SOFTWARE UPGRADE "Multilayer"

Hi @Zynthianers!

A new version is ready for updating. You only have to connect your Zynthian Box to your router with an ethernet cable and click the “update software” option in the admin menu. This is a major upgrade, and it would take some time. Be patient, relax and sit-down … or go to take a good beer!! :wink:

WARNING! This will only work with an “almost unchanged” Gorgona/Gorgonilla image. If you already installed the testing multilayer version by hand, you should re-burn your image and start with a fresh Gorgona. Also, if you tweaked too much your Gorgona image, perhaps it’s better to re-burn.


This is the extended list of new features:

  • Multi-layer & multi-engine: Now you can create sound layers with any engine, in any MIDI channel. Yesss!! You can lay several instruments in the same MIDI channel, or create true multi-timbric setups, mixing different engines.
    The workflow has changes a little bit, of course. The first screen is “Layer List”. From here you can create new layers, select the current layer in the GUI, change layer options (bold select) or remove one or all layers.

  • Improved Controllers: Now the controllers show the real values, including decimals (this is relevant in MOD-UI, and will be in the incoming “linuxsampler’s effect’s chain”). Also, when the controller is assigned to a MIDI CC, it’s shown in the bottom of the controller frame with a tiny number.

  • MIDI learning: Currently, it’s working only in the MOD-UI engine, but will be implemented in all the engines very soon. For using the MIDI learning feature you need the touch interface. From the control screen, slide left-to-right over the desired controller frame and move the desired external controller. The captured MIDI-CC will be shown in the bottom of the control frame. For unlearning, slide right-to left.

  • WIFI support: Althought the WIFI support will be installed and can be enable/disable from the Admin menu, you still have to configure your network credentials by hand, editing the “/etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf” file. The configurator GUI is in the way!! :sunglasses:

  • TouchOSC Bridge: Yesss!! Now you can use OSC control surfaces that support this popular protocol. I’ve made the testing with my mobile phone and the MyOSC App from the PlayStore, but you can try with other Apps and share your experiences. Also, it’s a good idea to make a point to point WIFI connection between the tablet/phone and your zynthian (“WIFI zone” feature, in Android). I’ve done and the latency is quite good!!

  • Audio to MIDI: WTF??? Yessss… For those having a Zynthian Box with Audio Input, now you can have tons of fun with this crazy feature. It uses the aubionotes tool (from the aubio suit) for converting audio to MIDI. The current conversion parameters are very experimental and the result is not the best, but you are free of trying to improve the result by tweaking with it!!

  • Session Recording: And finally, the session recording utility, that will allow to easily record your sessions with Zynthian without the need of other computer or recorder device. The utility will detect if there is an USB pendrive plugged in the Zynthian Box and will use it for storing the audio files. If not present, it will save the audio files in the internal storage, in the “/zynthian/zynthian-my-data/capture” directoy.
    WARNING! Using the internal storage for saving the recorded audio files is dangerous and you can end with a corrupted SD card. I recommend to ALWAYS use an USB pendrive.

  • Lots of little improvements and, i hope, better stability, althought i’m pretty sure that also new bugs :fearful:

Enjoy!

14 Likes

Hi @jofemodo,

I have no words!! The project overcomes what I expected some months ago, specially for me being a newbie musician. Surfering the internet I couldn’t find such a powerful and versatile device …and opensource!!

It’s not fair not to mention other Zynthians developers as @C0d3man who contributes making Zynthian to grow up.

Now a question…

When recording sessions I guess it will be saved in a audio format…am I right? Do you plan to save the session in a midi formar as well?

And a request…

Do you plan to add a “play midi” function to the gui workflow. I mean, having a midi track to be able to play it using any of Zynthian engine/instruments.

Thanks and Congratulations!!

Regards, Jose

1 Like

Many thanks - but I must say: I am mostly doing more “backgound-things” like Dexed/setBfreak/qmidiarp and scripts… all that with a focus on Zynthian but not really Zynthian-only. So my part here is narrow to zero :slight_smile:
Thanks @jofemodo - I am really curious about the new system!!! Will trying it at weekend.

Regards, Holger

3 Likes

Hello @jofemodo!

Thank you a thousand times for your work on the Zynthain! The update runs perfectly - extremely nice additions!
I only had to redo some settings for the 7" HDMI. (found some of the settings in the new config file “zynthian_envars.sh” / updated instructions here)

I could not find out how to delete a single layer - how does that work? Are there plans to update the wiki? I find that flowchart really helpful.

If I could ask for something it would be an extra security question before updating the Zynthian. I already did the update by accident once.

1 Like

Update is indeed ridiculously easy. Just hit that button and enjoy all the new features! I didn’t try everything out yet (since I still don’t have a box for my Zynthian) but it looks very promising. Layering of instruments works flawlessly in any case.

One question I have is the same question as @lod actually, how to delete a single layer?

1 Like

Hi @lod!

You are welcome!! And thanks for testing and giving feedback.

“Bold click” on the desired layer.

Of course. I want to do it as soon as possible … but everybody is invited to do it too :yum:

OK! I add this request to the list. Anyway, normally it’s not a problem to update twice or n times …

Regards!

