Very Strange Problem...Anyone Else?

[yewtreemagic]

As for the P12 preset format I am working on a documentation generation tool that can improve on that situation. But it does require DSI to use the gawk heavy Unix shell script that I wrote and of cause commit to make precise documentation of their modern instruments (p12 and on) where there are an obvious need for improvement. So far I have been given access to most of the information that I need in a very friendly way. But there are still some way to go before the documents can be published.

Well I look forward to that - well done dslsynth! 

So calm down, learn to use your instrument, be sure to use the one of the officially recommended sysex tools to make regular backups of your presets and start to plan how you want to use your instrument in the future.

Oh, I've been doing that fine already for the last few months (the two DSI forums are a mine of useful information as well).

MIDIOX is also in daily use backing up my new presets as they are created


Martin

[yewtreemagic]

The Program Genetics screen functions (mix/morph/mutate/random) were the only reason I considered buying the editor and the Soundtower tech support guy told me the ability to audition (actually hear) the new patches created by those functions is disabled in the demo version.  There was no way I was buying this if I couldn't successfully try out the mix/morph/mutate/random functions even if I had to actually transmit a resulting patch to the P12 for audition...and as my original post stated, that transfer attempt met with disastrous results so I'm passing on the editor 

Aha! Now that nugget of information has finally come to light I won't need to spend any longer with that editor - thanks for the heads up Dennis!


Martin

[dslsynth]

The Program Genetics screen functions (mix/morph/mutate/random) were the only reason I considered buying the editor

Though I am more of a tool person than music person I do have practical experience with such methods using another tool. Overall its fun to play with. The primary challenge is that the set of possible sounds from a synthesizer can best be described as islands of good sounds in an ocean of noise. So to get good results one need to have practical sound design experience too and simply use the random techniques as a search tool in said ocean of noise. Its definitely a good and cool tool to have at hand but it do usually not beat manual sound design skills on sound quality as one gains experience. Hope that make things more clear!

Well I look forward to that - well done dslsynth! 

Thanks! Just extended the tool this morning so that types like sources and destinations can be loaded too. Its petty handy. Still have to see if DSI wants to use it as they are the only ones with the required knowledge to make such documentation. And its not fully automatic so some elbow grease is required. That is usually a limiting factor!

[yewtreemagic]

Since you mention other existing options, are there other editors for the P12 besides the Soundtower that I'm not aware of?  Anything new coming that's worth knowing about?

Well there is the iPad app Patchmorpher which can do multi-dimensional patch interpolation. Not sure if its updated for the most recent P12 OS as the preset format changes have been made recently by DSI.

Not sure what features ctrlr offers but consider checking it out as its free and open source.

Richard Meyer's excellent 'Patch Morpher' tool hasn't been updated since Feb 2014, so sadly it won't support the latest P12 O/S changes.

There's currently no Ctrlr panel for the P12, although there's a good one for the P8 that looks far more what I'd like to see for the P12, with far more simultaneous controls on view:



http://ctrlr.org/power08-editor-for-dsi-prophet08/


Martin

[dslsynth]

Richard Meyer's excellent 'Patch Morpher' tool hasn't been updated since Feb 2014, so sadly it won't support the latest P12 O/S changes.

The one reason why I am doing that doc gen tool is that the sysex formats are not documented with enough detail and further more new mechanisms are added without telling about it. The sound format version feature was only revealed because one of the usual suspects asked the right questions while testing an OS update. We need to arrive at a state with complete documentation and timely announcement of new features. My hope is that making easier to make precise documentation in theory could improve on this situation.

While a sound format version may seem like a little thing to the developer of the instruments OS its actually a change with many implications for an editor as the programs are only converted once they are loaded from the preset storage. This means that an editor with full support for the instrument need to be able to handle and display multiple versions of programs all with the same sysex encoding and the same instrument identification. Not sure how many editors supports this.

Anyone working on framework based systems absolutely loves when such things happens! . o O ( )

. o O ( repetitive rant apology )

[WytchCrypt]

The Program Genetics screen functions (mix/morph/mutate/random) were the only reason I considered buying the editor and the Soundtower tech support guy told me the ability to audition (actually hear) the new patches created by those functions is disabled in the demo version.  There was no way I was buying this if I couldn't successfully try out the mix/morph/mutate/random functions even if I had to actually transmit a resulting patch to the P12 for audition...and as my original post stated, that transfer attempt met with disastrous results so I'm passing on the editor 

Aha! Now that nugget of information has finally come to light I won't need to spend any longer with that editor - thanks for the heads up Dennis!


Martin

Hey Martin, you're very welcome! 

1st I watched the youtube vid all about the editor and specifically the Program Genetics screen and they specifically said to click the "Auditions" box to have the P12 instantly play any of the "Children" created by mix/morph/mutate/random.  Did exactly that on the demo version...no sound.  Then after trying 5 "Children" patches, the Auditions box is disabled and you can't click it again (unless you quit & restart the editor).  When questioned, the Soundtower guy told me the audition feature is disabled in the demo but as long as I had a working midi interface connection that everything would work fine in the purchased version...Guess I just wasn't convinced