PG8X (inspired by the JX8P): new beta version uploaded

[Binary King]

ok thats nice,do you know when?

This is hard to say. My day job does not leave me much time for the coding, and I first want to finish and release the PC version. I hope that I can make some progress on that front over easter.

Once the PC version is running, I will start porting to Mac. Most parts should be straight forward, but the engine is written in VC++ inline assembly, which has to be changed for the Mac. I don't know how long this will take me.

Progress updates will be posted on my facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/MLVST.

Cheers,
Martin

Just had to register here. I've been following this project and I was always thinking that it would never come to OSX.
But now I'm following this project even more. It sounds amazing (I have the real JX-8P).

Greetings from Finland

[martin_l]

Hi there,

I just had a bug report from a user, using pg8x on Ableton live:

There is a bug in ableton live, when i automate one of the parameters, 2 other appear and are constantly changing values.

It doesn't matter which parameter is chosen for automation, 2 other appear instantaneously.

Did anybody else see some similar behaviour?

Do similar things happen in Ableton also with other Synthedit plugins?


Thanks,
Martin

[theeyesoftruthd101m]

Hy Martin,

when will come out a new version of this great emulation?

Can you give us some more information of what is new and how it looks right now?

I want say it again your emulation is much closer then all other ROLAND stuff out there and i hope you work it out cause it is very very good!!!

The emulation SQ8L is in the same high position for me.Quality freeware needs
support,i believe for SQ8L is it to late



Thanks

[RexXx]

Progress updates will be posted on my facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/MLVST

Cheers,
Martin

[martin_l]

Hy Martin,

when will come out a new version of this great emulation?

I don't want to give a date yet. I don't have much time for coding, as this is only my hobby, and I also have a wife and a real job

And, also, I want to get it right. I want the code to be future proof, so that if later I want to add some features, I don't have to change everything, and more importantly, that it will be patch-compatible to previous versions.

That said, it will NOT be automation (and patch) compatible to the current SE version, but I will provide ways to transfer patches from the old to the new one (basically via SYSEX).

Can you give us some more information of what is new and how it looks right now?

Compared to the current version, there actually wont be so many changes.
The GUI will be slightly different. I posted a screen dump on page 34 of this thread. The readouts for the parameters will be in a global display.

I _hope_(!) that it will be more CPU efficient than the SE version, but I can't really say anything yet, as not everything is fully implemented in the signal path.

The main idea of going native was, to be able to port it to MAC and possibly also x64. And also, the code should form the building block for some future projects, I have in mind. (HINT: one of the will contain a '70' in the name..)

I want say it again your emulation is much closer then all other ROLAND stuff out there and i hope you work it out cause it is very very good!!!

Thanks a lot! Very kind!

The emulation SQ8L is in the same high position for me.Quality freeware needs
support,i believe for SQ8L is it to late

Yes, it is a pity to see gems like this fade away.

I hope that I can keep up the support for mine. If, one day, I cannot continue with it for one or the other reason, I will release it as open source project, so that, at least, others can take over, if interested.



Cheers,
Martin

[ENV1]

Did anybody else see some similar behaviour?

Do similar things happen in Ableton also with other Synthedit plugins?

I dont know about Ableton, but i can tell you that your plugin is by far not the only one with this issue, and that the issue can be observed in Studio One as well.


In Detail: S1 has a little parameter value readout display which shows the value of whatever parameter of whatever plugin you are currently altering. (Some plugins dont support this but most do.) Some SynthEdit plugins seem to constantly send out parameter value changes even when no knobs/buttons/sliders are actually being touched. This results in the readout display constantly updating (i.e. switching back and forth between certain parameters/values), thereby causing a constant interference with the readout of other plugins. The more such plugins/instances you use, the worse the readout chaos gets. (Obviously.) Another sideeffect is that with the first 'value-change' (which usually occurs immediately after loading a preset) the preset counts as 'edited' (a little * appears after the preset name) even though no UI elements have actually been touched.



As i said, i have seen quite a few SE plugins doing this so dont worry, its probably not your fault. My guess is that it is just an issue with one of SEs modules (PatchMemory seems likely) since a lot of SE creations are affected in exactly the same way.

(Angular Momentums excellent DoubleDelay immediately springs to mind because i use it quite often for its nice filter-modulated delay effects.)

[martin_l]

Hi ENV1,

thanks for the reporting of similar problems in other plugins.

I think I found the problem in my plugin, and in fact, that might be the cause of the problems in others as well:


When I now started digging down the modules to find the spurious parameters, I found that in one module, I accidentally left two 'voltmeters', which I inserted during development and debugging. I somehow assumed that such voltmeters, if not displayed on the GUI would not even be processed. Now I discovered that these two voltmeters still transmitted their values through the automation system, and since their values constantly changes, Ableton seems to pick them up constantly, when trying to add a new parameter for automation.

In principle, they should not harm, and one should be able to simply ignore them.
However, they might contribute to the CPU load, if the host decides to do something with these values.

I now removed them from the plugin, and will have posted a new version here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/53526917/pg8x-1.02a.dll

I cannot guarantee that all automation parameters will be preserved. Therefore, if you do not have to update, just keep the old version, as nothing else changed.

