One Synth Challenge #75: PG-8X (Jasinski Wins!)

[keith303]

Just made some modifications to my uplifting trance track for this OSC, I'm quite happy with the result

no matter how good your song is, you should never be happy with it

Well, perhaps if it's made you a fortune...

That's the case where you should be happy but won't be, cause there is always a bigger fortune to be made with future songs..
the grass is always greener on the other side...

[Skelpolu]

Hey ho,
My submission is up and running. Made within 24h, "Buried Alive" is a Drum & Bass track using 18 instances of PG8X, composed, mixed & mastered in RENOISE - And guys, I fell in love with this thing!

https://soundcloud.com/skelpolu/skelpolu-buried-alive

Internal FX:
+7 Gainer for gain-controlling
+3 Gainer for Sidechaining
+10 Filter for frequencysculpting unnoticable frequencies
+3 Filter for transition-sweeps
+2 Stereo X for reducing the width of some instruments
+7 EQ 5
+2 Distortion (Soft saturation, replacement for heavy EQing)
+2 Exciter
+2 mpReverb
+3 Delay

External FX:
+5 TDR Feedback Compressor II (Peak reduction)
+2 TDR Feedback Compressor II (More attack)
1 W1 Limiter

Yeah, I know - I tend to use multiple Gainer / EQ while I could work more economically by using only 1, but that's my workflow.

PS:

the grass is always greener on the other side...

Guess that was an unfortunate turn of events, as grass from below neatly ties together with the title above!

[keith303]

@Skelpolu
there is no reason to conceal that this pretty neat piece of music has been done with RENOISE !
and looking at the current date i hope you didn't confuse OSC with an extended OHC

[Skelpolu]

@Skelpolu
there is no reason to conceal that this pretty neat piece of music has been done with RENOISE !
and looking at the current date i hope you didn't confuse OSC with an extended OHC

Oh, how could I forget! Why of course, Renoise has been my DAW of choice for all tracks!
OHC? One Host Challenge? Ahahahaha! I just couldn't resist working with this beast, I love free VSTi with neat interfaces - And this is just adorable!

[keith303]

One Hour Compo
thought as a fellow renoiser, you'd probably know: http://compo.thasauce.net/compos/view/OHC

[beatdriver408]

Hey ho,
My submission is up and running. Made within 24h, "Buried Alive" is a Drum & Bass track using 18 instances of PG8X, composed, mixed & mastered in RENOISE - And guys, I fell in love with this thing!

https://soundcloud.com/skelpolu/skelpolu-buried-alive

Well that's certainly disappointing. Disappointing as in "wow you're getting a lot more out of this synth than I am so far!" ... back to the drawing board!

[Skelpolu]

thought as a fellow renoiser, you'd probably know

Oi, the thing is that I am not all that active around the Renoise-Community - Sometimes I listen to tracks from the forums, mainly via the facebook-group however, and even then my interactions are fairly thin. I didn't know about it, but there we go - Got another challenge to participate in! Though my chance with this track's non-existing. :c

Well, hope this track is still worthy the time it took anyhow! Thanks for letting me know about the OHC, will look into that!

Well that's certainly disappointing. Disappointing as in "wow you're getting a lot more out of this synth than I am so far!" ... back to the drawing board!

Thanks a lot mate, feels good to know I didn't overdo it!
I know how you feel, that's how I felt in the last OSC - I might also still adjust some sounds and / or add some details. But I might stay with it as is, considering that the best work is the one put the least time into it. For me, this rule of thumb really works neatly.
Good luck and lots of fun playing with this Synth, I really enjoyed designing 3 instances for the Kick & Snare each.

[martin_l]

I would really like to share some patches, too. Unfortunally the idiot in front of my computer made all the patches with that damn old version of the first download link They are not compatible with the newer version. If I read the looong thread right, there no way to convert it or did I miss something? I'll have to go through and convert them manually ...

