Summer Sale, June 2021

Wed, 2 Jun 2021

KarmaFX is in a good mood and will be kicking off an early pre Summer-Sale this year! Starting today, KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 is on sale for at least one month. This discount is also offered to version 1.x users on top of their already discounted upgrade price. Upgrade offers will lapse on July 1st, so this is a great opportunity for 1.x users to get that upgrade. Also, version 2.01 is in the works and coming soon, featuring MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) and more! So get cooking in the studio and start hooking up those wires.

Check out the KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 announcement video here, read more about it here and get it here.


KarmaFX Plugin Pack 2.3 Update

Tue, 20 Apr 2021

KarmaFX Plugin Pack has been updated to version 2.3. Changes include minor fixes. See full changelog below. Special thanks to the bug-reporters!

KarmaFX Plugin Pack 2.3 Changelog.
  • Bugfix: Knobs and sliders did not respond to mousewheel events. Fixed. (Thanks Paul!)
  • Bugfix: Plugins would fail to load under Windows XP due to msvcrt90.dll dependency. Fixed. (Thanks Steve!)
  • KarmaFX Reverb's main presets are now in stereo mode by default.
  • VST 2 getPlugCategory now reports plug-Category:"Effect".
  • VST 2 getVendorVersion now reports version.
  • All plugin .dll's are now codesigned by KarmaFX.

KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 Update

Wed, 10 Mar 2021

KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 has been updated to build 283. Changes include a critical bugfix for Mac/OSX 11 Big Sur, as well as some minor fixes. See full changelog below. Version has been bumped, so update will download automatically. Special thanks to the bug-reporters!

KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 Build 283 Changelog.
  • Bugfix: Mac/OSX synth would show empty UI on OSX 11.2.2 Big Sur in certain DAWs due to colorspace creation fail. Fixed. (Thanks Ingo!)
  • Bugfix: Mac/OSX synth could load old patches with an invalid zero-length bankname. Fixed. (Thanks Shane!)
  • Bugfix: Synth could crash when trying to recreate a missing patchbank index file. Fixed. (Thanks Shane!)
  • Bugfix: Sampler in loop-mode with trigger disabled would not play on transport change. Fixed to retrigger when in loop mode. (Thanks Ufo!)
  • Bugfix: Pingpong looping in Sampler would start out in backwards direction. Fixed to forward direction on (re)trigger.

Season Sale, Spring 2021

Mon, 15 Feb 2021

While 2021 brought new hope and a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, it also brought more lock-downs and self-isolation. Therefore, to keep our spirits up, KarmaFX will kick off a Spring Season Sale! KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 is on sale for at least one month. This discount is also offered to version 1.x users on top of their already discounted upgrade price.

Check out the KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 announcement video here: https://youtu.be/9cdw8GLG6qg, read more about it here and get it here.
Take care, stay-safe and keep self-oscillating.


KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 Update

Fri, 5 Feb 2021

KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 has been updated to build 280. Changes include two critical bugfixes as well as some minor fixes. See full changelog below. Version has been bumped, so update will download automatically. Special thanks to the bug-reporters!

KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 Build 280 Changelog.
  • Bugfix: 64 bit Synth would crash on AMD Phenom II processor due to SSSE3 PSHUFB instruction. Fixed by rewriting to SSE2 assembly. (Thanks Claudius!)
  • Bugfix: Synth could hang in Tracktion pluginval validation for all samplerates above 44.1kHz. Fixed. (Thanks Dan!)
  • Bugfix: Distortion module could overflow in "Hardfuzz" mode. Fixed. (Thanks Rick!)
  • Bugfix: Sampler looping in Backwards mode would play outside loop area. Fixed. (Thanks Ufo!)
  • Bugfix: Sampler would not show Start and End loop points when in Loop-mode. Fixed. (Thanks Johnny!)

Naeleck Remix Contest!

Tue, 29 Dec 2020

KarmaFX is proudly sponsoring NAELECK REMIX CONTEST. Lots of cool prizes, including KarmaFX Synth Modular 2, and a chance to release on Dancing Dead Records!

Metapop, Artists & Relations, Dancing Dead Records and Naeleck bring you a NEW awesome remix contest:

“ Welcome to the official remix competition for Naeleck and Hige Driver's "Virtual Gaming". With over a million monthly listeners on Spotify and billions of views on his GIF stickers Naeleck is blending the border between music, fiction and gaming. His latest track with Tokyo's Hige Driver combines their sounds to create a bass-heavy upfront track with complextro elements and chiptune style sounds over some massive drops and breaks. Check the video here if you dare. ”

Competition ends on January 28, 2021. All genres are welcome. Click to learn more, see all the cool prizes and help spread the word: http://bit.ly/naeleckremixcontest

X-Mas Sale 2020

Sat, 5 Dec 2020

December! Last month of the year. And what a year! Many people can't wait to put 2020 behind them and look forward to what 2021 has in store. Still, like every X-mas, even in times of struggle, it's important to remember to spread the love and be thankful and appreciative for what you have. At KarmaFX we want to help spread the love for music, sound and synthesis, by kicking off the annual X-mas sale, running from December 5th to January 5th. KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 is 40% off as of today, available as VST and AU for PC and Mac.

