MU.LAB beta A

[muzycian]

Mu.Lab's sequencer starts running automatically when I load a session file, which I'd rather it didn't.

Ok, you're not alone with that request.

So in beta B, the auto-play is set to OFF by default. (the option to turn it on stays there (via settings/mulab.txt))

In earlier posting I mentioned a different method for VST preset operation. After a day of working with the program, the present preset method has gotten more familiar, not bad. Another thought about VST presets/-ish, what if you made the racks with their own preset mechanism so you could make rack VST chain presets and make a library of your common rack chains?

Yep, that's on the whishlist.

I worked with Mu.Lab Beta A some more yesterday. It rejected the following plugins: Alien Artifact; CDCopy; Eclipse; KarmaFX Synth; KeFIR; Loopitch; OddyFree; PanGloss; Res; ResEx; ReValver II; Synchro; WaveThresh; and Fretted Synth FreeAmp 2 is accepted but crashes Mu.Lab after a few seconds of operation (seems to crash after audio input made). Speaking of crashes, Mu.Lab sometimes crashes without explanation when I load or delete VSTs within the rack. Sometimes VSTs work, sometimes loading or unloading the same ones cause a crash that worked a moment earlier.

There was a bug in the rack system when using racks within the musynth.

Not sure if you were in that situation.

Regarding rejected plugs: i've the impression that there are various reports about rejected plugs.
I'll research the vst compatibility further after beta B.

Thanks.

[muzycian]

Maybe you have been clicking the round 'thing' at the right of the rack plug slot, but that is only active for a send: it shows the send level there.

I find that a bit confusing, so i'll communicate with the skin developer about that.

Jo

I will have a look at this. Just a hangover from the Luna 7 skin.

OK, thanks!

[D-Fusion]

That sounds like a good idea
And maybe a load save Preset/Bank button on the gui editor also.

[muzycian]

Jo,

Just a few observations clicking around the sequencer part of MU.LAB that I found in need of a little TLC.

I can see you have Parts and Sequences as different objects with Parts being like a container. However, I'm not sure there's much sense in having the word "Part" written on every part in the sequencer. It would be better off naming the containing sequence wouldn't it?

It's a bug, normally the sequence name should be there.

When you create a new part you should have the option of allocating an existing sequence or loading a sequence when you do it as well as the default which is creating a new sequence.

Agreed, it should be finetuned there.

Will do lateron.

Just a tip for now: you can select another sequence for an existing part via the Part Property Panel at the top right.

Audio and Sequences have a renaming inconsistency. In Sequence parts you can only rename at sequence level, whereas with audio parts you rename at the part level. However, the behaviour in the upper panel is the same - the target name is shown - confusing, particularly when if you change the part name you really expect to see the "Part" vanish on the screen to be replaced by whatever name you type in.

The "Part" thing is a bug. I'll think about your other point.

I understand why you can see the entire sequence when opening a Part. However, it would be good in cases where you've shortened the length of the part to cut off part of the sequence or if you've split a part into smaller components that you have some visual indication of which part of the sequence is covered by the part you're opening. For example, if the rest of the sequence outside of the part borders where shaded a little.

Added on the whishist.

It would be good if you could reduce the length of the part by dragging the left as well as the right edge of the part. Actually you can do this already, but what I mean is that you'd be able to click-drag the left edge of the clip without moving the sequence notes beneath. Do you know what I mean? You already have of moving the underlying notes of the sequence with the part, you don't need this method as well.

Yes, i know what you mean.

Added on the whishlist.

Why is the Duplicate Sequence in the Part Menu?

It makes a fresh new copy of that sequence, so that you can edit it without altering the original.

With Duplicate Sequence, the sequence should be automatically renamed (maybe an incremented suffix or something?) Makes it easier to distinguish.

True. It's on the whishlist.

When you do things like renaming sequences etc.. why is the input box and font so huge?

Just for fun.

Does most of you find that it should be smaller?

And can the current value already be highlighted so you can simply overtype when performing functions like rename?

It's on the whishlist, but this is a common request, so i'll push the priority of this!

With the position marker it would be good if you could click-drag the value - both the integer and the decimal - just a thought.

You mean in the transport panel?

Check beta B, it has improved behaviour there.

Does Mu.Lab release the ASIO driver when opening an external audio editor? I didn't have any luck with Acoustica or Audacity.

No, the asio driver is not released.

Audacity has been used as external audio editor by many people, and it worked.

Maybe that is asio driver dependent..?

When you select Mixdown in the part menu of a sequence part what does that do? Is that a mixdown to audio or something else? It doesn't seem to do anything but create a new sequence as far as I can tell - in fact you still get a part containing a sequence - called Mixdown, but there doesn't seem to be any notes in the sequence itself?

Mixdown Sequence will create a new sequence with all events that were in that part.

E.g. when a sequence is looped, it will contain all events of the loop, real events then!

OK - that's quite a few things. Just making some notes as I try this and that.

