1-
overview
2- features/specifications
3- a bit of history
4- next generation
5- opensource status
6- site and community
7- people involved
1-
OVERVIEW
PSYCLE
is a Music Creation Studio, using a tracker interface.
It can be used to make any type of music, using either its native
plugins (synths and effects), VST2 plugins (synths and effects),
internal sampler and effects and .wav files through the sampler.
you
can see some screenshots on the docs
page
Notes
are entered in patterns, where lots of different commands (plugins
related or general) can be used to change any plugin (native or VST,
synths and effects) parameters at any time.
The patterns are then organized in the sequencer.
This sequence is the song and can be saved in .psy format, but also
to .wav (this allows to compress the song in .mp3 or .ogg formats
for example)
PSYCLE
is free and opensource.
It's coded by a team named PSYCLEDELICS (see "people
involved" section for complete credits).
If you want to help PSYCLE's development in any way, just contact
us.
Third
Party native plugins can also be coded and used in PSYCLE.
If
you want to code your own plugins, please do so. But remember that
things must be kept organized, and that unity in the development
process is the best guarantee for PSYCLE's future and for users
to get the best out of it. So, if you want to either code plugins
or change PSYCLE's code, contact us and see how things can be done.
More
info on PSYCLE's opensource status and coding organization in the
"opensource status" section.
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2- FEATURES/SPECIFICATIONS
Here some facts about Psycle:
- 32 Tracks Pattern Editor (this limitation will be removed in the
future)
- Stereo Sampler unit, that supports high quality
stereo .wav files and .iff samples as well (more formats will eventually
come)
- 8 internal Plugins (Sampler & Effects)
- more than 35 Native Plugins (Generators & Effects)
- VST + VSTi Host (still limited but most plugins will work fine)
- Internal .wav output
- .fxb loading for VST's
- Midi-In Support
- Configurable Keyboard Layout
- themes and skins support
- much more...
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3-
A BIT OF HISTORY
PSYCLE's
development started in May 2000.
Designed by Arguru as a "Buzz clone", it was first focused
on machines : each pattern was linked to a machine, and the patterns
were then organized in the sequencer.
After
several alpha versions and some weeks, Arguru decided to change
PSYCLE into a more classical tracker, only keeping the machine view
from the Buzz obvious affiliation. Each song position defined in
the sequencer was then linked to one pattern used to enter notes
and data for all machines at the same time, just like it remained
for all 1.x following releases.
While
version 1.0 was close, some important features were added (ex :
twk command and .wav rendering)but PSYCLE was still an unfinished
program, already usable, but lacking ergonomy and power (ex: no
mouse support, few parameters commands, unfinished plugins, weak
VST support etc...), along with a lack of real unity and logic in
its use, mainly due to its empiric coding and design changes.
Arguru
stopped developing PSYCLE during summer 2000, after only some months,
to start a brand new project from the ground up (FastFucker, which
later had its name changed to Traxvox), and decided release its
sources and made PSYCLE opensource at the beginning of September
2000.
PSYCLE
remained several weeks without a coder.
Being an unfinished program, lacking clear orientations in its design
and code, its future was really unsure.
But its opensource status (the only music compusing program with
available sources) and its real potential (mixing the classical
tracker approach, along with VST support, native plugins, and its
use of machines interconnexion "ala" Buzz), were attractive
enough to hope that PSYCLE's development was not stopped for long.
Mats
Höjlund started working on PSYCLE at the end of September 2000.
The first obvious positive point was that this kept PSYCLE alive.
Then, Mats main objective was to clear things up and clean PSYCLE's
code.
So, his work on 1.1 to 1.5 releases consisted mainly on internal
recoding and design consolidation, while some new features were
added.
Along with that, Mats aimed clearly at the development of a new
PSYCLE (named PSYCLE 2), which design's main point was the sequencer,
and its ability to play several patterns at the same time.
While
PSYCLE had still only one coder at this time, more people were interested
in its development, or were using it as their main music creation
tool.
After
several months as PSYCLE's coder, Mats had to stop, leaving a stronger
program and a growing community around it.
[JAZ]
has been PSYCLE's main developer since then, helped by several other
coders who generally work on precise parts of the program.
During this long period (more than 1 year 1/2) the team improved
PSYCLE in every aspects, from the interface to numerous key features,
always keeping in mind to get the best usuability possible.
Most of the code has been totally rewritten.
PSYCLE
was attracting more and more users, but also new plugin coders :
from ported Buzz machines to brand new native synths and effects,
PSYCLE now proposes more than 30 internal and native plugins (effects
and synths) and an improved VST host.
Although
plans for a second generation of PSYCLE were never left down during
this time, the team focused on usuability and power of the existing
version.
But once PSYCLE was improved enough to consider it as one of the
most powerful trackers around, [JAZ] started to work on the design
of PSYCLE2.
Plans
changed several times but the main point was to build an original
solution to make music, getting the bost of both tracker and midi
worlds, in a highly modular structure.
Majick started to code the project but unfortunatly had to stop
soon.
Since
then, [JAZ] and the development team have still been improving PSYCLE,
and new brilliant native plugins were coded (mainly by Druttis and
Pooplog). Concerning the program itself, a
lot has been done recently by [JAZ] and Pooplog : PSYCLE is now
mature and can compete with commercial software on many points.
But there are still great improvements planned.
Next major steps will be : Multipattern sequence, mutisample instrument
sampler and new fileformat.
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4- NEXT GENERATION
more on this soon
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5
- OPENSOURCE STATUS
PSYCLE is OpenSource. This Means: Everyone who thinks
that he's the right person/alien for coding on PSYCLE can contact
the Team of developers and ask/tell what he can do for Psycle.
Source Page is set at SourceForge site following
this link: http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/psycle
Arguru Licensed Psycle 1.0 sources as "Public Domain".
This means that the sources of Psycle can be used in whatever form
you want.
This licensing applies ONLY to his sources, which
day by day are less and less.
The current team preffers to enforce that psycle
sources remain Free to everyone, which means everyone can see and
modify the source, but If he does it, he cannot distribute them
in a closed way.
He might, on the other hand, distrubute them as
his own work, specifying that it is A DERIVED WORK FROM PSYCLE
Also, the team would appreciate that any work done
over Psycle sources, are mixed back with the current sources, which
would mean that Psycle grows instead of being divided.
There are open Forums and Bug trackers in SourceForge
site and in Psycledelics site where you can contact us.
If you need to contact specifically the developers,
write an e-mail to [JAZ]
for that matter.
You are allowed to develop psycle Machines without
any restriction There's no SDK ready, but you can download Psycle
plugins' sourcecode from SourceForge Site (link above)
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6-
SITE AND COMMUNITY
PSYCLEDELICS site has been existing since the very
first alpha versions of PSYCLE.
The main goal of this site was first to provide
support and promotion to PSYCLE by giving web space for any PSYCLE
related topics.
Now the PSYCLEDELICS site pretends to be PSYCLE
users home by providing resources, message board, archives (songs,
contacts, plugins and presets)
A new version of the site is in construction.
PSYCLE also has a strong and lively community on
IRC : join #psycle on EFnet
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7-
PEOPLE INVOLVED
soon
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