Venom Release Announcements: latest version 2.9.1

Announcements
21

Thanks Steve - coming from you (part of the MIndMeld team), that really means something.

Thanks!

Yes! That strongly resonates with the origin of this module. Many of the design decisions stem from my past endeavors to emulate various pieces of hardware, such as the Future Sound System OSC2 Recombination Engine, and the XAOC Sofia Transcendent Waveform Analog Oscillator. There were existing VCOs that could do much of what I wanted, except for some niggling details that prevented me from completely achieving my vision. I don’t think I invented any new concepts for VCO Lab, but I combined a bunch of basic concepts in a way that allows them all to be combined in ways that had never been possible before. I find great satisfaction in trying out various “what if…” scenarios that result in end product patches. But it is also great for prototyping ideas for other VCOs.

2 Likes
22

Some great sounds in there, great work Dave!

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23

An insane update Dave. VCO Lab is really amazing. I have also spent many hours with it. Also thanks for your Patch Bay modules. Al your modules are just cool. What I also love is the design of all the modules. I think that the eye also needs something. That has to be said.

1 Like
24

Thanks Lars. Your support always feels good.

Yes - thank you! I was worried people would be preoccupied with VCO Lab and overlook the Bay Modules. I should think anyone that uses Little Utils Teleport utilities would really appreciate the added features of my Bay Modules.

Thanks again! The visual design is important to me. Obviously I am a strong proponent of form from function. One of the things that fascinates me is the beauty and complexity of sounds that can be produced by carefully applying and mixing really basic concepts. So it is important for me that the visual design reinforces the underlying concepts. I know a number of developers start with rudimentary unlabeled faceplates and create a working module before worrying about visual design. But I typically spend hours sketching out faceplate design on paper before I write a single line of code. And then I create the nearly finished faceplate in InkScape before I write the code. Of course it evolves once I start writing code, but the end product still looks very similar to the initial design.

1 Like
25

oh, just curious. Is the LIN FM input FM or PM?

26

It is true through zero linear FM. By default the port is AC coupled (a high pass filter with a low cutoff is applied), so that modulation with DC offset can still give harmonious results. If you didn’t know this, you might think it is phase modulation when a constant voltage applied to the linear FM doesn’t have any effect. The port has a context menu option to make it DC coupled, at which point constant input indeed has an effect.

1 Like
27

I’m guessing that if one wants the “classic” PM sound, one can run an audio rate modulator into a phase input on VCO Lab?

28

Yep - You can get global PM via the “Mix” phase input. Or you can apply totally different PM to each of the individual wave forms via their own dedicated phase inputs. All inputs can be driven at audio rates, and all are fully polyphonic.

It can be fun and instructive to use VCO Lab to explore the similarities and differences between through zero linear FM and PM.

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for sure! sounds really cool. Certainly having VCO Lab would have made My doc about FM/PM a lot easier!

31

I played a bit with the beta of version 2.9 of the Venom modules

and here is a little demo patch:

thanks Dave, great job :+1:

4 Likes
32

Venom 2.9.0 has been submitted to the library. Should hit the library soon. Until then, the binaries are available at Release Release v2.9.0 ¡ DaveBenham/VenomModules ¡ GitHub

Thanks @Stephan for doing some beta testing and posting the video!

And new to Venom is a Donate link at PayPal.Me! Anything you can give is much appreciated and helpful. I would like to retire a few years early and devote all my time to music endeavors, but I need to establish some supplemental income before I can do that. If you can’t - no worries - It is more important to me that people enjoy and use the Venom plugin.

2.9.0 (2024-08-22) Summary of Changes

New Modules

v2.9 modules

  • Benjolin Gates Expander documentation here - Adds additional gates/triggers derived from the Rungler shift register. Very similar to the After Later Audio Morcom or Music Thing Pulses, but with more options.

  • Benjolin Volts Expander documentation here - Adds additional channels derived from the Rungler shift register. Very similar to the After Later Audio Enigma or Music Thing Volts, but with more options.

