Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1

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René
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2005/11/24 10:52:32 (permalink)

Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1

Hello DPers,

Dimension Pro features the latest sfz engine, with the latest sfz v2 opcode set.
There's no ófficial documentation for it, as the spec isn't totally finished. However, I thought some of you might want to peek at what's new, updated and changed.
I've put together the first test suite for v2 in a way it's user readable. Every sfz file is commented inside, so I'm sure you'll find your way thru.


http://www.rgcstuff.com/External/sfzFormatTestSuite_v2_001.rar


Comments welcome. Enjoy!



-René


#1

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    b rock
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/11/24 12:09:55 (permalink)
    Nice; nice; nice; nice. Thanks for this, Rene. I see a couple of holes, but I'm very thankful for what you've given us. I know that it's still a work in progress, and that you probably went against your better judgment to get this out to us. I really appreciate you doing this for the troops.

    Excuse me for the short reply. I've got some testing to do ...
    #2
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/11/24 15:28:49 (permalink)
    I know that it's still a work in progress, and that you probably went against your better judgment to get this out to us.

    …and probably against Tom and Dale's better judgement to actual unzip this thing!

    This is gonna be a black hole for time! Many anti-social hours spent exploring these new possibilities will surely ensue.

    René, thanks for tossing this one our way! You know we'll devour it, rub our fat bellies and burp loudly at the end to show our appreciation and love!
    #3
    René
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/11/24 17:42:19 (permalink)
    Excuse me for the short reply. I've got some testing to do ...

    This is gonna be a black hole for time! Many anti-social hours spent exploring these new possibilities will surely ensue.


    Much appreciated guys. Wanna hear your thoughs for sure. There's naturally more folders, but I need to find the time to 'clean' the rest (replacing copyrighted samples in use, removing the secret opcodes we'll use for earth domination, etc.

    I'd like your view on how useful the 'in-the-meantime' example files can be though, before spending mucho time in something not totally useful... perhaps it's better to wait the docs?



    -René

    #4
    cityrat
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/11/24 18:13:08 (permalink)
    Its posts like these that REALLY make me glad I bought DimPro (well.... that and the fact it's wicked good!!!).

    Rene' - you're restoring my faith in customer communication !!! Goodies like these are rare in the software world.

    Cheers.
    #5
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/11/24 23:31:00 (permalink)
    removing the secret opcodes we'll use for earth domination, etc.

    Don't you dare take those ones out! Unless you're scared that we'll turn your own powers against you…

    perhaps it's better to wait the docs?

    Nah! We can be grown up about this. We understand it's a work in progress. We won't turn against you if things change. You've got people that wanna give to this project in any way that they can so a little testing, experimentation and feedback is all in a days work for us loyal users. However, please don't forget to consider some of that fun stuff that was mentioned back at KVR last year: internal timers, reset for sequences, s_f, et al.

    Also, can I sponsor the opcodes that I want?I'll buy an extra copy of Dimension Pro for each one of my most requested! No B.S. either…What do you need, photo evidence or credit card statements?!
    #6
    holymoly
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/11/25 09:11:00 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: René

    Hello DPers,

    Dimension Pro features the latest sfz engine, with the latest sfz v2 opcode set.
    There's no ófficial documentation for it, as the spec isn't totally finished. However, I thought some of you might want to peek at what's new, updated and changed.
    I've put together the first test suite for v2 in a way it's user readable. Every sfz file is commented inside, so I'm sure you'll find your way thru.

    http://www.rgcstuff.com/External/sfzFormatTestSuite_v2_001.rar

    Comments welcome. Enjoy!

    -René


    That's very cool, Rene. Those examples will definitely help to understand your SFZ format much better.

    I especially liked this example: 20 - nothing.sfz

    LOL - Funny guy.
    #7
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/11/25 15:26:13 (permalink)
    I especially liked this example: 20 - nothing.sfz LOL - Funny guy.

    Nah, the big belly laughs are here:

    engine_color=organic
    engine_tone=warm


    #8
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/07 05:37:40 (permalink)
    Anyone checked out the test patches that include the new smoothcc opcodes yet? Pretty cool idea, the whole inertia/deceleration as the parameter value gets towards it's final value. However, after some intial tests, thia feature isn't quite the magic wand I was hoping for — my tests (using volume_smoothcc) saw the level slowly gliding to the final destination but only after a sudden jerk to an intermediate value. It would be nicer if the smoothing function actually took some time to pick up speed, travel some distance and then slow as it approaches the final value… more of a “sinusoid” or “sinus” shape than the “square root” style envelope currently used. BTW, those fancy names come from WaveLab (I'm a point to the pictures man when it comes to maths… don't ask me what it all means, I just see & hear these things and WL's evelopes were my reference here.)

    Since b doesn't wanna play ball with me I might as well let slip that I was trying to dream up some kind of faux portamento effect using this smoothcc gear. Too tired to try and explain (to myself!) how it was gonna work, was much more lucid when the idea first went ‘bing!’