KarmaFX Synth Modular, our award winning Modular Synth, has for many years been used by producers all around the world, and featured in music magazines so many times that we lost count. This year, with the launch of version 2, it got even better, with a long list of new features and tweaks, new modules, new patches, and improved sound! The UI was reworked with a set of brand new skins, in part beautifully designed and produced by Voger Design. The synth offers oscilloscopes for every module, and thus unique visual feedback to keep you in control at all times, and with the new UI redesign, these are now easier to see and operate. It supports high quality scaling and hence is crisp and clear, even on Hi-DPI and Retina monitors. Finally, modulation of every knob is now shown graphically, and usability has been improved, so connecting modules is now easier than ever.

So light up the fireplace, serve yourself some hot cocoa, crank up the speakers, and let the sweet and magical, modular waves of sound flow through your ears and veins. Check out the announcement video here: https://youtu.be/9cdw8GLG6qg, and get it here: https://karmafx.net/buy. KarmaFX wishes everyone a Merry X-mas, a Happy Holiday and an Absolute Blasting Modular New Year 2021! Peace!

KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 Black Friday Sale!

Fri, 20 Nov 2020

This year is coming to an end, Thanksgiving and the holiday season is nearing and with that: Black Friday! And thanks for that. In these tough times we need something to cheer us up. At KarmaFX we want to help by kicking off a Black Friday Sale that lasts all week, starting today, Friday 20th to Sunday 29th.

KarmaFX Synth offers a fresh take on Subtractive synthesis with true Through-Zero-Frequency, Bandlimited Oscillators with Pulse-Width, Phase and Frequency Modulation, and an exclusive Synced Exponential FM mode with a unique sound. It also features Multi-Sample-, Additive-Wavetable-, and Granular- Synthesis, not to mention its great collection of Virtual Analog Multi-Mode Filters, Parametric Filters, Graphical Equalizers, and a wide range of effects: Distortion, Delay, Chorus/Flange, Reverb, Folder, Phaser, Limiter, Maximizer, Single and Multi-Band compression.

Through true audio-rate modulation, any knob can be modulated by any modulation source, giving you full modulation control using LFOs, ADSRs, HFOs, Step sequencers, Envelopes or even audio modules or external inputs. All signals in KarmaFX Synth are shown visually for every module in its slick UI, making it not just easier and more intuitive to work with, but also an excellent learning tool. It is available as VST and AU for PC and Mac, can operate both as a Synth and as an Effect, and supports Sub-Patches, meaning that the number of simultaneously running modules supported per patch is practically unlimited. So what are you waiting for? Wire up, pluck in, power on and go modular!

Check out the announcement video: https://youtu.be/9cdw8GLG6qg, and get it here: https://karmafx.net/buy

Season Sale 2020

Wed, 1 Oct 2020

What strange times we live in. This year we managed to release our finest product so far: KarmaFX Synth Modular 2. We are very happy with that, yet we also realize that times are tough and people are struggling, all around the world. Therefore, from October 1st, KarmaFX will kick off a Season Sale. This discount is also offered to version 1.x users on top of their already discounted upgrade price. In addition, the version 2 upgrade period is extended until Summer, July 1st, 2021. Hopefully these initiatives will spread a bit of comfort during these tough times. Please don't forget to self-oscillate, take care and stay safe!
Check out the KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 announcement video here: https://youtu.be/9cdw8GLG6qg, read more about it here and get it here.
EDIT: Sale ended 11-08-2020.


KarmaFX Frequency Modulation paper published at DAFx2020!

Tue, 7 Sep 2020

A recent paper by KarmaFX on "Practical Linear And Exponential Frequency Modulation For Digital Music Synthesis" was accepted for publication at DAFx2020. It takes a deep dive into Frequency Modulation, covering both Linear and Exponential variants as well as Phase Modulation, discussing their pros and cons. It also explains the importance of Through-Zero FM, and present analytic expressions for correct tuning of Exponential FM. An FM technique featured in the new KarmaFX Synth Modular 2! It will be presented on 10/9-2020 in the Synthesis Session live-stream at eDAFx2020 chaired by Peter Balazs.

Abstract:
“ This paper explores Frequency Modulation (FM) for use in music synthesis. We take an in-depth look at Linear FM, Linear-Through-Zero FM, Phase Modulation (PM) and Exponential FM, and discuss their pros and cons for sound synthesis in a digital system. In the process we derive some useful formulas and discuss their implementation details. In particular we derive analytic expressions for DC correcting Exponential FM, and make it match the modulation depth of Linear FM. Finally, we review practical antialiasing solutions. ”

Winner of the Best Independent Paper Award eDAFx 2020!
Download here.

KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 released!

Tue, 30 Jun 2020

Major product announcement: KarmaFX is releasing KarmaFX Synth Modular 2!
Out now for both PC and Mac.

After years of development, KarmaFX Synth Modular has been given a major upgrade: Lots of new modules and enhancements, improved sound, a redesigned user-interface, brand new skins, and a truckload of new patches!

For registered users of KarmaFX Synth Modular 1.x, this is a paid upgrade. However, there is an exclusive upgrade-offer sent out via e-mail. This discount lasts for a limited-time only, so don't miss out on this opportunity. Get it now! Go here to buy.

We hope that you will welcome this new product to the KarmaFX plugin family, and can't wait to hear all the new and cool sounds you squeeze out of it! Check out what's new in version 2 and dig into the full changelog below.

Please be sure to uninstall version 1 before before installing version 2. More info in the FAQ.

