Cableguys ShaperBox 3.5.1 UPDATE – LFO Favorites + more

[Jakob / Cableguys]

Probably dumb question about shaperbox - is there some concept like patterns, scenes, or whatever it may be called? I couldn't find it in the manual.
Lets say I want to do 1/4 repeat at one point but then maybe 1/8 triplets at another. Then maybe I want a repeat that speeds up gradually with some phasing going on. How could I do this in one shaperbox instance?

You can do this by automating the LFO speed, or by switching LFO curves via MIDI notes.

[Dr.Gunjah]

You can do this by automating the LFO speed, or by switching LFO curves via MIDI notes.

I'm playing with the demo now, not sure if I understand the concept yet. So I can set which curve is selected for a module with notes C#-A, then trigger all (selected) LFOs with C?
Considering there are 10 modules (for now) 9 slots seem a bit underwhelming, unless I'm missing something (?)
Probably just me not understanding how you're supposed to use this plugin yet. I've been using Artillery and The Finger in the past, where you just map effects to notes and stutter edit 2, which I'm demoing too atm, seems to work similar. However in Shaperbox I don't know wtf is going on to be honest I guess I have to read the manual from the start to get an idea, but maybe one question - Is it possible to let an LFO run only for the duration a note is held? (Or "mute" a running LFO)

[tactile_coast]

This software is really great value.

I'm not so sure about that. Shaperbox has an annual subscription fee of $20 to $30 to keep up to date on top of the initial $59 purchase.

Then there are the immediate competitors like Infiltrator that offer a single purchase model for only a little more upfront or Arturia Motions for $25 that offers exponentially more than the latest SB upgrade for just $5 more.

[_al_]

This software is really great value.

I'm not so sure about that. Shaperbox has an annual subscription fee of $20 to $30 to keep up to date on top of the initial $59 purchase.

Then there are the immediate competitors like Infiltrator that offer a single purchase model for only a little more upfront or Arturia Motions for $25 that offers exponentially more than the latest SB upgrade for just $5 more.

This sounds weird.
Think I just got Reverbshaper for £19? (Honestly forgot already, but I'm sure it was £19)
No subscription. Just bought Reverbshaper to keep my SB up to date.

My only complaint with SB, is that with the latest update, it's now one of my heaviest cpu using plugins (up there with Ozone and Vertigo)
Something to do with the new distortion or filter functions and cpu-heavy reverb.

Could really use an eco mode, for sure

[Ceej]

I'm not so sure about that. Shaperbox has an annual subscription fee of $20 to $30 to keep up to date on top of the initial $59 purchase.

Shaperbox is $99, not $59. It's never been on sale cheaper than $89. It's also not a subscription, so I don't know what the additional fee you mention is. Upgrade from Shaperbox 2 to 3, I guess? But that's far from annual.

Then there are the immediate competitors like Infiltrator that offer a single purchase model for only a little more upfront or Arturia Motions for $25 that offers exponentially more than the latest SB upgrade for just $5 more.

Infiltrator is a great piece of kit too; it's a bit more expensive. It's not quite a direct competitor but they have a lot of overlap.

Motions is $99, exactly the same price as Shaperbox. I don't know much about it so I can't say how competitive it is...

[Dark Fiber]

I'm having a hard time trying to replicate in Shaperbox 3.5 what Kickstarter 2 does.

So I have a loop that i want to duck each time a kick drum plays. With Kickstarter 2 you just sidechain the kick drum channel to the loop channel and use the audio mode. When the kick drum is not playing, the loop just plays without any ducking.

When i try to do the same with the volume shaper inside Shaperbox 3, the loop is NOT playing when there is no kick drum playing. The loop will only play when a kick drum triggers it. This is not what i want: i want the loop to play unducked when the kick drum is NOT playing.

There seems to be no way to do this in Shaperbox 3.5 which is a shame because then i cannot have more complex envelopes than the standard envelopes in Kickstarter 2.

Am i overlooking something or is this just a feature request?

[adl]

Make sure to activate those two.

[Dark Fiber]

I have those activated. It seems to be the end marker. But changing the end marker to a position with 100% volume creates artefacts when ducking is applied. So i can only have this when i create two envelopes in the custom section and trigger them using MIDI.