Good ones, thanks!

All notes are in the "finetuning area" so that's perfect!

[muzycian]

have had a look at mu lab and have following observations:

drawing in oscillator shape in mu synth is very cool. haven't seen this before

any chance of formants in wft oscillator for sound creation- i seem to remember muzynth had this feature

You can create a waveform via its harmonics / formants via a rightclick on the waveform -> Harmonize.

Though there currently is an issue with the input box. But keep that feature in mind

labelling of parameters on top of mu synth?

In beta B, simply hovering the parameters will show its label+value in the display!

option to 'right click' for toolbox would be more useful than 'cut etc 'as it is at moment. its much quicker for selecting tools and 'cut etc' could become 'control right click' mibbe

Right-click (and control-click on osx) always pops up the context menu.

Can't make an exception.

Note that you can also popup the toolbox by pressing T

Sequencer doesn't play input notes as it cycles or show notes but only does this once you stop the sequencer and restart

Indeed, that's how it works for now.

configurable key commands all round would be fantastic

That's on the whishlist.

sends etc should be available on racks all the time not just when a rack is selected

You may have a point, will think about this further.

gui - clicking on racks to select them often results in rack name change being selected instead. the hit point mibbe needs looked at

True, mut be finetuned.

gui - pan blocked out once but can't repeat this

Lets keep an eye on this.

when typing rack names have to move to end of 'rack 1' etc before you can type in new name. slows down workflow

Yep, you're right; cfr the other message -> its highered in priority.

mixdown option doesn't appear to do much.

Cfr the other post.

i really like where its going. great work jo!

Thanks

[muzycian]

It might be nice if a right mouseclick on VST gui shows all the VST presets at once and gets one with a click.

That's not possible.

Any gui events that occur in the vst editor are handled by the vst editor.

Also WIDI Audio To MIDI VST 1.10 seems to crash audio in Mu.Lab.

Is that on Windows or OSX?

[muzycian]

For the record I'm on a Dell XPS laptop - 2x2ghz Dualcore, 2 GG Ram, 100GIG 7,200 HD running XP SP2 and with NI KORE as my audio/midi interface.

It's working now - I had to delete my VST.xml file and start again as it kept ignoring Zebra due to the initial crash but now it loads. Maybe the problem was the playing demo.

It shouldn't matter.

But as there were more similar reports, i've changed some things regarding the first-run-setup, the autoplay, the audio setup etc...

Please check again with beta B.

[muzycian]

Hi Jo,

regarding my earlier reported crash: i didn't manage to replicate it yet so i tried hard, but it didn't show any error message - it really crashed cold, no survivors, so to speak...

Lets start to forget the crashes in beta a, there were indeed issues here and there and so it's difficult to define what caused what.

Lets get prepared for beta B.

Then we must restart testing from scratch.

[muzycian]

Two things:
1) I also would prefer MuLab starts up without playing immediately. A dialog asking about opening Latest Project/Other Project/New Project would be nicer. [Edit: Ooops, it does. There needs to be more than just the Demo Project present.]

Is finetuned in beta b.

2) Not all of my VSTs are being detected.I use a small set of 7 synths and 6 effects. Many people here would use the CM VST packages from the DVD. Ohmygod101_vst2carbon isn't being detected, even after renaming it adding .vst extension. It's in the same folder as the others that are all detected. Trying to add it manually from the VST Manager didn't work either.I just checked, Luna is the same.

Did it open in LUNA?

[muzycian]

Hi Jo
Thanks for your invite to test MU Lab.
So far i must say that i am really liking the new look

I have also tested the Vst automation and it is really great and i also love how easy it is to find your automation

I also noticed 1 weird thing and that is if you add a synth and then a effect under it in the rack the effect gets the midi focus from your keyboard instead of the vsti.

Yes, the focussing strategy needs an extra look.

So to get back the focus on the instrument i had to right click on the name and reselect focus.

All my 74 plugins scanned fine so no problems there

Great!

Will MULab also have Step recording in the feature?

Chance is high

[muzycian]

Does MULab have Multi processing support?

Not yet.

But the architecture has been constructed with MP and 64 bit in mind

[muzycian]

Every bug found and squashed during a BETA testing session is cause for celebration.



Regards
Caleb

Still 1.5 days to the weekend

[muzycian]

hey I want to beta test it too !!! my email jonalynkrauth@wanadoo.fr

Are you sure hivkorn?

From what i read earlier, i got the impression you don't have experience with beta testing.

Beta testing can be hard and discouraging, it's not "fun".

It's about crashes, weird functionalities, and then you must try to find why, and how to repeat bugs etc...

Does this sound good?

If it's about making music, then please wait for the stable release version.

[muzycian]

That sounds like a good idea
And maybe a load save Preset/Bank button on the gui editor also.

Oops, which idea?

Maybe best to include the quotes.

Is it about the click-on-rack-slot strategy?

[jens]

it's not "fun".

Wrong!


(depending on what kind of a person you are... )