There is a way, although a bit tedious:

In my dropbox (where you download the new version) you will also find a folder with the old SE versions. Get yourself the version 1.04, this one is patch-compatible with the old 1.02 version. Then, in the settings panel, switch on SYSEX on ProgChange and select the JX-8P sysex format.

If you chain up the old and new version, such that SYSEX is passed between them, you can transfer the patches.

For this, on the new version, best select the IMMEDIATE saving option.

I will do that for all the old banks currently on the KVR preset database, once the final version is released (and once I am back at my Windows machine).

Cheers,
Martin

Just realized that it might not be possible to get to the folder with the 1.04 version from the normal link.

Here is a direct link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ujogfv7frh7h ... HsIsa?dl=0

If you are in reaper, just load them on the same track and make sure both are working on the same MIDI channel.

Otherwise, you can always get the free VSTHost from Herman Seib (the big version, not just savihost), and connect the MIDI out port of the 1.04 with the MIDI in port of the new version.

Cheers,
Martin

[martin_l]

For the Logic users amongst you:

I just compiled the latest version as AU. However, it is not working properly. When a project is opened again, the bank is not recovered. The current patch is, but the name is lost.

The name also gets lost when exporting to and importing from .aupreset.

I still have to figure out how to solve that.

A workaround is to export the patch (or bank) as sysex file, and place that into your MIDI events at the beginning of each track. (I hope Logic allows to import sysex into the MIDI track...)

Here is the link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ausc3sl98cgue ... t.zip?dl=0


Cheers,
Martin

[MTLE]

I would really like to share some patches, too. Unfortunally the idiot in front of my computer made all the patches with that damn old version of the first download link They are not compatible with the newer version. If I read the looong thread right, there no way to convert it or did I miss something? I'll have to go through and convert them manually ...

There is a way, although a bit tedious:

In my dropbox (where you download the new version) you will also find a folder with the old SE versions. Get yourself the version 1.04, this one is patch-compatible with the old 1.02 version. Then, in the settings panel, switch on SYSEX on ProgChange and select the JX-8P sysex format.

If you chain up the old and new version, such that SYSEX is passed between them, you can transfer the patches.

For this, on the new version, best select the IMMEDIATE saving option.

I will do that for all the old banks currently on the KVR preset database, once the final version is released (and once I am back at my Windows machine).

Cheers,
Martin

Just realized that it might not be possible to get to the folder with the 1.04 version from the normal link.

Here is a direct link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ujogfv7frh7h ... HsIsa?dl=0

If you are in reaper, just load them on the same track and make sure both are working on the same MIDI channel.

Otherwise, you can always get the free VSTHost from Herman Seib (the big version, not just savihost), and connect the MIDI out port of the 1.04 with the MIDI in port of the new version.

Cheers,
Martin

Thanks. Will have a look at it after work ...

[mcaitch]

For the Logic users amongst you:

I just compiled the latest version as AU. However, it is not working properly. When a project is opened again, the bank is not recovered. The current patch is, but the name is lost.

The name also gets lost when exporting to and importing from .aupreset.

I still have to figure out how to solve that.

A workaround is to export the patch (or bank) as sysex file, and place that into your MIDI events at the beginning of each track. (I hope Logic allows to import sysex into the MIDI track...)

Here is the link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ausc3sl98cgue ... t.zip?dl=0


Cheers,
Martin

Thanks Martin, I highly appreciate the work you put into the AU version!!!

The current AU version already solved the main issue I had yesterday with the previous AU version (I even tried to solve my "distortion" sound problems with a reinstall of Logic Pro X which didn't help). Now I'm able to play several tracks in Logic Pro X. I tested layering of some preset patches in a track stack/summing stack and WOOWWWW big bada boom... what a great, rich and punchy sound PG-8X produces!!! This works perfectly.

