from a compressor. The notes talk about the controls being "interactive" - like when you adjust your monitor's red, the blue changes also and when you adjust blue, green changes too. This is a recipe for frustration and after 4 hours I knocked it on the head and pointed it at a couple of Faust compressors and said "how about these" which it did perfectly on the first try. The tradeoff is that they take around half of the available instructions.

This made me realize how unique the FV-1 really is - it does some things really well, others not so much but kinda sorta. Given how much of my life I've devoted to it, it's hard for me to say bad things about it.
 
DL - what are the "S/O Clamp Tri", "S/O Clamp Sine", "S/O Range Tri" & "S/O Range Sine" blocks in the 'phaser-modulation-test.spcdj' patch? I seem unable to find them on the menu in the 1069 release. Are those just part of a special test?
 
A feature question:

Is it possible to integrate a simple Delay again ?

Sure it''s good to ave some very tricky delay modules, but I think for beginners (like me)
things would be easier if there were basic/tutorialType modules in each applicable categorie ..

Best regards
 
Cybercow said:
DL - what are the "S/O Clamp Tri", "S/O Clamp Sine", "S/O Range Tri" & "S/O Range Sine" blocks in the 'phaser-modulation-test.spcdj' patch? I seem unable to find them on the menu in the 1069 release. Are those just part of a special test?
Click to expand...
That was a patch that Claude created and he managed to give the blocks individual names, which is not generally possible directly in the program. S/O just means scale offset.

HarryR said:
A feature question:

Is it possible to integrate a simple Delay again ?

Sure it''s good to ave some very tricky delay modules, but I think for beginners (like me)
things would be easier if there were basic/tutorialType modules in each applicable categorie ..

Best regards
Click to expand...
Well, OK, in the meantime, there's the three-tap delay that I use even when I only need one delay. If I implement a single delay it's going to be that with the other two taps and control inputs missing.

Thx!

DL
 
Wow! All these changes and additions are definitely pumping new life into SpinCAD Designer. Loving the new features. So much more to explore, learn and play with.
 
I am trying to resist the urge to add more blocks in favor of documentation and actually trying out some of these new ones to make them usable. Please keep the comments coming, even if you are confused about something.

Thx,

DL
 
Sure thing DL. For one, can't get the Ambience block to produce an ambient-like effect. Sounds more like tiny tank. Do you have an example?
 
Cybercow said:
Sure thing DL. For one, can't get the Ambience block to produce an ambient-like effect. Sounds more like tiny tank. Do you have an example?
Click to expand...
Hello Cybercow,

This is a wrap of the Spin P16_V_Ambience_9_10.spn program which came from somewhere on their website but as I cannot figure out where, am just pasting it here. It's early reflections and I agree it doesn't sound like much. I'll take a look sometime to make sure I didn't screw it up somehow. Thanks!

OK I think I figured it out. This is one of those programs that uses a Pot to essentially switch between two settings, in other words, they're expecting you to connect a switch rather than a pot. By hooking up the time and tone controls and turning them both all the way up I get the barest hint of "early reflections". If you were expecting Chords of Orion ambience, that ain't happening here.

DL

;P16_V_Ambience, bright and dark, programs 9 and 10

;based on a mulitapped delay with exponential decay control, littered with AP filters

;memory declarations:

mem del 17000

mem ap 31
mem ap1 54
mem ap2 96
mem ap3 142
mem ap4 189

;declare register equates:

equ krt reg0
equ lf1 reg1
equ lf2 reg2
equ lf3 reg3
equ lf4 reg4
equ temp reg5

;declare constants:

equ kfl 0.3
equ kap 0.6

;clear read-first registers:

skp run,endclr
wrax lf1,0
wrax lf2,0
wrax lf3,0
wrax lf4,0
endclr:

;prepare krt:

rdax pot1,1
log 0.3,0
exp 0.3,0.5 ;ranges 0.5 to 0.8
wrax krt,0

;get inputs into delay, with an AP:

rdax adcl,0.25
rdax adcr,0.25
rda ap#,kap
wrap ap,-kap
wra del,0

;now install APs and filters into delay:

rda del+600,1
rda ap1#,kap
wrap ap1,-kap
wrax temp,-1
rdfx lf1,kfl
wrhx lf1,-1
mulx pot0
rdax temp,1
wra del+600,0

rda del+1000,-1
rda ap2#,-kap
wrap ap2,kap
wrax temp,-1
rdfx lf2,kfl
wrhx lf2,-1
mulx pot0
rdax temp,1
wra del+1000,0

rda del+1641,1
rda ap3#,kap
wrap ap3,-kap
wrax temp,-1
rdfx lf3,kfl
wrhx lf3,-1
mulx pot0
rdax temp,1
wra del+1641,0

rda del+2456,-1
rda ap4#,-kap
wrap ap4,kap
wrax temp,-1
rdfx lf4,kfl
wrhx lf4,-1
mulx pot0
rdax temp,1
wra del+2456,0

