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

[layzer]

Seems to be an issue with the Dynamics setting.

Try the 74 ORGAN 2 patch to demo this. When I set the VCA Dynamics to 3, then play the slowest velocity I can (presumably MIDI velocity 1), I can still hear the note. But when I set it to 2 and play MIDI velocity 1, I hear nothing. Yet when I set it to 1 and play MIDI velocity 1, it's louder as you'd expect.

It sounds almost like Dynamics positions 2 and 3 are swapped. Some more playing with it reveals that this seems to be the case with the other 2 Dynamics settings as well.

The velocity response also feels kind of "off" (in an exaggerated way) to me right across the board. But I don't have a JX-8P to compare it to. I don't remember them being that hard to play with good dynamics though. Feels a bit wrong.

And it still doesn't keep changes to program state the way a VST is supposed to. You're not supposed to have to explicitly hit a "write" button to keep changes to a program. (If you were, the host itself would offer the Write button. And a one-slider VST like the AGain example wouldn't be possible, as it would never save its program state. Right?)

the dynamics do indeed seem odd.. there was very little difference between the 1, 2 and 3 setting compared to off in my DAW - EnergyXT2

[Spitfire31]

You can also find an interesting new file in the Presets folder.
It will load into the positions 65-128.
…
Cheers,
Martin

That interesting new file shoots me a 404 error when I try to download it…

Maybe Roland teamed up with the NSA?

/Joachim

[layzer]

You can also find an interesting new file in the Presets folder.
It will load into the positions 65-128.
…
Cheers,
Martin

That interesting new file shoots me a 404 error when I try to download it…

Maybe Roland teamed up with the NSA?

/Joachim

strange, it downloads for me just fine!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m636vgxhta9e ... s.syx?dl=1

[Chris-S]

For me it downloaded on the 2nd try.

[fmr]

For me it downloaded on the 2nd try.

For me it worked fine. Just one small detail. The patch "Choir" appears twice, and the patch "May S Wind" is missing. Martin, could you check if it's the case with your JX-8P. In the library I have this patch in there, right after "Choir".

Since I don't own a JX-8P I can't try this patch on my own, to see if it's worthing the trouble or not.

EDIT: I recreated the patch after the parameters displayed in the SoundDiver editor, and re-saved the Bank in the new PG8Bank format, in case someone is interested. It's an interesting synth patch. BTW - Why do we have to first use "Write" before we can properly save the bank with the new patch? This isn't the standard behaviour of plug-ins, AFAIK. If we save the bank, it's saved in its current status. The first time I saved, after changing the patch to Choir, when I get back, the Choir was there again (like if the edit patch was in the Edit buffer, as in the real JX-8P). After I reloaded the saved Bank and used the Write, then it was stored in the proper location permanently. Seems annoying and may lead to loose data.

[Spitfire31]

Thanks for the limk, Layzer! That one worked fine first time.

/Joachim

[Spitfire31]

PG8X AU still crashes occasionally with Live 9.1.6 64 bit on Mac OS 10.9.5 when Loading a .syx bank. The crash logs always mention 'mouse up' or mouse down' and Cocoa.

I think that there's something in Live that causes these crashes, because:

1) PG8X AU works fine in Logic X and the latest Tracktion running on the same Mac under the same System version.

2) If I select 'recover work' in Live after a crash, PG8X is instantiated and I get another crash immediately I click 'Load', indicating that there's something amiss with the recovered Live file. If instead I launch a New file in Live, instantiate PG8X and use the Load command, I can do it several times until I get the previously reported crash.

I wouldn't devote a lot of time chasing this, Martin, since the VST works fine in Live. So, there's no compelling reason to use the AU (which apparently works fine in other DAWs). I'll check later in Digital Performer 7, OS 10.8.5.

Kind regards,

Joachim

[lionscub68]

For me it worked fine. Just one small detail. The patch "Choir" appears twice, and the patch "May S Wind" is missing. Martins, could you check if it's the case with your JX-8P. In the library I have this patch is there, right after "Choir".
EDIT: I recreated the patch after the parameters displayed in the SoundDiver editor, and re-saved the Bank in the new PG8Bank format, in case someone is interested.

