Module concetps borrowed from modular analog synthesis

[nsputnik]

Hi Eric. Great app! Will buy for sure!

Were you inspired by Quartz Composer in designing your interface? When I see it I think of modular analog synthesizers. There are a lot of concepts you can borrow from that world. Here are a few that come to mind.

Logic controls:

• Inverter
  Delay
  Comparitor
  on/off

LFOs
I know you have Sine and Triangle waveforms in the Geometry and Transform modules modules but if you had LFOs in their own modules you could have one feeding multiple other modules at once so that things could modulate in synch with each other. You would also have the option to select additional waveforms like square, ramp up, ramp down, random. If you do make this, you might want to change the existing feature you call waveform to something like audio oscilloscope which is more accurate.

Events
Events can be seen by the system just as audio pulses that trigger all of the destinations. They should be as short as possible so they can then be shaped with envelopes. Events occur in time. Each events has a value.

Envelopes
Can be ADSR or maybe just AR or one of each. The sequencer can feed into the envelope which generate values over time. Envelopes can have a positive value, positive and negative, or a checkbox that makes it negative, otherwise it is positive. This values would feed any of the existing modules.

Simple event sequencer
It would sequence events in time in a grid with could be 4, 8, 16, 32, or maybe just any number of notes. Each note would have, instead of pitch, a number value. This feeds into other modules to modulate values. Multiple sequencers can be synched to each other. One sequencer will be the master and the rest will be slaved to it. Maybe they could be meta and sequencers can start and stop other sequencers (what another requester called a timeline).

Clock/Tempo module (I know this is a duplicate request)
The Master clock with, manual control, tap tempo, or control from frequency range feature. Existing module (axis, RGB, etc) can receive clock for their rate instead of the existing Sine Oscillator and Triangle Oscillator rate control.

Clock Divider
can feed other sequencers to make them play at a scale relative to the master tempo.

Event generator receiving input from audio
So instead of a constant audio waveform feeding a value you could use the frequency range feature, put a audio gate on it and a release value. This in turn can feed an envelope when then modulates an existing module (axis, RGB, etc).

Scene Switcher ability receive switching signals from the event sequencer described above.

Check out this manual for the Nord Modular Synthesizer which lays out details of all of its modules as well as some concepts.
http://www.nordkeyboards.com/sites/defa ... %203.0.pdf

Here are some non modular synth features it seems the app should have:

• Scene Mixer with alpha control (I know others have requested it already)
  Scene Transition control (dissolve, wipe, shutter, etc, I see it is already on your list of complied feature requests)
  Select GLSL shaders from a drop down instead of a file dialog box

Color pallet management
I don't know if there is an open standard for color pallet files but if there is Magic can import them. In addition, maybe a standard color swatch picker that would auto set the hue, saturation, and brightness.

[Magic]

Hi Eric. Great app! Will buy for sure!

Thanks!

Were you inspired by Quartz Composer in designing your interface?

Actually my original inspiration was from the real world: looking at how my electric guitar went through several effects pedals before getting to the amplifier. I wanted to apply that concept to video instead of audio.

But as far as the interface itself, I think I was inspired by Microsoft's GraphEdit (a fairly old program -- maybe 20 years old): https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms787460.aspx. To be honest I can't remember exactly though.

When I see it I think of modular analog synthesizers. There are a lot of concepts you can borrow from that world. Here are a few that come to mind.

Cool, thanks for all those comments. Actually a few of the things you suggested are in there already, and more are coming soon. And I do know there's lots of room for better parameter control as you described (more LFOs, envelopes, etc.).

if you had LFOs in their own modules you could have one feeding multiple other modules at once so that things could modulate in synch with each other

Well, the current Magic concept is that a module's function is to create or modify graphics/video. Thus, a module whose sole purpose is to generate an LFO wouldn't fit into that concept. The reason I need to be strict with this is because there are already several other modular apps which are more complicated (and more expensive) than Magic, and I want Magic to do one thing and do it well (and cost-effectively).

That being said though, I do have plans to allow for something like "global variables" (which I described a bit in this post: http://magicmusicvisuals.com/forums/vie ... rt=20#p720), that would allow any number of parameters to be controlled by the same source.

For now I'm hoping people will be able to achieve a decent level of control by using external MIDI software/hardware.

In addition, maybe a standard color swatch picker that would auto set the hue, saturation, and brightness.

Yeah I definitely need to add a color picker! Thanks.

[blackdot]

For now I'm hoping people will be able to achieve a decent level of control by using external MIDI software/hardware.

midi contolling the modifiers themselves would help greatly in that direction.

Delay and other logic stuff would be awesome.

[Magic]

When you say delay, do you mean a modifier that simply delays the parameter value? Which would be useful for the Beat Clock, I assume?

[blackdot]

i imagine that simething like a "cooldown" period. If the value hits 1 it then goes back to 0 and doesnt respond before the cooldown period is over. That would probably need 3 values: threshold for the cooldown to be triggered, duration if the cooldown and speed to go to 0 after triggering.

[Magic]

Hmm, ok. I think something like that is possible, but not with 3 values (in the current design). Let me think about it a bit.