Taking a long break...

[Exo]

My time is very limited these days (working long hours), so I have had to prioritize my time better. I have multiple interests, Flowstone being one of them.

I like to take a lead in things that I do and really push things forward, with Flowstone I have done this by sharing modules that open new possibilities and also tried pushing the community forwards by starting a Blog and download/upload area. Most recently I opened the Flowstone market shop for the community to buy and sell modules.

Problem is I feel like these efforts are in vain. I love using Flowstone it is a great piece of software but I want to feel like it has a real future for audio and VST creation. It clearly does have a future for education and robotics taught at schools and universities. But this is not what I and most of us here are interested in.

With the release of FL Studio 12 Flowstone is no longer included (it can be installed separately but clearly only for 32bit FL). One of my aims with the Blog and download site as well as the shop, was to try and tap into the mass of potential Flowstone users using FL Studio. Now that it is no longer packaged with FL means that this potential user base is greatly diminished.

The reason it is not included of course is the age old 64bit issue. Without 64bit support Flowstone is just going to slowly die in regards to audio (Flowstone will be here but the audio community will keep decreasing). I know they have seriously attempted to port to 64bit but it has caused lots of errors and issues that they haven't been able to get around. Now personally 64bit is not a big deal for me, 32bit plugins work fine. But for new potential customers it clearly is and now the fact it is not included in FL Studio means even less potential customers.

I think we all want Flowstone to grow and succeed. Personally it is for selfish reasons, I want Flowstone to sell really well so that they can afford to take on extra developers (maybe me? ha ha) . So that development is sped up and things like 64bit , multi platform ect can be achieved as well as lots of improvements to the core software. I have always been a bit frustrated with the pace of development and I am feeling it very much now. I don't like to wait for other people to implement features I want/need.

I have recently been offered a paid contract to port a significant project to JUCE. This is going to take some effort and coupled with my current lack of spare time, means something has to give. So I am taking a year off from Flowstone to focus on JUCE development.

I will close the shop but Flowstone Guru will always be here for the benefit of the community. So I encourage people to upload modules and keep writing articles ect, this is your resource so please make use of it. This is the main reason I am announcing my departure, I didn't want to just disappear and leave people wondering what is happening with Flowstone Guru. Flowstone Guru is now a great resource and will always exist regardless, it doesn't cost me that much to run.

I would also like to give a big thanks to everyone that has contributed to Flowstone Guru so far. KG, tulamide, Martin , Nubeat7 and nix , also kortezzz for the logo. KG you have especially been amazing with your contribution and have learnt many new things from your articles, thanks. I hope you all continue making it a great resource.

I hope to come back in about a years time and see 64bit support. Then I will carry on with some of my plans and Flowstone projects.

[Tronic]

Good Luck EXO.
now an JUCEGURU community?

[tulamide]

Although it makes me sad to read this, on the other hand I totally understand you and think you made the right decision. Let us see what you've created, when it's done. Also, count on me should you need help in any way.

Most of us interested in music dsp know that Flowstone is indeed slowly (painfully slow) dying, but not all of us have found alternatives. It's those great programmers like you, Nubeat and soon KG that I see a future for in JUCE. People like me, who never really enjoyed C/C++ have to find other ways. However, it's good to see that you're following your passion - and sad to see you leaving here (a year is a long time).

Thanks for all your contributions to this community. I would wish you good luck, but I simply know you'll succeed

[Exo]

Good Luck EXO.
now an JUCEGURU community?

Ha ha most probably knowing me

[Exo]

Although it makes me sad to read this, on the other hand I totally understand you and think you made the right decision. Let us see what you've created, when it's done. Also, count on me should you need help in any way.

Most of us interested in music dsp know that Flowstone is indeed slowly (painfully slow) dying, but not all of us have found alternatives. It's those great programmers like you, Nubeat and soon KG that I see a future for in JUCE. People like me, who never really enjoyed C/C++ have to find other ways. However, it's good to see that you're following your passion - and sad to see you leaving here (a year is a long time).

Thanks for all your contributions to this community. I would wish you good luck, but I simply know you'll succeed

Thanks a lot Tom, I was about to email you actually because of course we are supposed to be working on Raven together. I feel like I am letting you down here because I know you already spent a lot of time on that. So sorry for that. I will say feel free to carry on with it if you like, maybe in a few months time I will have more time available to finish the audio side.

[tulamide]

I feel like I am letting you down here because I know you already spent a lot of time on that.

No need to

If nothing else it at least made me a Ruby nerd
Also, I will concentrate now on another project I share with Martin, so all is good.

[martinvicanek]

Hey Exo, it's sad news even though I can fully understand your decision. A BIG THANKS for everything you have given to the community in all these years, especially for setting up and maintaining the FS Guru site. Well, I wish you good luck with your new project. Please do come back next year! Hopefully FS 64 is in a better shape then.
Sincerely
Martin

[Nubeat7]

JUCE is a good deceiscion (maybe it also would be for Flowstone!?), things are changing for JUCE too atm after Jules has a crew now, much luck with it, maybe meet you in the JUCE forum

thank you very much for all your time and energy you spent on flowstone guru, sad you closed the shop, i wanted to prepare some things for it which will not find the way into the community now..

i really hope flowstone will find a way into the 64bit world, then i would be back for it too

[RJHollins]

It is indeed sad to hear your decision Exo, but we certainly understand.

Much appreciation for all you have done for the SM/FS community. And thank-you for the kindness of your help that you gave me

If time allows ... be sure to stop in and say Hi and let us know you're well and your 'projects'.

Be Well ... Much success.

Sincerely,
RJHollins

[primate]

on behalf of the many other lurkers who have learned a lot from your posts I thank you and wish you best of luck in the next thing.

I think that the ingenuity and willingness to share info that yourself and other regulars here exhibit is fantastic and will greatly miss your contribution.

I've remade a lot of the midi stuff in the developers toolbox in ruby and would be up for putting it up on the guru blog (ill post it up here so that someone can identify any stupid code that is non guru before submitting tho!). hopefully the blog will live on and you'll have planted a seed that can keep going in your absence.

big ups fella.