Honest Opinions

[johnburtell]

Hello all,

Sorry for such an annoying question, but I wanted to ask the more seasoned FS users how truly usable the application is. I have a desire to create EXE's for experimental audio/video (i.e. soundscape generators, etc.). I have some programming knowledge, but I'm much more familiar with the graphical patching paradigm from programs such as Reaktor, ABox 2.42 and Pure Data.

FS seems to offer some interesting and useful processors out-of-the-box so I'm considering investing in it; however, I've noticed some forum discussions regarding the program not functioning as intended. Has this been your experience? I know there are bugs inherent in almost all programs, it's a hard thing to avoid. But do you find the program works well overall and is worth the price of admission?

Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

John

[Spogg]

Hello John and welcome to the forum!

I’ve been addicted to FlowStone for over 6 years and as you would imagine I love it. I guess all the seasoned users here will give a similar response.

I use it to make audio related stuff; basically synthesisers and effects. I’m not a coder so the visual approach is wonderful for me. DSPR say it’s about 100 times faster than coding because there’s minimal text entry and no compiling to do, and I would agree. You make a change and see/hear the result as you go, so developing and de-bugging is really fast.

Of course another huge advantage is it can create VST plugins and standalone executables that anybody can use on any Windows PC, and the export process takes a few seconds.

As you say, no application is perfect and 100% stable but if you buy it we generally recommend version 3.06 for various reasons mentioned on the forum elsewhere. Unfortunately we have several old posts here from people who have not taken the time to be patient and learn the application properly and claim it to be defective when in fact the issues are self-made. One guy even claimed Ruby was faulty because his code didn’t work as he expected. We’ve seen similar general complaints quite a few times, but it’s pretty much always down to lack of experience of the new user.

Finally I should say that we have a great community in this forum and if you ask for help you generally get it and often quickly.

Hope to see you around!

[MrFuls]

I purchased FS almost a month ago, so I probably haven't had enough time to hit a brick wall and get genuinely frustrated with it, much less ruby. I also haven't tried any of the alternatives.

That aside, here's my two bits:

I was able to create a functioning 96-note top-octave organ tone generator schematic in about a day or two with Flowstone. This took me a few months with analog electronics (wire-wrapping in current year...lessons were learned ). For me at least, very little time was spent looking up how to do things. I'm used to an adjustment period with many programs, and blundering away for a good while trying grasp the basic workflow. Didn't seem to get that with FS.

Tooltips are everywhere to help you figure out what a module is supposed to do, and I appreciate how extensive the comments are for many of the stock modules.

Of course, and this goes with many programs, be sure to save, and enable auto recovery if you can. I've had FS crash to desktop a couple times, though this might be due to me being on 3.0.9 beta 2 (you get a choice on which build to download). Either way it's good practice to prevent any heartbreak-inducing loss of progress.

I've seen many people turned off by the lack of 64-bit support, but I hear this is being worked on (?)

All in all, personally can't get enough of FS. It's a way for me to tinker with various ideas and see how they perform, without the worries of buying components, potentially frying components, power supplies, soldering, instrument downtime, and cluttered workbenches.

[hardwarehost]

rocessors out-of-the-box so I'm considering investing in it; however, I've noticed some forum discussions regarding the program not functioning as intended. Has this been your experience? I know there are bugs inherent in almost all programs, it's a hard thing to avoid. But do you find the program works well overall and is worth the price of admission?

IMHO overall there are many users who get the alpha x64 and dont pay anything and leave the app behind... So i wonder why you shouldnt try to get one as others, and if you cant live without it, then buy. The right place with answers to your questions is in the STACK - the bug reports, the developer works on all. Here no answers will arrived -i suggest.
I think FS was the second best right after C++, the only problem was x64 and its solved now, there are developers who sell the plugins from X64 alpha, so make your opinion from that. The 64 alpha works to me surprisingly well, i cant tell the diference - they should sell it rigt now and i will buy it. But as a new user i dont buy 32 bit, because its like quarter "audience" for my work, only win, only 32bit.