Cheers,
Martin

I dont know about Ableton, but i can tell you that your plugin is by far not the only one with this issue, and that the issue can be observed in Studio One as well.


In Detail: S1 has a little parameter value readout display which shows the value of whatever parameter of whatever plugin you are currently altering. (Some plugins dont support this but most do.) Some SynthEdit plugins seem to constantly send out parameter value changes even when no knobs/buttons/sliders are actually being touched. This results in the readout display constantly updating (i.e. switching back and forth between certain parameters/values), thereby causing a constant interference with the readout of other plugins. The more such plugins/instances you use, the worse the readout chaos gets. (Obviously.) Another sideeffect is that with the first 'value-change' (which usually occurs immediately after loading a preset) the preset counts as 'edited' (a little * appears after the preset name) even though no UI elements have actually been touched.



As i said, i have seen quite a few SE plugins doing this so dont worry, its probably not your fault. My guess is that it is just an issue with one of SEs modules (PatchMemory seems likely) since a lot of SE creations are affected in exactly the same way.

(Angular Momentums excellent DoubleDelay immediately springs to mind because i use it quite often for its nice filter-modulated delay effects.)

[ENV1]

Hey Martin, that did the trick!

Cant tell you how much i appreciate that...PG-8X is such a great instrument.


However, there is one little problem now.

No matter which of my presets i load, i always get this now:



I dont hear any difference though, so you suppose its alright to just resave the presets?

(I didnt dare try it yet because i dont know if that makes things even worse...)

[martin_l]

Hey Martin, that did the trick!

Cant tell you how much i appreciate that...PG-8X is such a great instrument.

Thanks

However, there is one little problem now.

No matter which of my presets i load, i always get this now:



I dont hear any difference though, so you suppose its alright to just resave the presets?

(I didnt dare try it yet because i dont know if that makes things even worse...)

That is no problem. If the sounds are ok, it indicates that the other parameters are not affected. When loading, the plugin now notices that there are too many parameters in the file and spits out the warning. You can just save the banks again, and it should be ok next time you load them.


Cheers,
Martin

[Frantz]

And also, the code should form the building block for some future projects, I have in mind. (HINT: one of the will contain a '70' in the name..)

My guess is the Yamaha CS-70m.

Here are the possibilities that I can find:

Analog Synths

Yamaha CS-70m
The CS70m is a great big powerful polyphonic analog synthesizer which belongs to Yamaha's excellent line of CS series synthesizers.
www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/cs70m.php

Siel DK70
The DK70 is a fully programmable, battery powered portable synthesizer featuring subtractive synthesis using DCO, VCF and VCA technology ...
www.vintagesynth.com/misc/sieldk70.php

ROMplers

Roland MKS-70 Super JX
The MKS-70 is an identical rackmount version of the JX-10 synthesizer. Released in 1985 it combines two individual JX-8P synth engines for an outstanding ...
www.vintagesynth.com/roland/mks70.php

Roland D-70
Billed as the next in line to the Roland "LA" synthesis crown, the D70 is an odd keyboard. It actually has more in common with the U-20/220 ...
www.vintagesynth.com/roland/d70.php

Drum Machine

Roland R-70 Human Rhythm Composer
Sounds are based on digital sample-playback drums which are all very good sounding and usually convincing. The R-70 features up to 210 ...
www.vintagesynth.com/roland/r70.php

[martin_l]

And also, the code should form the building block for some future projects, I have in mind. (HINT: one of the will contain a '70' in the name..)

My guess is the Yamaha CS-70m.

Nope. I guess that would be too difficult for me. I guess my next project is even more obvious...

Here's another clue... (actually, you wrote it already)

ROMplers

Roland MKS-70 Super JX

The MKS-70 is an identical rackmount version of the JX-10 synthesizer. Released in 1985 it combines two individual JX-8P synth engines for an outstanding ...
www.vintagesynth.com/roland/mks70.php

I just don't know why you called it a ROMpler...


Should be more or less straight forward, once the new pg8x is finished.


Cheers,
Martin

[Frantz]

I just don't know why you called it a ROMpler...

My mistake. At first glance, it looked like a bit like my JV-2080 but it is related to your current synth. Not sure why you would want to make a software version of a rack mount synth though.

[martin_l]

My mistake. At first glance, it looked like a bit like my JV-2080 but it is related to your current synth. Not sure why you would want to make a software version of a rack mount synth though.

Well, it could be any of the two (JX10 or MKS-70), as the VST is not hardware in any case. Both synths can be controlled by the pg-800 controller, so I can even keep the GUI (with some small changes and additions).

Namewise, I thought of MLS-70 (for ML-VST), hence the 70...


But, don't hold your breath as yet. I first need to finish the native pg8x, and then basically double it up and change the patch management and voice allocation.


Cheers,
Martin

[ENV1]

You can just save the banks again, and it should be ok next time you load them.

Confirmed.

Resaved the lot and all is well.

Thank You.

[lionscub68]

The emulation SQ8L is in the same high position for me.Quality freeware needs
support,i believe for SQ8L is it to late

Yes, it is a pity to see gems like this fade away.

I hope that I can keep up the support for mine. If, one day, I cannot continue with it for one or the other reason, I will release it as open source project, so that, at least, others can take over, if interested.

If you go open source...
Maybe pass it on to...

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... sc&start=0