synthmaker 0.9.2 released

malc · 15 Mar 2005

This new release includes several new features for which there is no documentation at the moment. We'll get some documentation up as soon as we can but I'll give you a very quick run through here.

VST Export

At the moment you need a module with 1 or more mono ins and 2 mono outs. This will change in future to allow for more possibilities. If you create a module that conforms to this configuration then the VST button will appear in the action panel and when you click it, the Create VST dialog will recognise it as an effect.

Buses

Both the Bus components (Create and Extract) take a String input. This is a comma separated list of names. For the Bus Create each name defines an input that you can connect a link to. At the moment only poly and float types are supported.

For the Bus Extract, the string input should be the list of names of the inputs that you defined in the Bus Create. However, you don't have to use the full list. You can just pick out one channel or a few and you can pick the order too.

Presets

Preset handling starts with the Preset Manager component. This allows you to define the number of programs and their names. The preset data is defined by the Preset Parameter component. This stores a value for each program and is controlled by a Preset input connector that needs to be linked to the Preset Manager.

The manager must be placed inside your VST module (not in any sub-modules). We found that linking from the manager to all the parameters created a huge amount of work as links were ‘waterfalled’ through sub-module after sub-module. So we came up with a solution that allowed the links to be assumed to be there. One component was needed to do this and that's the To Parent Manager component.

All you need to do is connect a To Parent Manager component to the Preset input of the Preset Parameter component. In addition to looking for links from it's Preset output, the Preset Manager also looks for any To Parent Manager components in the modules below it in the hierarchy. When it finds one, it creates a virtual link. This allows you to concentrate on the other parts of your schematic without all the clutter of links to presets. Of course you can still use conventional links if you need to.

Automatic GUI Linking

You may have noticed that most of the modules in the Control group of the toolbox now no longer have a View input. This is because they incorporate a new system for allowing modules to appear on another module’s panel without directly linking to the MGUI.

The system is almost identical to the one for Presets. If you link a To Parent MGUI component to the View input of the MGUI in your module then it will appear on the front panel of the next MGUI above it in the module hierarchy.

This is all more complicated to explain than it is to do. Try creating a module, add an MGUI then drag in a Slider from the toolbox. It instantly appears in the module front panel.

Just like presets we found that for higher level modules it was obvious that the GUI modules needed to be linked up but the links just cluttered up the schematic. We wanted to be able to say “assume a link is there, but don’t show it”. With the To Parent mechanism you can eliminate the links and the View connectors resulting in much cleaner schematics that are easier to manage.

The To Parent mechanism does have one disadvantage in that you lose control over drawing order. For this you need to use conventional links. We would recommend that you continue to use links to create lower level modules. For most high-level modules order is not a problem as elements rarely overlap. Take a look at the example to see how all this works.

I hope this is helpful.

piranha XT · 1 May 2005

When can we expect this functionality?

I do like how Synth|Maker works, but I am still waiting on this functionality as I have some ideas I would like to impliment. I do use SynthEdit, but I am looking forward to getting rid of it!

- Tony

stefan · 2 May 2005

piranha XT wrote: When can we expect this functionality?

I do like how Synth|Maker works, but I am still waiting on this functionality as I have some ideas I would like to impliment. I do use SynthEdit, but I am looking forward to getting rid of it!

- Tony

Sorry, but which specific functionality are you waiting for? 🙂 All the stuff mentioned above has been in SM since 0.9.2, which was a while back now.

piranha XT · 2 May 2005

Sorry about that...

I was asking about MIDI out. 🙂

malc · 2 May 2005

Hi Tony,

It's difficult to say when we'll get round to MIDI Out. Should be in May some time. A few other things are ahead in the Queue. Sorry I can't give you a better idea at this stage.

piranha XT · 3 May 2005

No big worries!

I'll probably jump on the "early adopter" bandwagon sooner than later just the same!

However, this is the real big thing that I've been waiting for! With SynthEdit, I prefer creating MIDI plugs & I hope to abandon SynthEdit completely asap! Not that there is anything really wrong with SE, but I like Synth|Maker much better as a whole! The GUI & the general workflow is so much nicer in Synth|Maker!!! 😀

Sk · 3 May 2005

What about the pitch bend? 🙂

malc · 3 May 2005

Hi Sk,

Pitch bend is coming very soon. Thanks for the reminder, always useful.

Malc.