Hi there! Maybe you're here courtesy of the very nice review in MusicRadar today. I thought the reviewer, Scot Solida, did a good job of presenting the mostly pros and few cons of Aalto.
Aalto Glitch Groove by ARTrythall
There's an ever-growing Soundcloud group full of Aalto sound examples, some from me and some from other Aaltophiles.
I'm currently working on the next release, 1.2, which will have major UI improvements, further optimizations, a brand new manual, and most importantly, a Windows VST version. 1.2 will be free for current customers. This release was planned for February and we are not far behind. Beta versions will go out soon. If you're interested in beta testing, stay tuned to this channel for updates.
Now and for a limited time after the 1.2 release, Aalto will come with a $99 discount on the Soundplane A, a new instrument for computer music we are developing. It's been a long time in coming but we are still actively working towards finished hardware.
That's all for now, keep in touch!
Hi there Randy,
Didn't read the musicradar review yet...
And thanks for the information about the next release...
I'm a windows user and have been waiting for Aalto to come out VST since last september...
I would love to do somme beta testing for Madrona...
I'll keep in touch
Thanks Vinz
I can't tell you how excited this makes me! I finally had the extra funds to shell out for Aalto about a month ago and the news of the Soundplane's impending release sparks another set of brain waves. Glad Aalto is getting press! Do we have a pretty big userbase by now?
Hey
Absolutely fantastic news. I have been using Aalto on a major game title (which i cannot disclose yet) but my only issues are really:
- I have a mac but i do all my music work on a PC
- GUI needs a major change, imo.
So im happy to see these things addressed. Let me know about the beta for windows...
sascha
www.sonicmayhem.com
Exciting news!
Hi all! There are around 200 Aalto users now (including all the press NFR copies). I guess this is not a "big" userbase, but to me it's a lot of people I want to make and improve tools for. And having the income means that I can spend a day a week on Soundplane again, and not do other consulting, which is huge.
Toksin, if you have any more specific feedback about GUI stuff, now's the time. What I'm doing is finishing all these visible changes so that the manual and demo movies will be useful on both platforms.
About the GUI, I can't be fussy because I haven't tried it yet, but I was wondering about the size of the window. Personally something around 1152 x 768 would probably hit the sweet spot. What is the current resolution?
Aalto is 800 by something. someday i would love to make it (and my whole framework) resolution-independent. Might take a stab at it for version 2.
Hi Randy,
Ill be glad to test the Windows VST version. Well the truth is I bought Aalto a couple of months ago in advance, just for supporting you, but since Im in PC land, still waiting to play it!! :O
please let me know!
@synthi Thanks for your vote of confidence. I will definitely post the beta announcement right here.
Hi Randy,
That 200 users is going to grow when the VST version gets out there. Congrats!
So... any news? can we expect it soon?
best regards
vinz
Hi Randy,
Do you have an estimation of when we can have a windows beta?
Thanks!
I'm working on it. As soon as possible. A very small number of weeks.
Great! can't wait!!!
Aalto is my favorite softsynth. It's one of the few AUs that holds its ground with my hardware (Eurorack modular, TR-909, Sidstation etc.) in a mix.
I still am concerned enough about its stability that I won't use it live, but that is a minor trade-off that I'm sure will be resolved as it iterates.
A great improvement to the GUI would be the ability to type in exact parameter numbers - for example it is difficult and annoying to try and get the oscillators to line up exactly in tune, as the values jump around when using the mouse. Often I just want to set the 2nd osc to 2.000 or w/e and leave it!
Anyway, keep up the good work, and please email me when v1.2 is ready.
PS: have you considered making a version of the Soundplane that sends CV/gate? There is a large community (such as http://www.muffwiggler.com/ ) of modular synth enthusiasts who use experimental controllers and might be interested - for example as an alternative to the expensive and hard to find French Connection ( http://www.analoguesystems.co.uk/Reviews/fconnection_review.htm ). A multi-CV/gate out Soundplane would be amazing. If you're interested, come talk to us in the Muff's general forum - as a prospective market, modular users spend a LOT of money and might have useful suggestions.
Yes!!!
multi CV-gate from the soundplane would be a dream. I think thats something to consider, I see you will have a ton of potential buyers in the analog modular community
We have kicked around a few product ideas for the post-Soundplane world; one of them is definitely some kind of Soundplane->CV converter.
Hear you about the Aalto GUI . Some changes are implemented for the next release that should make your life better.
If you have stability concerns please send me specific issues!
can't wait to hear the soundplane details: got the main page on rss now
Will there be VST for mac as well with v1.2?
Yes.
Hi Randy, any update on the win beta??
Thanks!