Posted
Hi,
I'm recently back from travel and happy to see that Synfire Pro has had an update to 3.0.7. Congratulations on returning to product advancements!
Re: the foreshadowed "new" videos, am I correct to observe that there are now exactly 3 of them?
If that's correct, it's a bit underwhelming, numerically. Are more about to drop? Do more already exist, but need to be surfaced more clearly?
Wed, 2026-07-15 - 12:12 Permalink
There are more to come, of course. The overall workload currently is extreme.
Fundamental explainer videos are also absolutely painful and slow to make. Deciding what to show in which order (in only 2-3 minutes) is probably 80% of the challenge. The actual recording and editing is easy.
Just an example: A new user recently couldn't figure out how to get chords into the "Progression" tab other than typing them into the inspector input. It wasn't clear that "Palette" shows the same progression on top and that drag & drop is the primary operating principle of Synfire. This is implicitly mentioned in many videos but it's not explained anywhere. Does it need to? Where?
And then there are those step-by-step instructions how to create a non-trivial piece from scratch. It takes a week only to script and practice the individual steps (like drawing figures, building libraries, adding structure), because you need to arrive at a defined final outcome. In everyday use you just follow chaotic creative instincts and go wherever that leads you. Not in a video. Mouse moved too hastily? Accidentally clicked the wrong button? Too bad. Return to a previous snapshot, undo all library changes, undo all structure changes, navigate back to the exact point, restore exact mouse position. The scrollbar is 10 pixels off? Too bad. Restart from an even earlier snapshot. Rinse and repeat a dozen times, only to complete a 10s stretch that can't be interrupted.
Don't take this as a lament. Just want to be transparent how this is more than recording an improvised session and adding subtitles :-)
Wed, 2026-07-15 - 13:58 Permalink
The merely difficult is done at once. The impossible takes a little longer! ;^)
Nice work on the "Phrases, Clips, and Containers" video. I think the narrative explanation and visual demonstration of "background" and "foreground" is perfect - probably the best possible way to express the most significant practical effect of sub-containers.
One minor comment - at 1:42 the narration states: "Any variation or change goes into a child container." I think the use of the passive voice here could lead to a misinterpretation. It tends to imply (IMO) that the program/system automatically puts any variation or change into a child container. In some sense, as a result of certain actions that may be true, but perhaps the agency of the user deserves the emphasis, as by saying instead, something like: "By placing desired variations or changes into child containers you make them flexibly easy to see, move, copy, delete or specifically edit.".
Wed, 2026-07-15 - 14:15 Permalink
In the new "Music Prototyping with Synfire" video I don't think it is ever specifically said in narration or text display: "On the left is a library full of phrases. Click on any phrase in the library to substitute all of that phrase's parameters into the selected element of the current composition. Here we change the entire Harmony with one click."
I had to watch very carefully to see what was going on, which I could do given my background as a user at this point. The uninitiated may simply see a mouse flying around a screen, with no clear indication of where it is clicked, or what that changes are accomplished thereby. (specific aural changes are not necessarily immediately obvious in the context of of hearing new music for the first time)
Also, IMO, revisiting snippets at the very end after factories, after having already had a good snippets section previously didn't add much value. FWIW, shorter might be better here.
I realize this a long video, possibly a chore to edit anymore at this point. I'm just giving my impressions, FWIW.
Wed, 2026-07-15 - 14:26 Permalink
the agency of the user deserves the emphasis
Yes, good point. That's what I meant when I said planning takes 80% of the time. Writing educational content is a tough job. You can redo it a dozen times and still feel like it needs another overhaul.
The long Prototyping video isn't really a tutorial. It's a teaser/trailer kind of thing to show what's possible with Synfire. The short snippets example at the end merely demonstrates yet another music genre.
Wed, 2026-07-15 - 20:02 Permalink
I'm curious to see how you make a video—just off the cuff, using whatever knowledge you have on the spot, and in a more relaxed way, like an amateur would, rather than in a contrived manner.
To explain all the ins and outs, you'll need to create a series of lessons based on the learning principle of progressing from simple to more difficult material.
You've already made some great videos.