The way to x64 is on this forum, so dont ask for that

[Spogg]

I've had FS crash to desktop a couple times, though this might be due to me being on 3.0.9 beta 2 (you get a choice on which build to download).

The 3.0.9 betas available to download should be avoided at all costs. They have many issues and will lead to crashes, dismay and frustration.
We recommend 3.06 for various reasons and it will definitely give you the best experience. Unfortunately the project you made in the beta won’t work in 3.06 but I strongly recommend you use 3.06 from now on.

I bumped this topic again and I really should do it more often:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11635#p41210

[MrFuls]

Unfortunately the project you made in the beta won’t work in 3.06 but I strongly recommend you use 3.06 from now on.

I bumped this topic again and I really should do it more often:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11635#p41210

No worries, It was a rats nest of logic that will likely benefit greatly from a ground-up rewrite.

Do appreciate the heads up, though. I'll download 3.06 in the meantime before I commit to anything serious.

[Duckett]

I'm not a "seasoned user" in the sense of being actually good at it, but I very much am glad to have bought it.. honestly, I think it's a case of really enjoying what it can do that makes us all liable towards spoiled and complainy in some form or fashion at some point

Personally, i like the balance between digital and analog concepts (meaning I don't have to think in volts if I don't want to, but also don't have to write knobs, filters, oscillators, etc. in C+ if I don't want to, either).

Cheers for the ABox mention (site's still up AFAIK)

[HughBanton]

MrFuls wrote:
I was able to create a functioning 96-note top-octave organ tone generator schematic in about a day or two with Flowstone.

That's more-or-less what I started with FS four years back, and have barely let up with related stuff ever since. It's when you start dreaming Flowstone you have to start worrying

Just the obligatory FS Health Warning!

But it's sure kept me occupied during lockdowns this year, and btw the 64-bit is going to be incredible

H

[MrFuls]

That's more-or-less what I started with FS four years back, and have barely let up with related stuff ever since. It's when you start dreaming Flowstone you have to start worrying

Just the obligatory FS Health Warning!

But it's sure kept me occupied during lockdowns this year, and btw the 64-bit is going to be incredible

H

I haven't gotten to the "dreams of modules" part of the deadly flowstone bug yet, but I'm sure it'll rear its head soon. I've already had a day or two of staying up past my bed time to get that one last thing working.

Only problem is it now competing for time with the analog project, the jest of that situation being that by the time I figured out what flowstone actually was, the thing was far enough in planning, construction, and parts acquisition that it might as well get finished anyway (Maybe I'll just have to roll the two together! Working both simultaneously has done wonders for understanding filters ).

I stock frozen food in a grocery store overnight, four days a week, so it's been eye-opening to see how many lives have been turned upside down, whilst my life's been more or less business as usual (I'm essential! ). While I feel maybe a slight pang of jealously for those who can stay home, I'm sure being locked in with little to do can no doubt be a nightmare scenario for many!

The grass is always greener or however that one goes

[HughBanton]

@MrFuls, if you're into 96-note organ generators you should check this out - if you haven't already - It's a thread I started ages ago. I did return to it again last year, successfully added some more harmonics to MV's proof-of-concept but it wasn't as sophisticated as his original and as usual I got sidetracked .. again, so I haven't posted anything further on it.

http://www.dsprobotics.com/support/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8580&start=0&hilit=organ+proof

MartinVicanek is a bit of a genius with this kind of thing; you'll notice immediately how tiny the cpu load is compared to using regular library modules & primitives, and that's the great benefit you get from writing modules in Assembler or DSP. I've got the hang of some of this over the years but still can't even begin to compete with the true experts.

This is a sine-wave generator organ, of course, but could be adapted to saw or square quite easily I imagine. Hope it's of interest.

H