G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz
- davephillips
- Established Member
- Posts: 592
- Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2015 1:05 pm
- Has thanked: 35 times
- Been thanked: 23 times
G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
This:
http://niclasen.name/G2500/G2500.html
The details can be found on the site. Yes, it's priced at 100 Euros ($112US), and yes, it's a standalone application, there's no version in any plugin format.
I like it, it's another workout on a very cool modular for me. Just what I need.
Best,
dp
http://niclasen.name/G2500/G2500.html
The details can be found on the site. Yes, it's priced at 100 Euros ($112US), and yes, it's a standalone application, there's no version in any plugin format.
I like it, it's another workout on a very cool modular for me. Just what I need.
Best,
dp
-
- Established Member
- Posts: 2036
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 12:05 am
- Has thanked: 10 times
- Been thanked: 22 times
Re: G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
Apart from the hardware look, I'd say that Bazille has a way lot more to offer on the modular front.
Nevertheless a bit strange to make a stand-alone synth app in 2019 that's not a VST.
Cheers.
Nevertheless a bit strange to make a stand-alone synth app in 2019 that's not a VST.
Cheers.
Re: G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
VST2 or VST3?jonetsu wrote:Nevertheless a bit strange to make a stand-alone synth app in 2019 that's not a VST.
Oh, and now we're at it, why not also make a plugin for those, that prefer AU? And AAX/RTAS? And ...
And then there is the 32/64-bit issue. Should I create versions for both?
A short list of the most common plugin formats:
http://support.pluginboutique.com/knowl ... au-aax-etc
Most dial knobs found in G2500 Virtual Analog handle 32-bit floating point values between 0.0 and 1.0, so about 30-bit information giving more than a billion possible positions for each knob. If you put all the modules with most knobs in G2500, you have 2-300 different controllers.
MIDI can't handle this. Some of the different plugin formats might. I don't know, as I havent researched it (yet).
What is the alternative, if you wanna control G2500 to its fullest?
A new open (non proprietary) communication scheme for musical instruments?
(I see talks about MIDI 2 this spring. Is that the answer?)
Would/should I use my precious time trying to please people asking for this and that plugin format, or should I use time to create the "correct" solution?
-
- Established Member
- Posts: 2036
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 12:05 am
- Has thanked: 10 times
- Been thanked: 22 times
Re: G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
Well, all commercial plugins have no problem in supporting VST2, VST3, Mac's AU and ProTools' AAX. It's business as usual. Many still offers 32-bit versions although that should disappear.Geomol wrote: Oh, and now we're at it, why not also make a plugin for those, that prefer AU? And AAX/RTAS? And ... And then there is the 32/64-bit issue. Should I create versions for both?
A short list of the most common plugin formats:
Now this is interesting. Never thought about that. So all VST softsynth parameter ranges are severely limited when compared to a full 32-bit range. It does make sense when considering MIDI.Geomol wrote:Most dial knobs found in G2500 Virtual Analog handle 32-bit floating point values between 0.0 and 1.0, so about 30-bit information giving more than a billion possible positions for each knob. If you put all the modules with most knobs in G2500, you have 2-300 different controllers. MIDI can't handle this. Some of the different plugin formats might. I don't know, as I havent researched it (yet). What is the alternative, if you wanna control G2500 to its fullest?
It's certainly a different approach, much like playing a real instrument and recording it using microphones. In this case if I understood correctly the G2500 is played like an instrument, has no link to a DAW, possibly cannot be sequenced by a DAW, and is recorded by tapping the audio output into a DAW.Geomol wrote:Would/should I use my precious time trying to please people asking for this and that plugin format, or should I use time to create the "correct" solution?
Re: G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
G2500 is not a plugin. You (and others) complain, it is not a plugin, if I read you correctly.jonetsu wrote:Well, all commercial plugins have no problem in supporting VST2, VST3, Mac's AU and ProTools' AAX.
It is something like this:
I produce a sailing boat, and you complain it is not a train.
