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

[martin_l]

thank you for such a great synth.

is there a mailing list or another way of being updated with the latest versions and changes?

Not really. I post new developments on this thread whenever I upload a new version. But, you can set up email notifications for this thread by clicking on "Watch this topic for replies" at the bottom of the page. Then you will recieve an email whenever a new reply is posted.

is there an alternative to paypal for donating, it isn't yet available in my country?

I'm afraid, no.

Cheers,
Martin

[Lesha]

thanks for your great work again.

[wwjd]

so we should download/install all the newest patches listed on your site wiht the newest version? any chance of one package zip file in da future with all that?

[martin_l]

so we should download/install all the newest patches listed on your site wiht the newest version? any chance of one package zip file in da future with all that?

The patches will work nearly perfect. You might get some warnings about missing parameters or similar. The only parameter which will be lost is the key-assignment, ie. the poly/unison/mono settings. Otherwise, patches will sound the same as in the old version.

I am still working on the next version with improved Sysex support, which will be able to receive sysex independent of the MIDI learn settings, and also can send sysex. I am just testing and debugging and hope to have the version ready soon.

Cheers,
Martin

[AdmiralQuality]

[quote="martin_l"][/quote]

Welcome to the biz, Mart.

[lionscub68]

Wow, I just found this string while surfing at work

Martin - AWESOME JOB!
You are 99.99% of the way there.
I'm not sure it can get much better!

I have owned 3(!) JX-8Ps and 2 MKS-70s. (3 of them at one time)
Prefer the JX8P over the MKS-70 any day.
I am one of those old farts who kept all of his sysex files for the JX... and figured out how to transfer the patch data between a JX and MKS using the M-64 cartridge.
Anyways, the reason I bring this up is I also kept data sheets of my patches as well, in a folder. Discovering your app today made me dig out the sheets.

It should be told that I'm a Mac user. This VST runs good on my MacBook Pro 2009, but unfortunately using that god-awful VFX program, but I have no other choice now, do I? I personally have to struggle with it, and make VFX crash all the time.

I can't figure out how to open or load patches in VFX for *any* VST plugin.
If any fellow Mac user could give me a clue, that would be great.
I also can't save any of my patches that I enter in PG8X, or, can't figure out how to.
That's all the fault of the VFX app, not the PG8X.

I'll throw my hat in the ring and request a Mac port for this app, and contribute in a few weeks (on the next paycheck cycle)

At any rate, I noticed a few minor details, but please don't take it as criticism.

My ears indicate the only thing off (ever so slightly) is the LFO.
The LFO rate of PG8X is not the same as the clock of the JX8P. PG8X runs a little faster. This will affect any patch that's LFO-critical.
Case in point: I entered my creation. I had to alter the LFO rate from my setting of 63 to about 50-53 to match the intended sound; I had to open the VCF by 2-3; and the LFO Depth had to be increased by about 3-5. In the end I am beginning to wonder how much of these minor details are the fault of VFX running on a Mac, or, the Mac's CPU speed/ or/ operating system's differences compared to a Windows box. The main patch I was testing it with is here, for all of you to try out:

HERE IS WHAT Y'ALL NEED TO DOWNLOAD and try out for yourself:
JX8P PATCH "RUMBLEFISH"
http://home.earthlink.net/~finnkit/
READ the README.txt file in the Zip to know the chords I'm playing when you...
LISTEN to the MP3 on the same page. (click on the shoes)

Martin, I'd love to partner up with you and share the pile of JX8P sysex files I have... in trade for a little Mac love. I want your VST to succeed. (and of course I want to be satisfied using it on my Mac)

Aside from this? I've been having a ball!
Too bad I sold my JX about 6 years ago, to do a side-by-side.
But my ears tell me I don't need to!

KEEP UP THE SUPPORT AND GOOD WORK!

[loungedumore]

VFX WILL NOT load native vst fxb banks if the plugin itself loads patches internally that is the only way . VFX for me has been fairly stable . I had a lot of crashes before , but after deleting a bunch of synth edit synths it has worked much better .

[realmarco]

uh where can we download...i only see presets downloads.

[D.H. Miltz]

uh where can we download...i only see presets downloads.

The fourth listing under "Attachments" looks to be the .dll file.

[martin_l]

Wow, I just found this string while surfing at work

Martin - AWESOME JOB!
You are 99.99% of the way there.
I'm not sure it can get much better!

Thanks!

I have owned 3(!) JX-8Ps and 2 MKS-70s. (3 of them at one time)
Prefer the JX8P over the MKS-70 any day.

Why was that? Do to the sound, or the way to programme the mks-70?

I am one of those old farts who kept all of his sysex files for the JX... and figured out how to transfer the patch data between a JX and MKS using the M-64 cartridge.
Anyways, the reason I bring this up is I also kept data sheets of my patches as well, in a folder. Discovering your app today made me dig out the sheets.

It should be told that I'm a Mac user. This VST runs good on my MacBook Pro 2009, but unfortunately using that god-awful VFX program, but I have no other choice now, do I? I personally have to struggle with it, and make VFX crash all the time.
I can't figure out how to open or load patches in VFX for *any* VST plugin.
If any fellow Mac user could give me a clue, that would be great.
I also can't save any of my patches that I enter in PG8X, or, can't figure out how to.
That's all the fault of the VFX app, not the PG8X.

Right now, I am working on a better sysex support. When I have finished, you will be able to save patches as sysex (both JX8P format, or also a native pg8x format, which includes the patch settings, which are not part of the JX8P tones). In this way you can avoid the fxb problem in vfx.

