Aalto is my go-to synth. I would love to see Aalto 2 with Kaivo's modulation, gate routing and two oscillators with audio modulation like in Virta.
I love all the features of Kaivo, but the granular oscillator and resonators are really hard to tame and very CPU intensive. For Kaivo I really would like to see a compressor or some sort of function to tame the insane resonance peaks that often appears. Even a lot of the presets often clip like crazy.
Thanks a lot for the feedback, I appreciate it. I might add a gate output to Aalto 2 if I can do it and maintain compatibility with existing patches. It seems doable. I know the gate adds a lot of flexibility.
I hear you about Kaivo's resonators being too wild at times. If anything I try to err on the side of allowing too much dynamics. But I think with some more work it would be possible to make things a little smoother.
Hi,
do we really need an Aalto2? I own many hardware Synth and I never felt the urge to own (e.g.) a Korg MS20 2 or Roland Juno 106 2 or a Waldorf PULSE 2 (yes I kno w there is one out) or a Doepfer MS 404 2 or a Casio VZ-1 2 or a Korg Polysix 2 and so on and so on...
Okay, regarding software there are way more possibilities for sure...but I would be simply happy with smaller updates - and by the way, Aalto is a kind of its own anyway - nearly perfect for what it is. Does it really need a completely new version which replaces poor (than old and not needed any more) Aalto "1" (sniff) ;) ?
Cheers
It's pretty common in the plugin world to release a new version that's technically a new plugin and will not replace the old one or work with old patches. I'm completely fine with Aalto 2 just being a separate product like with Dune 1 & 2 from Synapse.
ideally what Id like is...
a) updated Aalto with more voices but apart from that the same.
b) a completely new instrument, kind of similar to Aalto ,but not Aalto 2, that would not need to be patch compatible i.e. not limited/shackled to what Aalto does already (so well)
(u-he are doing this with Zebra 3, they already have said it will not be compatible with Zebra ... I think they said they will allow imports of patches, but they may/will sound different)
I do agree about Kaivo, I don't use it as much as I thought I would (and no where near as much as Aalto) because its resonance peaks are really hard to contain... I find its quite a small zone of usability, perhaps within only an octave. (pitch can wander too, but I think thats part of the beast)
anyway, Id love to see another out n out synth from ML...
also perhaps we can skip the sequencer, so we can have a bit more UI real estate for voice control... I know alot use the sequencer, but is it not easier to just use the sequencing/automation facilities already present in every daw (or use a MIDI sequencer VST)
Thanks for the thoughts, all.
Aalto has been around for quite a while, and a lot of people have patches they are attached to. I have a lot of additions in mind, and I think all of them can be accomplished while maintaining good compatibility with previous versions.
I think if a Kaivo 2 were to offer improved smoothness across a larger range for certain sounds, then compatibility can come second. This thread is supposedly about Aalto so I'll probably write more about that elsewhere.
@thetechnobear
The sequencer is awesome! I really missed it in Virta. I think most people would mainly use it for modulation or gating effects, but as a sequencer you can do awesome stuff like poly rhythms or evolving sequences. I would actually love to see the sequencer expanded with gate length destination and bipolar curves.
Yes the sequencer is a great thing to have in Aalto and Kaivo. I use it with joy and it is so much fun to fiddle around with it. Of course it can provide things as polyrythmics. But a little practice and a polyrythm is learned to play on the keyboard by one self. That´s even cooler...and keeps the sequencer free for all the wild and experimental modulating fun-stuff (for what I like it most) :)
Yes Randy,
I got your point on software. It´s a fast lane. I would appreceate an Aalto 2 if it would really be a new instrument. I am a little old fashioned regarding that. I like my to know stuff inside out and keep working with it each day a little more efficiently. And than maybe hop on to something new...but only if it is an addition to the old software or better called sound-system (studio environment) in general...there is already so much software out there...
Merely regarding the sequencer, I like having that as an inherent part of Aalto and Kaivo, with other modules modulating it, and vice versa. That functionality would not remain if sequencing were "outsourced" to a DAW.
@Thetechnobear raises the important issue of screen real estate. Something I love about all 3 of these plugins is that they're all on one screen. They feel like an Instrument, in a way that no other soft synth I own does. You can live with them and get to know them, and, as the manual says, learn to push and pull them spontaneously.
Sometimes I wish I could use an element of one of these synths in another. Is a modular possible? Would it lose the feeling that each of these is a very carefully thought out, open ended, style-agnostic, very complete instrument in its own way?
A lot of other soft synths that go into version 2 and 3 and so on (1) have many screens, so adding features is easy; (2) don't have a unique identity of their own; and (3) try to compete with other soft synths by adding more kinds of functionality and features. To put it in Darwinian terms, they don't have a unique niche, so they are forced to evolve in order to compete for the limited resources and attention of users.
I don't think Aalto is missing anything. I don't think Kaivo is missing anything. (I don't use Virta very much, because it was harder for me to figure out, so I don't have an opinion about that one.)
With all that said, Randy, if you want to make Aalto 2, I'd pre-order it today.
ditto pretty much all above, but:
(gate triggered)Random generator/source of uncertainty in Aalto 2!
Feel this is the only thing that has been missing for me in an otherwise perfect instrument
Reading with great interest. There's definitely a place for well-designed, single-purpose instruments, as well as modulars. Aalto 2 would really be just a major version, and not in any way a new instrument. I'll try not to mess it up. 