Too bad that the patch's name is not saved so far. I hope you can fix this soon. When I save a patch as sysex and then load it, the key note settings (poly/unison/mono) are not saved/loaded correctly which might be normal for sysex. Apart from that, I haven't figured out how to load the sysex data of a patch into a track. I'm quite new to the DAW filed and will try again later. I'm sure there must be ways.

[martin_l]

Thanks Martin, I highly appreciate the work you put into the AU version!!!

The current AU version already solved the main issue I had yesterday with the previous AU version (I even tried to solve my "distortion" sound problems with a reinstall of Logic Pro X which didn't help). Now I'm able to play several tracks in Logic Pro X. I tested layering of some preset patches in a track stack/summing stack and WOOWWWW big bada boom... what a great, rich and punchy sound PG-8X produces!!! This works perfectly.

I guess the main problem with the old AU version was the debug setting of the compiler, which might have added extra code, even inside the audio loops.

Too bad that the patch's name is not saved so far. I hope you can fix this soon. When I save a patch as sysex and then load it, the key note settings (poly/unison/mono) are not saved/loaded correctly which might be normal for sysex.

I am not quite sure yet what the problem with saving patches is. I am on it.

The reason that key assigment settings (poly/uni/mono) are not saved is due to the nature of the JX-8P storing these as part of the PATCH data and not as part of the TONE data. Currently, I am saving only the TONE data. Patch data is a bit funny, as it does not contain all parameters, but only thins such as key assign, aftertouch, LFO mod wheel depth, and the NUMBER of the TONE selected from the bank. The JX8P uses these patches only in the so-called key-chain. In the Super-JX they are used for the 'real' paches, but also only containing the two TONE numbers plus some extra patch parameters. How to implement this in a VST in a coherent way, still gives me major headache...

Apart from that, I haven't figured out how to load the sysex data of a patch into a track. I'm quite new to the DAW filed and will try again later. I'm sure there must be ways.

I don't know your DAW. Is there something like a List editor for MIDI events. You might be able to create a sysex event from a given *.syx file.

Cheers,
Martin

[mcaitch]

I don't know your DAW. Is there something like a List editor for MIDI events. You might be able to create a sysex event from a given *.syx file.

My DAW is Logic Pro X. I tried the following: In PG-8X, I saved a patch as SYSEXpreset file which I then imported into Logic's list editor for MIDI events (via the program SysEx Librarian). Unfortunately, there are no parameter changes in PG-8X when I play the MIDI track that contains the SysEx data.

[Mojo42]

I`m finished with my CPU usage test and also tried it at my pc at home (the last days I just tried it just on my laptop). I can confirm the high CPU usage and I`m a bit in a worry. I tried 10 instances and the track stuttered already heavily and CPU usage was almost at the maximum. I freezed all instances and that helped. I could add automation and a couple of effects and now the track only stutters if more than 3 or 4 instances are active same time. I have to consider about. Looks like stress.

I starting in making a couple of patches and then I have to see if this synth really works on my system. Maybe I can produce something very limited and very economically by using send effects only and taking care that not two many instances are active same time and such. But to be honest: Again the limit of 10 instances which are only working if they are freezed is a bit demotivating

I mean freezing is great, good to have this opportunity but it should be possible to work at the instances a while and if I have to freeze them already at the beginning of the track..... you know?

[ontrackp]

I don't know your DAW. Is there something like a List editor for MIDI events. You might be able to create a sysex event from a given *.syx file.

My DAW is Logic Pro X. I tried the following: In PG-8X, I saved a patch as SYSEXpreset file which I then imported into Logic's list editor for MIDI events (via the program SysEx Librarian). Unfortunately, there are no parameter changes in PG-8X when I play the MIDI track that contains the SysEx data.

The CPU usage in Logic is now down to normal levels -- thanks Martin!

Each instance of PG-8X is opening with the correct patch (even though it says INIT), which makes it functional for the OSC. It would be great to have the bank and patch saving, naming, etc... but in the meantime it works, which is terrific.

Thanks very much!