    Also, the combo of smoothcc and the new curvecc trix might help sooth some of that Lego block syndrome that P5's automation dishes out. Of course, Tom was dreaming of a app. wide solution to curves & automation but I'm a Dimension guy all the way so once this is sorted then I'm retiring…
    #9
    René
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/07 08:46:11 (permalink)

    I especially liked this example: 20 - nothing.sfz


    That one is very useful. It ensures that the sfz player won't eat any resource (or crash) when loading an empty text file.


    engine_color=organic
    engine_tone=warm


    Those two are used to test for syntax errors on unknown opcodes. Not that they will work, no.


    Since b doesn't wanna play ball with me I might as well let slip that I was trying to dream up some kind of faux portamento effect using this smoothcc gear. Too tired to try and explain (to myself! ) how it was gonna work, was much more lucid when the idea first went ‘bing!’


    There's a better approach to portamento in the sfz: using a glide envelope. Try this snippet:

    eg16_sustain=1
    eg16_level0=0 eg16_time0=0
    eg16_level1=1 eg16_time1_oncc1=10 eg16_shape1=1
    eg16_glide_speed=.1
    eg16_pitch=1200

    Control portamento speed with cc1.
    It will work monophonically or polyphonically. It will be overriden if DP is set to legato mode though (poly=0).

    -René


    #10
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/07 14:23:45 (permalink)
    There's a better approach to portamento in the sfz: using a glide envelope.

    Ooh! Pays to think big around this place 'cause you never know when René is gonna take a “leak!” Thanks for dropping a few extra opcodes into the mix… I better start conserving my sick days at work for when the final sfz v2.0 docs drop. That'll be one red-eyed-and-bleary week if this little treat is anything to go by!

    Now, I gotta go listen to this thing… then pull it apart and hope it can be put back together again!
    #11
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/08 02:56:10 (permalink)
    Try this snippet

    Home from the paid job and having some funky fun with some some of the ‘z’ basses hooked up to your little piece of portamento code… whoa mama! Nice sound in my ears here… pity I ain't packin' big speakers with an even bigger sub-woofer, I'm a sucker for these slippery bass sounds. Next stop, right of Middle-C… and Smile! Time for some Brian Wilson approved theremin action! Yee ha!Thanks for today's fun with Dimension René!
    #12
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/09 18:21:52 (permalink)
    René, in light of your recent portamento tip and the foreign looking opcodes involved, is there anything that Dimension (aside from VST & DX host automation) can do that can't be achieved from within an sfz file? Obviously, the GUI is mondo useful for realtime tweaking of parameters but my question is, in theory, could everything in a Dimension .prog (envelopes, LFOs, etc.) be specified in an sfz? (Assuming one had access to the full spec of course…)
    #13
    René
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/10 14:48:52 (permalink)
    René, in light of your recent portamento tip and the foreign looking opcodes involved, is there anything that Dimension (aside from VST & DX host automation) can do that can't be achieved from within an sfz file? Obviously, the GUI is mondo useful for realtime tweaking of parameters but my question is, in theory, could everything in a Dimension .prog (envelopes, LFOs, etc.) be specified in an sfz? (Assuming one had access to the full spec of course…)


    Everything could be specified in the .sfz file, with the exception of our 'product profile' definitions (i.e. the LFO waveforms, keytracking shapes, midi patterns in loops, etc).
    However, specifying a 70-point envelope with looping and individual segment adjustments for velocity and stuff isn't cool, and DP does what I feel is a phat job at it. Also once programs get huuuuuuge in terms of programming (as many of the 'Dimensions'), packing stuff to speed up data manipulation starts being important.

    You'll find a few pointers inside DefaultRegion.sfz


    -René
    #14
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/10 16:11:09 (permalink)
    Everything could be specified in the .sfz file, with the exception of our 'product profile' definitions (i.e. the LFO waveforms, keytracking shapes, midi patterns in loops, etc).
    However, specifying a 70-point envelope with looping and individual segment adjustments for velocity and stuff isn't cool, and DP does what I feel is a phat job at it.

    Undoubtedly, Dim is king for other-worldly envelope creation and editing. I suppose the question was posed just to see what the philosophy was rather than get all excited about typing envlopes instead of mousing them.

    However, there could be times when the ability to type in numeric values would have advantages (not in your ‘70 point’ example though…)

    RIght, I'm off to play with those new loop_mode opcodes…
    #15
    René
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/10 16:32:56 (permalink)
    Certainly, and also for 'industrial' envelope production. More about this later.


    -René
    #16
    Paradroid
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    RE: Dimension Pro - sfz v2 test suite 1 2005/12/10 16:36:07 (permalink)
    More about this later.

    Ahh, René, you know how to keep us wanting more… have a nice day.
    #17
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