Sparkling gems and new releases from the world of Free and Open Source Software
FOSSPicks
This month Graham looks at Firefly Synth, Faircamp, Gnome Web, GPlates, Flowblade, CorsixTH, and more!
After 88 issues, and over 1,000 individual picks, this is Graham's last FOSSPicks after finally deciding to pass the baton to the next generation of FOSS-picking practitioners.
Polyphonic sound generation
Firefly Synth
This wouldn't be FOSSPicks without a new open source software synthesizer, and this time it's Firefly Synth's turn – which isn't a synth designed to recreate the sound of flying insects. Instead, it's capable of producing a huge range of powerfully complex sounds, from beautifully warm analog strings and brass-like melodies to percussion and eardrum-piercing leads. It does all this from a user interface totally unlike any other software synth, replacing skeuomorphism with practical and instant access to dozens of its features. The only downside is that there are so many features, it's difficult to cram them all into the user interface, making it all look more complicated than it really is.
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