One other niggle. The sequencers don't 'loop' too well. I am triggering from a midi file of 8 bars looped in Cubase. When the file reaches the end and starts over, I get double hits initially, then it seems to sync up after a half a bar or so.

I'm not sure if anything can be done about this, but it would be nice if it could.

Como

I'll check it out today, I have an update almost ready.

Are there any notes at the end of the loop which haven't sent note off's? That would explain it as there could then be a note on from the note at the start, and then immediately a note off from the note which hasn't released at the back of the loop. In this case, not much I can do, Vortex responds to NOTE ON/NOTE OFF Messages, so whatever the hosts sends will be processed.

Must be something like that. I guess the 'stutter' is always on the 1st beat as it returns ... so it is not a 'doubled' note, but more like a displaced note. I painted the notes all across the midi file to keep the sequence running in sync. I'll try pulling the end of the note back a tiny bit. That should do it.

Como

PS My E-Mu PX-7 has asked me for Vortex's hand and I have agreed. Big wedding in June and you're invited, Andy.

Haha, I know what you mean it goes well with my 2500 with the X-Lead ROM, before it had a synth engine I built the midi side of it working with that setup.

Latest news. After endless hours of frustration, I've managed to get the mouse wheel into the GUI display so it will affect the currently hovered step for moving notes up and down. Also holding CTRL will move all notes which are the same value up together which should satisfy the multiple note selection request. CTRL locks the notes selection to all 'like' notes when it was initially pressed, however SHIFT can also be used so that it will gather other notes as it hits them. CTRL is great for moving a line of drums up to a different slot.

I've also ditched double clicking for adding a note, a single click does it now.

Also managed to get Right Click in there too, which adds or removes with a single click.

Seriously, thanks for putting some hours into these!

Yes, I am concerned about the incest prohibitions. I'm not sure triggering Vortex with the CS-PX7 and then turning around and retriggering the CS PX-7 sounds on Midi Port 2 from Vortex will avoid producing idiocy.

BTW I just grabbed a 2500 off of eBay with Protozoa and Beat Garden ROMs from a studio close out. It should arrive Friday.

Have you tried the Prodatum Editor with your 2500? It is a very nice piece of software.

Como
Last edited by como baila on Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:13 am; edited 1 time in total

Andy, it just gets better and better!

BTW, the preset and bank save function makes Vortex complete ... whatever the 'refinements' coming along.

After all my whining about it, I am soooooooo grateful!

Como

It was worth it, but for a while I thought it wouldn't be possible, had to jump through some hoops as it seems that the usual way of hooking doesn't work with the SE SDK. The actual data message arrives as uninitialized data, perhaps SE isn't passing it on. I didn't want to mention it until I knew it was going to work.. The newer SDK allows overriding the wndProc but it is a massive amount of work to convert the Sequencer Display to it as it is very different.

Beat Garden is one I'd like to get, but tbh when the day comes I can afford a Virus TI, I'll probably lose the the EMU. It's a great machine but a bit too complex for my needs, the TI is more like 16 Pulses in a box, and I like the simplicity of that sort of synth. The 2500 is very powerful and I've played with Prodatum in the past, but at the end of the day, I'm more old school synth, a couple of oscillators, envelopes, LFOs and a Low Pass Filter + knobs to go with it, and I'm happy

I'm ashamed to say it but I just use the EMU as a preset box. I would probably feel different if it had lots of CCs so that I could control it via the X-station, but it really only has the 16 knobs which can be assigned to anything.

But I bet Beat Garden is nice!

I'm not ashamed to use presets. I think being a synthesist is great ... if that's what you want to do ... but isn't an 'analog' Fender Strat or a Stradivarius just a preset?

Plenty of great music been made on those tired presets, hunh?


Given all the great FX out there, I'd rather spend my time composing/ arranging and mixing, than working on a synth preset just to be able to say that that one sound in my latest dance track was mine.

I mean, hell, if we're going to be 'purists,' shouldn't you build the synth from scratch in your own garage to lay claim to your synth voice's originality?

But different strokes ... and licks ... for different folks.

Como

hey Andy good to have you back. Thought you had been blown away by a strong gust of wind as it can get a bit breezy up in Scotland this time of year!

Excellent news on the update! Single click is great and latching the notes even better. I don't have a mousewheel so i will have to get a new mouse now.

As for my previous posts, don't worry about them, i have the occasional brain fart, lets leave it at that.

I was thinking about a system for the fxbs though where preset banks are saved as performances so you can have different parts of a live set for each bank that can be switched via PC. Or use a bank like a step sequencer with pattern variations in each preset. Or using an instance as a polyphonic chord sequencer, something i was trying yesterday. I don't know, maybe some banks like that would show the different ways Vortex can be used. Again just some ideas that have been floating around in my head. What do you think?

Fwiw if i was writing a tutorial work from the assumption the user knows nothing and start with the basics. Heck, i've been beta testing it for weeks and i'm just starting to get to grips with it.

There are a lot of different ways it can be used though, that's the beauty of Vortex. Would be too much to fit on one so you'll have to do a whole series.

Totally agree, by ashamed I meant I haven't really done much exploring the depths of the 2500 I'm more for getting the notes out than fiddling about with sounds, though I do enjoy synthesis when not making music, I think they get in the way of each other.

It was actually glorious sunshine and very warm, which is bizarre seing as there was 6 inches of snow fell last night!

The main problem with switching sounds, is the load time for the samples, not really an issue for external gear, but the samples load in a thread and do take some time. The little red light near the keyboard is lit whilst samples are loading.

I sort of see what you are saying, I suppose that once the sub sequences are done, I could have some modes to have sub sets of sequences. I was thinking of one mode where a CC knob will change all the sequences on the fly much like the Scale Shift CC.

If you have some fxps/fxbs you want to submit for the presets folder, please do! Sounds like you are up to some interesting experiments

As for tutorials, it's mainly a voice thing, I just can't live with it. You need to be good at so many different things when running something like HGS, and videos I've found is one that I am not good at... I will be trying again tomorrow..

http://www.screamingbee.com/product/MorphVOXJunior.aspx

Como