Free-G

So

Free-G our FREE gain plugin... is 99% done! :)

Time to:
Do PC RTAS + VST Ports + Installers = 1hr
Do Mac RTAS Port from VST/AU code = 30mins
Do Mac Installers = 10mins
Decide how the fine fader mode should work = THREE DAYS!!!
Make the fader move beautifully, with labelling, autokerned fonts, shadows, alphablended everything = TWO DAYS!!
Pan knob, Trim knob, Flashing LEDS, peak displays knobs = a day
Delicious metering, with VU/PPM/EBU/Digital PPM ballistics options = a day
Deciding on the UI layout: FIVE DAYS!

Oooh. it's been fun. And stressful. And relentless.
Really the majority of the credit for this has to go to my parents for buying me a coffee service for my birthday - i can now sit on my bed with a cafetiere of freshly brewed coffee, a milk jug, sugar bowl, mug, etc. It's ace.
Hans our graphics designer is the most patient and forgiving person in the world... he's put up with us changing our minds every 15seconds for weeks, and those few occasions where we suddenly remember important things... like... metering? ;)

No credit should go to Felix or I, since we've just bickered constantly about what options should be available on the back panel.

Lots of credit goes to you lovely people who suggested it and gave us a feature set...
We've embellished a little on the original spec... like, lots of metering stuff, the HARDCORE Neve-style linear/fine fader mode [you're gonna go nuts for that.. trust!]. Nice things like ultrafine adjustments by holding down shift. Typable text boxes. A Trim knob with [configurably] up to 36dB of gain. Yes, the phase invert is there, as is the mute + bypass - which both have flashing (or non flashing) leds.
I'm convinced that it's the MOST complicated volume adjuster in the world. :) Yay! :)
Still, while all the other functionality is there, it's all out of the way until you want it. :)

Felix is gonna take some screenshots, and I'll stick em up in a bit (like tomorrow).
It's 2am now, and I'm going to go to sleep.
Tomorrow I'll tell you all about TBK2 which will be coming out very shortly too... ;)

Felix has really made this project happen; he's a joy to work with, and we even finalised a 'fine mode' implementation [which turns out to be intensely complicated to actually do!!] without killing each other :)

So, we'll run it through a quick beta and I'll keep you posted. With luck, we'll send the beta out tomorrow. There are a few more things to tidy up [exact pixel alignments of centered text and such], but nothing major - it's all done now, on all five platforms.

I can't wait to see what you all think of it! :)

Dave.