What's new in KarmaFX Synth Modular 2.
  • New skins have been added that support HiDPI and Retina scaling + 20% larger GUI overall, knob-modulation-meters, drop-shadows, glowing displays, gradient curves, semi-transparent menus and motion-blurred trail markers.
  • A new Patch Browser has been added, which allows for quick browsing of banks as well as patches, and also offers keyboard browsing and search filtering.
  • Modules can now be connected using a simple one-click mouse-action + connections now highlight while hovering in connect mode.
  • New Subpatch modules that allow for nested generator- and effect-patches to exist and work within other patches.
  • A new Granular module has been added for sample-based granular synthesis, with variable grain size and rate.
  • New Effect modules: A Folder module for classic wavefolding through 0Hz Frequency Modulation, a SoftClip module for variable softclipping, a Repeater module for beat-synced repeated delay, a Limiter module for soft-knee peak limiting, and MultiComp: A 3 band multiband soft-knee compressor.
  • New Controller modules and enhancements: A Scope module: a synced oscilloscope, frequency and phase analyzer of up to two separate input/control signals, Phase module for direct control over the phase control signal, and a Keyboard module for easy viewing and triggering of MIDI input. Unison now offers Phase Detune and more modes, and Pattern module has been updated with Steptime, Velocity and Min/Max Note range-settings. Notepitch & Pattern modules can now be detuned from Concert Pitch (A=440Hz).
  • New Amplifier modules: An Inverter for audio and modulation inversion + a Mid/Side module for mono/stereo separation.
  • Filters and been reworked in part to be virtual analog. Three new filters have been added: The SVF2, the SKF (Sallen-Key Filter) and the Moog2, plus all Resonant Multimode filters now have Saturation and Drive controls, and all parameter settings are now retained when switching between filters.
  • An Exponential Tuning of Filter-Cutoffs has been added, giving better control over both high and low- filter frequencies. A Resonance tuning option has been added, featuring a flat Digital response and a simulated Analog response that attenuates resonance at low frequencies. The Filters Keyboard Tracking Base Key is now also adjustable.
  • New Modulator modules: A Shaper module for custom waveshaping and a Control module that exposes the internal control signals. LFO now supports optional Random Poly Phase Reset and Keyboard Tracking.
  • All Generators now support Through-Zero frequency, meaning that they accept negative frequencies that generate output in reverse phase. An extra Phase Control Signal has been added to complement the existing Frequency, Trigger, and Note Control Signals. The FM module has been reworked to support Linear FM and Exponential FM, both with Through-Zero support, as well as Phase Modulation. The module now also features an Exponential Sync option, so Exponential FM is kept in-tune.
  • Control Signals can now be 16x oversampled in a new High Quality (HQ) mode, forcing generators to run oversampled internally. Essential for high quality FM/PM.
  • An Expression option has been added to knobs that typically need performance tuning. Optionally responds to Mod.Wheel, Aftertouch and Velocity inputs.
  • The right click menu now offers an Auto Arrange option that neatly re-orders modules, and a Remove Unused option that deletes disabled or disconnected modules from the patch. A Swap menu option now also quickly swaps modules backwards and forwards in the signal chain. Finally, Insert offers a quick menu-based way to wire a specific module in front of another module.
  • Many parameters now have extra Range Menu Options added to their right click menu, allowing more fine-grained control over, e.g., Attack, Decay, and Release time-ranges in all envelopes, all Portamento time ranges, Modulation Index ranges, Delay Finetune ranges, LFO rates, Chorus Depth ranges, etc.
  • Control Panel automation controls Min- and Max-values can now be macro programmed, to limit parameter values to user-defined ranges.
  • A new set of patch banks have been added. New patch banks can now also be downloaded and installed instantly from within the synth using the Bank Install menu. Patch banks can now be loaded in read-only mode, while compressed on disk.
  • All panning operations are now constant powered, -3dB.
  • VST 2.4+ support on PC/Windows + Audio Unit and VST 2.4+ (64 bit only) support on Mac/OSX!
  • Version 2 is backwards compatible with version 1.x, meaning that all existing patches and patch-banks will load in version 2.
  • These additions are just the most prominent features. Please refer to the 120+ page manual or the full version 2 changelog below for more technical details.
KarmaFX Synth Modular 2 Full Changelog.
  • Added Granular Module with Size, Rate, Shape and Speed + modulatable Position, Frequency, Pan and Stereo parameters with Diffusion option.
  • Added Inverter Module with amp, polarity, mod and (DC) offset parameters, for Amplitude Modulation and inverting/offsetting control signals.
  • Reworked all filters to support Exponential frequency tuning. Parabolic Cutoff is still available for getting "Classic" response and reaching ~0Hz.
  • Added optional Cutoff Resonance Curve to mimic analog resonance behaviour compared to default Constant Q.
  • Added new State Variable filter (SVF2) based on ZDF virtual analog design.
  • Added Keyboard controller module for easy view and triggering of MIDI input, with pitchbend and modwheel parameters.
