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[Derek Cook]

Hi, all

Much later than intended since the last preview post, but there is now a new BETA snapshot 0.2.00 available. It's taken me a long time due to the fine, fine summer we have had (so lots of time sitting outside) and the complexities of the Kronos PCG format, which it probably the most complex format I have ever tackled, because of its flexible, i.e. non-fixed, structure (more later).

Basically I have drag and drop copy/move working on all objects down to "level 3" (Program, Combi , Wave Sequence, etc. level) working, including the copying of referenced objects when you copy to a different file, or the updating of object references if you move data about within a file.

A key feature I am quite proud of is drag and drop reordering of banks, or you can renumber a bank, if there are spare banks available. Of course if you do this, anything referencing data inside the banks is updated to reflect the change.

As there are quite a lot of references to check in a fully populated PCG file, I've also added in progress monitoring to tell a user what is happening during edits (never needed this before in the other librarians!)

kronos.factory is effectively in alpha preview, and you can download via the following links
Windows Installer
OS X Installer and any Java system
Linux Installer

Instructions on how to install are here http://xfactory-librarians.co.uk/installation.html, and if you do not already have Java on your system, then follow the guide here http://xfactory-librarians.co.uk/java.html

Known issues

• The screen resolution issue if working on a device with a hi definition monitor (I will sort as part of a general release)
  
• The software (and all my librarians) is NOT compatible with Java 9, which introduces a major change to Java which breaks several libraries that I am using. I will fix that as part of releasing kronos.factory 1.0. In the meantime, Java 7 and Java 8 are fine.
  
• Now that I have introduced reference checks, then there is a performance hit when opening some tree branches. It is OK for most items on a reasonably fast computer, but there is a huge delay when opening KSC drum sample branches due to the number of items to check to see if they are referencing any sample on display. I need to look into how I can optimise for this. I have added in progress monitoring, so you will know what is happening.
  
• Copy referenced objects requires suitable free data spaces, and currently fails silently if non are available. I will add error reporting in the next release and also the options to create data banks if space is available. I will also add some menu items to allow you to query a selection and see how much space is required for referenced items (e..g a Set List is using XXX Combis, which are using YYY HD-1 Programs and ZZZ EXi programs, which are using NNN Wave Sequences, Drum Kits, etc.)

===

My future roadmap is as follows. Hopefully 1.0 will be out by end of Jan with the current progress I am making.

• 0.3 Drag and Drop of all other sub items (e.g. effects inside a Program) working
  
• 0.4 - 0.9 bug fixing. Completion of documentation
  
• 1.0 First release
  
• 1.1 Writing of KSC and KGE files (they are currently read only to "peek" at the data in them)
  
• 1.2 Song file support
  
• 2.0 Library Support
  
• 3.0 MIDI Support (if the demand/interest is there)

Feedback and comments are welcome.

===

Why, the heck is it taking so long? All the permutations and things to check! For example in a PCG file , there are

• 20 Program (Voice) banks (x 128 Programs) that may or may not be there in any combination...
  
• But after Bank I-F there are the preset GM banks (9 of them!) before the other User banks carry on from U-A onwards
  
• And Program banks can be either HD-1 (ROMPLER) or EXi (Virtual Instrument) banks
  
• There are 14 Combi Banks that may or may not be there in any combination...
  
• There are 15 Wave Sequence banks that may or may not be there in any combination, and the first bank has 150 Wave Sequences, the rest 32 (so lots of fun if you move a 32 element bank to the first one and vice versa)
  
• There are 15 Drum Kit banks that may or may not be there in any combination, and the first bank has 50 Drum Kits, the rest 16 (so lots of fun if you move a 16 element bank to the first one and vice versa)
  
• Drum Pattern Tracks are totally free form, there may be up to 1,000 of them and they do not have to be sequentially numbered....
  
• The only thing fixed is Set Lists where there are 128 of them with 128 entries
  

I think you can see from that there is a fair bit to work through and ensure it is all working, and it then gets interesting if you are trying to keep references linked when you move things. For example if you move a wave sequence and want to update Program references to the Wave Sequences

• Is a Program Bank a HD-1 Bank?
  
• Yes, Is any of the 128 Programs in a Program Bank a Normal Voice or a Drum Voice?
  
• Normal Voice, check oscillator 1 always and only oscillator 2 if it is a double oscillator voice
  
• For each of the 8 trigger zones in an oscillator, is it off, a sample or a wave sequence?
  
• If Wave Sequence then has it been affected by the move?
  
• If so then remap the Wave Sequence reference to take account of the change (and just to make life interesting you need to convert between a single index in the trigger zone and the Wave Sequence Bank/Wave Sequence Number (with the first bank being 150 elements in length and the rest 32

and of course the "move" within a file can be

• A wave sequence move inside a bank
  
• A wave sequence move to another bank
  
• A reordering of the banks
  
• A renumbering of a bank!

So, this is the most complex synth I have ever worked through in terms of writing a patch librarian for!
_________________
Derek Cook - Java Developer



Follow kronos.factory development and submit ideas over at the kronos.factory Trello Board

My Echoes Music Website
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[Galf2]

Hi Derek, good news!

I'm looking forward to the release of the kronos.factory Librarian. With the help of it, I can maximally adjust the program banks for me.I would like your release of the 1.0 program to be released as soon as possible!

[Derek Cook]

Hi,

Thanks for that. Hopefully in the next few months if things go well, but I may soon be after one or two beta testers soon.
_________________
Derek Cook - Java Developer



Follow kronos.factory development and submit ideas over at the kronos.factory Trello Board

My Echoes Music Website
My Carreg Ddu Music Website

[Derek Cook]

PS: Obviously you an download and evaluate the beta version. The only thing disabled as an unregistered copy is file save.

If you are interested in beta testing, then PM me, and I'll select the first few applicants, who will then get a free kronos.factory license
_________________
Derek Cook - Java Developer



Follow kronos.factory development and submit ideas over at the kronos.factory Trello Board

My Echoes Music Website
My Carreg Ddu Music Website