Hi,
according to all this...is Aalto (1) now abandonware? ;)
according to all this...is Aalto (1) now abandonware? ;)
Aalto 2 would be the first major version update of the same software instrument. This is the opposite of abandoning it. Don't worry.
Hi,
this is honey in my ears and I am looking exited into the future for further development of this already excellent Plugin. Thank you :) Will you charge when updating to version 2? If yes will existent users get a discount?
By the way, I implemented now all of your excellent Plugins into my studio environment. Thank you very much for the Summer-Sale offer.
Have a nice week. Cheers.
Yes, there will be a paid upgrade to version 2.
Okay. Thank you for the information. I guessed so. Its okay. You got to make a living.
I dont know if this has been suggested before, but I have not seen any Buchal Music Easel emulations of significance in the vst world. I know there is a bunch of free Buchla emulations floating out there for PC, but none for mac. The ones I have tried for Max 4 Live were not that great. So if Alto 2 maybe had a few features that were taken from the music easel, that would be welcome.
Thanks for the suggestion. Aalto 2 won't be very different from the current version. The patches will be compatible and I'll figure out how to add any new features without shaking things up too much. Don's designs will remain a constant source of inspiration, so you might see some things you recognize as "Easel-like" in upcoming plugins.
Thanks for taking our thoughts into consideration. I just bought Aalto, and after reading the manual, it helped a lot to understand how to get a second voice out of the wave guide. That was wracking my brain until I read the manual.
Since I got Aalto 1 and I grasped the basics of the mind-the-gap interface - this is London Subway tongue-in-cheek - it has become a synth I always come back to. Although I am not a collectioner, I do have some synths that 'can do more' but that don't attract me as much. Aalto is a forgiving lover for as long as I return to her.
In short: all I want to say is that Aalto is a kind of love affair. So take your time for an upgrade. When you don't work against th clock, time works for you.
And please: do not make it an iZotope Iris 2.
I can underwrite that. I am in love too. Aalto is great for what it is. Soundwise and chracterwise. You do not have to invent the wheel for all new. It is fantastic and with some more options it will be even more fantastic but it should always stay AALTO :)
The one thing I love about it is the fact that Aalto is some kind of limited, what I consider a positive thing.
Don´t take me wrong. I don´t want to sound crude. I am a analytic thinking person and I have my thoughts about Aalto 2 and the strategy to charge for an update. As mentioned before...that is okay for me but it also leaves a little bit bad taste in my mouth. I think paying 100 dollars for a softsynth is not too little. And as I understand the changes in Aalto2 won´t be too much and I also think many of the inspiration for new elements are coming from critical users who worked with Aalto. There are so many companies out there which have excellent synth and tools out there for very fair prices and they have their products out for ages ... and are updating with very cool new features frequently AND are charging nothing for that service. VALHALLA DSP, KLANGHELM, SYNTHMASTER (version 2.9 exists for ages and the actual version now is like a totally new synth than version 2.0) too name just a few.
The Question I aks myself is ... shouldn´t the changes you will imply in Aalto2 not have been there from the very beginning - beside multicore usage, a second LFO and such alike?
If said. Don´t take me wrong. I am just saying my opinion and I am not charging. In the end I appreciate that you develop further more for the fantastic Aalto and I will be happy to try out the new features :)
I also would find it a fair offer when existing Aalto user would get a discount on the update price because otherwise they would deal with a disadvantage compared to someone who buys Aalto2 the first time (paying 1 time). The existing user of Aalto1 would pay 2 times for Aalto1 and the update. :)
Beside all my thoughts I am sure you will find a good solution.
Cheers
Randy, ashes on my head...I just saw that Aalto is out since 2010. :oD Thougt it would be relativly new. I take everything back and assert the exact opposite...what a shame. I am really sorry.
No worries!
okay :)
Finally bought Aalto taking advantage of the winter sale, after using AaltoCM for a while. I love it and it would be great to see a V2 of it with additional features (eg. different LFO shapes, multipliers/inverters, and utility in general). I love how Aalto sounds!
Thanks for the note. Enjoy!
I only have the demo for now, and will eventually buy it because I find the interface quite fun, easy on my older eyes (resizing to fill my screen makes me feel I am on a real instrument, and not a plugin). So kudos to you, Randy!
As far as Aalto 2 is concerned, my only, and I mean it, ONLY true request would be:
Midi Learn! (I have numerous controllers including MS20 and Arturia Keylab).
It would be beyond fun to sit there and fiddle. This would be the best!
I was surprised not to find it on such an amazing instrument.
Claude S. / Anything Box
I'm glad to hear your nice comments on the interface, thank you!
MIDI learn has been a long time request and I will definitely be adding it.
This may be "old news" on the subject of Midi Learn, but it solves an issue I saw discussed in another thread about capturing the automation data as you record to audio. Live has a feature that lets a controller not snap to a current setting, which means that if you change a preset, the knob that you touch will not affect the parameter until it has reached its last state.
This could mean cool pseudo morphing capabilities for those that like to capture the audio from Aalto as they tweak. I hope that came out right. I'm half asleep still. And the next question is.. when V2???? :D
Also.. A free plugin everyone should have in their arsenal is Tapeit, which allows you to record a .wav file from any VST you have open. http://www.vstplanet.com/Other_audio_tools/Other_4.htm
V2 is a ways off yet, gotta finish sumu first for starters.