Swayed v1.0.3 - available now!

[jbraner]

What should be asked for is for SWAYED to be able to import the metadata from SY Manager or sy.factory library files, not for a retrofit of the SY77 SysEx syntax with more payload (which would make those altered .syx files incompatible with an SY77 and be a huge hassle to SY77 users if said altered files found their way online).

Yep - thanks for that.
The thing is - most of us are just going to grab sysex files from *wherever* so that metadata is probably not going to be there most of the time.

If it's easy for Swayed to import this metadata, then I guess we could decide if it's easier to update the presets in SY Manager or sy.factory - or just do it in Swayed (in which case it wouldn't be worth bothering to tinker with Swayed)

[beely]

The thing is - most of us are just going to grab sysex files from *wherever* so that metadata is probably not going to be there most of the time.

Sure. I mean, there are 130,000+ DX7 patches on the internet. Add in the D50, M1, Wavestation, CZ series, which all have thousands or tens of thousands of patches available, it's a lot, and that's just for a handful of instruments. (I'm currently importing a whole bunch of sysex patches in TAL's JX8P and exporting them for Logic, as is my way.)

No one's going to manually tag that stuff (which is the only way to do it right now), because all these instruments were from a time where you had single banks of 32/64/100 patches and the concept of databases and tagging just weren't a thing.

Now, I'm sure there will be AI efforts to help with this kind of process in due course, usually narrowly-focused on a particular instrument type etc, but it's actually quite a hard problem to do effectively for a number of reasons.

For now, I'd recommend you build your library, and if tagging is useful, slowly work through it a bank at a time and tag/favourite manually according to your needs. There aren't so many SY77 patches online I'm sure. Depending on how much content you have to deal with, and how much time you put into working through it, you'll find it will be done fairly quickly I'm sure.

And if you can't tag, make sure at least those patches are searchable by name, which will help finding stuff to some degree.

[jbraner]

Yeah - sounds like a good plan.
Also - we can set "favourites" quickly, and add to different banks (in swayed) sort of quickly.
I just thought it would be nice to be able to import stuff (metadata) that someone has already set up - but alas, now I know how this works
Thanks for your explanations...

EDIT - I hope this hasn't been off topic. I *is* about using swayed, and most people will be using more than the presets that come with it.
You all may have already known this stuff though

[IvyBirds]

For now, I'd recommend you build your library, and if tagging is useful, slowly work through it a bank at a time and tag/favourite manually according to your needs. There aren't so many SY77 patches online I'm sure. Depending on how much content you have to deal with, and how much time you put into working through it, you'll find it will be done fairly quickly I'm sure.

Or since this is a synthesizer just learn to program your own patches exactly how you want them

You will find that just like with DX7 patches on the internet most of the SY77 patches online are complete crap and honestly not worth the effort

If you dig deeper even with the ones that are not crap you will find most of them are just modified versions of other presets and just about all of them are someone's homegrown presets from the early 1990s who wasn't any better at making them than even a total newb would be after just a few weeks

[Uncle E]

That's a good point. The SY77 was so much harder to program than SWAYED that I'm sure we'll soon be surpassing vintage presets.

[Seafire Mk2]

Indeed, same as any commercial bank for a softsynth

Copy/paste with two minor tweaks

[beely]

Or since this is a synthesizer just learn to program your own patches exactly how you want them

Yes of course, but this is in the context of organising a library of existing presets, which the OP wants to do, which is what we were advising on.

Presuming one has sound design skills*, then it's never a bad thing to have an instrument full of voices by yourself, as you will only make sounds you like and are useful to you, discarding avenues of sounds that aren't useful or good-sounding. But not everybody is interested in sound design, some people are more interesting in performing, arranging and composing, and aren't that into building their own pianos from scratch etc...

* Of course, if one sucks at this, then filling an instrument with one's own awful sounds might not be the best idea for inspiration...

You will find that just like with DX7 patches on the internet most of the SY77 patches online are complete crap and honestly not worth the effort

Yeah, certainly true with the DX7 content.

If you dig deeper even with the ones that are not crap you will find most of them are just modified versions of other presets and just about all of them are someone's homegrown presets from the early 1990s who wasn't any better at making them than even a total newb would be after just a few weeks

Yep. They can still be useful though, and exploring the available sound content with an instrument is just as valid as getting deep into the weeds with sound design. Or finding a middle ground somewhere in between...

[Krakatau]

That's a good point. The SY77 was so much harder to program than SWAYED that I'm sure we'll soon be surpassing vintage presets.

yeah ...I remember

[MaliceX]

Dream come true. Virtual SY77!

[frag]

I don't visit forums anymore, but I have to comment on this release.

We now have Swayed - Yamaha SY/TG77 emulator.

The instrument is very musical, presets are quite lively, dynamic. This is why people who actually write & perform music, should make virtual instruments! I heard some of sheaf's music, he has good ear so I knew he can't make a dull instrument.
It definitively brings something different, something we didn't have yet in virtual environment.
Listening on a high end interface, sounds are pleasant, rich in detail.
PLUGIN DOES FEEL LIKE A REAL INSTRUMENT, which has always been a rarity in VST world. Not even DSP56300 emulators feel like real instruments.
I don't like the interface, but fortunately there are many great presets.
It even works on my old machine, using a cheap trick I can run it in 32bit sequencer from almost 20 years ago. Some presets with long release overload thread, but that's easy fix (split patch).
I don't understand complaints about reverb, this "bad" reverb is what makes synth sound unique & original, I would even leave it in a finished mix.
Combine this with JD-800, Triton, 8000 V, and you have inspiration for a thousand years

I enjoy using only a few VSTis (six, to be exact), and ALL of them are based on hardware. I suppose we are yet to see a completely new instrument, made 100% in software, which has the musicality of Swayed, and other plugins I've mentioned...

[jbraner]

Yes of course, but this is in the context of organising a library of existing presets, which the OP wants to do, which is what we were advising on.

Exactly - I agree that a lot of these presets that we find aren't that great and are derivatives of each other - so organising them is even harder.
I guess it will be helpful to just use the delete key too.

Its good to have some "starting points" though - just to give an idea of possibilities - especially for those of us who've never had a real SYxx (I remember I had a TG33 a long time ago but that doesn't really count).
I was just looking to see how other people approach this and trying to understand how the categorising works.
I think it'll be easier once we start actually using this in songs (rather than just scrolling through presets) and maybe one of the librarians will be helpful to organise banks of similar preset types and favourites etc. Mind you organising into banks right in Swayed isn't that difficult either...

[Artie Fichelle]

How about an addition to swayed where we could upload our good presets?

[Caine123]

hmmm need to check how easy it is to make good presets, i dont wanna learn this synth to be honest, so i hope to find some goot packs, but what i dont understand is what preset packs, roms, sysex can i buy which really work with swayed? i dont want to buy disks and convert them.

[jbraner]

You can just get sysex files that load directly in to Swayed.

[sheaf]

Thanks for the kind comments everyone! Glad to see people are enjoying it. I kind of want to respond to everyone, but the forums goes so fast, and I want to spend most of my time at the computer fixing bugs right now. I'd like to get a v1.0.1 out as soon as I can to take care of the most urgent issues.