  • Thru documentation here - A simple utility module with 5 input/output pairs for 5 compact unity mixers via stackable inputs and/or introduction of sample delays

Enhancements

  • All Venom modules with expanders
    • Added context menu options to add expanders
  • Mixers
    • Added an extra clipping mode for saturation limiting at +/- 6V
  • Benjolin Oscillator
    • Detune VCO 1 a tiny bit so PWM is not flat at initiation
    • Add context menu option for unipolar clock input
  • VCO Lab
    • Added shape mode options to Sin, Tri, and Saw waveforms
    • Rearranged faceplate to be more logical
    • Changed Sin, Tri, and Saw shape CV so 10 VPP covers full range, with option for old behavior

Bug Fix

  • VCO Lab
    • Fix Polyphonic CV level when level input is monophonic

Definitely try out the new VCO Lab shape options for the sine, triangle, and saw waveforms. It creates even more opportunity for creative modulation and sound design.

Here is a demo patch that features the new Benjolin Oscillator Volts and Gates expanders. They generate a beautiful, constantly shifting 4 part autogenerative melody and rhythm that is voiced by the polyphonic VCO Lab. I take advantage of the new Normalized Rectify shaping option for the sine, coupled with phase modulation to create some brass like tones. The Normalized Rectify option constantly adjusts the scale and offset to preserve an approximate +/- 5V bipolar output as the rectify offset is modulated.

Benjolin Sequencer Demo.vcv (6.1 KB)

18 Likes
33

Great stuff Dave, and great patch!

1 Like
34

Huzzah - v2.9.0 hit the library this morning!

10 Likes
35

possible bug? i’m on linux kubuntu studio 24.04 and use rack 2.5.2. yesterday i detected that deleting marked modules in my patch that include bayout do crash rack. i have to disconnect the bayout from connected modules or bayin. is this intentional, or a bug? i can send the log.txt, if you want. cheers karl

36

Ouch, that sounds like an ugly bug. Yes, the log file might help.

I don’t fully understand your description of the conditions that cause or prevent the bug. Suppose modules A, B, C are patched to BayIn, and X, Y, Z are patched to the corresponding BayOut. Deletion of which modules would cause the crash? And what action prevents the crash?

Thanks

37

yes that is correct. i have to unconnect bayin to bayout and the connected module. today evening i can post the log.

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here is the logfile. hope it helps. cheers Karl

[12.314 fatal adapters/standalone.cpp:49 fatalSignalHandler] Fatal signal 11. Stack trace:
18: /home/held/Downloads/Rack2Free/Rack() [0x40435d]
17: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x45320)
16: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x188f70)
15: ./libRack.so(std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> >::_M_assign(std::__cxx11::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>, std::allocator<char> > const&)+0x52)
14: /home/held/.local/share/Rack2/plugins-lin-x64/Venom/plugin.so(BayOutputModuleWidget::step()+0x5c)
13: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
12: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
11: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
10: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
9: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
8: ./libRack.so(rack::ui::ScrollWidget::step()+0x13)
7: ./libRack.so(rack::app::RackScrollWidget::step()+0x36f)
6: ./libRack.so(rack::widget::Widget::step()+0x36)
5: ./libRack.so(rack::window::Window::step()+0x591)
4: ./libRack.so(rack::window::Window::run()+0x28)
3: /home/held/Downloads/Rack2Free/Rack(main+0xe7d)
2: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x2a1ca)
1: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0x8b)
0: /home/held/Downloads/Rack2Free/Rack() [0x404289]
39

@DaveVenom Your new Benjolin Expanders are an absolutely great addition to the Venom plugin! I started to try them out, and could not stop anymore to experiment with all the opportunities they provide for random pitch, modulation and gate/trigger generation. Together with the Benjolin Oscillator itself, the expanders deliver so much that I wasn’t even trying the new extensions of VCO Lab yet. That’s something I must do soon. Thank you for your fantastic work!

Here is a recording of the running patch and the patch itself that came out of my experiments:

12 Likes
40

Holy cow! That is most epic!

Can you post the patch itself? And your video deserves to be a full embedded player here, not just a link. It is a great demo for the Benjolin Oscillator and expanders!

3 Likes
41

Thank you for the epic expanders! :slight_smile: The patch is linked above in my earlier post and in the video description now.

1 Like