Analogue-sequencer

Folks,

Another P3 beta is in Yahoo files now - v3.1.006b6
Sorry if I'm working too hard ;-)

This build follows an upgrade to a new release of the sdcc compiler, which
reduces the total code size by a small but useful amount.
Compiler updates can sometimes make problems appear in source that worked
fine before, so this build will be tested a lot more before it becomes the
official release build. It seems to be OK...

Playing around with the additions to playlist edit mode tonight has been a
lot of fun, so I decided to post this one now, with the above caveat.

In the current playlist edit mode, to select a step other than the currently
playing one for editing, you must hold 'step' (F1) then press and release
one of the playlist step keys.
Since in 6 or 12 bank memory layouts, you never use the playlist step keys
*without* holding either F1 for edit, or F3 for length, I decided to make
the playlist step keys act as if F1 is held by default - EXCEPT IN 3 BANK
MODE, where you need the full range of 16 keys for pattern selection.
The playlist step keys will switch to Edit rather than Current mode, as
before, and the F1 key is still used alone to return to Current mode.
Editing a complicated playlist seems much easier this way, i.e. one handed.

The other new feature is something I've catch-ily dubbed QCPPC, for 'quick
contiguous pattern playlist creation'.
This is a much simpler feature than it sounds. ;-)

In the previous build, if you wanted to set up a simple playlist with two or
more patterns playing one after the other in a loop, you had to do a bit too
much button pushing - holding F3 to set the length with a playlist step key,
then selecting each step in turn and choosing the pattern.

QCPPC allows you to quickly create a playlist with up to eight patterns
playing in number order.
You can do this single-handed, in one step.

Just hold the pattern key for the first pattern in the loop, then press and
release the pattern number for the last pattern.
This will immediately modify the playlist such that each pattern in the
group is entered in ascending playlist steps, the repeats count is set to 1
and chg mode to P on each step, and the playlist length is set to the number
of patterns selected.

It's much the same as selecting a group of patterns on a 303 or 606, so I
don't know why I didn't implement it sooner.

Best regards,
Colin Fraser
Sequentix Music Systems Ltd
http://www.sequentix.com

Colin, would it be possible to also offer the OS (and betas) 
in the more general .mid standard midi file format? None of 
my hw sequencers can handle the .syx format, but all of 
them read .mid files, and I hate using computers for that.

Is there a specific reason for the .syx format. Guess so...

- Robert

> Colin, would it be possible to also offer the OS (and betas) 
> in the more general .mid standard midi file format? None of 
> my hw sequencers can handle the .syx format, but all of 
> them read .mid files, and I hate using computers for that.

No problem at all. The conversion is a one-step process.
 
> Is there a specific reason for the .syx format. Guess so...

The P3 tools app will only read a syx file for a firmware image, and it uses
handshaking to ensure the fastest possible error free transfer, so syx is
the preferred format.
But I'll start putting a mid file up if that suits some people better.
I can probably add some code to my hex to syx file generator so that it
creates a mid file at the same time.

Best regards,
Colin Fraser
Sequentix Music Systems Ltd
http://www.sequentix.com

On Friday 12 August 2005 14:16, Colin f wrote:

> But I'll start putting a mid file up if that suits some
> people better. I can probably add some code to my hex to
> syx file generator so that it creates a mid file at the
> same time.

Thanks! :)

- Robert

Finally .mid files for OS updates etc.  I have midiox,
but prefer using .mid files, it's gonna be easier now.

Cheers.



--- In analogue-sequencer@yahoogroups.com, "Colin f" <colin@c...> 
wrote:
>  
> > Colin, would it be possible to also offer the OS (and betas) 
> > in the more general .mid standard midi file format? None of 
> > my hw sequencers can handle the .syx format, but all of 
> > them read .mid files, and I hate using computers for that.
> 
> No problem at all. The conversion is a one-step process.
>  
> > Is there a specific reason for the .syx format. Guess so...
> 
> The P3 tools app will only read a syx file for a firmware image, 
and it uses
> handshaking to ensure the fastest possible error free transfer, so 
syx is
> the preferred format.
> But I'll start putting a mid file up if that suits some people 
better.
> I can probably add some code to my hex to syx file generator so 
that it

> creates a mid file at the same time.
> 
> Best regards,
> Colin Fraser
> Sequentix Music Systems Ltd
> http://www.sequentix.com

analog1k wrote:

>Finally .mid files for OS updates etc.  I have midiox,
>but prefer using .mid files, it's gonna be easier now.
>  
>

Maybe. I've updated a lot of synth OS's over the years and the only ones 
I ever had problems with were when they were in mid format. In the end I 
made every single one about 60BPM as my first step to be sure of no 
problems. Good to have a choice though for those dudes with hardware 
MIDI recorder jobbies....

Paul

---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music / Bogus Focus Records / Binar / Headshock / The Joint Intelligence Committee
        www.softroom.co.uk / www.BogusFocus.com / www.JointIntelligenceCommittee.com