  • Added new resonant multimode Sallen-Key filter (SKF).
  • Added SubPatch modules that allow for 2 levels of nested patches to exist and work within other patches.
  • Added new resonant Moog2 virtual analog filter that is 2/4 pole, compared to the "classic" Moog 4/8 pole design.
  • Reworked and renamed 303Like filter to "Acid". Double-sampled. Corrected tuning of cutoff/resonance.
  • Rewrote Zolzer filter. Improved input ramping and double-sampled.
  • Rewrote classic Moog filter. Improved input ramping and dynamic range. Improved tuning of cutoff/resonance.
  • Added optional Saturation and Drive to all Resonant filters.
  • Switching between Resonant Multimode Filters (SVF, Zolzer, Moog, etc.) now retain parameter settings, modulators and control mappings.
  • Added Folder Module that supports wavefolding (0Hz FM) with Soft/Hard and HQ antialiasing option.
  • Added Repeater module that repeats input at a time-interval with delta, amount control and optional beat-sync.
  • All Generators now support Linear-Through-Zero, and hence a 180 degree phase flip at negative frequencies.
  • All Generators now support Frequency and Phase Modulation (FM/PM) with optional oversampling.
  • Frequency control signal is now kept non-clipped until oscillator stage, to support negative frequencies.
  • Added internal phase signal, to support native PM in all modules.
  • Added internal oversampling of frequency control signal to support high frequency FM and PM.
  • Added AntiPhase option to Delay module, which causes antiphase stereo effect based on finetune setting.
  • Delay Module's finetune range is now based on ±1/8th of a beat. Added range scale option of 1/8, 2/8, 4/8 and 8/8.
  • Added Phase Modulation (PM), exponential FM (FMExp) and Linear-Through-Zero FM (FMLTZ) option to FM Module. Default is Linear (FMLin with LTZ).
  • Added MultiComp module: 3x Multi Band Compressor and Equalizer with separate Compress, Bypass, Mute and Solo options.
  • Added Limiter module: A simple peak limiter with zero lookahead + optional stereo link and soft knee option.
  • Added Mid/Side Amplifier Module for separation of stereo Mid signal and Side signal.
  • Reworked HardSynced Sine in Osc2 module.
  • Added Mod.Polarity option to FM module to support smooth transition between Bipolar and Unipolar FM.
  • Extended FM Ratio, and modulation index range to support a wider variety of sounds. Default Mod.Index range is now 4.
  • Added Phase Init option to FM module, to reinit phase on note-on signal.
  • Added Expression option to selected knobs, for easy control of Mod.Wheel, Aftertouch and Velocity sensitivity.
  • Added Control Modulator module, which can output the internal frequency, phase, trigger and note control signals, optionally scaled, biased and inverted.
  • Added Shaper Modulator module which shapes the input according to a custom waveshaping function. (Thanks Ortseam!)
  • Added SoftClip effect-module which soft-saturates the input signal, with Trim, Threshold, Soft, Gain parameters.
  • Added Min/Max Key Range option to Pattern module.
  • When hooking up a module and input is stereo, module will now also switch to stereo.
  • Added HQ antialiasing (oversampling) option to Frequency module and Negate option for negative frequencies.
  • Added new Phase Module to complement the Frequency module.
  • Added anisotropic two-level period-wave filtering to Additive module.
  • Reworked Lanzcos-style Sigma smoothing in Additive module (for improved Gibbs reduction).
  • For extra crispness, Additive and Pad module now generates twice the harmonics for waveforms with max (1024) harmonics.
  • Changing Sustain in ADSR would not update until next note trigger. Fixed.
  • Added Scope module, a long range frequency / tempo synced oscilloscope / vectorscope, that can show up to two overlayed waveforms in mono and stereo.
  • Added fixed 256 samples latency, so synth for consistency always works on blocks of 256 samples. Added latency compensation to VST/AU plugins.
  • To avoid clicks, main volume is now ramped when switching patches.
  • Completely rewrote MIDI event processing to support new latency compensation.
  • Reworked oscillator Pulsewidth ranges for improved PWM.
  • Trigger is now ignored in chained NotePitch controllers.
  • Loading of samples (in Sampler etc.) with more channels than 2 is now handled gracefully.
  • Internal Pan function is now constant powered, -3dB, rescaled by 1.0/0.707.
  • Reworked Chorus. Added internal LFO with rate and amount knobs. Added depth range-menu and set default to 50ms.
  • Default Pitchbend (fine)tune range is now set to 4 semitones in NotePitch module.
  • Notepitch Porta mode is now set to Auto mode by default.
  • Noise module now supports FM/PM + Added oversampling and filter ramping.
  • Changed default ADSR Attack mode to be non-"Analog", since this is better for polyphonic patches.
  • Added range scaling option to Attack, Decay and Release parameters in ADSR envelope from 10 ms to 10000ms.
  • Added range scaling option to Attack and Release is Compressor, MultiComp, Limiter and EnvFollow.
  • Pattern and Step modules now feature 40+ pattern presets, accesible through the pattern/step display's right click menu.
  • Added "Sustain" option to pattern module, that will slide long notes instead of (re)triggering.
  • Added Pattern "Record" option that records MIDI note, velocity and timing inputs.
  • "Auto Porta" now correctly slides on long notes in NotePattern module.
  • Added a Porta speed-scale option of 1x (default), 2x, 4x and 8x to all porta knobs.
