Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

I certainly am very familiar with a "gathering requirements" 
phase building up a set of goals that can never be reached.  I 
definately plan to start small and see what happens from there.

    Its actually for that reason (and issues I have with GPL) that I 
don't plan on working within Jsynthlib.  I certainly will offer the 
application for free, but not via the GPL.

    I do plan on supporting all the DTXpress models.  The formats 
between the II and III looking pretty close and it shouldn't be too 
much more effort... testing will be my only issue as I will only 
have the III.  I'll need someone with a II, who won't mind if their 
settings get FUBAR'd, to do some beta testing for me when I get to 
that stage.


--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "oldguydrummer" <rdamon@m...> wrote:
> These are all excellent ideas. 
> 
> From my point of view, with three modules, just being able to 
> upload/download the kit settings and trigger settings, one module 
at 
> a time, into the PC, and editing them, would be a 1000 percent 
> improvement.
> 
> I would just suggest that unless you have alot a spare time on 
your 
> hands, which is probably not the case for most folks, is to keep 
if 
> basic and simple. If the project program becomes overly 
complicated, 
> trying to accommodate everybody's wishlist, then it may not get 
> finished. (i.e. Drumb and Drumber Manual) 
> 
> At where I work, we would talk about generating a detail 
> program/shreadsheet for panelboard calculations. The problem was 
that 
> a gigantic wishlist was generated and the project just never got 
> complete. I went and generated a simple spreadsheet that does the 
job 
> and everybody is now using it. If we had waited for the perfect 
> program, we would still be waiting and doing the calculations 
> manually. I have updated the spreadsheet a dozen times over the 
> years, as time became available and it is still being used.
> 
> Since the Sysex, is slightly different for the Dtxpress I/II/III, 
it 
> maybe better to keep it simplier, so that it can be adapted for 
use 
> with all these modules, as oppose, having just one complex program 
> for just one module. But if you end up with a dtxpress III, I 
fully 
> understand, spending you effect exclusively concentrating on it.
> 
> But ultimately, you will have to decide on the difficulty factor 
and 
> your available time.
> 
> If there are any specific technical information or question that 
you 
> need as your are working through the programming task, I can pass 
> them onto Yamaha, as they seem to be responding to my requests as 
a 
> moderator here, very quickly.
> 
> 
> 
> OldGuyDrummer (OGD)
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Monsieur_Benoit" 
> <monsieur_benoit@y...> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > 
> > 
> > Basically, as far as I know about editor (for synths), you 
should 
> do with an editor/librarian :
> > 
> > As a librarian :
> > 
> > - open a sysex or request a dump (bulk dumps or partial dumps : 
> only a song, a kit....)
> > - view all the data on screen, in a big array for exemple
> > - move, switch or delete elements
> > - send the whole data, or just a part (a kit...)
> > - save the data, as sysex, and/or as proprietary if you're 
adding 
> stuff (comments, other informations)
> > 
> > As an editor (most of the time in librarian, you double-click on 
an 
> element to edit it and an editor window opens) / 
> > - change parameters (voices, effects...)
> > sometimes modules can accept realtime sysex, so when you're 
> tweaking the patch on your computer, you're sending realtime 
sysex, 
> and so editing the sound directly in the buffer of the module.
> > but for old synths, or simpler modules, you can't edit in 
realtime, 
> so you have to request a dump / edit / send the data, and then you 
> can hear the difference. I guess that the DTXpress systems are 
> working with this second option.
> > 
> > For examples, you can see some screenshots of a synth 
> editor/librarian here : http://www.soundtower.com/synth/triton.htm
> > You can also download and try the demo version of Midiquest, a 
> multi synth editor librarian  : 
> http://www.squest.com/Windows/MidiQuest-About.html
> > 
> > Finally, once again, as you're planning to developp under Java, 
I 
> would recommend to have a look at Jsynthlib, an Open Source 
Universal 
> Synthesizer Patch Editor / Librarian written in the Java 
Language. : 
> http://www.overwhelmed.org/jsynthlib/ 
> > 
> > Maybe you can add support of the DTXpress into Jsynthlib, or at 
> least grab some code parts if you want to start from scratch...
> > 
> > (another idea : I would maybe nice to have a tool for 
translating a 
> midifile into DTXpress language and then send it with sysex as a 
> song... maybe a little bit out of the project)
> > 
> > Hope this can help
> > 
> > Regards, 
> > 
> > Benoit
> > 
> > 
> >   ----- Original Message ----- 
> >   From: jjcorley0000 
> >   To: DTXpress@yahoogroups.com 
> >   Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 8:43 AM
> >   Subject: [DTXpress] Re: Sysex Bulk Dump Data
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >       I noticed that the Sysex formats have been posted in the 
> files 
> >   section.  I read them over and they don't look terribly 
> complicated.  
> >   Using the javax.sound.midi package it should be fairly 
> >   straightforward to build an application to manage this 
> information.  
> >   Note that this will still have to wait until the DTXIIISP 
arrives 
> and 
> >   allocate a weekend or two to the task.
> > 
> >       What would people like to see in this application?
> > 
> >       A few ideas I had:
> >       - XML (text based) format export/import so that people can 
> hand 
> >   modify files or write other utilities to muck with them.
> >       - A "my kits/songs/etc" so that you could create a really 
> large 
> >   (limited only by disk space) db of these items and then pick 
and 
> >   choose them for a certain "load".  + List of Favorite loads.
> >       - The ability to multi-select items (ex: kits) and modify 
> params 
> >   for all selected items in one action (ex: volume).  Should be 
> able to 
> >   do this absolute (ex: set to 70) or relative (ex: +10).
> >       - Copy & Swap things from one kit to another.
> > 
> >       Hmmm, me thinks I'm talking myself into more than a 
weekend 
> or 
> >   two of work...
> > 
> >   --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "jjcorley0000" <jjc@s...> 
wrote:
> >   > 
> >   >     Can you post the information to the website or the files 
> area 
> >   > here?
> >   > 
> >   >     While I reluctantly admit that I have the 
skills/experience 
> to 
> >   > handle such a task (Java/C++, GUI, embedded software, 
mucking 
> with 
> >   > bits in files):
> >   > 
> >   >     a)  I'm waiting on the IIISP, so I don't yet have a 
system 
> for 
> >   > testing.
> >   > 
> >   >     b)  I'm not sure how much time I can really dedicate to 
> such a 
> >   > task.
> >   > 
> >   >     That said, I'd like to see the data formats so I can get 
an 
> >   idea 
> >   > of the level of effort.  If I were to put something 
together, 
> I'd 
> >   > likely do it in Java so our non-MS friends wouldn't be SOL.
> >   > 
> >   > 
> >   > --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "oldguydrummer" 
<rdamon@m...> 
> >   wrote:
> >   > > Ok, I now have the Sysex Bulk Dump Data from Yamaha for 
the 
> >   > > DTxpressII and DtxpressIII. Let's see if we can coordinate 
> who 
> >   > wants 
> >   > > to tackle what, in generating a program for seting 
> up/changing