2.1.0 b5 - automation rebuilt

[elcallio]

Hello all.
New version of TX16Wx available again - as every Sunday!
This update does changes how automation works in TX16Wx. Previously, the first 32 program slots had dedicated automation for volume and pan controls, and 48 general purpose automation parameters for group modulation. As of this version there are instead 127 assignable automation parameters, which can be used as either modulation sources or assigned to program slot volume, pan, transpose, detune and send levels as well as most send FX parameters.

To assign automation to a slot or FX control, simply right-click on the control in the UI and pick a parameter. The automation parameter will be named accordingly. Turning the dial in the UI will send automation to the host DAW, and, correspondingly, host changes will reflect in the UI.

Note that if you've previously used slot automation in projects, you will have to set up the automation mapping again manually, since this is not assigned by default.

TX16Wx 2.1.0 b5 (2013-02-10)

• Added assignable automation to program slot parameters and send FX
• Increased number of automation parameters to 128
• Added raw pitch modulation destination independent of group keyboard scale
• Program slots can now be named

While it might not look like it, this is a rather major update in that it changes a whole lot about how things work on the inside. More importantly though, it makes the FX section of TX16Wx so much more usable when you can actually automate parameters and send levels.

Download as usual at http://www.tx16wx.com/

Happy sampling
/C

[EvilDragon]

Pretty awesome!


Here's a silly question - why 127 instead 128?

[elcallio]

Pretty awesome!


Here's a silly question - why 127 instead 128?

That is actually a typo: 0 - 127 -> 128 parameters. I've corrected it.

[Crackbaby]

It seems like if one note ends where another one starts, the second one will not trigger in latest version. If i make the first note a little shorter, the second one will trigger (ie there's a gap between them)
version 2.1.0 b5 2040.644 pro

[elcallio]

I see nothing like that here. Can you provide a repro project?

[EvilDragon]

Pretty awesome!


Here's a silly question - why 127 instead 128?

That is actually a typo: 0 - 127 -> 128 parameters. I've corrected it.

Oh the lulz!

[IXIX]

New automation is great. To be honest I never really tried automating before but I'm having lots of fun trying this out.

The FX controls don't visually react to host automation. Is that a bug? I got the impression that they should move on their own like the program slot controls do.

Also if I didn't know that the FX chaining is feed forwards only, I'd think the plugin was broken as the invalid output destinations aren't greyed/missing from the list. Probably on your todo list but I'll mention it just in case.

On the subject of visual feedback for controls, would it be possible for group controls that are being modulated to indicate their actual modulated state? It would be massively helpful if they could.

[IXIX]

One small thing. The param names are cut short in REAPER's menus and such. Params 100 to 109 are displayed as "Param 10", 110 to 119 are "Param 11" and the rest are "Param 12". If I assign a FX feedback parameter, it's displayed as "FX6:feed".

Also when I assign FX params, they're displayed correctly (although truncated as above) in REAPER's FX parameter menus but in the envelope lane labels, they always seem to be labelled as FX6 despite being FX1 or FX2 in reality.

[elcallio]

New automation is great. To be honest I never really tried automating before but I'm having lots of fun trying this out.

The FX controls don't visually react to host automation. Is that a bug? I got the impression that they should move on their own like the program slot controls do.

Doh. Last minute bug. I've fixed it and silently updated the build. Re-download and it should as expected.

Also if I didn't know that the FX chaining is feed forwards only, I'd think the plugin was broken as the invalid output destinations aren't greyed/missing from the list. Probably on your todo list but I'll mention it just in case.

It is actually not forward only. But (like reaper) if you create a loop in the chain, the chain will simply not play. But you can build a chain that jumps back and forth.

On the subject of visual feedback for controls, would it be possible for group controls that are being modulated to indicate their actual modulated state? It would be massively helpful if they could.

Alas, I doubt it. Remember that the modulation is per playing voice. Thus if you play one note at time X and a second (same group) at time Y, the modulation of a certain parameter is... what? (in ui)
It sort of works to display all playing positions for the SEQ modulators, but I think it would look pretty lame visually trying to show modulation of all playing voices for a group in a controller.
But I am open to ideas (though remember, every bell and whistle like this costs CPU cycles!)

[elcallio]

One small thing. The param names are cut short in REAPER's menus and such. Params 100 to 109 are displayed as "Param 10", 110 to 119 are "Param 11" and the rest are "Param 12". If I assign a FX feedback parameter, it's displayed as "FX6:feed".

Also when I assign FX params, they're displayed correctly (although truncated as above) in REAPER's FX parameter menus but in the envelope lane labels, they always seem to be labelled as FX6 despite being FX1 or FX2 in reality.

VST standard sets the param name length to 8 characters. And to make it worse, the callbacks do not even provide a buffer size, thus host implementations cannot even allow for longer names. (Great design steinberg!)
I should maybe use "ParamXXX" instead of "Param XXX" to at least avoid clipping in the host. Just it looks kind of lame in the menus...

As for what Reaper displays... sort of outside my control, but I'm not sure if we're looking at the same thing here, but for me the automation lanes in reaper display the correct names. As well as the formatted parameter values.

[EvilDragon]

How do I get up to 16 characters displayed when using host automation in Kontakt, then?



This sucks, though, even if it's 16 chars. Should be at least 32, if not 64...

[elcallio]

How do I get up to 16 characters displayed when using host automation in Kontakt, then?



This sucks, though, even if it's 16 chars. Should be at least 32, if not 64...

That is another call, getParameterProperties, which does indeed contain a lot more space (actually 64), and a lot of flags as well. I have not yet implemented support for that call (not sure how many hosts that use it actually). So, ok, I should perhaps not mouth off to much about the "older" VST calls. But still...

[EvilDragon]

64?! Then Reaper is not using them all but clips at 16!


Time to ring Cockos, Inc.

[elcallio]

64?! Then Reaper is not using them all but clips at 16!


Time to ring Cockos, Inc.

Mayhap, but I have to say that at least for me, reaper does not use this call at all. I might be missing something of course. But I am unsure on how you get even those 16 chars.

[elcallio]

Small note, I am guessing the 16 chars come from the plugin having a vstxml resource that reaper does check. This is not really an option for TX16Wx though, since automation names are not static. Doh.