  • Added volume and pan controls to Input module and the ability to manually switch between stereo and mono.
  • Added Headroom setting to volume knob in Output module of 85% (-16.5dB, default), 50% (-12dB), 25% (-6dB) and 0% (-0dB).
  • The PanSpread Low and Freq knobs have swapped place + added Mode parameter to switch between Mix (default), Low and Hi output.
  • Rewrote Beat/Tempo-sync in LFO and S&H to support non-power-of-two based sync.
  • Added Invert option to MidiData module. (Thanks Ortseam!)
  • Added "Tempo Sync" option to Duration knob in (flexible) Envelope module, which will sync envelope duration to the current tempo from 1/16x to 16x.
  • All internal modules are now cache-line aligned in memory
  • All randomness in Pad module and free running oscillators is now pseudo random for deterministic output.
  • NotePattern module now reverts to last held note when releasing more than one held note in off-arp modes.
  • Added min/max range parameter knobs to NotePattern module that clamps Arp notes to given midi note range.
  • Added "Random Poly Phase" option to Phase knob in LFO, HFO, Osc1 and Osc2 modules. Enables random phase init in polyphonic voices.
  • Added adjustable Kybd Trk parameter to LFO module.
  • Added Ratio Scale option to HFO module.
  • Added Kybd Trk "Base Key" setting (Key and Octave) for all Kybd knobs in LFO, Parametric and all Resonant filters.
  • Reworked Kybd Tracking in Parametric filter.
  • Changed Ramp-down time in Pad module to have a longer ramp-down in non-polyphonic mode. Ramp-up is unaltered.
  • Reworked Trigger-ramp in Osc1 and Osc2.
  • Reworked ADSR. Would restart inconsistently in Linear/Hermite mode with Analog Attack.
  • Added "Declick Ramp" parameter setting to ADSR Attack.
  • Unrolled and inlined ADSR envelope.
  • Removed Preset dropdown menu from EQ10 and added them as Module Presets instead.
  • Reworked loading of patches from saved storage, so loaded patch will not reset if a patch-bank is non-existing.
  • Reworked version check to also check Sub-version, allowing for automatic check and download of smaller updates.
  • Reworked Unison. Added "Constant Power" option to Voices parameter (ON by default) + Added rangescale settings to Detune and Vol. (Thanks Nervus)
  • Added new Unison modes: "Mirror", Octave modes: "Oct1x", "Oct2x", "Oct3x", and Perfect Fifth: "P5", "P5.Oct1x", "P5.Oct2x".
  • Added "Phase Detune" parameter to Unison Module and LEDs to switch between "Detune Frequency" (old) and "Phase Detune" (new).
  • Unrolled internals in Unison.
  • Added Tuning option to Note parameter in NotePitch and Pattern modules, to retune to other frequencies than Concert Pitch A=440Hz.
  • Added "Declick Ramp" parameter setting to Amplifier Amp knob.
  • Pattern now overrides control signal when chained + Added polyphonic support, so a pattern->notepitch chain works as expected in poly mode.
  • Pattern module now responds to MIDI input velocity.
  • Added Steptime and Velocity knobs to Pattern module's Range settings + Pattern module "Steps" parameter is now modulatable.
  • Added Constant Power option to Amount knob in Chorus module. (OFF by default).
  • Reworked pattern presets and Reset option in Step/Pattern modules, so it always generates steps in basekey C.
  • Changed Basenote range to be two full octaves: -12 to +12 semitones in NotePitch and Pattern modules.
  • Increased Pattern "Arp" octave range from 4 to 8.
  • Reworked handling of midi note-off for non-pressed keys in Amplifier module. Now silently ignored.
  • GUI: Changed GUI button-up behaviour on switchcontrols to only trigger when mouse captured via button-down.
  • GUI: Overall GUI improvements to support larger modules: Support for CellSize, SetKnobSpacing, SetSwitchSpacing, SetComboSpacing and SetTextProps added to resource script.
  • GUI: GUI eye-candy: Waveform additive blend and transparent menus. Added SetWaveDisplayPost and PopupMenu parameters to resource script.
  • GUI: Notes in pattern and step modules now light up in UI when triggered.
  • GUI: Default resolution changed to 1500 x 1000 on PC and 1500 x 750 on Mac.
  • GUI: Added skin support for module drop shadows with adjustable radius and opacity. Added DropShadow parameter to resource script.
  • GUI: Added support for gradient drawing to envelopes and frequency displays. Added GradientLines parameter to resource script.
  • GUI: Sample and envelope position markers can now be drawn with motion blur. Added TrailMarker parameter to resource script.
  • GUI: Optimizations. SSE optimized and loop-unrolled all non-transparent, transparent, and add/saturate blend pixel operations.
  • GUI: Midi pitchbend in NotePitch module is now shown visually in UI.
  • GUI: Larger module sizes increased to align with other modules in UI.
  • GUI: Flexible Envelope can now be expanded to full size view, and/or collapsed to hide wave display to take up less space using panel buttons.
  • GUI: Flexible Envelope curve editing now considers timing on mouse movement, for better detail precision.
  • GUI: Added "Remove Unused" instant-clean-up option that automatically deletes bypassed and unused modules.
  • GUI: Added "Auto Arrange" option to automatically arrange and order modules on workspace.
  • GUI: Added Default option to Presets menu, which resets all parameters and their ranges to default values.
  • GUI: Clicking on a knob LED to cut a modulator or control wire has been moved to right-click instead of left-click.
  • GUI: Added "Swap" context menu-option to swap modules backwards and forwards in chain.
