OB-Xf by Surge Synth Team

[EvilDragon]

We also tried, Martin decided not to open source the code.

[audiojunkie]

I asked about the status of Shortcircuit-XT and get told that it would derail the thread. And then guess who derails the thread?

[MillerSam]

@EvilDragon: Any news when we can import OB-Xd patches into OB-Xf? I just tried it and I doesn't work

[2NDMOUSE]

GForce did such a great job with the Oberheim synths that I'm not tempted to look at other emulations.
Had unusual compatibility issues with Surge, so there's also that. Dunno what the deal is there. I have a LOT of vsts, and generally don't get error messages. Surge is the exception.

[2NDMOUSE]

kludgey

I like this new word. I'm stealing it =)

[brok landers]

IMO (in no particular order):

- Better GUI
- Better patch browser (remove support for zipbanks, it is extremely kludgey how that was implemented - instead support unlimited unpacked banks rather than hardcoding them to 100)
- Double-click on knobs resets parameters to default value (SO annoying it doesn't do that!)
- Additional mod matrix slots (also adding some additional targets - not just MIDI controllers)
- MPE and MTS-ESP support
- Built-in oversampling

^^So true. All of the above - but especially the marked. And the enhanced OBXD filter from Surge we've been talking about.

Oh, but - oversampling optionally (a switch or something like that). One aspect of why Synth 1 was so successful (besides from being a cpu-lightwheight and dead-easy to use) was, that it sound-wise was kinda close to the gritty, un-oversampled sound of the hardware it loosely was based on - the Nordlead 1. So i would want this aspect not to be ruined. Sadly, while sound-wise Synth 1 comes close to the nordlead, Ichiro Toda missed out on the most powerful feature the Nordlead actually provided - the parameter morphing. This i would love to see in a version by you guys.

[EvilDragon]

@EvilDragon: Any news when we can import OB-Xd patches into OB-Xf? I just tried it and I doesn't work

It is not a priority for 1.0 release.

it sound-wise was kinda close to the gritty, un-oversampled sound of the hardware it loosely was based on - the Nordlead 1

Incorrect there. NL1 was oversampled 2x, it was running at 96k internally. Ditto NL2(x). And they don't really sound that close from my comparisons...

Had unusual compatibility issues with Surge, so there's also that. Dunno what the deal is there. I have a LOT of vsts, and generally don't get error messages. Surge is the exception.

Please hit us up on Discord about this if you haven't by now. Surge runs on a wide variety of platforms so this is weird.

[arturrembe]

Now if only we could get the synth 1 source base.... we've tried....

How about the PG-8X?

TAL Software is already developing such an emulation (like the PG-8X). It won't be open source, but we can be sure the synthesizer will be really good and will also be available for Linux.

[Vortifex]

We also tried, Martin decided not to open source the code.

What reasons do people like him give when they refuse to open source code for stuff that they're giving away for free anyway? Especially when they haven't updated it for years. I understand that they don't have to do it if they don't want to, and that we're entitled to nothing. I know basically nothing about software development so maybe there's technical stuff I'm unaware of, but I'm just curious.

[EvilDragon]

There's a difference between open refusal and just deciding not to do it in the end after weighing the licensing options.

[Teksonik]

Reverse engineering does not necessarily mean disassembling. Reverse engineering in its purest sense means basically looking at the output based on the input and trying to understand what the black box in the middle is doing. In the context of a softsynth, play a note, see what comes out, play another note, see what comes out, use the pitchbend, see what comes out, sweep the filter, etc.

So exactly what I said....copying the work of others. I suppose if one has no ability to be original that's the only thing left for them to do but that doesn't make it right.

Look, I'd be happy to see Synth 1 get some love but only if it's done legally and just as importantly ethically.

Anyone who pushes back again that is despicable.

[ampetrosillo]

It's not copying. It's imitation. The purest form of flattery. Anyway, feel free to be outraged. Buh-bye.

[EvilDragon]

So exactly what I said....copying the work of others.

No, it is not the same thing.

[arturrembe]

Reverse engineering does not necessarily mean disassembling. Reverse engineering in its purest sense means basically looking at the output based on the input and trying to understand what the black box in the middle is doing. In the context of a softsynth, play a note, see what comes out, play another note, see what comes out, use the pitchbend, see what comes out, sweep the filter, etc.

So exactly what I said....copying the work of others. I suppose if one has no ability to be original that's the only thing left for them to do but that doesn't make it right.

Look, I'd be happy to see Synth 1 get some love but only if it's done legally and just as importantly ethically.

Anyone who pushes back again that is despicable.

The developer isn't responding to emails. It's unclear whether he still has access to the email address listed on his website or not. So, it's uncertain if inquiries about his synth are actually reaching him and he just isn't interested in opening his source code, or if the inquiries are simply going into the void. Therefore, discussing synth1 right now is pointless.

And what do you mean by 'illegal'? Nobody here has any intention whatsoever of doing anything illegal.

[Teksonik]

Reverse engineering does not necessarily mean disassembling. Reverse engineering in its purest sense means basically looking at the output based on the input and trying to understand what the black box in the middle is doing. In the context of a softsynth, play a note, see what comes out, play another note, see what comes out, use the pitchbend, see what comes out, sweep the filter, etc.

So exactly what I said....copying the work of others. I suppose if one has no ability to be original that's the only thing left for them to do but that doesn't make it right.
Look, I'd be happy to see Synth 1 get some love but only if it's done legally and just as importantly ethically.
Anyone who pushes back again that is despicable.

The developer isn't responding to emails. It's unclear whether he still has access to the email address listed on his website or not. So, it's uncertain if inquiries about his synth are actually reaching him and he just isn't interested in opening his source code, or if the inquiries are simply going into the void. Therefore, discussing synth1 right now is pointless.

I had several email exchanges with Ichiro Toda back in the day but my last attempt to contact him some years ago went unanswered. Considering Synth 1 is almost 23 years old it's entirely within the realm of possibility that he has passed away. Or he has simply moved on to other endeavours. Either way that doesn't give anyone the right to do whatever they wish with Synth 1.

And what do you mean by 'illegal'? Nobody here has any intention whatsoever of doing anything illegal.

By illegal I mean the violation of any intellectual property rights, the protection of which has always been a priority at KVR since it's a site dedicated to the creation of...intellectual property.

Again never confuse legality with morality. It may be legal to back engineer the Synth 1 code since we don't know the status of same but to me it would be immoral and I could not possibly care less if anyone else agrees or not.