;now derive each output as a set of taps, exponentially varying in amplitude.
;space allows for 19 taps on each side. Remember, the Haas effect is at about 1000
;samples.

rda del+5500,1
mulx krt
rda del+5121,1
mulx krt
rda del+4912,1
mulx krt
rda del+4474,1
mulx krt
rda del+4267,1
mulx krt
rda del+3914,1
mulx krt
rda del+3587,1
mulx krt
rda del+3265,1
mulx krt
rda del+2954,1
mulx krt
rda del+2532,1
mulx krt
rda del+2262,1
mulx krt
rda del+1994,1
mulx krt
rda del+1712,1
mulx krt
rda del+1475,1
mulx krt
rda del+1159,1
mulx krt
rda del+746,1
mulx krt
rda del+652,1
mulx krt
rda del+351,1
mulx krt
rda del+187,1
sof 1.999,0
wrax dacl,0

rda del+5520,1
mulx krt
rda del+5129,1
mulx krt
rda del+4908,1
mulx krt
rda del+4460,1
mulx krt
rda del+4269,1
mulx krt
rda del+3914,1
mulx krt
rda del+3583,1
mulx krt
rda del+3265,1
mulx krt
rda del+2957,1
mulx krt
rda del+2522,1
mulx krt
rda del+2262,1
mulx krt
rda del+1999,1
mulx krt
rda del+1712,1
mulx krt
rda del+1473,1
mulx krt
rda del+1159,1
mulx krt
rda del+747,1
mulx krt
rda del+656,1
mulx krt
rda del+348,1
mulx krt
rda del+187,1
sof 1.999,0
wrax dacr,0
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Digital Larry said:
Hello Cybercow,

This is a wrap of the Spin P16_V_Ambience_9_10.spn program which came from somewhere on their website but as I cannot figure out where, am just pasting it here. It's early reflections and I agree it doesn't sound like much. I'll take a look sometime to make sure I didn't screw it up somehow. Thanks!

OK I think I figured it out. This is one of those programs that uses a Pot to essentially switch between two settings, in other words, they're expecting you to connect a switch rather than a pot. By hooking up the time and tone controls and turning them both all the way up I get the barest hint of "early reflections". If you were expecting Chords of Orion ambience, that ain't happening here.

DL
Click to expand...
Fair enough DL. Thanks! Now that I've futz'd with it more bit, I can hear what you described. I just had to adjust the Pots more to get the switching to actuate.
 
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Latest in the ongoing saga. https://github.com/HolyCityAudio/SpinCAD-Designer/releases/tag/0.99-1070

Check the release notes at the above link to see the changes.

@HarryR I added a Single Delay just for you.

Biggest change is I set up a new Gitbook site. https://holy-city-audio-1.gitbook.io/holy-city-audio

There's still a few rough edges here and there.

I realize this all would have been much more amazing 10 years ago!

Anyway, don't hesitate to ask questions or point out discrepancies. There's only so many times I can keep looking at it! 🤪

DL
 
DL - I've been watching your GitHub site and am quite impressed with how you've madly been going at it. Excellent work! Looking forward to toying with 1070.
 
As you may have picked up, I tend to enjoy "insane" patches more than stuff you could buy at the store.

I recently realized that I have had a bug "ever since" in the "Cube" distortion that turned it into a Wavefolder. For the next release, which will be "soon" (cough) I'll have an adjustment slider that lets it go from its original intent as a smooth clipper into the wavefolder territory.

I'm using the Oil Can Delay which syncs the modulation LFO to the delay rate so that the pitch wobbles pile on each other. There's a minor third pitch shift in the feedback loop, with enough gain to send it totally into overload, except I have tamed this with the Cubed and RMS limiter. This is my favorite application of the limiter, to put it in a delay feedback path and then slam it with gain that otherwise would melt your flippin' ears off. In the meantime, since "sharing is caring" I am exporting this as Spin ASM so you can all enjoy its glorious insanity.

Edit - I added a high pass (DC blocker) in the feedback path. Simulation showed it drifting away from center which can lock up the FV-1 if it goes too far. So that's another tip.