  • GUI: Added "Insert" context menu-option to insert modules between two existing and connected modules.
  • GUI: Added Patch browser to replace/complement the default popup patch loading menu.
  • GUI: Added Patch browser filtering option, for quickly finding a patch with a certain name (requires VST/AU keyboard input support).
  • GUI: For finetuning, holding Shift when moving knobs and sliders now slows down parameter-changes considerably. (Thanks Nervus)
  • GUI: Holding Ctrl while left-dragging inside Envelope- and Step-controls now scrolls view (Just like middlemouse on systems that support that).
  • GUI: For better precision, mousewheel now zooms considerably slower in Envelope/Pattern/Sampler etc.
  • GUI: Reworked note snapping in Pattern module, to address floating point rounding issue.
  • GUI: Reworked how knobs with snapping work to address visual imprecision in parameters that pass the value 0 (e.g. "Note").
  • GUI: Pressed keys in Keyboard module now indicate velocity level.
  • GUI: Repositioned AutoTranspose, KybdTrk and AddNoise switches in Pattern and Pad modules.
  • GUI: Reduced fadeout speed of hit notes in Pattern module.
  • GUI: Reworked wire drawing, so wires, from active but hidden parameters, aren't hidden in the UI.
  • GUI: Reworked wire arrow drawing in Linear mode, to not occlude arrows by source and target modules.
  • GUI: Added SetTextProps resource script parameter for icon-offset x and y, to support new skins.
  • GUI: Added SetComboBorder resource script parameter to support asymmetric combo menu borders.
  • GUI: Added SetWireRamp resource script parameter to custom define wire's shading: Gamma setting and optional outline.
  • GUI: Added SetScaleSet resource script parameter to support custom scaled version(s) of the same skin.
  • GUI: Added SetSliderSpacing resource script parameter adjust slider position.
  • GUI: Added SetFileFormat resource script parameter and added support for PNG loading.
  • GUI: Added SetConnectionHighlight resource script parameter for setting up connection highlighting.
  • GUI: Reworked spacing / setup of entire GUI to support custom scaling.
  • GUI: Reworked how default skin is loaded, so default skin doesn't have to be named "Default".
  • GUI: Classic skins are now placed in separate section in skin selection menu.
  • GUI: Added "Ivory", "Dark" and "Neo" skins. Default Skin "Ivory" was designed by vogerdesign.com.
  • GUI: Added scalesets for Scales of 100%, 125%, 150%, 175% and 200% for all new skins.
  • GUI: Buffering for wavedisplays is now staged, to avoid threadded gui-read on audio-write issues.
  • GUI: Changing Windows Size is now done dynamically. Hence, restarting the synth is not required anymore.
  • GUI: Added "connect" icon to new skins to allow for wiring of modules, knobs and sliders without holding Ctrl key.
  • GUI: Added connection highlighting, so source and target modules light up when wiring modules, knobs and sliders.
  • VST 2 getVendorVersion now reports version 2 + plugins on both PC and Mac now return "Synth" and "Effect" Plug-Category.
  • Win32/64 VST Fixed missing resize on init of UI for hosts not supporting "sizeWindow", Steinberg Cubase / Elements. (Thanks Bjorn)
  • Win32/64 VST now honors "sizeWindow" setting and disables simplex mode if not supported.
  • Win32/64 VST Reworked mousewheel hook to not use subclassing + Mousewheel now also works in 64 bit.
  • Win32/64: Uninstaller is now codesigned.
  • Win32/64: Upgraded VST plugin interface from 2.3 to 2.4 on PC.
  • Win32/64: Removed creation of Start-Menu-Shortcut for Uninstaller in Windows installer.
  • Win32/64: Renamed "KarmaFX Synth Core.dll" to avoid VST loading confusion in some hosts.
  • Mac/OSX: Added support for VST plugin 2.4 on Mac/OSX (64 bit only)! Tested in Steinberg Cubase, Ableton Live and Bitwig Studio.
  • Mac/OSX: Updated Info.plist for AU/VST and updated export symbols.
  • Mac/OSX: All Mac/OSX executables are now codesigned.
  • Mac/OSX: PKG installers are now Apple notarized and stapled.
  • Mac/OSX: Updated Info.plist in Audio Units. Added NSHighResolutionCapable:true.
  • Bugfix: Having a module connected to one polyphonic- and another non-polyphonic-module could cause servere slowdown due to constant cloning. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Input module was not working in stereo mode under Jeskola Buzz / Polac VST. Fixed. (Thanks Emil!)
  • Bugfix: Synth could crash when using mousewheel inside synth after closing down another instance of the synth. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Keyboard down/up events were not hooked up on Mac/OSX. Fixed. (Thanks Jan!)
  • Bugfix: Kicks in Drum bank would change sounds when fast-triggered. Fixed in patches. (Thanks Jan!)
  • Bugfix: Mouse capture could get stuck in edit displays in envelope/sampler/additive/multicomp/etc.. Fixed. (Thanks Jan!).
  • Bugfix: Saving a patch named "-" would incorrectly offset the patch indices. Fixed. Now inserts a separator in patch bank.
  • Bugfix: Reworked Osc2 Hard-Sync for all waveforms.
  • Bugfix: Reworked Osc1/Osc2 Phase Modulation antialiasing for Triangle and Square waves.
  • Mac/OSX bugfix: Mousewheel was reversed on Mac/OSX. Fixed.
  • Mac/OSX bugfix: All dialogs (about box, properties, etc.) are now centered on Mac/OSX.
  • Removed legacy banks from installer.
  • Removed the KarmaFX SoundFX bank.
  • Added patch-bank by Scot Solida. (Thanks Scot!)
  • Updated Patches.
  • Updated Manual.
  • Postfix: Win32/64 demo would time-out on fresh install if system had previously had v1.x demo installed. Fixed in build 279. (Thanks Tom!).