[adl]

Hm, maybe the Devs can solve it then. I just chose that bass duck preset and activated those 2 things in the picture, routed the kick to shaperbox and it ducked the bass when the kick hits but didn't, when the kick isn't playing.

[Jakob / Cableguys]

I have those activated. It seems to be the end marker. But changing the end marker to a position with 100% volume creates artefacts when ducking is applied. So i can only have this when i create two envelopes in the custom section and trigger them using MIDI.

It's the same processing in VolumeShaper as in Kickstart. Could you maybe send us a project file to contact@cableguys.com that shows the artifacts?

[Trancit]

I do have a FR for Shaperbox in general but for i.e. the Pan Shaper in detail... perhaps I just don´t know how to do it properly though:

What I like to do very often is to apply a bit of random panning to a sound in 2 different ways:
1. like a classic S/H modulation
2. note triggered for stuff which does not really apply to standard "beat synced" values...

So my request would be to add some "random changes" (vertically would be enough) to the existing whole curve or to even simple lines (vertical value)...
Complete curves can be vertically randomized at every loopback and simple lines at every LFO trigger (i.e. new "value" on every beat if the LFO speed is set to "1/4")
As the Shaperbox can trigger envelopes via Midi or audio sidechain it would be nice if this randomization could be triggered by those to have even more control/ different triggering options... so every new note triggers a new random value...

If you know an already existing way I missed please don't let me die stupid...

[_al_]

You can do this by automating the LFO speed, or by switching LFO curves via MIDI notes.

Actually, I'm glad you brought this up, because I was meaning to report it as a bug (or maybe it's not a bug):

When I switch curves in FL Studio, every time a curve is triggered from piano roll, it creates an event in the undo history.

This means that when I'm working on a project, I'm not able to just undo any changes I make in the DAW, because first I will have to undo all the entries that were created when Shaperbox had a curve change.

Very weird situation that I've never seen before, so that's why I'm guessing it's a bug?

Not quite a showstopper for Shaperbox, as I am still able to change curves via an automation lane with no problems, but it might prevent you from a few purchases!

Win 10, latest FL.
Never had this problem with any other plugin.

[Jakob / Cableguys]

When I switch curves in FL Studio, every time a curve is triggered from piano roll, it creates an event in the undo history.

Yes, this is because you can switch waves via MIDI and via automation. If you do via MIDI, we need to tell the DAW that the parameter for the selected wave changed.. and this creates an undo step for the DAW. Unfortunately there's nothing we can do about it.

[_al_]

When I switch curves in FL Studio, every time a curve is triggered from piano roll, it creates an event in the undo history.

Yes, this is because you can switch waves via MIDI and via automation. If you do via MIDI, we need to tell the DAW that the parameter for the selected wave changed.. and this creates an undo step for the DAW. Unfortunately there's nothing we can do about it.

Ah sheesh, that's unfortunate.
Ok, well thanks for the speedy response.
Like I say, I can automate, but really kinda curious still.
Is this because the automation and the midi notes are both sending messages to the same "unit"? (Sorry no clue with coding), and if so, couldn't you build another "hidden unit" to deal with automation? (lol)

And also, I'm wondering why the plugin would need to inform the daw of what wave is selected? Don't most plugins only report latency?

[Ceej]

And also, I'm wondering why the plugin would need to inform the daw of what wave is selected? Don't most plugins only report latency?

I can answer that part - the plugin needs to report the current value and any changes to any automatable parameter, so that the DAW has the option to record the automation. That's how you can enable automation recording, hit play, twiddle parameters in the plugin UI, and those changes get recorded by the DAW. Same thing happens if you manipulate any plugin parameters via MIDI. I assume this is also how the DAW can save the current state of the plugin when it saves the project.

Most of the time that's exactly what you want. In this case, it isn't, because the MIDI information is already recorded in the DAW and so the automation data is sort of redundant. But I don't think there's any way the plugin can "know" that. I also don't think there's any safe way for the plugin to allow you say something like "please disable reporting automation information to the DAW", although that gets deeper into the VST3 interface than I really know.

I'd assume this same basic issue arises in other plugins too? I don't recall hearing a similar complaint in the past, though...