I'm interested. THrow it in a dropbox folder, and share the patch with us perhaps?

And yes that patch/bank behavior happened to me last go-around too.
I'm sure it's on the fix list.

[fmr]

For me it worked fine. Just one small detail. The patch "Choir" appears twice, and the patch "May S Wind" is missing. Martins, could you check if it's the case with your JX-8P. In the library I have this patch is there, right after "Choir".
EDIT: I recreated the patch after the parameters displayed in the SoundDiver editor, and re-saved the Bank in the new PG8Bank format, in case someone is interested.

I'm interested. THrow it in a dropbox folder, and share the patch with us perhaps?

And yes that patch/bank behavior happened to me last go-around too.
I'm sure it's on the fix list.

Here is the link for the patch alone, for those interested. In case someone has problems downloading, please let me know: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/893 ... PG8Xpreset

[lionscub68]

Here is the link for the patch alone, for those interested. In case someone has problems downloading, please let me know: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/893 ... PG8Xpreset

Thank you very much! Be sure Martin gets this file too - he can modify his patch bank next go-around.
That's funny, the May 5 Pad patch is one of the most "famous" JX patches. It even made it into Omnisphere. Which is no surprise as Eric Persing did the initial programming for the JX patches...

[fmr]

The May 5 Pad patch is one of the most "famous" JX patches.

Didn't knew that

I even named it May S (thought the 5 was an S)

And Martin, if you don't have the patch, feel free to use this, of course.

[RexXx]

Missing Preset (not recreated) as SYSEX:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/oct17s7gyd163 ... D.SYX?dl=0

fmr was to fast

[EvilDragon]

Seems to be an issue with the Dynamics setting.

Try the 74 ORGAN 2 patch to demo this. When I set the VCA Dynamics to 3, then play the slowest velocity I can (presumably MIDI velocity 1), I can still hear the note. But when I set it to 2 and play MIDI velocity 1, I hear nothing. Yet when I set it to 1 and play MIDI velocity 1, it's louder as you'd expect.

It sounds almost like Dynamics positions 2 and 3 are swapped. Some more playing with it reveals that this seems to be the case with the other 2 Dynamics settings as well.

Nope, that's how it actually is on JX8P/MKS-70:



You can clearly see that with position 2 you can get silence with velocity 1, but that's not the case with position 3.

[AdmiralQuality]

Seems to be an issue with the Dynamics setting.

Try the 74 ORGAN 2 patch to demo this. When I set the VCA Dynamics to 3, then play the slowest velocity I can (presumably MIDI velocity 1), I can still hear the note. But when I set it to 2 and play MIDI velocity 1, I hear nothing. Yet when I set it to 1 and play MIDI velocity 1, it's louder as you'd expect.

It sounds almost like Dynamics positions 2 and 3 are swapped. Some more playing with it reveals that this seems to be the case with the other 2 Dynamics settings as well.

Nope, that's how it actually is on JX8P/MKS-70:



You can clearly see that with position 2 you can get silence with velocity 1, but that's not the case with position 3.

Ah okay! That's weird! A combination of velocity range and velocity curve in one control.

Never noticed that on the original.

I still feel like something is strange with the dynamics. Though it's been a long time since I played a real JX-8P so maybe my memory of it is better than it actually was. But I'll play a chord at what feels to my hand like a very similar velocity for all notes, and some notes will seem to be a lot quieter than others. Feels hard to control.

Ultimately you'd need to MIDI a real JX-8P up to the same input that's driving the plug-in to test this. So it could well just be embellishment of my memory. I haven't played one in about 7 years.

[EvilDragon]

I have an MKS-70 (didn't hook it up and turn it on in some months now) and from what I recall it IS ridiculously sensitive to velocity in positions 2 and 3... basically position 1 was the only one I found usable when played from my Kurzweil PC3K8... So methinks Martin nailed the response in his plugin, at least from what I can tell.