NMG2 Open Source Editor

dorremifasol · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:01 am Post subject:

I had no luck with the VST. While booting Cubase the editor showed a the message "... disconnected gracefully" or something like that.

Then I found the only way to use the VST was as an insert effect. I created an instrument track, then I put the G2 VST and Cubase hanged.

The second try worked after turning off and on the G2, and restarting the editor.

brunov · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:24 am Post subject:

The message "disconnected gracefully" shouldn't be a problem by itself. The Indy component that I used for the tcp-ip connection gives that sometimes but then goes on working.

I haven't tried the vst on cubase, but it probably works more or less the same as ableton. When ableton starts, it also tries out all the vst's in the vst folder. So the g2 vst will try to make a connection to the editor at that moment.

The vst is also build an affect and not an instrument (although it doesnt process any audio). But I don't know exactly what's the difference in behaviour in cubase then.

Maybe I can get a cubase lite version somewhere so I can try it out for myself.

dorremifasol · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:58 am Post subject:

Now the official G2 editor doesn't work. It shows nothing, no matter if I reboot the computer or the G2 or both. thinking

Uninstallin the usb-32 driver it woks again. Seems that both can't work together.

brunov · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:50 am Post subject:

Hmm, that's really strange, I have no trouble at all running them both, only not at the same time.

How did you install the libusb-win32 driver? There are two possible ways:

- as a device driver, in that case it replces the clavia driver so the original editor won't work anymore.

- as a filter driver, in that case it attaches itself to the clavia driver but doesn't replace it.

dorremifasol · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:52 am Post subject:

I'm not sure, I just used the inf-wizard executable and followed the instructions.

brunov · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:08 am Post subject:

That's the wrong one I think, there should be a filter-wizard also.

Here are some intstructions on how to install the filter driver:

http://sourceforge.net/p/nmg2editor/wiki/Installing%20LibUSB/

Screenshot below show an inf-wizard, but above that one is the filter-wizard.

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dorremifasol · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:44 am Post subject:

Thanks! now it works. But if I open one editor, the other will not work until y turn off the G2 and turn it on again. It's like once turned on, the G2 is bound to the first editor used. Not a big problem though!

brunov · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:47 am Post subject:

Ah great, you had me worried! Smile

Yes. switching between the two is sometimes a problem. I have to look at the startup/closedown of the usb what goes wrong there.

Arnaud06 · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 2:09 am Post subject:

Wow amazing !! I'll give it a try !

brunov · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 3:28 am Post subject:

Thanks very much for giving it a try, but please follow the instructions for installing the lib-usb driver carefully:

1. Always make a system restorepoint before installing drivers (if your system doesn't do that automatically)

2. Use the Filter-wizard, NOT the inf-wizard to install libusb

3. After installing, check if the original editor still works.

I hope hearing of your experiences, it will help to develop the software further.

Regards
Bruno

dorremifasol · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:52 pm Post subject:

Brunov, do you think it would be possible to (optionally) build the complete sysex message for a patch inside the editor, and send it to the G2 via regular MIDI connection? This would allow the editor to work for example on a Ipad, without the need of the USB driver, only a MIDI out connection.

Of course I know it will not be the same. Thre are also reports of many G2 with the USB port broken that would benefit of this approach.

brunov · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 1:37 am Post subject:

Yes, that's possible. Interesting idea. When I first started writing some software for the G2, I send/received all patches to and from the G2 using sysex, so I already have the code for it, I borrowed it from Jan's original code. (Thanks Jan!)

For patching using only midi, there would be no feedback on every change you make in the patch, but I can imagine that there could be a button to send a patch over to the G2 now and then while patching so you can hear some intermediate results.

I'll try some things out, and let you know!

dorremifasol · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:02 am Post subject:

Another possibility even more interesting IMHO, would be to make the editor totally independent of the USB driver, which would be handled by another server program.

The communication between the editor and the USB server could use only midi or TCP/IP. If both programs reside in the same computer, the communication would be fast enough to provide realtime feedback. But this way, with the currently available tools that allow transmitting midi over different methods (ie. wifi), you could use literally any tablet or computer to edit the patches in real time, even far away from the computer that is physically attached to the G2.

Even more, what if the USB server was capable of connecting up to 4 editors at the same time (one for each slot)? I can imagine one or more people tweaking the knobs of a G2 performance at the same time, each one with his own tablet. Great for live use!