I made G2500 in the first place for myself, because I wanted and needed it. As I showed it to others, they suggested, I made it public, so I did.
You then didn't understood it correctly, I'm sorry.jonetsu wrote:It's certainly a different approach, much like playing a real instrument and recording it using microphones. In this case if I understood correctly the G2500 is played like an instrument, has no link to a DAW, possibly cannot be sequenced by a DAW, and is recorded by tapping the audio output into a DAW.
I mainly use G2500 under Mac OS X together with my DAW, Ableton Live. Now, read on, as I will target Linux in the following.
Under macos, I can send MIDI messages from my DAW to G2500 using the IAC Driver, as stated on the homepage, G2500 Virtual Analog:
- * The G2500 is easily controlled from e.g. a software DAW using the IAC Driver found in the MacOS "Audio MIDI Setup"
- * Audio is easily sent to e.g. a software DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) using software such as "Soundflower for Mac"
https://wiki.libsdl.org/FAQUsingSDL#How ... _driver.3F
So if you use JACK, it is easy under Linux to connect G2500 with your DAW or other audio equipment, and also whatever MIDI equipment, you have.
I hope, this answers questions.
-
- Established Member
- Posts: 2036
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 12:05 am
- Has thanked: 10 times
- Been thanked: 22 times
Re: G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
jonetsu wrote:It's certainly a different approach, [....] and is recorded by tapping the audio output into a DAW.
That's what I call tapping the audio output into a DAW.Geomol wrote:You then didn't understood it correctly, I'm sorry. Under Linux, you get the same functionality in one software package known as JACK, and G2500 has support for JACK under Linux. [...] So if you use JACK, it is easy under Linux to connect G2500 with your DAW or other audio equipment, and also whatever MIDI equipment, you have.
I once asked Paul about the two jackd packages that are still available to this date and are still installed in most distros if not all. jackd and jackd2. It was not that clear though, it seems that development is going on with jackd and not jackd2. Not sure though.Geomol wrote: in one software package known as JACK
Re: G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
In computer science and numerical analysis, we use unit of least precision (ULP) to count the spacing between two floating point numbers.jonetsu wrote:Now this is interesting. Never thought about that. So all VST softsynth parameter ranges are severely limited when compared to a full 32-bit range.Geomol wrote:Most dial knobs found in G2500 Virtual Analog handle 32-bit floating point values between 0.0 and 1.0, so about 30-bit information giving more than a billion possible positions for each knob.
The following is part of a C program to show the ULPs between 0.0 and 1.0 for 32-bit floats:
Code: Select all
float lo = 0.0f;
float hi = 1.0f;
printf ("ulps 0.0 1.0 = %d\n", *(int*) &hi - *(int*) &lo);
printf ("0.0f : %X\n", *(unsigned int*) &lo);
printf ("1.0f : %X\n", *(unsigned int*) &hi);
Code: Select all
ulps 0.0 1.0 = 1065353216
0.0f : 0
1.0f : 3F800000
So we have 1,065,353,216 ULPs (or possible different values) between 32-bit 0.0 and 1.0, a little more than one billion.
2^30 equals 1,073,741,824
32-bit 0.0 to 1.0 is almost 30 bit of information.
When developing G2500, I considered 64-bit values to create a situation as close to the real world as possible, but I ended up using 32-bit floats, which I assume is good enough for most or all cases. I would love to be proven wrong.
I see some discussion about Audio Units / VST parameters like this: https://forum.juce.com/t/audio-units-vs ... tion/13204
I haven't really dug into it yet - just scratched the surface regarding plugins.
Prototyping of MIDI 2.0 was announced on this years NAMM: https://yamahamusicians.com/namm-2019-m ... announced/
That might influence any future communication between music hardware and software, plugins and DAWs.
-
- Established Member
- Posts: 2326
- Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2014 8:37 pm
- Been thanked: 256 times
Re: G2500 virtual ARP synthesizer
That's all well and good, but it really comes down to just this:
Does Britney Spears use it?
Does Britney Spears use it?