Experience with SoundTower plugins (Sound Editor and PlugSE) for Take 5

[lewisfrancis]

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None of the remaining issues in my bug tracker have been addressed by this update -- in trying to validate one of the issues I uncovered an overlooked bug that's been present since at least v1.1.4 where attempting to load a sysex file from the File > Load SysEx File menu item always results in a No TAKE 5 Programs Data found in this file! error msg. Does this work for any of you Windows users?

Turns out that feature only works with bank sysex files, not individual patch sysex, and is working as designed.

[lewisfrancis]

Discovered a new v1.4.0 Dec. 6 release of the SoundTower PlugSE DAW plugins for both Mac/Win. Nothing posted yet to describe any fixes or feature updates.

On my Mac it still sets the volume of your Take 5 to zero in Logic when first instantiated, which will trip up new users.

[lewisfrancis]

PSA: While looking to see if any information about the new PlugSE update had been released I noticed several videos on SoundTower's YouTube channel that may be helpful to new users covering setups, recovery, banks, librarian and categories. These are generic vids that apply to all Oberheim, Dave Smith Instruments and Sequential versions of the SoundTower editor, and all are denoted with the name of the feature being described and "4K."

[Ronny Cash]

Hi all!

I have installed the Take 5 Soundtower plug-in. I use the control plug-in in Ableton. Inputs directly on the synth are taken over by the control plug-in/editor. Unfortunately, when I change parameters in the plug-in/editor, they are not recognized by the synth.

I have set all MIDI settings in Ableton Live 11 and also in the Global menu on the synth as described in the manual.

I can't get two-way communication to take place

Do you have an idea why?

Thank you
Greetings
Ronald

[lewisfrancis]

Hi all!

I have installed the Take 5 Soundtower plug-in. I use the control plug-in in Ableton. Inputs directly on the synth are taken over by the control plug-in/editor. Unfortunately, when I change parameters in the plug-in/editor, they are not recognized by the synth.

I have set all MIDI settings in Ableton Live 11 and also in the Global menu on the synth as described in the manual.

I can't get two-way communication to take place

Do you have an idea why?

Thank you
Greetings
Ronald

I feel like the instructions to use the Control type plugin is a typo and that SoundTower meant that Ableton users should instead use the Instrument type plugin, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ElecStraTake]

The v1.51 has been released.
I don't know what are the fixes as there are no release notes.

[lewisfrancis]

The v1.51 has been released.
I don't know what are the fixes as there are no release notes.

Thanks for the alert!

I find that v1.5.1, at least on the Mac, fixes a long-standing issue with the way single saved patches are handled in the two methods SoundTower allows for, now aligning with the documentation. Nice to close another bug from the list.

Emulated filter knob animation is still janky when tracking the hardware version. I consider it a minor issue but still weird when the PlugSE version tracks fine.

[lewisfrancis]

The v1.51 has been released.
I don't know what are the fixes as there are no release notes.

Huh, now I see v1.5.2 has been released.

Hope to install it tonight but came here because I saw that ST has released a YouTube video on how to work with their Phantom Banks editor, which up to now has been undocumented.

[lewisfrancis]

I find that v1.5.1, at least on the Mac, fixes a long-standing issue with the way single saved patches are handled in the two methods SoundTower allows for, now aligning with the documentation. Nice to close another bug from the list.

And v1.5.2 seems to have brought this bug back. sigh.

The documentation states that either of the two methods that allow loading of saved sysex should send that sysex to the edit buffer, but when right-clicking on a program in a bank view and loading the sysex from that menu should also populate the patch slot in the editor/librarian.

I dunno. Maybe SoundTower thinks the two methods should be treated consistently and hasn't updated the documentation.

Reported to SoundTower.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[lewisfrancis]

And v1.5.2 seems to have brought this bug back. sigh.

Mark thanked for the report and wrote he would "get this checked and fixed (again)."

[ElecStraTake]

And v1.5.2 seems to have brought this bug back. sigh.

Mark thanked for the report and wrote he would "get this checked and fixed (again)."

Hopefully, the newly released v1.5.3 has the fix for your issue.
Still no release notes and the release date sticked to March 15th.

[lewisfrancis]

And v1.5.2 seems to have brought this bug back. sigh.

Mark thanked for the report and wrote he would "get this checked and fixed (again)."

Hopefully, the newly released v1.5.3 has the fix for your issue.
Still no release notes and the release date sticked to March 15th.

Thanks!

I'll connect it to my Take 5 tonight after work but just running 1.5.3 on its own that issue doesn't appear to be addressed, at least not on the Mac.

[lewisfrancis]

And v1.5.2 seems to have brought this bug back. sigh.

Mark thanked for the report and wrote he would "get this checked and fixed (again)."

Hopefully, the newly released v1.5.3 has the fix for your issue.
Still no release notes and the release date sticked to March 15th.

Thanks!

I'll connect it to my Take 5 tonight after work but just running 1.5.3 on its own that issue doesn't appear to be addressed, at least not on the Mac.

Yup, no change when hooked up to my T5. Wonder what issues have been addressed. in v1.5.3?

[Real Soon]

 I didn't bother using it for a while after some REALLY frustrating experiences early on, but tonight went ahead and downloaded the latest update to mess with after backing up my SysEx via MIDI-Ox, as I have a show coming up soon that needed some reorganization. This is on Windows 10.

This time, no trouble with presets getting reverted to factory setting. No trouble with anything besides a small user error that made me lose a genetically-derived child I really liked... but I made a couple more children and made sure to update my SysEx backup to include them. That feature is REALLY fun, I have to say. I foresee myself using it replace a bunch of the presets I don't need for stylistic reasons (and can still access via the Factory button anyway), just to see how weird and inspiring things can get.

[lewisfrancis]

After exploring envelope delays I've realized the delay controls in v1.4.0 Take 5 PlugSE Control AU are juxtaposed in the UI — so that ENV1’s Delay actually controls ENV2 and vice-versa.

Works as expected in the desktop editor, v1.5.3.

Anyone seeing this on the VST or Windows versions?

[lewisfrancis]

Another oddity I've discovered while debugging a Logic template containing the PlugSE v1.4.0.

Creating new projects from a template containing the ST PlugSE results in erasing whatever was in the Take 5 edit buffer and replacing it with the default Basic Program. Anyone else seeing this?

Doesn't happen if you add the ST PlugSE to a new project, save, and then reload -- only from new projects created from a template containing the plugin.

[lewisfrancis]

After exploring envelope delays I've realized the delay controls in v1.4.0 Take 5 PlugSE Control AU are juxtaposed in the UI — so that ENV1’s Delay actually controls ENV2 and vice-versa.

Works as expected in the desktop editor, v1.5.3.

Anyone seeing this on the VST or Windows versions?

Another oddity I've discovered while debugging a Logic template containing the PlugSE v1.4.0.

Creating new projects from a template containing the ST PlugSE results in erasing whatever was in the Take 5 edit buffer and replacing it with the default Basic Program. Anyone else seeing this?

Doesn't happen if you add the ST PlugSE to a new project, save, and then reload -- only from new projects created from a template containing the plugin.

Mark at Soundtower confirmed the issues and says they will be addressed in the next update.