KVR Audio

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 12:11 pm

finishing up a general midi controller/editor that
should work with any GM enabled synth.

i'm making it mostly to control this little guy within EnergyXT2

it will be handy for controlling 4 instances of syxg50 on 4 separate audio busses.
it is made with SE, but does no audio processing. just midi controller messages.

beta 1.0 download:

https://www.sendspace.com/file/61nxxg

I've decided to release this as donationware. if you find it usefull and are moved to....
please consider making a small donation to my PAYPAL email address - yahoo.com
donations for synth skins i've made in the past can be made to the same email address.

I'm currently out of work and trying to raise some money to buy a motorcycle battery
for transportation. thanks, and enjoy!!!

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 12:15 pm

wait wait wait wait wait wait ....
Is that an XG50 VSTi?

I thought there never was an official one...

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 12:33 pm

oh its floating around out there on the cloud... i'm just making a controller that will work with other GM synths as well.

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 12:57 pm

Well, the fun thing is... the XG50 is, as the name implies, a XG device. Massively extended over the 128 general MIDI programs.

I do have a real XG device, and I can access up to 650 (or so) programs, but in modern Cubase it's a PITA to set it up. This tool might definitely help me get faster access, since the Mixer Maps for XG are pretty much nonexistent now, and the old XG Editor also doesn't work on my Win7 anymore.

I might give it a spin. Even if i'm on x64 (and SE is still 32bit).

Though one thing:
What about MSB and LSB for bank/sound selection?

I do remember that you had to switch the MSB and LSB in order to access different FX channels and (for the hardware) the TG300B or better said "different drum kits" mode.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 2:57 pm

Compyfox wrote: Though one thing:
What about MSB and LSB for bank/sound selection?

glad it might be of use for you, in my demo testing, i'm finding it a joy to use with the S-YXG50 softsynth in EnergyXT2. i will possibly make a CTRLR version so it will work under x64 as a standalone controller.

as you can see on the top rows, yes the controller can address all 128 banks and 128 programs within each of those 128 banks

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 3:06 pm

I really have to test that. I do remember my MU-15 and DB50XG being really picky about bank selection (LSB/MSB). If this really works with a couple of mouse buttons and no crazy Inspector handling in Cubase, I'm all game.

mztk · Post by **mztk** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 3:50 pm

hey look intereting (sh** my s button really ha had it now..)
(can sound like kung fu master)

do you reckon...?
QY70?QY100? they are XG. pretty nuffink to edit, not really
needed, but there are other functions that would be nice to get at quickly,
if you're getting busy with the sysex midi implementation sheet thing.
(have to actually consder what though..off top of head..)

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 5:05 pm

almost finished. just working out some knob position recall issues. decided on knobs instead of numeric readouts for some parameters.
updated screenshot.

basslinemaster · Post by **basslinemaster** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 6:54 pm

This looks fantastic, Layzer! Thanks for all your hard work.
I can confirm that the SYXG-50 sounds exactly like the DB50XG - I used to have a DB50XG and I made wav files of many of my favourite XG MIDI files with it, and then when I found the SYXG-50 I played back the MIDI files and they sound exactly the same, very impressive. And practically unmeasureable CPU on my i7 860, no matter how complex the song.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:26 pm

basslinemaster wrote:This looks fantastic, Layzer! Thanks for all your hard work.
I can confirm that the SYXG-50 sounds exactly like the DB50XG - I used to have a DB50XG and I made wav files of many of my favourite XG MIDI files with it, and then when I found the SYXG-50 I played back the MIDI files and they sound exactly the same, very impressive. And practically unmeasureable CPU on my i7 860, no matter how complex the song.

thank you Sir! and i barely consider this work as i enjoy doing it very much

thats right, all they did was copy the DB50XG card's waveform rom and effects DSP code into the SYXG-50 VST. so it is essentially identical. the sound quality you get from the sounds at the CPU tax is impressivly low indeed. i'm taking advantage of it's multitimbral operation to layer over other sounds in my midi tracks.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Mon Dec 01, 2014 6:59 pm

here is a simple general midi file mixed with this mixer done entirley with the S-YXG50 vsti in EnergyXT2. can you guess the song?

https://soundcloud.com/layzerkvr/demo-s-yxg50

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 4:51 pm

First post updated with finished controller screenshot. i decided to add channel mute buttons and CC send indicators for each channel. this was what was giving me problems. synthedit is not smart enough to know that you
can't send the entire string of CC's for all the parameters in one big bang, so i had to devise a timed
sending scheme to overcome lockups on send. i'm working now on another variation of the controller
that has the gui modified to work with groups of 3 midi channels recieving the same midi data. for instance
setting up your tracks to send the same midi data to multiple channels that will trigger 3 GM instruments
at the same time, allowing for sounds made up of 3 layerd instruments each with individual vol, tone, panning etc....

i plan on using this version with a midi patchbay vst by Daniel Smith. i had to go to the internet wayback machine to download it so i will include it with the controller zip when its finished!

this is how the patching should look for using with the 3 voice controller.

stay tuned for the download links coming shortly!

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Thu Dec 04, 2014 7:26 pm

first beta of version one controller uploaded. D/L link in original post

confirmed it works great with the Roland/Edirol VSC vst 1.60. no more tiny GUI fidling!!!!

Actual size!

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:33 pm

May I ask why you opted for 5 groups that control 16 MIDI channels altoghether?

Why not create a 16 MIDI channel output version? With the last fader being Channel 10 for the drums (which was usually the drums on GM anyway)?

I ask because routing in other hosts might not be as simple without the usage of a modular environment. Or limitation of routing matrixes (Cubase comes to mind).

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:43 pm

Compyfox wrote:May I ask why you opted for 5 groups that control 16 MIDI channels altoghether?

Why not create a 16 MIDI channel output version? With the last fader being Channel 10 for the drums (which was usually the drums on GM anyway)?

I ask because routing in other hosts might not be as simple without the usage of a modular environment. Or limitation of routing matrixes (Cubase comes to mind).

sounds easy enough, but according to Jeff Mclintock, (the SE creator) the VST standard only allows for ONE midi output on a VST. i would have loved to have 5 or yes, even 16 individual midi outs on the plugin.

besides, the V2 version is identical to the V1 with only a graphical change to reflect the routing done by
the patchbay.

FREE General midi controller - Beta 1.0 Available