I'll throw my hat in the ring and request a Mac port for this app, and contribute in a few weeks (on the next paycheck cycle)

At this point, I will have to disappoint you. Although most parts of the sound engine are custom written modules, I do take advantage of the ease of creating a GUI with Synthedit. At the moment, I dont have the time to learn how to code the GUI from scratch using the VST SDK. Maybe I will look at this in future.

At any rate, I noticed a few minor details, but please don't take it as criticism.

My ears indicate the only thing off (ever so slightly) is the LFO.
The LFO rate of PG8X is not the same as the clock of the JX8P. PG8X runs a little faster. This will affect any patch that's LFO-critical.
Case in point: I entered my creation. I had to alter the LFO rate from my setting of 63 to about 50-53 to match the intended sound; I had to open the VCF by 2-3; and the LFO Depth had to be increased by about 3-5. In the end I am beginning to wonder how much of these minor details are the fault of VFX running on a Mac, or, the Mac's CPU speed/ or/ operating system's differences compared to a Windows box. The main patch I was testing it with is here, for all of you to try out:

The discrepancy in the filter might be due to differences between different JX8P models. I fine-tuned all parameters (with the exception of the LFO) against my JX8P.

I have to admit, that I have not yet fine tuned the LFO settings. I will have a look at that for the next release.

HERE IS WHAT Y'ALL NEED TO DOWNLOAD and try out for yourself:
JX8P PATCH "RUMBLEFISH"
http://home.earthlink.net/~finnkit/
READ the README.txt file in the Zip to know the chords I'm playing when you...
LISTEN to the MP3 on the same page. (click on the shoes)

Martin, I'd love to partner up with you and share the pile of JX8P sysex files I have... in trade for a little Mac love. I want your VST to succeed. (and of course I want to be satisfied using it on my Mac)

That would be great! As for the MAC version, see above. I also would be much happier if synthedit vsts would work on MAC, but Jeff does not seem to consider that.

As I wrote before, much of the pg8x is already done in custom modules, written in C++ and/or assembly, and it should be possible to include them into a native VST-SDK synth. I just need some time to learn how to do the GUI, and at the moment I have way too little time for that.

Aside from this? I've been having a ball!
Too bad I sold my JX about 6 years ago, to do a side-by-side.
But my ears tell me I don't need to!

KEEP UP THE SUPPORT AND GOOD WORK!

I'll do my best.

[mztk]

(just chipping here)
i can see that GUI assembly in SE is super-easy/nice etc.
but reckon i've also seem some less sexy apps for assembling
GUI. if that is all that is holding you back - eg: you can code
for mac - ...
urgh...just thought... : sub-controls..you can't just conjure
those up, can you..so you'd have to re-design all your graphic
tools and custom build each controller, irrespective of graphic..

i'm happy on PC, personally, but you can see why it bugs mac people;
someone really should do a synthedit for mac.

[lionscub68]

I hear you about "no plans to make it for a Mac", Martin.
And I also hear you about "they should make a SynthEdit for the Mac."

They do: it's called "SonicBirth."
And another one is called, "X11".

But seriously: I bought an iPad 2 a month ago or so with the intent to learn how to write a few apps.
More specifically, some MIDI apps, and if that worked out, I wanted to write a JX emulation for the iPad.
I wonder how hard it would be?
Maybe even if I reverse-engineered a few of the Reaktor JX emulations, that would be a great help.

Now only if I had enough time, or someone else to pay the bills while I experimented.

[martin_l]

(just chipping here)
i can see that GUI assembly in SE is super-easy/nice etc.
but reckon i've also seem some less sexy apps for assembling
GUI. if that is all that is holding you back - eg: you can code
for mac - ...
urgh...just thought... : sub-controls..you can't just conjure
those up, can you..so you'd have to re-design all your graphic
tools and custom build each controller, irrespective of graphic..

i'm happy on PC, personally, but you can see why it bugs mac people;
someone really should do a synthedit for mac.

Yes, I think it would be quite a big task to rewrite the plugin without synthedit. I also think, that I cannot re-use the modules directly. At least the code for the oscillators and filters could be re-used, but I guess, although the DSP part is the most important part, that it will only make some 10-20% of the code of a plugin.

Does anybody now of some good open-source VST project, wich could serve as an example of how to do the GUI etc.?


Cheers,
Martin

[martin_l]

I hear you about "no plans to make it for a Mac", Martin.
And I also hear you about "they should make a SynthEdit for the Mac."

They do: it's called "SonicBirth."
And another one is called, "X11".

I never really looked in detail at SonicBirth. Can that do similar things to SynthEdit? Does it have a sdk which allows to programme custom modules?

If yes, it might be possible to translate it.

But seriously: I bought an iPad 2 a month ago or so with the intent to learn how to write a few apps.
More specifically, some MIDI apps, and if that worked out, I wanted to write a JX emulation for the iPad.
I wonder how hard it would be?
Maybe even if I reverse-engineered a few of the Reaktor JX emulations, that would be a great help.

I always wonder about the purpose of iPad 'VSTs'. Are they being used for music production? The generation of alias-free hard-sync, such as in the JX8P, is quite compute intense. I am not sure whether an iPad would be powerful enough.

Now only if I had enough time, or someone else to pay the bills while I experimented.

Yes, I also could do with more time...


Cheers,
Martin

[RexXx]

Juce:
http://www.rawmaterialsoftware.com/juce.php
IPlug:
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=9524
VSTGUI:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/vstgui/files/