I have just completed coding the SPLITS editor window. A “split” lets you define two keyboard zones with distinct patch voices assigned to them, allowing you to play two different patches with a single keyboard controller. It is also possible to overlap the two zones, creating even more sound possibilities.
Author: Mister 1-2-3-4
Matrix-6G Progress Update 3
I have completed coding for the PATCHES window, which holds eleven banks of “factory” sound presets, plus two banks where the user can store custom sounds. Each bank holds 100 patches. I also added a PULL button to the main window, which allows the user to quickly import patch settings from one of the hardware’s storage slots and apply them to the GUI.
Matrix-6G Progress Update 2
I have added controls for editing the patch name and the Matrix Mod settings. These parameters cannot be edited individually via Quick Patch Editing, and can only be updated on the hardware by sending a data dump of the entire patch (this is also the case for negative values for patch parameters). To facilitate this, I added a PUSH button for sending the data dump and a slider for selecting the target storage slot on the hardware to the main window. I also added renderers for visualizing the envelopes and the tracking generator. Finally, I added code that causes the QUICK EDIT button to flash a few times when the plugin is opened, as a reminder to activate Quick Patch Editing on the hardware before making changes.
MophoGUI Updated To Version 0.3.0
I have made some significant changes to the MophoGUI VST3 plugin, most noticeably to the look and feel of the interface. I more closely mimicked the front panel of the hardware by changing the typeface of the control labels to Futura and adding a yellow “bullseye” graphic to the background. I changed the font for the control value displays to Overpass Bold by Delve Withrington and embedded the typeface data in the plugin. I also gave the red utility buttons a fancier bevel effect.
There is a major change to how the background graphics and buttons are rendered as well: instead of generating them programmatically every time the editor window is opened, I created static .png files for them and embedded them as binary data in the plugin.
Finally, I added some functionality to the oscillator shape knobs: if you hold down a number key and then click the knob, it will go directly to a shape (0 = Off; 1 = Sawtooth; 2 = Triangle; 3 = Sawtooth / Triangle Mixture; 4 = Square, i.e. a Pulse with a width of 50).
You can download Version 0.3.0 for free here.
Matrix-6G Progress Update
I’ve gotten all the controls for editing the Matrix-6R’s voice parameters coded and operational. I also discovered a problem with the control labels in the GUI: I realized that the fonts I’m using were not encapsulated in the plugin – the labels would be completely messed up when the plugin was opened on a computer which doesn’t have those fonts installed. I hadn’t noticed this with the MophoGUI because it uses Arial, which is a pretty common font. Anyway, I figured out how to embed the font data in the plugin and now all the type will render correctly on any computer. Huzzah!
MophoGUI Updated To Version 0.2.0
I’ve made some “under-the-hood” changes to the code for the MophoGUI VST3. Mostly just minor clean-up, but I did make significant changes to the way the LCD characters in the Program Name Display are rendered, making the process a tad more efficient. The new version is available for download here.
Next Up: Matrix-6G VST3
My next project is a VST3 plugin MIDI controller for Oberheim’s Matrix-6R synthesizer module. It should also be capable of editing sounds on the Matrix-1000 as well. Here’s a mock-up of the main editor window, created in Illustrator. Stay tuned for further updates!
MophoGUI Preview Release
MophoGUI version 0.1.0 is now available! It’s a VST3 plugin which allows you to edit the program parameters on a Dave Smith Instruments Mopho synthesizer module from within your DAW. Read more about it and download it here.