D16 Group has announced that version 1.8.0 of Phoscyon is now available. This is the first fully compatible Audio Unit version and an update of the VST versions, with many new features and improvements.
D16 Group says that Phoscyon sounds better due to many changes in the synthesis. It also works better and benefits from the addition of the standard functions found in the rest of the D16 plug-ins.
Changes since v1.6.0
New Features:
- First official AudioUnit version.
- Full compatibility with Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6.x).
- Start/Stop functionality in internal sequencer.
- Shuffle (swing) parameters. First one is global shuffle used when arpeggiator is used and the second shuffle is stored in pattern memory.
- Accent velocity level settings.
- Oscillator tuning settings.
- MIDI learn functionality compliant with other d16 plug-ins.
- Preset management functionality compliant with other d16 plug-ins.
- Default settings and resources options.
- Options menu compliant with other d16 plug-ins.
Changes:
- Playing Modes changes:
- Removal of some old modes (external mode with gates, accents and slides triggered by single notes, patt buffer mode).
- New native mode (with pattern chains) is present.
- Improvements in Host Mode.
- Improvements in External Mode.
- Internal Sequencer:
- Note Off Clear and Self Reset attributes are no longer stored per single pattern (now they are stored globally per project)
- Shuffle and Tempo have been added to pattern memory.
- Improvements in pattern management.
- Improvements in Tempo edition.
- Improvements in pattern Length Mode.
- Improvements in interpretation of steps with no Gate.
- Improvements in Randomizer.
- Patterns filenaming has changed. Patterns are now stored in xml files.
- Synthesis:
- Improvement in square waveform.
- Improvement in envelope generator.
- Improvement accent to resonance dependence.
- Tuning parameter range.
- Other:
- Improvements in Arpeggiator.
- Presets have been expanded with arpeggiator parameters.
- Presets filenaming has changed. Presets are now stored in xml files.
- Update of factory presets & patterns.
Bug Fixes:
- All known bugs have been fixed.
Known Issues
This major update covers changes in so many areas that some incompatibilities may occur.
- With all changes made in synthesis Phoscyon plays better now but of course it plays slightly differently. So please take this into account, especially if its sound was highly modified in your projects through effects, etc.
- Due to changes in playing modes some old modes are unavailable now (listed above), so they can't be restored at all.
- Total recall of old projects should work properly with one exception. Selection of active preset can't be restored properly so you will have to choose this preset manually. However all presets are restored properly so they should sound the same as before (taking into consideration changes in synthesis). Restoring of patterns stored within a project should work properly. However, some hosts may notify you that the plug-in has been changed or even won't allow you to recall the old project with the new Phoscyon.
- All external resources from older versions of Phoscyon like patterns (.ph files) or presets (.fxp/.fxb files) are imported properly. Patterns are imported via Phoscyon functions and presets should be imported with host fxp/fxb import functionality.