Looking for beta testers - new universal preset librarian for Mac/iPad/iPhone

[bucketbrigade]

Hi everyone,

I've built a new kind of preset librarian - it's content-aware, meaning it analyses patches and auto-tags them, making it MUCH easier to narrow down a list of sounds before you start auditioning. It also has drag-and-drop collection editing to make your own banks super fast, a patch randomiser and even an experimental feature to convert sounds between synths.

It works great with my humble MoPho and Matrix 1000, but I'd love to get help testing it with other Sequential and Oberheim synths.   

If you're interested, please join my Discord to get added to the closed beta https://discord.gg/gjRSF87pD

I also made a simple video demonstrating the app https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njwmeNxCqNg.

Thanks
Anaru


Spiel follows:

SynthGarage started with one fairly simple idea - how to get from a huge list of presets to a small bank of favourites that you can load into your synth as quickly as possible?

The answer was smart tagging . Unlike a simple Sysex librarian, which can see preset names at best, SynthGarage is fully content-aware - it automatically tags all your presets based on what they sound like. You filter on the tags based on the hole you are trying to fill in your track. For example, filtering on the “Pluck” tag gives you sounds that will work as basses. Add the “Resonant” tag or the “Decay” tag to narrow the list down more, until you get a short enough list to audition.

I didn’t want to just build a proof of concept of the tagging idea and then dump it on GitHub. Instead I built out a fully-featured preset librarian. Other librarian features include duplicate cleanup, a visual preview of each patch, an “Organise” view where you can quickly curate your own collections with drag-and-drop, including adding comments and sharing collections online, plus a patch randomiser and (still pretty experimental) conversion of patches between synths.

Because it’s all about building a library of your sounds, SynthGarage is a local app that runs on your own machine, not a cloud app that evaporates when someone stops paying their server bill. Your library is backed up to Apple’s secure infrastructure via iCloud and if you want to be belt and braces, you can also set up a cloud storage provider to automatically back up all your raw data as you import it. Your library automatically syncs across all your devices including iPad and iPhone.

SynthGarage uses the open source Snooze MIDI library from the maker of Sysex Librarian, which means it has the same amount of fine control as that app, so it will work with fiddly older synths can’t deal with high speed Sysex transfers.

“No gatekeeping” was an important design principle. SynthGarage avoids techy terms like “sysex” in its UI and it includes instructions and diagrams showing how to connect your synths and what cables you need to buy. The design is very intentional, it gets out of the way of experts without being intimidating to beginners.

SynthGarage has been carefully human-made over several years by a veteran developer and UX designer.

SynthGarage is currently in closed beta for Mac, iPad and iPhone. First and foremost I need testers to try it out with synths I don’t own myself. If you actively help with testing on a synth I don’t own, I’ll give you a golden ticket - lifetime unlock for every synth that is ever added to SynthGarage. I’m also looking for feedback on features and what synths to add next.

To join the beta, please join the Discord and introduce yourself.

Thank you
Anaru - developer of SynthGarage

Synths supported in SynthGarage Beta include…

Access
Virus, Virus TI

Alesis
A6 Andromeda

Arturia
MicroFreak

Behringer
UB-Xa, DeepMind, JT-80, Pro 800, Pro VS Mini, JT4000 micro, UB-1 micro

Korg
Minilogue, Minilogue XD, MicroKorg, Prologue, Monologue, M1, Volca FM

Moog
Lil Phatty, Slim Phatty, Sub 37, Subsequent 37

MVave
FM-1

Novation
Bass Station II, Peak, Summit, Circuit

Oberheim
OB-Xa, TEO-5, Matrix 6/1000, OB-6

Roland
Juno 106, D-50, JX8p, MKS-70

Sequential
Prophet 6, Trigon 6, Pro 3

Dave Smith
Mopho, Tetra, Prophet 08, Prophet Rev 2, Prophet 12, Tempest, Evolver

Studio Electronics
Omega, Omega CODE

Yamaha
DX7, TX81z