Hi @jofemodo,
the bold click (with the lower right knob) did the trick of opening a menu for deleting a single layer and for changing the MIDI channel (really nicely done!).

About the security question: Image you are standing on stage - thousands of fans are shouting your name and you accidental hit update :sweat_smile:
This is of cause not my kind of problem, for me it is more like being at some place without computer and the update overwrites the HDMI settings.

Regards,
Martin

OK! I will do :wink:

Regardin the layer menu that opens with the bold click, i have plans fot adding more options, like “traspose scale”, …

Regards!

1 Like

OH WOW!!! this is massive, WELL DONE. All the features sound great, but TouchOSC is just over the top. Exactly what I was wishing for. One dumb question will TouchOSC work over ethernet? Working on midi knob box and it supports TouchOSC bridging also, would be great connecting the two direct :slight_smile:)
Yogi

Of course, @yogi! You can use ethernet OR wifi, but not both at once (by now).

Regards!

1 Like

I downloaded MyOSC, changed the IP and started the BridgeMode. Which layout do you use and what is possible now?

And how do I delete snapshots? Bold press lets me remove layers. I don’t have touch options.

Deleting snapshots is not possible from the UI. You have to delete with SFTP or command line. I will add the option ASAP.

Regarding the touch interface … What “touch options” do you want? :wink:

Regards!

Great! Really good job done! I can’t wait the moment I will come to my studio and will try it!

Thousand of respects!

Really impressive!!! Thanks a lot to @jofemodo and all the developers behind the project!
Big Claps!!

Hey @jofemodo,

thanks a lot for this awesome effort. Very great job!

Best Regards
Michael

Hi @jofemodo
now I had time to checkout the new version! Amazing - very nice job!!! :smile:

For the next version(s): Can you add the folliowing plugins:

  • mod_meter
  • setBfreak

Both are located in zynthian-recipe/recipe. The current install/update-system works for me. But it is not really nice code…

Regards, Holger

Hi @C0d3man!

Currently i’m working in the Web Configuration Tool and after that i would like to release a new SD image, including all your work and improvements with LV2 plugins:

  • mod_meter
  • setBfreak
  • qmidiarp
  • fluidsynth??
  • something more?? :wink:

Probably i will have a lot of questions when i start to make tests with all this, so be prepared … jeje! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Regards!

2 Likes

Hi @jofemodo

:sunglasses: !

I am working on a way to load files into fluidsynth, so that only one fluidsynth-plugin is needed for all sf2-files (which can be uploaded with your new web-interface :wink:).

For something more I can say that I will also try this for linuxsampler… but I think this won’t be ready before #MFB2017

Lars and I will start on Friday with planning the setup for the booth.

Regards, Holger

Hi guys!

I did update some plugins on my Zynthian. Some of them are already in the recipes, but they are not installed in the Gorgona image.

For most plugins it was necessary to change only some optimizations in the makefile (remove -mtune=generic -msse -msse2 -mfpmath=sse) and adjust the installation path to /zynthian/zynthian-plugins/lv2/

At the end of the installation I also ran the MOD-UI update (/zynthian/zynthian-sys/scripts/recipes/postinstall_mod-lv2-data.sh)

An Impulse Response Loader would be very useful. Is there any LV2 plugin that can be used in Zynthian with the files saved on the SD card?

Here’s the list of plugins I’ve installed on my Zynthian:

#Guitarix

Already in the recipes, but the plugins were not installed.
To compile it was necessary to install some libs (I can’t remember which ones)

#x42 MOD Meter
(https://github.com/x42/modmeter.lv2.git)

#x42 Equalizer
(https://github.com/x42/fil4.lv2.git)

#x42 Tuna Turner
(https://github.com/x42/tuna.lv2.git)

#MOD PitchShifter
(It’s already in the recipes, but the Capo, SuperCapo, Drop, Harmonizer, Harmonizer2 and SuperWhammy plugins were not installed.)
(https://github.com/moddevices/mod-pitchshifter.git)

#TAP
(Already in the recipes, but the plugins were not installed.)
(https://github.com/moddevices/tap-lv2.git)

#ZamAudio Plugins
(https://github.com/zamaudio/zam-plugins.git)

#Invada
I installed with:
apt-get install invada-studio-plugins-lv2
And then i moved the files to /zynthian/zynthian-plugins/lv2/invada.lv2

#RakarRack LV2
(https://github.com/ssj71/rkrlv2.git)

#SHIRO-Plugins
(https://github.com/ninodewit/SHIRO-Plugins.git)

#Mr Bollie Delay
(https://github.com/MrBollie/bolliedelay.lv2.git)

2 Likes

Hi @rod_amaral,

I am currently working on a new installation system. I am not really happy with the current state, but it works (see GitHub - dcoredump/zynthian-recipe: Scripts for several installations for Zynthian inside the folder recipe) .

I think there might be such plugins - do you have a name?

Some of your mentioned plugins are in the new installation system. Others will be ported the next days/weeks.

Regards, Holger

2 Likes