; Untitled
; Patch saved from SpinCAD Designer version 1071
; Pot 0: Delay time, smoothed for pitch bending.
; Pot 1:Modulation Width
; Pot 2: Feedback gain.
; Includes a minor third pitch shift in the feedback loop, along with the Cubed and RMS limiter to keep it
; from overloading even as you crank the gain. We are not remotely in Kansas anymore.
; ----------------------------
;------ Input
;------ Pot 0
;------ Pot 1
;------ Pot 2
;------ Bassman '59 EQ
;------ Parallel 1st-order sections (slider)
SOF 0.0000000000,0.0000000000
RDAX ADCL,1.0593456916
WRAX REG4,0.0000000000
RDAX ADCL,-0.4353668470
RDAX REG0,0.5996713924
WRAX REG0,1.0000000000
RDAX REG4,1.0000000000
WRAX REG4,0.0000000000
RDAX ADCL,-0.0035308171
RDAX REG1,0.9963241355
WRAX REG1,1.0000000000
RDAX REG4,1.0000000000
WRAX REG4,0.0000000000
RDAX ADCL,0.0308511664
RDAX REG2,0.9687968188
WRAX REG2,1.0000000000
RDAX REG4,1.0000000000
WRAX REG3,0.0000000000
;------ Feedback Output
;------ Cube gain
RDAX REG5,1.0000000000
WRAX REG6,-0.5553300000
MULX REG6
MULX REG6
RDAX REG6,1.0000000000
SOF 1.5000000000,0.0000000000
WRAX REG7,1.0000000000
;------ RMS_Limiter
WRAX REG8,1.0000000000
MULX REG8
RDFX REG9,0.0010000000
WRAX REG9,1.0000000000
LOG -0.5,-0.125
EXP 1.0,0.0
WRAX REG10,0.0000000000
RDAX REG7,1.0000000000
MULX REG10
WRAX REG11,0.0000000000
;------ VU Meter
;------ Smoother
RDAX POT0,1.0000000000
RDFX REG12,0.0012204860
WRAX REG12,0.0000000000
;------ Oil Can Delay
SKP RUN ,1
WLDS 0,20,32767
RDAX REG12,1.0000000000
RDFX REG16,0.0010000000
WRAX REG16,1.0000000000
SOF 0.8000000000,0.2000000000
WRAX REG17,1.0000000000
LOG -1.0,-0.16
EXP 1.0,0.0
SOF 0.1447500000,0.0000000000
WRAX SIN0_RATE,0.0000000000
RDAX REG11,1.0000000000
MULX POT2
RDAX REG3,1.0000000000
WRA 0,0.0
CHO RDAL,0
MULX POT1
SOF 0.0619903051,0.0000000000
MULX REG17
RDAX REG16,0.7474764756
SOF 1.0000000000,0.1868833761
SOF 0.5351257324,0.0000305176
WRAX ADDR_PTR,0.0000000000
RMPA 1.0
WRAX REG13,1.0000000000
RDFX REG15,0.4872919162
WRAX REG15,1.0000000000
WRAX REG14,0.0000000000
;------ Output
RDAX REG13,1.0000000000
RDAX ADCL,1.0000000000
WRAX DACL,1.0000000000
WRAX DACR,0.0000000000
;------ Pitch Shift 0
SKP RUN ,1
WLDR 0, 3099, 4096
LDAX REG13
WRA 17536,0.0
CHO RDA,2,REG | COMPC,17536
CHO RDA,2,0,17537
WRA 21633,0.0
CHO RDA,2,COMPC | RPTR2,17536
CHO RDA,2,RPTR2,17537
CHO SOF,2,COMPC | NA,0.0
CHO RDA,2,NA,21633
;------ LPF 1P
RDFX REG18,0.2620649479
WRAX REG18,1.0000000000
;------ HPF 1P
RDFX REG19,0.0150000000
WRAX REG19,-1.0000000000
RDAX REG18,1.0000000000
SOF 1.0400000000,0.0000000000
;------ FB In 1
WRAX REG5,0.0000000000
Click to expand...
 
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Cybercow said:
Considering the 'major' portion of SpinCAD Designer's version has been at 0.99 for all these years, one might imagine that a full 1.00 release is eminent. :unsure:
Click to expand...
Well ackshewally it was 0.98 until this recent burst, so I gotta let 0.99 simmer for a bit, plus for whatever reason, other than you and a handful of pplz there's not a heck of a lot of enthusiasm any more... either AI is doing it all for everyone or people figured out that even with assistance, working with DSP is less fun than grabbing the wrong end of a soldering iron and getting a 14 pin DIP wedged into your foot. I speak from experience, well sorta anyway...
 
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