What do you think about this possibility?

brunov · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:33 am Post subject:

I have a setting in the editor "IsServer" that is hidden in the current version of the editor, but that allows for the exact thing you are proposing here.

The software was set up with the idea to have multiple clients, vst's or editors that communicate using TCP-IP to a one server program that has the physical usb connection with the G2.

I'll put the editor "IsServer" option in the settings dialog of the new version, so you can experiment with it.

Here's a screenshot with an example. I'm at work right now (or should be Smile

), so it's a bit cramped, but the upper editor in the screenshot acts as a server and the bottom one is a client.

So every change made in either one of them is reflected in the other one, and communicated to the G2 over usb by the server. I haven't tried it out on a wireless network yet.

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dorremifasol · Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:48 am Post subject:

That's great news! I need to try it Smile

fairplay · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:15 am Post subject:

iPassenger · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:07 am Post subject:

Just wanted to say well done dude. I tried it out on my winxp machine and it ran smoothly.. took me a little while to work a few bits out to get it setup but it certainly worked very smoothly for a beta.

Do you intend to make the dials feedback like they do on the normal editor, e.g. switching between Hz, Pitch, Ratio etc on the osc?

brunov · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:12 am Post subject:

Thanks for giving it a try Ross! Glad you didn't have any big problems.

Eventually all the displays should show the values in the proper units, there are quite a lot of these, so I decided to concentrate on the base functionality first and just do a couple of these displays with every new version.

What I would like to try and put in the next one is the midi sysex exchange with the g2, the buttons on the parameter pages, the assignment of all parameters of a module to a parameter page in one go and work a bit on the Vst. I got a cubase lite version for testing now.

brunov · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:59 pm Post subject:

I've made a new beta version 0.21. If you want to test it, you can download it from the sourceforge page. It has a zip file with only the executables (bin), or one with the complete source code (src).

Some of the changes are these:

- I've added some midi functionality so you can use the editor without a usb connection. It has less functionality of course, but you can upload/download patches with it using sysex. You can also make patches and download intermediate results to the g2 using sysex. One of the screenshots below shows the menu options for midi and the midi settings tab on the application settings form.

- Also on another tab of the applications settings form you can configure the editor as a client to another editor. You can see that on the other screenshot. You could for example have the client editor on a laptop wirelessly connected to a pc that runs the editor using usb. While testing I found that the led- and volume indicator data is too big al load for wifi, so I made a setting on the settings form with wich you can set a timer interval for sending the led data ("Timer broadcast led messages" on the server editor).

- Also spend a lot of time making the VST compatible with Cubase 6. Cubase is a lot more demanding than Ableton, had a lot of troubles with lock ups of Cubase. I hope a tackled most of the problems, but not quite sure.

- Some other bits and peaces, you can read some more in the readme.txt file.

Hope I didn't make too many mistakes in this one.

Regards
Bruno

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dorremifasol · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 1:54 pm Post subject:

Awesome work, Bruno!

I tried the sysex feature but the editor lists devices I don't have in the midi in list (UM-ONE, DJ console and Midisport 4x4). The midi out list seems to be OK, though.

brunov · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 2:20 pm Post subject:

Ha, you're right! That's strange, those are my midi devices of course.

Probably my settings where saved as object properties and are now part of the executable Sad

Maybe restarting the editor helps or otherwise you could have a look at the "G2_editor_ini.xml" file, maybe edit the "midiInDevice" "MidiOutDevice" attributes.

Meanwhile i'll have a look at it, also just found another bug: sending some note events while midi is enabled crashed the editor.

dorremifasol · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 2:38 pm Post subject:

brunov · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:10 am Post subject:

Fixed the two midi problems Albert: device listing and crash on note event.

I didn't make a complete new version, so better to delete the old 0.21 and download the new fixed 0.21 version.

Hope this one works better...

dorremifasol · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:15 am Post subject:

Thanks! I'll try tonight at home.

ZeeByeZon · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:08 pm Post subject:

Hi
I just tested your application, but it does not work for me:
- When I install libusb-win32, there is no checkbox to launch the filter installation. I launched it manually (install-filter-win.exe)
- My G2X is plugged and powered on, but the editor is emty. I cannot see the patches currently loaded.
- When I try to insert a module on the patch, nothing happens.
- If I uninstall libusb, the behaviour is the same...

Notes:
- The top line shows "Clients connected: 0"
- I'm running Windows XP SP3
- the clavia editor still works