Check out the announcement video here:

X-Mas Sale 2019

Thu, 12 Dec 2019

X-mas. It's that special time of the year again. The time where you enjoy good, homemade food and relax and be with your loved ones. No matter where you are and how you spend your holiday, don't forget to take good care of your friends and family, but also don't forget to treat yourself something nice. Perhaps this holiday might be the perfect time time to return to the studio, and make that dream sound or finish that perfect track. At KarmaFX we want to celebrate this with the annual 35% Off X-mas Sale of our flagship modular synth.

KarmaFX Synth Modular is a fully modular sound package that has a unique sound due to the high quality of the built-in modules and the internal high frequency, sample accurate modulation. It is available as VST for PC/Windows, and as AU for Mac/OSX in both 32 and 64 bit versions. Check out the introductory video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2fsaLfjOvc and get it here: https://karmafx.net/buy

KarmaFX wishes everyone a Merry X-Mas and a Modular New Year 2020! Sale is valid until January 12th.


Sonic Sirius Soundset For KarmaFX Synth Modular

Sun, 8 Dec 2019

Helge Ohlenbostel from Sonic Sirius has generously released a really cool, free soundset for KarmaFX Synth Modular v1.20. Inside you will find 128 Quality Presets in the genres Bass, Dance, New Wave, Electro, Sci-Fi, Modern Synth Music. Check out the demo preview below and download the bank directly from Sonic Sirius or from the KarmaFX Patches section. Sonic Sirius writes:

“ Hi KarmaFX Synth Modular Users, Music Makers, Robots and Aliens. Here are 128 High-Quality-Presets a Thank-You Present for the excellent KarmaFX Synth Modular Virtual Synthesizer. Thanks to the KarmaFX Synth Modular Team, for this innovative, highly recommended Synthesizer. KarmaFX Synth Modular is one of the Best Modular Soft Synth ever made. ”

Sonic Sirius Soundset preview:

Psychogenius by Psychogen album out now!

Sat, 30 Nov 2019

It is no secret that KarmaFX Synth was born out of love for electronic, techno, dance, and trance music, and was inspired by the great vibe in these genres back in the 90'ies. I (Kasper) personally was into Goa trance, and making music with my friend Emil. It is therefore with a great sense of nostalgia and pride that we today present the finished album Psychogenius by Psychogen:

Eleven previously unreleased Goa trance tracks straight from the 1998-1999 era, with inspiration from renowned artists at that time. The tracks have been digitally remastered, while kept true to their original sound, and released by DAT Records on their Unreleased Goa Records label. These tracks are old as in oldschool, as they have been sitting on a harddisk for more than 20 years, and havn't seen daylight, until now.

But the nostalgia also stems from the fact that these tracks were the very first to feature KarmaFX Synth Modular. This was before it was made public or was even a VST. KarmaFX Synth was made as a tool, to make the music that we wanted to make. It makes me happy that this tool for many years has been in the hands and ears of the rest of the world, and now also the music. Enjoy!

Album is available digital-only on: Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Traxsource, Junodownload, + more...

Psychogenius by Psychogen preview:

KarmaFX Synth Modular Black Friday Sale!

Fri, 29 Nov 2019

Just like last year, Black Friday won't go down unnoticed. KarmaFX Synth Modular in on Sale all weekend. 35% Off!

Check out the introductory video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2fsaLfjOvc and get it here: https://karmafx.net/buy

KarmaFX Synth Modular tune by Burnt Wurlitzer

Wed, 27 Nov 2019

Burnt Wurlitzer has generously shared a really cool demotune called "The Great Wheel", made exclusively with 9 instances of KarmaFX Synth Modular. You can find more music by Burnt on his bandcamp page: https://burntwurlitzer.bandcamp.com/. Burnt writes:

“ It is old fashioned! Very mid-'70s...but I still love Tangerine Dream during their 70s jamming period & Klaus Schulze (Who has always been an improvisor.) That's what got me into synthesizers. All patches written for KarmaFX today and the only non-KarmaFX plugins used were limiters and master EQ. ”

"The Great Wheel" by Burnt Wurlitzer:

KarmaFX Synth Modular 1.20 released!

Mon, 04 Nov 2019

KarmaFX Synth Modular v1.20 is out now for both PC and Mac. Full install is required. This update contains some brand new features, including usability improvements, performance improvements and optional GUI scaling. It also contains some important bugfixes. See full changelog below.

Get it now using your regular download link or by right-clicking and choosing "Check for Update Now..." inside the synth.

KarmaFX Synth Modular 1.20 build 6468 changelog.
  • Added support for scaling the window and UI by 200%, to cater for skins on HiDPI/4K displays.
  • Added up to two octaves rangescale and snap option to FM modules frequency tune.
  • Reverb Module is now in stereo by default.
  • Doubled the internal timing-resolution of exponential attack/decay in Compresser/EnvFollow.
  • Removed legacy denormal checks in 64bit version. Now relies on DAZ exclusively.
  • Frequency display is now shown log-scale and in dB.
  • Osc1 and Osc2 Pulsewidth modulation-mode is now linear by default.
  • Added Osc1, Osc2, Additive and Pad inline/loop-unrolling optimizations.
  • Reduced memory footprint of loaded patches by not allocating output buffers for unused machines.
  • GUI: Added LFO (and S&H) beat-sync readout to display when Sync is on. Shown as 0.5x, 1.0x, 2.0x, etc. cycles per beat. (Thanks Derick!)
  • GUI: Changing note length/velocity in pattern module can now be done with left mouse button and holding shift (as opposed to using right mouse button).
  • GUI: Reduced UI background drawing overhead when modules are static (to increase performance and reduce power drain).
  • GUI: Added internal paint performance timer.
  • Installer: Mac/OSX PKG file was not using XAR/Toc SHA1 hashing, causing installation to fail on OSX 10.14+. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: WAV file reader would fail on certain .WAVs with broken chunk padding. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: SF2 Loader would always fail with a SoundFont open error on Mac OSX, 64 bit only. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: HFO rate could not go below 44Hz in FM Mode. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Internal Osc in FM and HFO modules could cause clicks when triggered. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Internal Osc upped to 64 bit precision, due to precision artifacts at low frequencies (affects internal modulation and HFO/FM)
  • Bugfix: Reverb SSE path was disabled in v1.19 32 bit version. Fixed and rewrote SSE path.
  • Bugfix: SSE mixing path was disabled in 64 bit and on Mac/OSX. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Noticeable retrigger bug in NotePitch module. Would revert back to previous note on a note-off event in mono mode. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Portamento frequency would snap to target note on note-off event in mono/legato mode. Fixed. (Thanks Ortseam!)
  • Bugfix: S&H would not trigger correctly at low rates as it was using the previous target value as the new interpolation value. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Cutoff frequency was acting wrong in Zolzer Highpass. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Fixed zipper noise in Distortion Amount parameter.
  • Bugfix: Hitting Record in Sampler many times could cause the synth to crash. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: For correct attack, compressor now only stops internal processing of silence when reaching unity gain.
  • Bugfix: GUI would sometimes redraw incorrectly for modules placed partly outside screen borders. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Tweaking Sampler Start Offset could cause overflow. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Output rangescale options of 12dB and 24dB were off by 1dB in output module. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Output modules DC filter is now reset on module toggle on/off.
  • Bugfix: Pad Module soft-ramping could click due to phase reset in ramp period. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Step module would free-run on initialization regardless of trigger setting. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Pattern module note-triggers could drift out of sync when looped. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Pattern module Frequency was not sample-accurately synced to pattern note-triggers. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Step module could drift out of sync. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Portamento in NotePitch-, Frequency- and Pattern-modules would always slide from C2 on first note trigger. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: FM and HFO modules M/C Ratio could show a different ratio than actual ratio due to internal rounding differences. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Checking for update could potentially crash the synth on Windows, due to missing NULL termination in HttpOpenRequest. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Version info in About dialog would not show up correctly on later versions of Mac/OSX. Fixed.
  • Demo installer is now codesigned with security certificate.
  • Postfix: Clicking Freq button next to wavedisplay could crash the synth in 64bit. Fixed in Build 6465. (Thanks dllmusic)
  • Postfix: Security certificate update on Mac/OSX. Build 6466.
  • Postfix: Zolzer filter could blow-up for samplerates above 44.1kHz. Fixed in Build 6467. (Thanks Koshdukai)
  • Postfix May/2020: Mac/OSX could crash randomly in NSPaint, due to incorrect buffer size in CGProvider. Fixed in Build 6468. (Thanks dllmusic)

KarmaFX Plugin Pack 2.2 released!

Wed, 18 Oct 2019

KarmaFX Plugin Pack 2.2 has been released. This upgrades all plugins to support both 32 and 64 bit. The update also contains minor bugfixes. Please see full changelog below and get it here. If you enjoy this update, please don't forget to donate to support future updates.

KarmaFX Plugin Pack 2.2 changelog.
  • All plugins upgraded to support both 32 bit and 64 bit hosts. Plugins placed in two separate installers.
  • All plugins upgraded from VST SDK 2.3 to 2.4, while still using the 2.3 interface.
  • Changed display names in KarmaFX Filter from "Lowpass", "Highpass", etc. to "LP", "HP", etc.
  • Updated weblinks in plugins to point to https://karmafx.net.
  • Bugfix: GUI knobs would sometimes jitter when rotated. Fixed.
  • Bugfix: Rewrote BeginEdit, EndEdit calls for sliders in KarmaFX Equalizer.
  • User's Manual has been updated to revision 1.04.
  • Installers are now signed with a security certificate.

Summer Sale 2019

Wed, 31 Jul 2019

Summer time is here! The perfect time for being outside, camping, surfing the waves, swimming and enjoying nature. By now you are probably feeling relaxed, enjoying the sun, spending time with your family and eating food fresh off the barbecue. But once you return to the studio, feeling creative, why not fire up a modular synth and patch modules into art. As of today KarmaFX Synth Modular comes at a nice 35% discount.

KarmaFX Synth Modular is a fully modular sound package that has a unique sound due to the high quality of the built-in modules and the internal high frequency, sample accurate modulation. It is available as VST for PC/Windows, and as AU for Mac/OSX in both 32 and 64 bit versions. Check out the introductory video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2fsaLfjOvc and get it here: https://karmafx.net/buy

KarmaFX wishes everyone and a refreshingly warm and magical summer! Sale is valid till end of August.

KarmaFX Synth Modular in Computer Music's Synth Classics

Tue, 14 May 2019

KarmaFX Synth Modular is featured in this months Computer Music "Under-The-Radar Synth Classics", page 59. A clever step-by-step guide takes you through the patching of an additive synthesis instrument, using several Additive modules controlled by ADSR envelopes, to get a controlled, dynamic timbre without using any filters.

CM writes:

“ Now let's build a proper, if simplified, additive signal path with no filters and multiple envelope generators. for this we'll use KarmaFX Synth. ”

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